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The University of California is reviewing whether to reinstate the SAT and ACT, two nationally administered college admissions tests, as part of its undergraduate admissions process. More than 3,000 UC professors have signed open letters calling for the return of the SAT and ACT, highlighting growing concern about the mathematical preparation of students entering college.
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This concern reflects a broader challenge: In 2025, only 37.3% of California students met or exceeded the state mathematics standard. Among 11th graders, only 30.4% met or exceeded the standard.
These results raise a more fundamental question than whether to reinstate the SAT and ACT or continue without an admissions assessment: How can we better prepare students with the mathematical knowledge and skills needed for college success?
Admissions policies matter. Standardized admissions tests can provide useful information about students’ academic preparation. At the same time, I recognize the importance of expanding opportunities for all students, including those from underrepresented groups.
That said, no admissions policy on its own can produce academically prepared students. College readiness begins long before students submit applications. Whether or not the UC reinstates the SAT and ACT, California’s long-term opportunity is to strengthen mathematics education throughout TK–12 schools so that more students are prepared to succeed in college.
Decades of research and classroom experience have consistently shown that students learn mathematics most deeply when they experience mathematics as a way of thinking rather than simply a collection of procedures to memorize. They build understanding by reasoning mathematically, solving authentic problems, communicating their thinking, collaborating with others and applying mathematics in meaningful contexts.
These experiences develop the conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills that prepare students not only for success in college but also for careers, informed citizenship and lifelong learning.
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The current debate has also prompted a broader public discussion about the UC’s role in preparing more students for college success. The UC has long supported California’s TK–12 schools through educational outreach and preparation programs. As California’s public university system, the UC has both an opportunity and a responsibility to further strengthen the educational pipeline through research and strong partnerships with schools and districts.
Among these programs, the UC Davis C-STEM Center, where I serve as director, focuses on transforming TK–12 mathematics education. As a UC Approved Educational Preparation Program for undergraduate admission to all UC campuses, it partners with schools and districts to improve mathematics teaching, learning and achievement.
One example comes from Hillview Crest Elementary School in South San Francisco’s New Haven Unified School District, where the percentage of students meeting or exceeding California’s mathematics standards increased from 21.96% to 31.03% over two years after integrating authentic problem solving, computational thinking, coding and robotics into mathematics instruction.
The current debate over the SAT and ACT is worthwhile because it reminds us that math readiness for college matters. But California’s greater opportunity is to prepare more students for success long before they apply to college.
The UC has an important role to play by partnering with schools and districts to strengthen the educational pipeline. Preparing students — not just selecting them — is how California will build a stronger future.
Harry H. Cheng is a professor in UC Davis’ College of Engineering. He has served as director of the UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education since 2010.
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