The University of California is moving faster on a potential return to standardized testing in admissions, with Regents setting a June 2027 deadline for faculty recommendations on whether to reinstate SAT or ACT requirements.
Six years after UC dropped the tests in 2020 and adopted a strict test-blind policy, the system faces mounting pressure from faculty who say incoming students are unprepared for college-level work, particularly in math. More than 3,000 professors have signed open letters highlighting severe skill gaps, with some STEM students requiring middle-school-level remediation.
On Tuesday, UC Board of Regents Chair Maria Anguiano called on the Academic Senate to deliver recommendations by next June as part of a broader review of college readiness and high school A-G course requirements. The accelerated timeline follows the abrupt suspension last week of an earlier faculty study plan, which had targeted recommendations in May 2027 and possible implementation no earlier than fall 2028 applications.
UC President James B. Milliken emphasized the need for thoughtful but timely action. “There are few things more important on our agenda,” he said earlier in the process.The debate has drawn national attention. While UC stands nearly alone among elite institutions in remaining test-blind, many Ivy League schools and peers like Stanford have reinstated testing, citing its predictive value. Critics argue the tests favor wealthier students and perpetuate inequities, while supporters see them as an essential external benchmark amid grade inflation and varying high school quality.
No decision has been made. Any change would require approval by the Board of Regents and would not affect students applying for fall 2026 or 2027 entry, who continue under the current test-blind policy. Options under discussion include using California’s Smarter Balanced assessments for in-state applicants.
The 2026-2027 Common App essay prompts have been 
University of Southern California is making three major changes that should really shake up its admissions profile for its Class of 2031 (the high school class of 2027) and beyond.
The 2025-2026 college admissions process is almost upon us. This means it’s an important time for members of the high school Class of 2026 – especially those who want to run the gauntlet this admissions cycle – to be aware of the the five colleges with the most grueling standardized test requirements for first-year admission.
What does a decade’s worth of increasingly identity-based admissions look like at University of Wisconsin-Madison? You’re about to find out. But formal Affirmative Action, which was outlawed by The Supreme Court of the United States last year, is just part of the story.
It’s October, so it means that many high school seniors are spending a lot of time completing their college applications before all-important early deadlines. While this can be stressful enough when one is applying to only colleges on the Common App, it can become downright painful when having to complete extra requirements beyond the standard Common App that certain colleges and universities are now expecting of college applicants. In particular, completing the SRAR (Self-Reported Academic Record), SSAR (Self-Reported Student Academic Record), or the Courses & Grades section of the Common App can be a source of major annoyance for high school seniors applying to college for several reasons.
When it comes to college admissions, your GPA is a major determinant of your potential options. Understanding where your GPA places you can help narrow down your college choices and ensure you’re applying to institutions that align with your academic profile. In this guide, we’ll explore how to find the best colleges that accept your GPA and provide a list of schools for each GPA range, from 3.3 to 3.8.
Colleges That Accept a 3.6 GPA