CSU expands access

By Tania Salceda, Berkeley| 3/30/2022

Regarding “CSU ends entrance exam requirement” (Bay Area & Business, March 24): The California State University system made a stride in the right direction for equity in admissions by dropping SAT and ACT requirements.

As a first generation, low-income student from an under-resourced community and public school, I experienced first-hand the pressures and obstacles of these standardized exams. I took the SAT over six times before finally getting a decent enough score to apply to competitive schools. That came at a large cost, both mentally and monetarily.

Additionally, local testing sites had a small capacity and would fill up, so at times the closest available testing center was an hour away.

This news is appreciated, especially since standardized testing already has its own fair share of complaints outside of equity. This decision by the CSU will break down another barrier to accessing higher education.