UC Admissions – The Requirements You Need to Know

By admin • October 19, 2018 • BS/MD Admissions Consulting

The University of California has nine individual undergraduate campuses located in some of the most beautiful cities in California (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz). Because UC hires some of the highest achieving faculty in the world, each UC campus provides students with a premier education. When considering which campus to apply to, however, keep in mind that some majors aren’t offered at every campus.

When to Apply
Whether you’re applying to UC Berkeley, UCLA, or any of UC’s other campuses, the admissions process starts with one application, which you can use to apply to as many campuses as you want, keeping in mind that you’ll have to pay an application fee to every campus to which you apply. All of UC’s campus operate on a quarterly calendar except for UC Berkeley and UC Merced, which operate on a semester calendar. The application window for the Fall term is November 1-30, and students should be sure to submit their application within that time frame.

Minimum Admission Requirements
UC requires freshman applicants to have taken either the ACT with Writing or SAT with Essay and have their scores sent to one of UC’s campuses no later than December of their senior year. Once you’ve sent the scores to one campus, they’ll be shared with any other campus to which you apply. Freshman applicants must also complete 15 college preparatory courses in high school (including courses in history, lab science, a non-English language, mathematics, English, fine arts, and electives). They must earn a 3.0-grade point average (GPA) or above if a resident of California or 3.4 for non-residents, and they can’t receive less than a C in any of their required courses.

Improving Your Chances
It’s important to keep in mind that UC’s minimum requirements for admission are just that—minimum. When filling out your application, keep in mind that UC wants to see the quality of your education and your initiative to take opportunities that are presented to you. What you do in your spare time and the achievements you make matter when it comes to getting the attention of UC’s gatekeepers.

After applying, you can expect to be notified of an admissions decision between March 1-31, or, if you’re a transfer applicant, between March 1 and May 1.