https://fairtest.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Response-to-NYT-Editorial-7.docx
On July 6, 2026, the New York Times published an editorial calling on the University of California system to turn its back on its public mission and commitment to serve the breadth and diversity of the state’s population and return to requiring submission of SAT and ACT test scores for admissions. While there is grave cause for concern in the college preparation in the state and elsewhere given the whipsaw of COVID, screens, social media, absenteeism and AI plaguing young people in the K-12 system, using the SAT as a public university gatekeeper is not the solution to the problem. Reinstating the requirement will simply cut off an untold amount of talent and potential, particularly from disadvantaged communities, from the opportunity afforded by the UC system. The Times seems intent on extending its view of the admission criteria for “elite” Ivy Plus education to public systems that more broadly serve American youth, proving its interests do not reside with the poor and minority populations who aspire to higher education.
FairTest’s detailed réponse can be downloaded in the link above.