Final answer:
College admissions in the University of California system are based on an admissions index score derived from GPAs and standardized test scores, selecting the top 12 percent of students.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding College Admissions Statistics
To calculate the admissions index score for the University of California system, students' GPAs and standardized test scores (SATs and ACTs) are used. This score is designed to select the top 12 percent of high school students in the state. The top 12 percent signifies the students who are in the 88th percentile or higher based on the admissions index.
Considering that some students may have reservations about the fairness of standardized tests, the SAT's predictive validity is sometimes questioned. Studies have pointed out possible biases and an overestimation of how well SAT scores can predict first-year college GPAs.
When examining a group of 203,967 incoming first-time, full-time freshmen at four-year colleges in the United States, 71.3 percent agreed with a recent federal law that was passed, indicating a significant majority view among the surveyed students.