Caltech, one of the most prominent, high-performing, technological institutes is changing their admissions standards for students from schools that don’t offer calculus, physics, and chemistry.

CalTech only admits 3% of the applicants. It’s a small school of 2400 students. It’s been the place for math geniuses.

Students will be able to be admitted via several alternative paths. One is for the student to take Khan Academy‘s free, online classes and score 90% or higher on a certification test.

The admissions page explains that students who are confident about their knowledge of the material can bypass the course and take the certification test directly. Caltech will also accept, in lieu of a high school calculus, physics or chemistry course, a score of 5 on AP exams and a score of 6 or 7 on International Baccalaureate exams in those subjects.

Why aren’t these courses offered? Do they have too few children to take them? Is the need in the area of other courses, such as remediation? Or, are schools getting rid of much-needed advanced classes in the name of equity?

Dr. Wu probably suspects that if this doesn’t work, the standards will be lowered. He could be thinking that this is end-run around the Supreme Court ruling banning racial discrimination.

Dr. Wu is concerned that colleges ae looking for ways to violate the intent of the law.

Everyone of these classes should be canceled and replaced by advanced classes.