Click on a button below to learn more about that topic:

Quick Overview

How do private colleges decide?

Admission to an independent college or university is not based on a mathematical index. Rigor of courses, test scores, individual qualities, and personal potential are all considered. Private colleges vary in terms of “selectivity” and academic rigor, with some accepting a very small percentage of their total applicants and others having relatively open admissions programs. The key factors involved in admissions decisions are:

High School Course Rigor: A strong, four-year program of college preparatory courses is recommended.
Grades: Colleges look carefully at the grades in academic subjects from all school years.
College Entrance Exams: The SAT, ACT, and/or SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT IIs) are used by many private colleges.
Letters of Recommendation: Most private colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers and other persons who know you well. o NOTE: Each FUHSD high school has a different process you must follow in requesting letters of recommendation.
Other Factors: Leadership, athletics, music, art, drama, journalism, yearbook, family members who are alumni, and community activities may also be used in making admissions decisions. The quality of the involvement is often more important than the number of activities.

How do UCs decide?

While being eligible to apply may seem simple enough, the actual admissions criteria is a bit more robust. All UCs use a 14-point comprehensive review to determine admission, though how that review is applied varies by campus. The UC Admissions Office uses a rubric for each application, and often looks far beyond just grades and transcript when making their admissions decision.

Because the pool of students who apply to UC is different every year, the level of academic performance necessary for admission to a particular campus or major is different, too.

Acceptance rates depend on the number of applicants, their academic qualifications and the spaces available. Like CSUs, impacted majors and departments have a much lower admission rate than less popular or impacted majors and departments.

In general, top UCs often look for students with high GPAs, a rigorous transcript, strong extra-curriculars, and clear attributes and achievements shown through their essay responses. Moreover, UCs take into consideration how eligible a student is within their local context--as in, when comparing students to other students of that same region, did this student make bold choices and explore opportunities available? Overall, when UC admission readers are reviewing applications, they are looking for several points or marks of excellence, resilience, leadership, intellectual curiosity, and more.

Here are some of those additional markers they look for (paraphrased from their "14-point rubric"):

Academic performance relative to your peers/region
Special projects, achievements, and work related to intended field of study
Improvement in grades or academic performance
Special talents, leadership positions, awards, and skills (art, music, athletics, debate, language, culture, etc.)
Academic accomplishments in light of extenuating or difficult life circumstances

Here's a summary of the factors--divided into Academic and Non-Academic categories:

How do CSUs decide?

Admissions to the top CSUs has grown fierce, and many campuses are facing impacted programs — programs with more eligible students than there is room. Seven campuses (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State, CSU Fullerton, Cal State LA, CSU Long Beach, San Diego State University, San José State) have declared that the entire campus is impacted — too many eligible students want to attend than the schools can accept. This also means certain majors are harder to get into than other majors. Check out which majors and campuses are impacted for the year 2022-2023 HERE.

What does this mean for admission? The excess of qualified applicants has forced schools to find ways to raise the bar. Students are now ranked on the eligibility scale, so the higher their GPA is, the greater the likelihood a student will get in. Especially in departments that are truly impacted, admission officers may consider:

Your intended program of study (the major to which the application is made)
Your college-preparatory courses in secondary school
GPA earned in college-preparatory courses
Your extra-curricular activities and work experience

In addition to knowing which programs are strongest at which schools, any student interested in CSUs must also consider impaction when choosing their campuses.

Finally, as part of the CSUs “Impaction and Redirection” program, an eligible student who is denied admission to an impacted campus will be offered a spot at another, non-impacted CSU without having to complete a new application. Students will have a limited time to accept the redirected admission offer.

For California students seeking a “career-ready” bachelor’s degree in a student-focused environment with a diverse student body, California’s CSUs are an excellent choice.

Pulled from "California Public System 101: CSUs"

Return to the College Planning Hub

Page updated

Report abuse