UC proposes changes to SAT subject tests’ weight

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<p>Article in the "Daily Bruin" </p>

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Freshman applicants may no longer have to take the SAT subject tests.</p>

<p>The University of California Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools recently passed a proposal reforming freshman eligibility. This was the result of concerns that current application requirements were limiting otherwise qualified students from applying.</p>

<p>“The main reason we wrote this bill is that there are large numbers of high-achieving students actually ineligible for UCs,” said Mark Rashid, professor of civil engineering at UC Davis and chair of the board. He said one of the possible reasons students are ineligible is because they did not take the SAT subject tests or because they did not take one of the required courses even if it was not offered at their school.</p>

<p>Currently, eligibility relies on GPA, taking the required A-G courses, and test scores.</p>

<p>The board is a committee under the UC Academic Senate and oversees matters relating to undergraduate admission. The Academic Council has not voted on the proposal but instead has decided to send it for a systemwide senate review. Each committee may decide whether or not to opine by Dec. 5, according to their Web site.</p>

<p>The proposal also suggests a new policy for reviewing applications.</p>

<p>The proposed revision would be a more holistic approach, in which the policy would guarantee consideration for admission through a comprehensive review at each campus on the application to all students who met basic requirements, which would not include test scores. Test scores could be used in the review.</p>

<p>Rashid said that the board found that the SAT subject tests do not actually tell that much about a student’s potential....

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<p><a href="http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2007/oct/17/uc-proposes-changes-sat-subject-tests-weight/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2007/oct/17/uc-proposes-changes-sat-subject-tests-weight/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Under the proposed plan, students SAT II tests would be considered "optional" so that students who do take SAT subject tests would be able send their scores as part of their application. This strategy is said to be optimal for students interested in "impacted majors".</p>

<p>So now we have a proposal for "SAT II optional".</p>

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<p>I don't see what's wrong with the Subject Tests, especially if they correspond with a certain sub-university or a major someone declares on the application. Of course, the CC brain is programmed to read the word "optional" as "optional unless you actually want to get into the school", so this won't make much difference here.</p>

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<p>Does this mean that for the people applying for the fall 2008 year the admission officers will not care if you have taken any SAT 2's.</p>

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<p>It's still called a proposal. I wouldn't count on that this late in the game, but it might give applicants some leeway to stress less about the scores.</p>

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<p>I agree with Shinkrap...IF it does get passed, then it probably won't start until HS class of 2010 at least.</p>