Presenting yourself on the UC application

Presenting yourself on the UC

application

Freshman

2023–2024

Prepare to apply

This is a screen shot of the application showing the locations of the nine undergraduate

campuses available for freshman or transfer admission. The map will display dependent on the

resolution and screen size of the computer or mobile device.

The UC is one of the largest university systems in the world offering undergraduate and

graduate programs on campuses located across the state. Applicants are encouraged to apply

to more than one UC campus. This will significantly increase your chances of being admitted to

the UC system. While you may not receive an offer of admission from your first-choice

campus, all of our campuses — without exception — provide outstanding opportunities for you

to learn and grow.

Additional notes for reference:

Campuses with medical centers:

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UCLA

UC San Diego

UC San Francisco

Campuses with schools of law:

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UCLA

UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly known as UC Hastings)

Freshman application timeline

August 1

UC Application opens

October 1 –

November 30

UC application filing

period

December –

March 2

FAFSA and CADAA

priority filing period

February – March

Freshman admission

decision notifications

May 1

Statement of Intent to

deadline

May – June 30

Waitlist admission

notification

Applicants may submit only one application per term. The UC application timeline is shown above.

Please note that UC does not offer early action or early decision.

August 1: The UC application opens.

Presenter note: Some campuses may accept winter/spring applications for freshmen. That application

typically opens July 1 and is due by July 31.

October 1 – November 30: UC students can submit applications beginning October 1. The

deadline is is November 30. Applicants are not considered on a first-come, first-serve basis, so

applicants should take their time in filling out the application thoroughly before submitting.

However, all applications are due by November 30; late applications are rarely accepted.

Important: Once submitted, applicants can update very little in the UC application. Students should

ensure their UC application is accurate and complete before submission.

December – March 2: All students should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or

a California Dream Act Application (CADAA). The majority of students at UC receive financial aid and

scholarships. We’ll cover that in more detail later in this presentation. Campuses use information from

the FAFSA and CADAA for both admission and scholarships. Note: The release date for the redesigned

FAFSA in December 2023 has not yet been released.

February - March: Freshman admission decisions are released individually by the campuses.

Campuses do not all release decisions on the same day, but will have all freshman decisions released

by March 31 via the campus application portal.

Waitlist offers: Some students may receive an offer to be placed on a waitlist at one or more

campuses. If a waitlist offer is extended, applicants must respond by the stated deadline. UC campuses

very rarely make exceptions for a late response.

May 1: This is the deadline for students to submit the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). Students

must submit the SIR by that date in order to ensure a place on campus in the fall. Students may only SIR

to one UC campus. The SIR deposit is $250 (eligible students can have their SIR deposit fee deferred

until the fall).

Presenter note: Anyone admitted at a later time (e.g., admitted from the waitlist) will have a

different corresponding SIR deadline.

May 1 – June 30: Campuses will notify applicants who accepted a waitlist offer on the final decision of

their application. Campuses may provide waitlist decisions prior to May 1.

UC application dates and deadlines can be viewed at: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-

to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/dates-and-deadlines.html

Before you start

• Consider your major and campus

options

• Get an unofficial copy of your

transcripts

• Write your responses to the Personal

Insight Questions (PIQs)

• Create a document outlining all your

activities, awards and work/volunteer

experience

Begin preparing for the application now – don’t wait until October or November!

Students should research the campuses now and apply broadly across the system.

• Learn about the majors offered and all the types of courses needed to earn the UC degree

to be fully informed about graduation requirements and plan how long it may take to

graduate.

• Some majors have different names across the system and may be located in different

departments.

• Some majors are not open to freshman applicants, or for every term.

Gather materials that will be needed: transcripts/academic records, list of current and planned

courses, awards and honors, volunteer program timelines and hours, employment timeline and

hours, etc.

• Note: Official transcripts should not be sent with your UC application. Your UC application

will be reviewed using the self-reported academic history you have provided.

Responses to the personal insight questions are important.

• Write responses early; refer to UC’s online resources for writing tips, a worksheet and a

video to help get started.

• https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-

freshman/personal-insight-questions.html

Application integrity

Applicants must complete the UC

application thoroughly and accurately.

This includes:

• Academic history

• Activities, awards, work experience

and community service

• Personal Insight Questions

Did you know?

All applicants must agree to the

Statement of Application Integrity in

order to submit the UC application. This

acknowledges that the information

reported in the UC application was done

so by the student and is accurate.

UC does verify information reported in the

UC application. Honesty is the best policy.

Students must thoroughly complete all sections of the application and do so accurately. This is

the student’s opportunity to tell the admission staff about personal details that make each

applicant unique.

Accuracy of Details:

• Academic History: MUST be accurately reported--all enrollment, every school/college, all

courses and grades (even/especially if a course was repeated). If a student accepts an

offer of admission, UC requires official academic records to verify the information reported.

• “Additional Comments” box in the Academic History section can be used to provide

detailed information or explanations about specific academic issues – declining grades,

course selection issues, etc.

• Activities/Awards: Applicants should not exaggerate or fabricate awards or activities

because the information submitted is subject to verification.

In fact, UC does verify information that students report on the application. It is critical that

students do not misrepresent or falsify information, as this is a serious offense and will result in

serious consequences. Honesty is the best policy.

View the Statement of Application Integrity at

https://apply.universityofcalifornia.edu/docs/StatementOfIntegrity.pdf

UC application resources

Various application resources can be found on the UC admissions website and on the UC

application website.

UC admission website: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/

UC application website: https://apply.universityofcalifornia.edu/my-application/login

Freshman admission

Minimum freshman admission requirements

Complete 15

A-G courses

Earn a UC GPA

of 3.0 or better

(3.4 for

nonresidents)

Our admission guidelines are designed to ensure you are well-prepared to succeed at UC. If

you're interested in entering the University of California as a freshman, you'll have to satisfy

these requirements:

1. A-G course requirements

a) History/Social Science: 2 years

b) English: 4 years

c) Math: 3 years/4 recommended

a) Must include Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II

d) Science: 2 years/3 recommended

e) Language other than English: 2 years/3 years recommended

a) For LOTE, years is equivalent to the course level. For example, if a

student passes Spanish 2, they are considered to have 2 years of LOTE,

whether or not they took/passed Spanish 1.

f) Visual and Performing Arts: 1 year

g) College-prep Electives: 1 year

a) Any course taken beyond the minimum 14 courses presented above can

be considered to fulfill area G.

2. UC GPA of 3.0 or better (3.4 for nonresidents)

1. CA residents must have a minimum of 3.0, and nonresidents a 3.4. The UC

GPA uses grades taken in A-G courses in the 10

and 11

grades, including the

three surrounding summers. The +/- grades don’t count and will not be rounded.

While selection is discussed later in this presentation, it is important to remember that these

are the minimum requirements for admission. We encourage applicants to not only meet these

requirements, but to exceed them to be more competitive.

Selection

Applicant

pool

Extra-

curricular

factors

Academic

factors

Contextual

factors

PIQs

Campuses use multiple factors when selecting students. The way in which campuses select

students varies, and it is to the student’s advantage to include as much information as possible

on the application. Admission representatives want to know about the experiences,

accomplishments and challenges of every applicant.

Students should feel free to discuss their roles and responsibilities at work or in community

service, share their stories in their PIQ responses, and talk about their educational journey.

This is because every student is considered in the context of their own environment which

includes, but is not limited to, school, family and geographic region. Students are also

considered within the context of the applicant pool for each campus.

Each campus will complete their own individual review of the application independently of one

another, which means that they’re going to review the information in the application and select

students without asking what the other campuses have decided. Berkeley will not call Los

Angeles and ask if they have admitted a certain student. Each campus selects students

independently.

Comprehensive review

• Academic achievement — GPA, curricular rigor, academic trajectory

• ELC, honors programs, special projects

• Personal, school and family context

• Special talents, skills, awards, leadership

• Life experiences and special circumstances

It is important to note that this is not a checklist, nor does this list all the factors. This is only intended to

show that UC campuses consider many factors and the whole context of the student in and outside of

class.

In general, campuses are looking for well-qualified students who have taken advantage of the

educational opportunities presented to them both inside and outside of the classroom. The categories

listed here comprise a range of factors that campuses may consider when selecting students. For

example, academic achievement includes GPA, honors courses, ELC status, A-G courses, quality of

senior year program and achievements in special projects.

ALL UC Campuses do a comprehensive review, but there are different methods of comprehensive

review. Think of it like this – all campuses use the same ingredients, but may have different recipes.

Some are holistic, others are not. The faculty at each campus determines what factors will be used and

in what way. Again, this should not be seen as a checklist, where the more “boxes you can check, the

more competitive you will be”. This is just a list of all the factors that may be used in some way in the

review process.

We’re also going to look at a student’s achievement within the context of their educational environment

and the resources and opportunities that were available to them.

The faculty-approved comprehensive review criteria are:

• Grade-Point Average

• Courses Completed/Planned

• Honors Courses

• Top 9% Local Context (ELC)

• Quality of Senior-Year Program of Study

• Academic Opportunities in California High Schools

• Performance in Academic Subject Areas

• Achievements in Special Projects

• Improvement in Academic Performance

• Special Talents, Achievements, and Awards

• Participation in Educational Preparation Programs

• Academic Accomplishment Within Life Experiences

• Geographic Location

Learn more about comprehensive review at https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-

apply/applying-as-a-freshman/how-applications-are-reviewed.html

Starting the UC

application

The basics

Browser recommendations

The UC online application functions with the following browser versions: Chrome 114 or newer,

Edge 114 or newer, Firefox 114 or newer, Safari 16 or newer.

JavaScript and cookies

Our application uses JavaScript web page functionality and requires cookies. Please make

sure JavaScript and cookies are enabled on your browser.

Security

Because it's important to protect the information you provide, the online application is

extremely secure — so secure, in fact, that older browsers are not equipped to handle our

level of encryption. Please download one of the browser versions listed above to ensure

maximum security.

Responsive

The application is mobile friendly so you can use your tablets and other devices.

20-minute timeout for security

After 20 minutes of inactivity, the system will time out.

Character counts

All descriptions and PIQ responses have character or word counts to show remaining available

space.

Save and Continue

In order not to timeout, you will need to click save and continue. If you do not, any information

you’ve entered since the last save will be lost.

Create an account

Email address

You will continue to use this email throughout the UC

application process, so be sure to choose an email that

you use frequently.

Password

Keep your password secure. It must include:

• Uppercase and lowercase letters

• A number

• A special character

Start your UC application at https://apply.universityofcalifornia.edu/my-application/login

Create your account

• New users must enter a unique email address and password

• Students should use an email account they will check after graduation as well (preferably

not a school-issued email address)

• Applicants will use this same account if they apply again in the future

• If the student’s family has multiple applicants or has future applicants, different email

addresses must be used for each applicant

• Passwords must be at least eight characters (and must include a combination of uppercase

and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols/special characters)

• Create a secret question/answer combination that will be easily remembered

• Be sure to keep login information safe

• Once “Create a New Account” is complete, an email confirming the start of your application

will be sent

• Campuses use email to send critical, time-sensitive correspondence to applicants, so

provide an email address that is checked regularly and will be kept until enrolling in college

• Remember to adjust email filters to accept mail from UC addresses

• First-time users start by clicking “Create a New Account”

• On return visits, enter email and password information under “Sign In”

Creating the application

Level: Students must select the appropriate level for which they are applying.

• A freshman applicant is currently in high school or has graduated from high school but has

not enrolled in a regular session (fall/winter/spring) at a college or university after high

school graduation (with the exception of the summer term immediately following high school

graduation).

• Middle college and dual enrollment students are considered freshman applicants

since they have not graduated from high school with a diploma or GED.

• Presenter note: High school students who graduate mid-year and enroll in college

courses during the spring term should still apply as a freshman applicant.

• A student who has enrolled in a regular term (fall/winter/spring) at a college or university

after graduating from high school should apply as a transfer student.

Navigating the UC application

• The UC application includes seven sections

that can be completed in any order.

• Start with About you as it contains logic that

is then used throughout the application.

• You can save your progress at any time and

pick back up where you left off next time you

Tip: A successful UC application is not

completed in one sitting!

The navigation bar is on the right side of the screen. Students can complete the application in

any order but should complete the “About You” section first as it contains conditional logic

which will be used throughout the application.

About you

About you — Lived name

When completing your personal details, applicants have the option to indicate a lived, or

preferred name. A lived or preferred name is a name you go by that is different than your legal

name (for example, a middle name that you go by or a name that aligns with your gender

identity). If you enter a lived name, we’ll use it in most of our communications with you about

the application, except when it’s required for us to use your legal name.

If your legal name is the name you go by, you can select “No” here and move forward. Do not

enter your same legal name twice.

About you — SSID

NEW for Fall 2024: CA SSID Number moved from Academic History, Additional Information to

About You, Personal Information.

Presenter note: The state’s Cradle-to-Career System is

expanding access to tools and services to navigate

the education to employment pipeline. As in

previous admission cycles, students will be able to

continue to link their CaliforniaCollege.edu and UC

application accounts. This linkage ensures the

application submission status on the UC application

is reflected in the CaliforniaColleges.edu account.

Beginning with the Fall 2025 UC applications,

students will be able to import their coursework

directly into the UC application from their

CaliforniaColleges.edu account using their SSID.

About you — Citizenship & residency

Citizenship

• Applicants must select a country of citizenship from the country drop-down menu.

• Students who are U.S. citizens will have a follow-up question about tribal affiliation. This

response, along with CA residency status determined by the Statement of Legal Residence

information, will determine whether the student qualifies for the Native American

Opportunity Program.

• Those who choose a country other than the United States will have follow-up questions on

permanent residency and/or visa status.

Undocumented students

• For country of citizenship, select “No Selection” and follow the directions for the SSN

below.

Social Security Number (SSN)

• All applicants who have a social security number (SSN) are required to enter it.

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) participants and Undocumented

students:

• Enter a valid SSN, SSN for work purposes, or ITIN if available. Otherwise, leave it

blank.

• If an applicant does not have an SSN, he/she may skip that item.

• We use the SSN to accurately and reliably merge test scores (if submitted) and the

federal financial aid application with the admission application.

• SSN, SSN for work purposes and ITIN numbers are encrypted and kept secure.

About you — Your household

UC application fee waiver

• Family size and income information

provided in this section is used to

determine eligibility for the UC

application fee waiver.

• If eligible, the application fees for up to

four (4) campuses will be waived.

Family Size and Income

• Information about a student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s)’ education, income, and family

size is used to provide contextual information about the home environment and to

determine eligibility for the application fee waiver.

• For more information, students can click on the “i” icon.

• This information is not used to determine residency status or eligibility for financial aid.

About you — Parent information

Entering parental information and their relationship to students helps campus admission staff

better understand the family context of applicants.

Students can enter up to two (2) parents or guardians.

About you — Parent contact information

New for Fall 2024: Students have the option to submit contact information for their parents.

This is optional and will not influence the admission process. Doing so allows the campuses

the option to send parents important admissions updates and information, though they will not

receive information about your application or admission decision(s).

About you — Statement of Legal Residence

Statement of Legal Residence (SLR)

• In this section, applicants can choose

whether or not they would like to be

evaluated for California residency for

tuition purposes.

• Both options will prompt additional

questions.

In this section, UC will collect information on the application to help determine residency for

tuition purposes.

Student must choose whether they would like to be evaluated for California residency for

tuition purposes or not.

Yes, I want to be considered for California residency for tuition purposes:

• Selecting this option will bring up additional questions about the student’s and their

parents’/legal guardians’ physical presence in California.

No, I do not want to be evaluated for California residency for tuition purposes:

• If a student selects this option, they will need to select a reason why they do not want to be

evaluated for CA residency.

• They will also need to acknowledge that by selecting the “No” option, they will be classified

as a nonresident for tuition purposes.

About you — Residency consideration

Yes, I want to be considered for California residency for tuition purposes:

• Selecting this option will bring up additional questions about the student’s and their

parents’/legal guardians’ physical presence in California.

• Note: Different prompts will appear for the requested parent information depending on

whether the applicant’s parents are married and/or live together.

Additional documentation or information may be requested by the campuses for students who

wish to be evaluated for California residency. Be sure to respond to any requests in a timely

manner.

About you — Residency consideration

No, I do not want to be evaluated for California residency for tuition purposes:

• If a student selects this option, they will need to select a reason why they do not want to be

evaluated for CA residency.

• They will also need to acknowledge that by selecting the “No” option, they will be classified

as a nonresident for tuition purposes.

About you — Statement of Legal Residence for undocumented students

Undocumented students

• Choose ‘yes’ when asked about physical

presence in California, attendance at a

California high school and establishing

California as permanent home

• Choose ‘unknown’ for parent physical

presence in California and US citizenship

status

• Select the appropriate checkbox for AB

540 nonresident supplement tuition

exemption.

Undocumented students should answer questions as suggested above (assuming they have

maintained a presence in California and have attended a California high school). These

students will need to provide additional information after admission to the campus Registrar’s

Office where they choose to enroll.

Further instructions can be viewed at

https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/_files/documents/slr-instructions-for-

undocumented-students-august-2022.pdf. This is linked in the UC application.

Campuses &

majors

Campuses and majors — Choosing your campuses

As a reminder, students should only submit ONE UC application. You can choose to send it to

as many of the UC campuses as you would like.

There is a fee associated with each campus you select ($80 per campus/$95 per campus for

international applicants), but a fee waiver is available for eligible students that will waive the

application fee for up to four campuses. Eligibility for the fee waiver is determined by family

and financial information provided within the UC application.

Importantly, though you will be able to apply to multiple UC campuses at once, you do not

need to “rank” them or indicate any campus preference. All campuses who receive your

application will give it a thorough and careful review – independently from one another. You

are encouraged to apply broadly across the UC to increase your chances of being admitted to

the UC system. All of our campuses – without exception – providing outstanding opportunities

for you to learn and grow.

Campuses and majors — Choosing your major(s)

Choosing a major

• For each campus selected, applicants

must indicate a major choice.

• Applicants do not need to select the

same or similar major at each UC.

• Each UC campus offers an

undeclared/undecided option for

freshman applicants.

Once you’ve selected your campus choices, applicants will need to indicate a major selection

for each campus. The default view is “College” view, which shows you all available majors by

their college placement. By default, closed majors will not appear unless you choose to select

the checkbox that reads “show closed majors”.

Note: You do not need to select the same or similar major at each UC campus you’ve

selected!

Campuses and majors — Choosing your major(s)

Category view

• If you are unsure of which college a

particular major falls under, use

category view to locate your major

choice.

If preferred, applicants can view available majors for each campus by “Category” instead of

“College”. This may be helpful if you don’t know which college a particular major falls under.

Note: You do not need to select the same or similar major at each UC campus you’ve

selected!

Campuses and majors — Alternate major

Students can select both a major and an alternate major.

If a campus is unable to offer the applicant a place in the first-choice major, they may consider

them for an alternate major—be sure the alternate major is in a subject area that the student

really wants to study (and in some cases, it should be in a different area of study than the

primary major).

Note that not all campuses will consider students for an alternate major, and that some

campuses may have restrictions on changing majors once admitted to that major.

Campuses and majors — Supplemental application

Some majors may require applicants to submit a supplemental application or materials. If so,

applicants will see messaging in the UC application when selecting that major. Requirements

and deadlines for supplemental applications will vary by campus and program.

UC San Diego college ranking

If applying to UC San Diego,

applicants must rank the colleges in

order of their preference.

You must read about UCSD’s college

system before being able to rank

them.

This information does not influence

your chances of admission to UC San

Diego!

San Diego colleges

• If a student is applying to UC San Diego, they must rank the colleges in order of preference

to have the best chance of assignment to the college of their choice

• The order of ranking of colleges does not affect the chances for admission to UC San

Diego

• Boxes to rank the colleges only appear once the student clicks the “Learn more about

UCSD college system” link (opens a pop-up window). Students should carefully read the

information provided to understand the “theme” of each college at UC San Diego.

• All majors are available in all of the colleges.

Note: Each of the undergraduate colleges has its own campus neighborhood, residence

facilities, staff, traditions, general-education requirements, and distinctive educational

philosophy.

Academic history

and 8

grade coursework

and 8

grade

• High school-level courses

completed during the 7

and 8

grades can be used to fulfill the

math and language other than

English (LOTE) minimum

requirement.

• These are the only subject areas

that can be met with 7

or 8

grade

coursework.

Seventh/Eighth Grade

• 7

& 8

grade courses do not need to appear on the high school transcript.

• Math and Language other than English (LOTE) are the only subject areas that can be met

by course work in middle school.

• UC will accept a geometry course completed in middle school.

Students who indicate that they attended school outside of the U.S. will be prompted to select

the language of instruction for those years.

High school attendance

Adding a high school

• Enter all high schools you

have attended since 9

grade.

• Search for your school by

name, city or CEEB code.

High school attendance

• Remember to list every school attended beginning with 9

grade, even if 9

grade was

considered “middle school.”

• Students can search for their schools by name, city or by CEEB code.

• If students can’t find their school, it can be added by typing the full name of the school and

clicking “Add”

High school attendance continued

High school attendance (continued)

Once the correct high school has been selected:

• Enter the dates of attendance.

• Students can also choose a specialized curriculum on this screen.

• If this is the same school the student is going to graduate from, enter the certificate/diploma

information.

• Enter the grading and term system for the school

• Note: Multiple grading and term systems may be selected for one school

• Note: Students should select the grading scale(s) typically used at their school,

even if their school assigned Pass or Credit grades in spring/summer/fall 2020

and/or spring/summer 2021.

Be sure to repeat this process for every high school that you have attended since 9

grade!

High school dates of attendance

High school attendance (continued)

Beyond the start and end dates, students will indicate which academic year they attended that

school and for which grade. They also have the option to indicate whether they took any

summer courses after each grade.

Importing transcript data from a TES participating high school

As of Fall 2022, transcript data of freshman applicants from school districts participating in TES

(Transcript Evaluation Service) will be available for import into the academic history section of

the application.

The import program will copy the school detail and coursework information. The applicant‘s

school, name, date of birth and CA Student ID must match what is in the application for data to

be successfully imported.

Importing transcript data from a TES participating high school

Once the import is complete, applicants will see the screen on the left. They will need to

update the degree and dates of attendance information for the school.

Additionally, applicants must click “Edit” and review their courses and grades. Note that 11

grade courses may be missing due to “in progress” status and 12

grade courses and grades

may be blank.

• It's very important that you enter your in-progress and planned coursework for the

senior year!

Course selection

Selecting coursework

Beginning with 9

grade, enter all A-G

coursework completed.

• Don’t forget 12

grade coursework!

• Include all courses, even those that

were repeated or not passed.

Tip: Have an unofficial copy of your

high school transcript(s) handy for this

section.

High school coursework

• Courses are selected or entered by grade level beginning with ninth grade.

• First select the Subject Area/Course Category of the course to be entered (e.g., English,

Math, etc.).

• Next, if a student is enrolled in a California high school, select from the course list for the

school:

• To see the courses, expand each subject area.

• Note: New California high school courses being offered for the first time in the

senior year may not appear on the school’s course list until Oct. 1; if you don’t see

a new course on the list, remember to come back to add it later (but no later than

Nov. 30) before submitting the application.

• Remember to enter your 12

grade courses in progress and planned; indicating that you

have no coursework in 12

grade may imply that you have not met minimum admission

requirements.

• Include all original courses/grades and enter repeated courses/grades for courses in which

an original grade of D or F was earned and subsequently repeated.

Entering grades

For all courses, enter the grade(s)

received as they appear on your

transcript.

Do not round your grades! UC does

not use +/- grading, so a B+ or B-

should be reported as a B.

If you only took a course for a single

term, select “NO” for the term in

which you did not take the course.

High school grades

• If you entered multiple term types or multiple grading systems for a school, you’ll need to

choose the term type and grade system for each course.

• 12

grade course grades will default to “IP – In Progress” and “PL – Planned”. If students

have already graduated and have senior year grades, manually enter each grade.

• For courses that are only one semester long, select “NO” for the term for which the course

was not offered (e.g. Economics offered fall term, for spring term select “NO”).

• Include all original courses/grades and enter repeated courses/grades for courses in which

an original grade of D or F was earned and subsequently repeated.

• Note: In response to the temporary suspension of the letter grade requirement in A-G

courses, courses taken in COVID-19 terms (spring/summer/fall 2020 and spring/summer

2021) will allow students to select PS, NP, CR, and NC as grade options. PS, NP, CR and

NC will not be available on the drop-down for years in which that alternate grading was not

allowed.

Entering coursework manually

For students who do not see

their courses, or students not

enrolled in a California high

school, coursework must be

entered manually as they appear

on the transcript.

If students do not see their courses, and for all students not enrolled in a California

high school, courses must be manually entered as they appear on the student’s academic

record.

• When entries for each grade level are complete, click save and continue.

• Repeat this process for each grade level, including 12

grade.

• 12

grade course grades will default to “IP – In Progress” and “PL – Planned”. If students

have already graduated and have senior year grades, manually enter each grade.

• For courses that are only one semester long, select “NO” for the term for which the course

was not offered (e.g. Economics offered fall term, for spring term select “NO”).

• Include all original courses/grades and enter repeated courses/grades for courses in which

an original grade of D or F was earned and subsequently repeated.

• Students who attended more than one school should be sure to enter courses under the

correct school.

For students attending school outside of California: Report all courses and grades exactly

as they would appear on official transcripts or academic records, including the type of honors,

if applicable. Only courses clearly designated on your high school transcript/academic record

as honors, AP, or IB should be reported as such. If there is no honors/AP/IB designation on the

academic record, select NH (not honors).

Presenter note: Effective Fall 2024, the “HL” description display will read “Honors

level” instead of “UC-approved Honors Level”

College courses taken in high school

• If any college/university-level courses were completed while in high school, add the college

information after the high school information. This includes courses completed through a

dual enrollment or middle college program.

• Note: Dual enrollment courses should NOT be reported in both the high school and

college sections.

• The process is very similar to entering the high school information.

College courses taken in high school

College courses taken in high school – finding a college

If courses were taken at a California Community College (CCC), a UC-transferable course list

will appear.

• Select the course(s) taken, grade earned (or enter IP for In Progress, PL for Planned

courses), and the A-G subject area in which the course fits.

• Only report courses taken for a letter grade; courses in which a Pass/Credit/No Credit

grade were earned should not be included unless those courses were completed in a

COVID term (winter/spring/ summer/fall 2020 and winter/spring/summer 2021)

• Non UC-transferable English and math courses can also be reported in this section of the

application but will need to be entered manually.

• If there are other CCC courses that are not UC-transferable, report them in the

“Other coursework” area later in the application.

• IF college/university courses were not taken at a CCC, manually enter each course and

grade earned as it appears on the official academic record from the college/university

attended.

Students must enter all UC-transferable, as well as non-transferable English and math,

courses taken in A-G subject areas; missing/inaccurate information may be viewed as

falsification and result in cancellation of the application.

Additional comments

The additional academic comments text box is an opportunity for students to share any

information about their academic history they want campuses to know. Campuses will use this

information to better understand the student’s academic context. This section is not required,

but for applicants who choose to submit information, there is a 550-character limit.

This space could be used to discuss any significant impacts on your educational experience or

context. For example, are AP/Honors-level courses at your high school limited to certain grade

levels? Were you prevented from taking any intended courses due to a schedule conflict,

school policy, or curriculum change? Did you experience any significant breaks in your school

attendance?

Note: If your school changed its grading policy due to COVID-19, please include information on

the change in this section.

Test scores

UC does not consider SAT, ACT or SAT Subject test scores when making admissions

decisions or awarding scholarships. Test scores submitted as part of the application may

be used as an alternate method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course

placement after matriculation at UC.

Students who plan to use test scores to meet a minimum subject requirement or for course

placement should take their tests no later than December of the senior year/last year prior to

high school/secondary school graduation.

Students can self-report ACT, SAT and/or SAT Subject test scores in the admission

application, but they must first submit the application without scores. Once the

application has been submitted, the student can log back into the application to report scores.

If a student self-reports a test score, they should provide the official score report when they

receive an offer of admission from UC.

English language proficiency

English proficiency exams

• Students who will have fewer than three years of high school in the U.S., whose primary

language of instruction outside the U.S. was not conducted in English and who are not

native English-speakers are required to self-report scores from an acceptable English

language proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, or DET) in the application. Students may use

scores from specific sections of the SAT or ACT to satisfy English proficiency in lieu of

TOEFL, IELTS or DET.

• Only students who need to demonstrate English proficiency should report SAT or

ACT scores here. Students who wish to report SAT or ACT scores for the purpose of

meeting the Area B (English) subject requirements or for placement purposes after

enrollment at UC will report their scores AFTER submitting the application.

• Official English proficiency or SAT/ACT scores are not required unless/until a student is

offered admission to UC. Students will then submit their official scores directly to the

campus where they intend to enroll.

Activities & awards

Applicants can enter up to 20

activities across 6 categories.

Enter the activities and categories

that best reflect your interests and

achievements.

Students are not required to have

an entry for each category.

Activities and awards

• There are six categories in the Activities and Awards section of the application. Choose experiences that have

meaning, illustrate interests, and/or demonstrate leadership.

• Students will have twenty spaces to enter their activities

• Not all 20 entries have to be from the same category. Students should do their best to categorize activities in a

way that makes sense to them. We wanted to allow students the flexibility and choice to enter the activities that

best reflect their interests and achievements.

• Additionally, applicants don’t need to have something in each of the categories.

Other coursework- Academic courses that do not fit in the A-G categories of history/social science, English, math,

laboratory science, language other than English (foreign language), and/or visual and performing art should be

reported in this section. Examples include leadership courses or religion courses. Do not include non-academic

courses, such as PE, office/teacher assistant, etc.

Educational preparation programs – Programs include but are not limited to: AVID, Upward Bound, and Gear Up.

A list of common programs appear in a drop-down menu. If a program is not included, manually enter it.

Community Service – Consistent participation over time may indicate commitment and dedication.

Work Experience – Demonstrates time management, responsibility and perhaps leadership.

Awards & Honors – Awards which are significant in nature – county-wide, state-wide and national - indicate a high

level of achievement with significant competition. School-based awards are more meaningful to readers if context is

provided, such as “5

place out of 500 students”, but even “perfect attendance” can be insightful.

Extracurricular Activities –Continued participation over time indicates passion, commitment, and sometimes

leadership. Enter details about each activity.

Activities and Awards Pro-Tips:

• Avoid using acronyms for names of clubs or awards.

• Explain level of involvement in detail. Remember, what’s important is what YOU did, not just what the activity is.

• Avoid listing the same activity in more than one section. Students should not repeat the entries, even if they might

fit into more than one category.

• If an applicant did not have the time/opportunity to participate in school and/or community activities,

volunteer/paid employment, explain to application readers why – how else did the applicant use their time and

was it a choice or a requirement? For example: caring for siblings, elder-care, commitment to doing homework

(research projects, papers, etc.). We understand that students are gaining valuable life experience and consider

that as part of our comprehensive review.

Activities & awards

When describing the activity, focus on

your role, responsibility and

accomplishments rather than just

describing the activity itself.

Don’t forget to select the 12

grade

checkbox if you plan to continue this

involvement in your senior year!

It is important for students to remember to describe their role, responsibilities and

accomplishments in the activity rather than focusing on describing the activity itself.

Educational prep programs

If you took part in an educational preparation program, select the program from the list. If your

program is not listed, choose “Other” and manually enter the name of the program.

Scholarships

Scholarships & programs

Apply for scholarships directly within the

UC application by selecting those which

match your characteristics, interests and

background.

Explore scholarship options by category.

You can select as many options for

consideration as you choose.

Scholarships

• All UC campuses offer scholarships for students who meet specific criteria.

• The applicant should review each scholarship choice and select all those that match their

characteristics, interests, and background. There is no limit to the amount of scholarships

students can select.

• Research other campus-based scholarships in the link provided at the bottom of the screen.

• Note: Not all scholarships listed are available at every campus.

Personal Insight

Questions (PIQ)

PIQs

Personal Insight Questions (PIQs)

• Respond to 4 of the 8 prompts

• All questions hold equal value

• 350 words maximum per response

• Focus on the content, not the

style, of your writing

• May be used for admission and

scholarship consideration

Another opportunity for us to learn more about you is within the Personal Insight Questions

(PIQs). This is the written section of the UC application. Think of this as your opportunity to

share additional and more detailed information that cannot be found elsewhere in the UC app,

including what circumstances/experiences have shaped your academic/personal experiences.

Applicants must respond to four (4) of the eight (8) prompts. All questions have equal value, so

respond to the questions that are most relevant to you and your experiences!

Keep in mind, these are not essays. With only 350 words allowed per response, your PIQ

responses should be direct and literal. Focus on what information you are sharing in your

responses, not the style of your writing. Readers will not be evaluating these like a writing

sample. This is an important part of the UC application and the campus review, so be sure that

you are taking your time and using the available resources to maximize this section.

There is also an “Additional Comments” field in the UC application. That can be used if there is

important information that you didn’t get to share elsewhere in the application that you want the

campuses to know. This is also not an essay, so you can be direct. Do not use this section to

answer a fifth PIQ question!

Remember that these are personal insight questions—about the student.

• It is not an English essay.

• Admission staff want to learn what the student did and why; what the student learned and

how the student applied what was learned to aspects of their life.

• Students should use “I” statements – I did this, I chose to do that, I learned about . . . . It’s

their one opportunity to ensure we get to know them.

• Information on impacts of COVID-19 could be discussed in the additional comments, to

allow for students to use the PIQs to tell admission readers about themselves.

More details and guidance on the Personal Insight Questions can be found at.

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/personal-insight-

questions.html

PIQs

• Work on your PIQ responses in a

separate document to check for spelling

and grammatical errors. Once ready,

copy and paste them into the UC

application.

This is a screen shot of the PIQ page. The word count is listed here, and students can opt to

have the PIQ questions emailed to them on this screen.

Applicants should work on their PIQ responses in a separate document (e.g., Word document)

and then copy and paste them into the UC application once ready. The UC application does

not allow for tools such as grammar and spell check!

Additional comments

Students can use the additional comments section to explain any situation, circumstance or

experience that does not appear anywhere else in the application or is not fully explained in the

application. Students can use this space if they have been significantly impacted (beyond what

all other students have experienced) by the COVID-19 pandemic or by any of the various

social justice movements. The Additional Comments section is not an opportunity for an

additional essay.

Submitting the

UC application

Review and submit

Before you submit your

application, be sure to take

the time to review each

section.

Only minimal personal

information can be updated

once the application has been

submitted!

Review and submit

Before submitting the application, students will have the opportunity to review each section. A

check mark appears beside the section to indicate that section is complete.

Important: Very little personal information can be updated once the application has been

submitted. Students should carefully review the application and ensure it is thorough and

complete.

Missing information

Review and submit

Students will be prompted to correct any errors before they can continue with the submission

process.

Missing Information

Students will be able to see what is missing on the application after the warning screen. This

screen shot is an example of a student missing a year in the Math subject area.

Missing information

If the student sees the missing coursework error, they have the option of editing the Academic

History or confirming that the information is correct.

Missing coursework will not prevent the student from submitting the application, as long as

they confirm that the information is correct.

Billing summary and fee waiver

• There is an $80 applicant fee per

campus ($95 for international

applicants).

• If eligible for the UC application fee

waiver, that will be noted on this screen.

Applicants must accept the fee waiver.

• Application fees may be paid by credit

card or check.

Application Fees:

• For U.S. citizens or permanent resident students, the application fee is $80 per campus.

• For International and non-immigrant applicants, the application fee is $95 for each campus selected.

• If an international or non-immigrant student currently attends school in the U.S., however,

they may be eligible to pay the lower application fee of $80 per campus.

• The application tool will advise of the fee amount on this page.

Fee Waiver:

• A fee waiver is automatically calculated for California and domestic residents. The fee waiver

calculator is activated from answers about the applicant’s family size and income.

• If a fee waiver is granted, the applicant must select “Yes” to accept the fee waiver.

• If an applicant decides not to answer those questions, they may qualify for a fee waiver but would not

receive one.

If the applicant makes a mistake on the family income amount, they can correct the information with an

‘edit’ button; eligibility for the fee waiver will automatically re-calculate with the revised information .

Fee Waiver Eligibility

• For U.S. citizens or permanent residents or students who have attended a CA high school for at least

3 years, if students meet the low-income criteria used to qualify for free and reduced lunch, they will

qualify for a UC application fee waiver for up to 4 campus choices but will be responsible for payment

for any additional campus(es) to which they choose to apply.

• Students in California on a visa are not eligible for the UC application fee waiver.

• UC also accepts the College Board, ACT or NACAC fee waiver. Only one waiver may be used.

Payment:

• Application fee payment is required and non-refundable.

• Payment may be submitted by credit card in the application tool; or by mailing a check or fee waiver if

a student didn’t qualify for the UC application fee waiver but meets criteria established by the waiver

provider.

Release authorizations and Statement of Integrity

The application cannot be submitted without the applicant’s electronic signature and

acknowledgement of the Statement of Integrity.

The Statement of Integrity is to affirm that all information in the application is accurate and the

personal insight responses were written by the applicant. If information is withheld, such as

poor grades, or falsification is detected, the application is subject to cancellation.

Signature Releases

• Review and check the release authorizations to share application information with

scholarship agencies, parent/guardian, counselors and/or UC organizations and alumni

groups.

• Electronically sign and date the application to verify accuracy and acknowledge that the

applicant is the author of their personal insight responses.

• The electronic signature also authorizes the release of official examination score(s), if

submitted, to all UC campuses to which the student applied.

• Information in the application is subject to verification. If an applicant is selected for

verification, non-compliance will result in cancellation of the application and the application

fee will not be refunded.

Submission confirmation

After submission, be sure to

make note of the following:

• Application ID

• Date submitted

• Payment method

• Confirmation ID

Students should keep their application ID in a secure place, as this will be used throughout the

admission process, including decision release occurring in the spring.

This screen will show the complete list of campuses applied to, fees, fee waiver, application ID,

date submitted, and payment method. Applicants will also receive confirmation via email.

After submission

Once submitted, applicants can log

back into their UC application to

view the available options listed in

the navigation menu.

Changes to the UC application are

limited once submitted.

Application Status

After submission, a student can log back into their application and see the following menu.

Here students can see when their application was forwarded to the campus. Updates can be

made in any of the sections listed on this screen, so keep in mind that Academic History and

adding Activities and Awards or editing the PIQs is not an option once you submit.

Note: Students who wish to self-report SAT, ACT or SAT Subject test scores for the purpose of

meeting the Area B (English) or for placement after enrollment can use the “Update ACT &

SAT tests” or “Update SAT subject tests” to report their scores. They cannot report scores

during the original submission of the application.

Resources

Need assistance?

If you have questions, contact the

application help desk at

ucinfo@applyucsupport.net

Or call the UC Application Center:

Within the U.S.: (800) 207-1710

Outside the U.S.: (925) 298-6856

The UC application Help Center is available to help students navigate and complete the UC

application.

Freshman admission resources

General admission information

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

UC admission requirements

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/freshman-requirements

UC admission selection process

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/how-

applications-are-reviewed.html

Filling out the UC application

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/filling-out-the-

application.html

Campus admission contacts

UC Berkeley | admissions.berkeley.edu

UC Davis | ucdavis.edu/admissions/undergraduate

UC Irvine | admissions.uci.edu

UCLA | admission.ucla.edu

UC Merced | admissions.ucmerced.edu

UC Riverside | admissions.ucr.edu

UC San Diego | admissions.ucsd.edu

UC Santa Barbara | admissions.ucsb.edu

UC Santa Cruz | admissions.ucsc.edu

Thank you