Summary:
At AJ tutoring we are consistently monitoring trends in education and educational rews. Recently we came across a new UC San Diego admissions report that reveals a sharp drop in students’ math and writing readiness.
Read more to learn what this means for California families applying to UC schools, and how early skill building and tutoring can help.
A Wake-Up Call from the UC System
A new report from the UC San Diego Senate–Administration Working Group on Admissions offers a chilling snapshot of academic readiness among California’s top students. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of UC San Diego freshmen whose math skills tested below middle-school level increased nearly thirtyfold. Now rstanding at roughly 1 in 8 incoming students.
Writing and literacy skills have also taken a hit, with many students requiring extra coursework before meeting basic UC writing standards.
The report warnes that this trend is straining university resources and leaving many students unprepared for the college-level coursework.
Why Are So Many Students Struggling?
The report points to several overlapping causes:
- Pandemic learning loss: Years of remote instruction and high absenteeism disrupted the core math and literacy skill development.
- Grade inflation: Many high schools relaxed grading standards during COVID, making transcripts less reliable predictors of UC readiness.
- Elimination of standardized testing: Since the UC regents against the advice of the UC faculty and students, stopped requiring SAT score or ACT scores in 2021. This has left admissions officers with fewer objective tools to gauge student preparedness.
- Increased admissions from under-resourced schools: UC San Diego has admirably expanded access to students from low-income and English-learner backgrounds, however, those schools often have fewer opportunities for advanced coursework or experienced mathteachers which poses serious challenges both to student success and to the university’s instructional mission.
The result: even high school students who earned A’s in AP Calculus or English often arrive to campus with a need of remedial classes in academic subjects they thought they’d mastered.
What This Means for Bay Area Families
For parents and students, the takeaway should be awareness and preparation. The pandemic and policy shifts have created uneven academic foundations across California schools.
College admissions officers are still looking for evidence of readiness, but without standardized tests, the burden has shifted to coursework, teacher grades, and supplemental indicators like diagnostic tests or summer enrichment. AJ Tutoring can help students master content and build strong foundations in study skill and content areas like Physics, English, and PreCaluclus that the UC system is looking for and are necessary to succeed in college.
The bottom line: Families who take proactive steps to identify and close gaps early will have a major advantage, not just in college admissions, but in college success.
How Students Can Get Back on Track
Here are three steps families can take to strengthen math, writing, and critical-thinking skills long before college begins:
- Use diagnostic assessments early and often. Don’t wait until application during senior year to find out where your student stands. AJ Tutoring offers diagnostic tests for math, reading, and writing that pinpoint strengths and weaknesses early in high school.
- Reinforce foundational skills. Many students dive into advanced classes like Calculus or AP English before solidifying their algebra or grammar fundamentals.
- Building strong skills now prevents challenges later.
Consider standardized tests strategically.
Even though the SAT and ACT are no longer required for UC admission, they remain valuable benchmarks for gauging readiness, and most private and out-of-state colleges still use them int he college application process. Doing Test Prep for these exams helps strenghen quantitative and analytical skills translating directly into college level coursework sucess.
The Bigger Picture: Equity and Excellence
The UC report emphasizes the tension between access and preparation. Universities want to serve a diverse student body representing all of California’s communities, and they also need to ensure that students are ready to succeed once admitted.
As the report concludes, “Admitting large numbers of underprepared students risks harming those students and straining limited instructional resources.” The current challenge is not just admitting students, it’s helping them suceed once they arrive, without taking away for high achieving students who have strong foundational skill and are looking to future sharpen those skill in college.
That’s where private academic support can make a meaningful difference. High-quality tutoring bridges the gap between high school standards and college expectations, giving students the tools they need to succeed in any environment.
How AJ Tutoring Helps Build College Readiness
At AJ Tutoring, we’ve spent over 22 years helping California students build the skills, confidence, and resilience they need for success. Whether that means mastering algebra, improving essay writing, or preparing for college-level coursework.
Our 1-on-1 tutoring approach makes sure that every student gets personalized instruction, steady accountability, and expert feedback. We don’t just prepare students for the next test, we prepare them for lifelong learning.
Key Take Away
The UC San Diego report should serve as a reminder that academic preparation still matters, even in a test-optional world. With the right tutoring support, students can close learning gaps, strengthen their core skills, and get ready for college.
