University of California (UC)

General Information

UC application opens: August 1st

Application filling period: November 1st - 30th

Cost: $70 per campus (Students may qualify for up to 4 application fee waivers through the UC. If they are not eligible, but received College Board waivers, they will need to mail 1 application fee waiver to the the University of California main office.)

9 undergraduate campuses

Minimum eligible GPA: 3.0

UC admission holistically review applicants based on the following:

A-G courses and GPA

SAT Reasoning or ACT both with essay (UC’s take the highest score in 1 sitting)
- Send official SAT scores to one UC and all UCs will receive scores
Extracurricular activities and involvement
Personal Insight Questions (Must answer 4 out of the 8)

*If student passes 3+ AP exams they are an "AP Scholar". ( List under honors and award section on application)

Please note: The majority of UC campuses require students to select an alternate major. In case a student is not admitted into their first major, they will be admitted to the university with their alternate major choice.

Letters of recommendation: UC Berkeley is the only campus who might request letters of recommendation from students after their application has been reviewed.

Students in the Top 9%: If you're in the top 9 percent of California high school graduates and aren't admitted to any of the UC campuses you apply to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available:

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

UC- Indicate interest when completing the UC application.

Make sure to provide the following:

-Parents' level of education

-Family size

-Household income

* No additional materials are required

Personal Insight Questions

Refer to the UC Personal Insight Questions website

Below you will find tips of advice on how to review personal insight questions / personal statements.

*Reference: AJ Sims (UCSB) UC Admissions presentation

1. PIQ workshop: Inform students about personal statements, what is expected of them, which colleges require PIQs / personal statements, and perhaps create an activity for students to begin brainstorming.

2. Make yourself available to provide students with feedback. Encourage them to submit their statements as early as possible. You do not want to be reading statements the night before the application deadline or take work home. Setting deadlines and boundaries is beneficial to your effectiveness as an adviser. Self-care!

3. Adviser expectations: Give yourself a timeline of when to read PIQs

4. Be mindful of how much grammar you correct. Ensure that the response reflects the student's voice and story. Polishing is important, but content matters most!