Mission High School in San Francisco, where a significant portion of students struggle with basic math and English proficiency, has achieved the highest acceptance rate to the University of California, Berkeley, among all California high schools. Last fall, 34 out of 76 Mission High applicants were admitted to UC Berkeley, resulting in a 45% acceptance rate, far exceeding the University of California system's average of 15%.
Critics suggest this trend is a consequence of relaxed academic standards and policies that have eliminated standardized testing requirements, such as the SAT, from the UC system's admissions process. These changes, intended to promote equity, have allegedly led to an influx of underprepared students into rigorous university courses. Levi Lum, a Mission High alumnus, noted that grades were "sometimes too easy to earn" and that attendance and basic completion were often sufficient for a passing grade, a standard that did not translate to preparedness for university-level work.
Data from the 2025 state assessment exam reveals that only 17% of Mission High's 11th graders scored proficient or above in English, and a mere 6% met the standard in math. These figures are the lowest within the San Francisco Unified School District, where the average proficiency rates were 59% for English and 43% for math. In contrast, Lowell High School, known for its academic rigor, has a significantly lower UC acceptance rate despite approximately 71% of its students meeting math standards.
Concerns have been raised that such policies may inadvertently set students up for failure. Lum, for example, found himself struggling with mathematical fluency at Berkeley, falling behind the pace of lessons that assumed a higher level of foundational knowledge. Reports indicate that only half of Mission High's students have historically graduated from a University of California school within four years.
This discrepancy between admission rates and academic readiness has prompted calls from within the UC system for the reinstatement of standardized testing. Thousands of faculty members have signed open letters advocating for the return of the SAT and ACT. Math professors have reported instances of students requiring instruction in basic arithmetic, skills typically taught in middle school, rather than engaging with college-level curriculum. A report from UC San Diego's Senate-Administration Working Group highlighted a dramatic increase in students lacking fundamental math skills, with the number of incoming freshmen with below-high-school-level math abilities rising from 30 in 2020 to 900 in 2025.
UC Berkeley has confirmed that Mission High's high acceptance rate has been consistent for several years but stated that no specific strategy targets individual schools. Mission High School's principal declined to comment on the matter.