September 8th, 2008
The University of California is considering enacting major changes to its admission process, which could greatly affect the top-qualified applicants — both eligible and ineligible.
The proposed changes would decrease the percentage of students guaranteed admission, dropping the amount from the top 12.5% to the top 10% of high school graduates. This 2.5% loss of top high school students will be compensated by a holistic evaluation of applicants, essentially granting admission to undoubtedly qualified students who may not have had the proper counseling to meet the requirements of U.C. eligibility, such as SAT tests and specific classes in high school.
To facilitate the eligibility process for applicants, the new admission standards propose to eliminate the two required SAT II Subject Exams, giving the students two less tests to worry about when applying to college. Eliminating the SAT II subject tests makes the admissions system less of a numbers game: without these additional test scores to consider in students’ applications, the U.C. system will be able to base its admission choices more on individual merits and circumstances and less on numbers.
The proposed system is designed to favor minorities and increase diversity. By giving ineligible students a chance for admission, the amount of admitted minorities will subsequently increase, proponents report, considering that underrepresented students make up a fair amount of applicants considered ineligible each year.
The University is trying to increase the amount of qualified students on their campuses, whether they have met the requirements or not. The idea is to base admissions decisions not only on the required grades and test scores, but also on whether a student is bright enough to succeed at a U.C. campus, even if he or she has not even taken the SAT. University of California admission policymakers believe that, if admissions officers put in enough effort and thought into each ineligible applicant, they can determine whether the student is qualified for U.C. admission. Supporters of the measure say many students may have lacked sufficient opportunity or suitable counseling to fulfill the U.C. requirements.
Several obstacles must be overcome before these amendments can be put into place. One of the primary concerns is that the proposed changes could mean California students who would otherwise have been guaranteed admission, will not be admitted. Critics of the plan argue that California students in the top 12.5% of their class have a right to be guaranteed U.C. admission.
A second obstacle is the difficulty of determining the fine line between ineligible students who automatically get turned down and ineligible students who get considered or admitted. Many are wondering, if a student has not taken the proper high school courses or SAT exams required for U.C. admission, how are the admissions staff supposed to be able to recognize a student that has potential if they cannot see how they have performed in challenging courses or on a standardized test? And how will they be able to tell that a student did not fulfill the UC requirements because of poor counseling or because of laziness?
Opponents of the plan argue these new changes distort the eligibility requirements for the U.C. by essentially making exceptions to ineligible students who may be unqualified. Additionally, the amount of time it would take to thoroughly consider the ineligible applicants may be impossibly time consuming for the admissions staff, considering that about 15% of UC applicants are considered ineligible each year.
While new changes to the UC admission process may help disadvantaged applicants that are not eligible by taking their circumstances into consideration, the changes hurt the top eligible high school students, 2.5% of whom would no longer be guaranteed admission.
The elimination of the SAT II Subject Tests further downplays the role of test scores in determining qualification for U.C. curriculum, and places greater emphasis on more subjectively evaluated aspects of the application, such as the student’s personal statement. While some may think of it as a better and fairer way of admitting students, others argue it is an excuse to increase diversity and the percentage of minorities in the U.C. system at the cost of more qualified applicants.
