Does Math Limit College Access?

Some four-year colleges place too much emphasis on mathematics in admissions, specifically whether students have done well in calculus, limiting access as a result, said a report issued Wednesday by Just Equations and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The report examines the “unwritten practices that determine how those policies operate, and the perceptions that influence evaluations of students’ high school records.”

Colleges need not operate this way, the report said. “Calculus is rarely required for university admission outside of specific majors, such as engineering, physical science, and math. The report mentions how some selective institutions, most prominently the University of California, have made clear that non-traditional courses such as data science are not only accepted for admission but are considered advanced math courses. [Advanced Placement] Statistics has the same weight as AP Calculus.”