UC Admissions: Getting In
While being eligible to apply may seem simple enough for a UC, 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.
