University of California OKs a 'Radical' Admissions Change

The University of California system has approved "a radical departure" in its admissions process, as described in today's San Francisco Chronicle . The plan relaxes some admissions standards, but it could guarantee admission to fewer students.

The changes include dropping the SAT II (subject test) requirement and also lowering the standards for which applications can be reviewed by admissions committees. These applicants will not be guaranteed admittance but will be considered for acceptance when they previously would not have been.

The other significant change adjusts who is guaranteed admission into one of the UC schools. Essentially, officials estimate that 10 percent of California's high school graduates would be guaranteed a spot, down from 13.4 percent before.

In all, the changes are expected to reduce the guarantees by about 10,000 students a year, to about 35,475, and boost the number eligible for review by about 30,000, to 76,141 a year, officials estimated.

The changes will take effect for students who would begin fall 2012.