Planning to Study Engineering in US? UC’s SAT Debate and What Indian Students Planning for Fall 2027 Should Know

University of California (UC) has issued an open letter to reinstate SAT and ACT exams for STEM admissions in Fall 2027. The faculty members have urged the UC leadership to bring back the SAT/ACT exam and mathematics requirement for applicants to science, technology, engineering and mathematics programme (STEM).

International students, including those from India, have benefited from the University of California’s test-free admissions policy in recent years and this proposal has sparked interest in students. The recommendation has not yet been accepted and is still under discussion.

Why Are UC Faculty Asking to Bring Back SAT?

STEM faculty at UC has argued that many students who are enrolling in the university lack the basic mathematical preparation needed for university level courses. SAT is a standardized test used for undergraduate college admissions. The exam assesses the basic aptitude of students by measuring their reading, writing and mathematical skills. According to the professors at UC, a standardized mathematics score can become a common benchmark amid the concerns of grade inflation. According to the letter, " in the last five years, the number of students whose mathematics skills fall below high school level increased nearly thirtyfold; moreover, 70% of those students fall below middle school levels, reaching roughly one in twelve members of the entering cohort." The letter also highlighted that basic mathematic fluency is important and expected of a unversity level graduation STEM student and without it success is unattainable at such levels. The letter highlights the professors' concerns for such gaps which are resulting them to reteach the middle level mathematics to higher level students. This is in turn depleting the limited resources that the university has to support the under-resourced students to do well in mathematics. 

UC faculty has asked to:

• Reinstate SAT/ACT mathematics requirement for majors from fall 2027 admission cycle
• Allowing STEM faculty’s better involvement in admission standards
• Evaluation of existing policies using student’s academic outcomes
• Mandate Institutional Accountability

According to the UC faculty, this underpreparedness and academic knowledge gap is concerning which will weaken the foundation and the university will be unable to provide students the education needed to become  leaders in California’s scientific, technological, and economic future. They urged that if this issue is left unheard, there would be a bigger dip in graduation rates, reduced completion of STEM majors and longer time for graduation which will directly impact California'a highly skilled STEM workforce. 

Will SAT Become Mandatory in 2027? What Should Students Do Now?

There has been no verdict on the recommendation from the faculty, about reinstating SAT and ACT exams. The changes suggested are under discussion and is waiting the verdict from Academic Senate. According to some reports, the decision has been pushed back, indicating that applicants will continue to follow the no-test free admission process until the official announcement is made.

If the university reinstates the exams, the requirement will become mandatory for all the international applicants for all categories. Students planning to apply for STEM programmes 2027 should keep the SAT preparation at the backfoot as a precaution. However, until UC formally announces the changes to the admission policy, SAT scores are option and will not be considered for university admissions.

Read the full Open Letter from University of California STEM Faculty