A UC Berkeley mathematics professor, Zvezdelina Stankova, says some incoming calculus students are not prepared for college-level material. She reports that a portion of students need instruction in fractions and basic algebra rather than starting calculus, describing the gap as large enough that some students may be “five to eight years behind.”
Stankova connects the decline in readiness to changes in admissions testing and wider impacts from the period when standardized tests were suspended. She argues that calculus preparedness has fallen notably over time, and her remarks have reignited discussion about academic standards and how elite universities measure and support incoming students’ foundational skills.
The coverage from different outlets focuses on the same core claim: that students entering calculus lack basic math competencies. However, outlets vary in emphasis, with some highlighting the broader debate over elite admissions and academic expectations, while others focus more directly on the classroom consequences of the preparedness gap.
