University of California May Drop SAT

The University of California, one of the nation's largest public university systems, is considering dropping the SAT as an admission requirement in the face of dramatic evidence that its decision to eliminate race as a factor in picking students will produce steep declines in Latino and black enrollment.

The university task force charged with examining the issue recommended that the test be dropped after projections showed that continued use of standardized tests would cause Hispanic enrollment to plummet as much as 70 percent at the system's flagship campuses. Similar enrollment declines are predicted for blacks. Both groups score far below the national average on the SAT. Gov. Pete Wilson opposes the proposal.

Although no final decision has been made, school officials say they are weighing the use of SAT scores closely and could make a decision next spring. The task force found that eliminating the SAT would increase the pool of Latinos eligible for admission by 59 percent, far more than it would increase the pool of eligible students.