Many Factors Dictate University Admissions

Re “UC Reduces Its Low-SAT Acceptances,” April 4: On behalf of the nation’s guidance counselors and college admissions officers, we encourage you to broaden future analyses of admissions at the University of California or other colleges to include the full scope of admissions factors.

To reduce the admissions decision solely to standardized test scores is to ignore decades of admissions practice in determining the likelihood of success in postsecondary education.

Since 1993, when our association first began measuring admissions trends through annual surveys, a student’s performance in rigorous academic curriculums has consistently been the No. 1 factor considered in the admissions decision and the leading indicator of success in higher education.

Standardized testing is an important factor, but not as important as a student’s academic record in high school.

We believe there is too much at stake to reduce the basis for such a life-altering decision to a single imperfect indicator, no matter how convenient it might be.

David Hawkins

Director of Public Policy

National Assn. for College

Admission Counseling

Alexandria, Va.