Apply at:  Apply at universityofcalifornia.edu/apply 

How applications are reviewed

Directly from the UC website:  source

"As we consider each individual application - and rest assured, we do consider each one - we look beyond grades.  We spend time evaluating your academic achievements in light of the opportunities available to you and your demonstrated capacity to contribute to the intellectual life at UC. Some factors we may consider are:

1. Academic grade point average in all completed A-G courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses.

2. Number of, content of and performance in academic courses beyond the minimum A-G requirements.

3. Number of and performance in UC-approved honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate Higher Level and transferable college courses.

4. Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 9 percent of your high school class at the end of your junior year (Eligible in the Local Context, or ELC).

5. Quality of your senior-year program as measured by the type and number of academic courses in progress or planned.

6. Quality of your academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in your high school.

7. Outstanding performance in one or more specific subject areas.

8. Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field of study.

9. Recent, marked improvement in academic performance as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress.

10. Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests, such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.

11. Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of your high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs.

12. Academic accomplishments in light of your life experiences and special circumstances, including but not limited to: disabilities, low family income, first generation to attend college, need to work, disadvantaged social or educational environment, difficult personal and family situations or circumstances, refugee status or veteran status.

13. Location of your secondary school and residence."

UC Admissions Overview      

Step-by-step tutorial for completing the UC application:

Video

Tips for applying:  

UC Berkeley     UC Davis     UC Irvine     UCLA     UC Merced     UC Riverside     UC  San Diego     UC Santa Barbara   UC Santa Cruz

Fee Waiver Note:  If a UC applicant received a fee waiver from an outside source, or is requesting a fee waiver based on changes in current financial circumstances, they may indicate that they will pay fees by mail and either submit a College Board or NACAC fee waiver in lieu of payment for four campuses, or email the UC Application Center at ucinfo@applyucsupport.net. External fee waiver and requests for UC fee waivers can be submitted after submitting the UC application.  

APPLICATION:  Maximizing use of the "Additional Comments" section:

Applicants can use the first additional comments box, following the “Academic History” section, to explain their course selection decisions, a circumstance that prevented the student from taking more rigorous courses, gaps in education, differences in terms or grading systems, or a situation that affected their grades.

The second comment area immediately follows the “personal insight questions” section. Applicants may choose to provide information about a learning difference, circumstances or opportunities that had a significant impact on their educational journey, or uncommon events that provide context for what they've accomplished or was unable to accomplish. 

The two additional comments boxes in the application are optional and should not be used as a continuation of a student’s personal insight question responses. Instead, students should use this section to explain anything that has not been discussed in other parts of the application or might benefit from further clarification.