In a significant break from tradition, UC Berkeley will ask some
freshman applicants to submit letters of recommendation from teachers
and mentors this fall. And the UC system is studying whether all of its
nine undergraduate campuses should do the same in future years as
another way to choose among the avalanche of students seeking admission. The
new policy at UC Berkeley, while optional and limited this year, has
triggered much debate at other UC campuses and high schools around the
state about the value of such letters and whether they hurt or help the
chances of public school students. Adding even optional recommendations to all UC applications "would
be a sea change," said Stephen Handel, UC's associate vice president for
undergraduate admissions. Upcoming deliberation will have to measure
the usefulness in admissions decisions against concerns that a change
might "inadvertently disenfranchise certain students from even
applying," he said. Unlike most private universities and some
public schools, UC generally has not asked for recommendations in its
main undergraduate applications. It relies instead on high school
grades, standardized test scores, personal essays and a review of
students' accomplishments and personal challenges...
With so many students submitting stellar grades, it is important to tell
whether they have the personal and academic skills "to survive in a
very competitive and very large university environment," said Panos
Papadopoulos, who chaired the Berkeley Senate during the plan's
approval...
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