Equal Justice Society President Lisa Holder appeared yesterday on KQED Forum to share expert insight into the issue of considering SAT/ACT scores in admissions and scholarship decisions by the University of California system, a practice that was banned by the UC Regents in 2020 following a lawsuit (Smith v. Regents of the University of California) by EJS and co-counsel, on behalf of students, student groups, and community organizations.
In addition to the action by the regents, our lawsuit also resulted in a court decision compelling the university to stop using the SAT and ACT as part of the admissions process.
The issue has resurfaced in part due to pressure from a segment of STEM faculty that wants the university to reinstate consideration of SAT and ACT in admissions because these instructors say they are encountering students who are unprepared.
In the interview, Lisa presented the following points:
- The SAT and ACT primarily measure socioeconomic status and access to test preparation, rather than a student’s actual aptitude or potential. The tests act as a “gatekeeper” calibrated for wealth, which obstructs access for high-achieving, low-income students and students of color.
- It is better to use a “holistic review” that weighs high school performance (grades, teacher evaluations, extracurriculars, and community involvement) over standardized test scores. This approach is supported by social scientists and psychometricians as the most reliable predictor of college readiness.
- The UC system’s mission is to provide high-quality education to California’s best students, regardless of income. Furthermore, Lisa said that a vast majority of UC faculty (85%) and administrators believe the test-free policy has been successful over the last five years, characterizing the push for reinstatement as coming from a minority cohort of professors.