The Cal State University system is looking to end requiring SAT and ACT exam scores for college admission.
The fourth-largest university system is determined to make this happen to provide an easier path for college applicants in the future. Earlier this week, Cal State Chancellor Joseph Castro said that he supports this move after an admission advisory council gave the green light to the idea.
"I am very supportive of that," said Castro. "I just want folks to know that I am not interested as chancellor to make it harder for students to get into the CSU." said the Chancellor.
This comes as the UC regents voted in favor of this same move last year, shaping up a movement that makes California a national leader in removing the standardized exam to attend a university.
The move has been based on eliminating any bias regarding the assumption that a standardized test determines a student's potentially more than their academic grades.
If the Cal State University system's idea gets approved by the trustees, the new quantitative formula would be based on the following four categories:
- High school GPA in a sequence of 15 university prep courses required both Cal State and UC.
- Completion of those courses beyond the minimum required.
- A school's percentage of students from low-income backgrounds.
- A student's engagement outside the classroom. Examples: leadership, employment, community engagement, and family educational history.
Students and former students think this move would provide an easier ride to success for students of low-income communities by allowing their work over four years to speak for itself, as opposed to exams that involve a timed limit. One of those former students is Susana Garcia, a Chula Vista native and a graduate of SDSU, and she says that this move is long overdue.
"These exams do not reflect someone's capability to succeed in college," Garcia said. "Where I come from, many don't have the resources to pay for SAT preparation with professionals, or even SAT prep books." She added.
The Cal State University board of trustees will analyze the recommendation presented by an advisory council earlier this month. The final decision will be voted on sometime during the spring.
