Lower Education
Summary
Josh Barrow and Ben Dreyfus interview UCLA sociologist Gabriel Rossman about the University of California’s test-blind admissions policy. Rossman argues that dropping the SAT has led to a decline in student preparedness, particularly in math, and devalued degrees. He discusses a faculty-led campaign to reinstate standardized testing, noting that despite his conservative views, he has found broad support among colleagues who prioritize academic rigor over ideological equity concerns.
Topics discussed
Introduction and the August news drought in academia
UC system test-blind admissions and rising remedial math needs
Why high school GPA is a flawed predictor of college success
The shift to holistic admissions and its unintended consequences
Grade inflation and the farce of AP classes in high schools
Political dynamics of school boards and local elections
Faculty petitions to reinstate SAT testing at UC schools
Misconceptions about SAT bias and vocabulary testing
The link between affirmative action bans and test-blind policies
Cross-ideological support for standardized testing among faculty
The rise of activism and negativity bias in sociology
Ideological sorting and the lack of conservative academics
Tyler Austin Harper's departure from Bates College
Jason Reid plagiarism scandal at Cambridge University
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