UC Berkeley Mathematics Professor Raises Alarm Over Students Arriving at University Without Basic Math Skills
A prominent mathematics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has raised concerns about what she describes as a dramatic decline in mathematical preparedness among some university students, arguing that admissions policies and falling academic standards are leaving lecturers with an increasingly difficult task: teaching basic mathematics to students who are already enrolled in college-level calculus.
Zvezdelina Stankova, a respected UC Berkeley mathematics professor and longtime advocate for mathematics education, made the claims in an opinion article published by the San Francisco Standard. According to Stankova, some students entering Berkeley’s calculus courses are arriving several years behind the level expected of them, forcing instructors to spend valuable class and office-hour time reviewing concepts such as fractions and elementary algebra rather than focusing on advanced university mathematics.
“Some students are five to eight years behind in mathematics,” Stankova wrote, describing a situation in which office hours that would normally be devoted to topics such as integrals instead become opportunities to reteach foundational mathematical concepts typically introduced during middle school.
Her comments have reignited a broader debate over university admissions, standardized testing and whether selective institutions are adequately identifying applicants who are academically prepared for demanding college programmes.
From Harvard-Trained Mathematician to Mathematics Education Advocate
Stankova’s concerns carry particular weight because of her extensive background in mathematics education. Born in communist Bulgaria, she went on to build an accomplished academic career and earned a PhD from Harvard University.
Beyond her university teaching, she has devoted significant attention to improving mathematics education among younger students. She founded the Berkeley Math Circle, a programme designed to encourage students to develop deeper mathematical skills, and has also been involved in mathematics competitions for high school students.
It is against this background that Stankova has become increasingly vocal about what she considers a serious problem in the preparation of students entering university.
Rather than simply complaining about students’ abilities, she argues that the issue reflects a wider change in how applicants are evaluated and selected for admission.
Concerns Over the Decline of Standardized Testing
At the centre of Stankova’s criticism is the University of California system’s decision to discontinue the use of SAT and ACT scores in admissions.
UC Berkeley moved away from standardized testing in 2020. The change came amid a broader national debate over standardized examinations, including concerns about inequality, access and whether test scores fairly measure a student’s academic potential.
The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the move away from testing, with examinations becoming optional and subsequent legal developments requiring the University of California system to remain test-blind for a period of time.
Stankova, however, believes the policy has produced unintended academic consequences.
She has joined thousands of faculty members who have signed open letters calling for the return of SAT and ACT testing as part of the admissions process. In her view, standardized examinations can provide universities with an additional measure for determining whether applicants possess the foundational skills necessary to succeed in demanding academic programmes.
Diagnostic Tests Raise Questions
Stankova pointed to diagnostic testing conducted among students entering Calculus I as evidence supporting her concerns.
According to the figures she cited, before 2020, approximately 71% of students taking the diagnostic examination were classified as “ready or nearly ready” for calculus. During the 2018–2020 period, only about 0.14% of those tested were recorded as performing below the level of basic algebra. However, she says the picture changed significantly in the years that followed.
Between 2021 and 2023, the proportion of students considered “ready or nearly ready” for calculus fell to about 44%. By the 2022–23 academic year, Stankova said more than one-third of calculus students were classified as having severe mathematical deficiencies, with zero being the most common score recorded on the diagnostic examination.
The figures, she argues, point to a widening gap between the academic demands of university mathematics and the preparation of some students entering the programme.
Two Very Different Groups in the Same Classroom
One of Stankova’s strongest concerns is the growing disparity she sees among students sitting in the same calculus lecture.
She describes a classroom divided into two broad groups: students who arrive with the mathematical foundation needed to engage immediately with university-level calculus and others who require extensive remedial instruction before they can understand the material. For the lecturer, this creates a difficult teaching environment.
Instead of spending office hours discussing derivatives, integrals, mathematical proofs and other calculus concepts, instructors may find themselves helping students understand fractions, equations and elementary algebra.
The result, Stankova argues, is that both groups can suffer. Students who are already well prepared may find the pace slowed down, while students with significant gaps may struggle to catch up with the material expected at university level.
Berkeley Remains Highly Selective
The concerns come despite UC Berkeley’s reputation as one of America’s most selective public universities. The university admits only a relatively small percentage of applicants, with the article citing an acceptance rate of approximately 10.5%.
That contrast has made Stankova’s argument particularly striking: a university can be extremely difficult to enter while still admitting students whose academic preparation varies considerably.
Her argument is therefore not necessarily about the overall intelligence or potential of Berkeley students, but about whether the admissions process is effectively identifying applicants who are ready for the academic demands of specific university programmes.
Berkeley’s Approach Differs From Some Peer Universities
The debate also comes at a time when several other highly selective American universities have reconsidered their approach to standardized testing.
Institutions including Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Yale suspended or relaxed testing requirements during the pandemic. Many of these universities have since moved toward reinstating standardized tests as part of their admissions processes.
Stankova argues that UC Berkeley has moved in the opposite direction and has yet to introduce a new admissions policy that would take effect before fall 2028.
Her criticism therefore extends beyond mathematics. She is questioning whether one of America’s most prestigious public universities should reconsider how it identifies academic readiness at the point of admission.
A Wider Debate About Education Standards
Stankova’s comments have the potential to fuel a much larger conversation about educational standards in the United States.
The debate over standardized testing has never been simply about mathematics. Supporters argue that SAT and ACT examinations can provide universities with a common benchmark for comparing applicants from very different schools and educational backgrounds.
Critics, meanwhile, have argued that standardized tests can reflect socioeconomic inequalities and may not fully capture a student’s potential, creativity, perseverance or academic ability.
The challenge for universities is therefore finding a balance between expanding access and ensuring that students admitted to demanding programmes have the academic foundations necessary to succeed.
For Stankova, the experience of teaching calculus has become a warning sign that this balance may have shifted too far.
Her observations also highlight a problem that extends beyond one university: when students arrive at higher education with major gaps in foundational knowledge, universities must decide whether to lower the pace of advanced courses, provide extensive remedial support or redesign admissions and placement systems to ensure that students are appropriately prepared.
As UC Berkeley continues to debate its admissions policies, Stankova’s warning places a fundamental question at the centre of the conversation: Can an elite university maintain both broad access and rigorous academic standards if it does not have a reliable way to measure students’ readiness before they arrive?
For one of Berkeley’s leading mathematics educators, the growing number of students needing lessons in fractions and basic algebra inside a calculus programme suggests that the question can no longer be ignored.
