University of California (UC)

Admission Requirements

The admission guidelines are designed to ensure you are well-prepared to succeed at UC.

If you're interested in entering the University of California as a freshman, you'll have to satisfy these requirements:

• Complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (a-g courses) with a letter grade of C or better, with at least 11 courses finished prior to the beginning of your last year of high school.

The 15 courses are:

a. History: 2 years

b. English 4 years

c. Mathematics 3 years

d. Laboratory science 2 years

e. Language other than English 2 years*

*or equivalent to the 2nd level of high school instruction

f. Visual and performing arts 1 year

g. College-preparatory elective (chosen from the subjects listed above or another course approved by the university) 1 year

• Earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 if you're a nonresident) in these courses with no grade lower than a C. Learn how to calculate the UC freshman GPA »

• Meet the examination requirement by taking the ACT Plus Writing or SAT with Essay by December of your senior year. We don't require SAT Subject Tests, but certain programs on some campuses recommend them, and you can use subject tests to satisfy the "a-g" requirements listed above.

California students

If you're a state resident who has met the minimum requirements and aren't admitted to any UC campus to which you apply, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available, provided:

• You rank in the top 9 percent of California high school students, according to the admissions index, or

• You rank in the top 9 percent of your graduating class at a participating high school. We refer to this as "Eligible in the Local Context" (ELC).

Dates & Deadlines 2018–19

August 1

Application opens for applicants for fall 2019

October 1

Filing period for FAFSA and Cal Grant Verification Form opens for applicants to all terms (filing period open through March 2, 2019)

November 1-30

Fall 2019 admission application filing period for all applicants

January 4

Online application update opens for transfer applicants to report final fall grades and in-progress or planned coursework (priority deadline is January 31)

March 1

Notification of fall 2018 admission decisions begins

March 2

Deadline for applicants for all terms to submit FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form

March 31

Notification of fall 2019 admission decisions for freshman applicants is complete

May 1

Deadline for admitted freshmen to submit Statement of Intent to Register (SIR)

Notification of fall 2019 admission decisions for transfer applicants is complete

June 1

Deadline for admitted transfer students to submit Statement of Intent to Register (SIR)

July 1

For students admitted for fall 2019: Final, official transcripts must be sent to the campus admissions office. Transcripts must be postmarked or electronically submitted on or before July 1.

July 15

Official AP, IB examination results must be sent to the campus admissions office. Test scores must be postmarked or electronically submitted on or before July 15.