With the University of California school systems removing the requirement to submit SAT and ACT exam scores, students are trying to navigate their way to get into their dream colleges without the help of standardized testing, which has been beneficial and valuable to college admissions. To accommodate for the necessary changes to the college application process, testing requirements should be gradually relaxed over the course of several years rather than immediately for the next class. 

The unanimous vote to withdraw from considering the SAT and ACT was decided on May 20, and will not be used until the freshman class of 2023 or 2024 arrives, according to the Los Angeles Times. This change in the school systems is made to benefit students who do not have access to take their test due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the sudden removal may take a negative toll on some students rather than preparing students for the withdrawal.

“This changed some of the colleges on my list of colleges I’m applying to because rather than scores, the colleges will have to pick students based almost purely on GPA and essays,” senior Haley Don said. “When I first heard the news about UC schools not requiring submission, I wondered how colleges would be able to decide who to accept without scores.”

The UC suspension of standardized testing is leading to more research to find a better way to evaluate students’ readiness, which includes a new testing system, according to CNN.

“I took this news as unfortunate for not only my future, but also many students who believe the same,” junior Andrew Cherry said. “For a lot of students, the SAT or ACT was a way to prove their intelligence if their GPA isn’t exactly how they wanted it to be.”

These extensive protocols would have been more effective if the UC admissions system had slowly processed the removal of the SAT and ACT, and replaced it with their own admission exam, to smoothly integrate new testing requirements.