교육 칼럼

코비드 (코로나)로 인해 그 이후 대학 입학 기준이 크게 변경되었다. 2020년 - 2022년 동안 학교에선 줌으로 학생들을 가르쳤고 그 결과로 학생들의 전체적인 학업 수준과 시험 점수가 떨어지는 경향을 보였다. 이로 인해 경쟁력이 높은 UC 계열의 대학들과 많은 미국 대학들이 SAT나 ACT 점수를 인정하지 않기로 하였으나 학생들을 선별하는 입학 기준 때문에 더욱 더 시험 점수에 연연할 수 밖에 없게 되었다. UC Berkeley 웹사이트에는 ‘Berkeley는 경쟁력이 높은 학교로서 최소 필수 조건으로만 학생들을 뽑기는 부족하다, 최소 조건 외에 여기 적힌 개개인의 전체적인 학업 성과로 평가한다.’ 라고 나와 있다.

- weighted and unweighted UC grade point average

- planned 12th grade courses

- pattern of grades over time

- The number of AP/IB, honors, or transferrable college courses completed

- level of achievement in those courses relative to other UC applicants at your school

- scores on AP or IB exams

(https://admissions.berkeley.edu/apply-to-berkeley/freshmen/freshmen-requirements/)

항상 언급 했듯이 내신이 정말 중요하다, 특히 AP 의 개수와 시험 성적! 말하자면 UC에서 SAT/ACT 점수를 허용하지 않겠다 (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/us/SAT-scores-uc-university-of-california.html) 고 선언한 뒤 그들의 합격 기준은 AP (국외 학생들은 IB) 에 초점을 두게 되었다. AP 시험 점수는 지난 몇 년간의 Covid 기간을 지내며 학생들 사이의 성과, 경험 등 여러 면에서 평등하게 학생들을 뽑을 수 있는 기준이 된다. 이런 경향은 미국 내 경쟁력이 높은 여러 대학들 사이에 보이지만 UC Berkeley가 최초로 대중적으로 언급한 학교라고 보인다.

The admissions landscape, since Covid-19 and the pandemic, has changed. Many of the classes during 2020 to 2022 were graded pass/fail, were taught via Zoom, resulted in national declines in scores and testing for students. The most exclusive and competitive universities therefore have come to rely on testing more, despite the trend to go "test-free" and not accept SAT or ACT scores, especially at University of California campuses and at many universities across the US still. UC Berkeley, on its website, states "Since Berkeley is a competitive campus, satisfying the minimum requirements is often not enough to be competitive for selection. In addition to the basic admission requirements, the campus selects its freshman class through an assessment that includes a holistic review of your academic performance as measured primarily by" and then lists

- weighted and unweighted UC grade point average

- planned 12th grade courses

- pattern of grades over time

- The number of AP/IB, honors, or transferrable college courses completed

- level of achievement in those courses relative to other UC applicants at your school

- scores on AP or IB exams

(https://admissions.berkeley.edu/apply-to-berkeley/freshmen/freshmen-requirements/)

The importance of grades we've spoken about here often, so roughly, it's grades and the number and performance on AP exams! Basically, since the UCs were barred from accepting SAT/ACT scores (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/us/SAT-scores-uc-university-of-california.html), they've turned their admissions eyes to the AP (and if you're an international student, IB exams). The AP scores are the natural equalizer to help assessment across a wide field of differing achievements, differing experiences, differing difficulties through the last few years during Covid, and gives a quantifiable number to compare to all other students. This trend is similar at many of the other exclusive and competitive universities across the US, and Berkeley is merely the first one to spell it out publically.