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The New York Times Editorial Board has called the University of California system's test-blind undergraduate admissions policy a "terrible" mistake, urging the UC Board of Regents to reverse course before the board's scheduled July 14 meeting.
The editorial, published Monday, cited a sharp deterioration in the academic preparation of incoming UC students since the policy took effect in 2020.
The Preparedness Numbers The Times pointed to a faculty group report from UC San Diego showing that nearly 12 percent of first-year undergraduates last fall were not qualified to take pre-calculus, compared with 0.5 percent in 2020.
The editorial acknowledged that broader factors — COVID-19 school closures, artificial intelligence, and smartphone distractions — contributed to declining preparedness nationally, but argued the regression among entering UC students was larger than elsewhere, implicating the test-blind policy specifically.
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