Applying to the University of California System
Nonresidents
Nine Campuses: One Application. The University of California system includes more than 200,000 students attending one of nine undergraduate campuses at:
•
Berkeley
•
Los Angeles
•
San Diego
•
Davis
•
Merced
•
Santa Barbara
•
Irvine
•
Riverside
•
Santa Cruz
While each campus is unique, students submit one application to the UC system as a whole, indicating which specific campus(es) they are applying to. Applications for the fall term are due between November 1 and November 30.
Eligibility Requirements Before a student applies for admission to any of the campuses within the University of California system, they must first determine if the minimum eligibility requirements for admission in three areas have been met: 1. Scholarship Requirement: Non-California residents MUST HAVE A 3.4 CUMULATIVE GPA in classes taken in 10th and 11th grade, and no grade lower than a C in the courses listed below in section 2. 2. Subject Requirement: Students must complete a minimum of 15 college preparatory courses, with at least 11 finished prior to the beginning of the senior year. These courses are the traditional courses required for graduation from University Prep, including our history, English, math, lab science, and foreign language requirements. HOWEVER, the UC system also requires one full year of visual and performing arts, which is different from UPrep’s graduation requirement. Some UPrep students aren’t eligible to apply to the UC system because they have two semesters of visual or performing arts from different disciplines (for example, Photography I in one semester, and Stagecraft in another), instead of two consecutive semesters in one discipline (Photography I in the fall, and Photography II in the spring). Please talk to your college counselor if you suspect that you have not satisfied the visual and performing arts requirement. 3. Examination Requirement: The University of California system has made the decision to remove standardized testing from their admissions criteria. However, for many of our students we believe that having standardized testing will help their applications. We encourage students to speak with their counselor about whether or not they should submit their test scores. 4. Examination Requirement: The University of California does not require letters of recommendation or official copies of your high school transcript. All grades are self-reported.
14 COLLEGE COUNSELING AT UNIVERSITY PREP 2021–2022
The UC system has seen a significant increase in applications from out-of-state, even as the overall admission rate has decreased. It is important to remember that the California State Legislature, like many state legislatures, caps out-of-state enrollment. This means that it is more difficult to gain admission to the UC system as an out-of-state applicant. Furthermore, the four-year graduation rate for all UC campuses is 64 percent and the six-year graduation rate is 85 percent. If admitted, you may want to anticipate paying out-of-state tuition, which is significantly higher than in-state tuition, for more than four years; it is very difficult to gain residency. For more information on applying to the UC system, visit: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu.
Myth:
Grades are the most important factor in college admissions.
Reality: The quality of the curriculum, not grades, is the most important factor in admission decisions. Most colleges like to see four years of all five academic majors on an applicant’s transcript: math, science, English, history, and a foreign language.
The College Essay Writing Your Essay Most college applications require at least one main essay, and many include additional shorter questions as well. The purpose of this is twofold: Colleges want to assess your writing skills, but they also want to learn more about you. •
•
•
Be as honest and introspective as possible. Take this opportunity to tell the admissions counselor things about yourself that cannot be learned from any other part of the application you submit. If there are any inconsistencies in your academic, athletic, or creative record, you can use this space to explain them. Application essay topics. Try to discover what makes you unique, and show what you care about and the kind of person you are. Essay topics to consider: family history, events, or people that have been important to you and why; a challenging or interesting experience and what you learned from it; an obstacle you’ve faced and how you dealt with or overcame it; your goals, ambitions, or dreams; what you hope to learn or gain in college, or what other college students can learn or gain from you; issues of personal, local, or national concern. Creating a theme for your essay such as risk taking, intellectual independence, or love of the outdoors often brings up interesting examples of your life to support your chosen theme. Specific incidents to illustrate general observations are considered essential.
