A mathematics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has voiced sharp criticism regarding the decline in academic standards, stating that a significant portion of her calculus students lack fundamental middle school math skills. Zvezdelina Stankova, a professor at UC Berkeley, described in an op-ed for The San Francisco Standard that office hours meant for discussing integrals are often consumed by lessons on fractions and basic algebra.
Stankova noted that some students are reportedly five to eight years behind in mathematics. This situation, she argued, stems in part from the university's decision to phase out standardized testing in its admissions process. The UC system made standardized tests optional in 2020, later becoming test-blind through 2025 following a court ruling. Prior to 2020, a diagnostic exam showed 71% of calculus students were prepared for the course, with only 0.14% testing below basic algebra. However, between 2021 and 2023, only 44% of students tested as ready or nearly ready for calculus, and more than one-third had severe math deficits.
Stankova, who also founded the Berkeley Math Circle and a local math olympiad, believes the removal of standardized tests has diminished the quality of the student body. She compared the current admissions process to "less like careful evaluation and more like chance." She is among thousands of faculty members who have advocated for the reinstatement of the SAT and ACT for admissions to ensure incoming students are adequately prepared.
Many other elite universities, including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Yale, suspended testing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic but have since reintroduced them. Stankova pointed out that UC Berkeley has moved in the opposite direction, with no new admissions policy scheduled until fall 2028. UC Berkeley has not yet responded to requests for comment.