Josh Hagen Featured in the Orange County Register on UC’s Review of Standardized Testing Requirements

Publication: Orange County Register
Date: July 17, 2026

The Orange County Register featured Josh Hagen, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the Campaign for College Opportunity, in its coverage of the University of California’s review of whether to reinstate SAT and ACT requirements for undergraduate admissions. The article explores the ongoing debate over standardized testing and its potential impact on college access, equity, and student success.

In the article, Josh emphasized that the University of California should remain committed to a test-free admissions process, noting that standardized tests present longstanding concerns around equity and do not provide a complete measure of student potential.

Josh also cautioned against moving too quickly toward reinstating testing requirements before fully understanding the consequences for students.

“There are enough red flags… where I think it really, to us, indicates there’s an unproven solution that we’re moving to push through very quickly, without even thinking through the impact that this would have on current students today.”

While acknowledging legitimate concerns about students’ academic preparation, Josh argued that California should focus on strengthening college readiness rather than reintroducing standardized testing as a barrier to admission.

“Instead of saying, ‘This is the way we’ve always taught math…,’ what would it look like to redesign how math is taught? In our assessment, that is the direction we should be moving and should be innovating, versus kind of a knee-jerk reaction (of) ‘let’s bring back a test, see if that solves the problem.'”

The Campaign for College Opportunity continues to advocate for equitable admissions policies that expand opportunity for California’s students while ensuring they receive the preparation and support needed to succeed in higher education.