High School Students Torn About SAT Subject Tests

This year high school students applying to University of California schools will not be required to take the stressful standardized subject exams usually associated with the college application process.

The new rule was initiated as a method of broadening the range of applicants while simultaneously relieving test-taking pressures for all high school seniors. Starting with applications for next fall, subject exams will fully be dropped as a requirement.

According to UC administrators, good scores can only help applicants, but bad scores will not harm acceptance chances for prospective students.

Yet, students continue to scramble to take the category-based tests in order to outshine their competition. UC officials say regardless of the requirement's removal, taking such exams is an automatic “plus factor,” similar to club leadership and music ability.

The ultimatum to test or not to test has some students debating about whether the new rule is really serving its purpose.

High school senior and UC applicant Alan Radoncic says the removal of the subject exams may be having a reverse effect for the students themselves.

“The subject tests are designed to gauge one’s ability in that certain subject, making the process more selective,” Radoncic said. “But now this is raising the bar competition-wise for all of us.”

The 17-year-old plans on applying to many private schools as well, and says he finds no purpose in applying a rule that does not fully affect, or encompass, the entire applicant pool.

“The new rule makes it more difficult for people like me applying to both private and public California schools,” Randoncic added. “There is really no choice for me as much as [UC officials] say there is. I have to take the tests.”

Another core reason behind the application change is that faculty leaders were noticing too many gifted students, particularly low-income African American and Latino students, were not taking the subject exams.

The UC system still requires students to take the general SAT exam or rival ACT exam.

November 30 marks the deadline for the last day to submit applications to UC schools for next year, and November 5 and December 3 are the final chances for seniors to take the subject exams if they feel necessary.