An open letter, initiated by mathematicians at the UC Berkeley campus, was sent to the University of California—a leading public university system in the US comprising nine campuses. Among the signatories were seven heads of math departments and 37 other department heads.

"We observe a severe lack of foundational knowledge among students. Faculty are forced to re-teach middle school math concepts while also delivering specialized curricula in science, engineering, economics, and other highly quantitative fields," the letter stated.

Six years ago, UC eliminated the requirement for standardized test scores like the SAT and ACT, a policy that had been in place for decades. This decision followed waves of criticism arguing that these tests created barriers and disadvantaged vulnerable students who lacked access to test preparation resources.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, all nine member campuses of the UC system, along with hundreds of universities across the US, simultaneously dropped the mandatory SAT and ACT submission. In the first year of this policy, UC received a record number of applications and welcomed its largest and most ethnically diverse freshman class in history.

However, the drawbacks of this policy became evident after five years. According to a late 2025 report by the Admissions Management Task Force at UC San Diego, the number of students with math skills below high school level increased 30 times. More concerning, 70% of these students had not achieved middle school math proficiency. This means that for every 12 new students entering a UC lecture hall, one lacked fundamental knowledge.

"The requirement for SAT/ACT math scores is not a barrier to equity; on the contrary, it is a prerequisite for ensuring equity," the professors emphasized. "Ignoring entry-level knowledge checks does not remove barriers; it merely pushes them into the classroom, where students will find them even harder to overcome."

A corner of the University of California campus in Berkeley, US. Photo: University Fanpage

Faculty members argue that amid grade inflation in high schools and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) for essay writing, standardized tests remain an objective measure for evaluating applicants' actual abilities. They recommend reinstating test score submissions as early as the 2027 admissions cycle.

Ahmet Palazoglu, Chair of the UC Academic Council, announced that the Admissions and School Relations Council would immediately address the urgent issue of students' college readiness and the admissions process.

Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson for the UC system, acknowledged that the decline in foundational math skills is a "common national challenge," resulting from the extended period of online learning during the pandemic. She affirmed that UC will focus on improving teaching quality, fostering collaboration, and supporting students by working closely with both high schools and higher education institutions.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, UC has approximately 300,000 students across all campuses, its largest enrollment ever, along with 265,000 faculty and staff. Of these, eight campuses are ranked among the top 25 best public universities in the US, according to the US News ranking organization.

Khanh Linh (According to San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, UC)