UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UC) OVERVIEW N I N E U N D E R G R A D U A T E C A M P U S E S S T A T E - W I D E : B E R K E L E Y D A V I S I R V I N E L O S A N G E L E S M E R C E D ( O P E N T O A L L S T U D E N T S W H O Q U A L I F Y A S S T A T E W I D E E L I G I B L E! ) R I V E R S I D E S A N D I E G O S A N T A B A R B A R A S A N T A C R U Z Berkeley H I G H L Y C O M P E T I T I V E A P P L Y O N L I N E : W W W. U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A. E D U A P P L I C A T I O N O P E N S O C T O B E R 1 ST S U B M I S S I O N W I N D O W I S N O V E M B E R 1-30.
UC ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS Subject Requirement: Freshman applicants are required to complete a minimum of 15 yearlong "a-g" courses in grades 9-12. Seven of these courses must be taken in the last two years of high school. These courses must include: a. History/social science 2 courses b. English (composition/literature in the language of instruction) c. Mathematics (4 are recommended) (including elementary algebra, geometry and intermediate algebra) d. Laboratory science (3 are recommended) (from two disciplines) e. Language other than English (3 are recommended) (foreign language) 4 courses 3 courses 2 courses 2 courses f. Visual and performing arts 1 course g. College-preparatory elective 1 course Examination Requirement: SAT or ACT with writing SAT Subject Tests are not required but are recommended for particular majors on particular campuses Scholarship Requirement: A minimum 3.0 GPA is required and all classes used to meet the subject requirement must be completed with a C or higher.
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW All California high school seniors who fulfill the minimum requirements to apply will be entitled to a comprehensive review of their applications at each UC campus to which they apply. Academic grade point average in all completed "a-g" courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses. Scores on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test. Number of, content of, and performance in academic courses beyond the minimum "a-g" requirements. Number of and performance in UC-approved honors and Advanced Placement courses. Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 9 percent of their high school class ( eligible in the local context or ELC) Quality of a student's senior-year program, as measured by the type and number of academic courses in progress or planned. UCLA UCLA Quality of their academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in their high school.
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW CONTINUED Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas. San Diego Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field. Recent, marked improvement in academic performance, as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress. 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. Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of a student's high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs. Academic accomplishments in light of a student's life experiences and special circumstances. Location of a student's secondary school and residence. The University of California, unlike most selective private universities, neither requires nor wants letters of recommendation.
WHO RECEIVES GUARANTEED ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA? Within the pool of applicants, two categories of students will be guaranteed admission somewhere in the UC system: 1. Those who fall in the top 9 percent of all high school graduates statewide. 2. Those who rank in the top 9 percent of their own high school s graduating class. Because selectivity varies by campus due to the size and academic quality of applicant pools, a student's chance for admission will also vary by campus. For this reason, it is important for students to review all of their options and choose both carefully and broadly. Riverside
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY STUDENT IS ELC? 1. To check eligibility in the statewide context: Use this link to check student s ELC status. A calculator is available for students to enter their GPA and test scores to determine eligibility. http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html UCLA 2. To check eligibility in the local (high school) context: Merced As an applicant from California, your student s application will be automatically screened for ELC eligibility when they apply. There s no extra paperwork. After submitting their application, students can return to the My UC Application page to see whether or not they ve been designated as being in the top 9 percent of their class. It doesn t matter if your student qualifies in the statewide or local context, both options assure your student a guaranteed place somewhere within the UC system; most likely UC Merced.
WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS COLLEGES USE TO SELECT THEIR FRESHMAN CLASS? 1. Grades in College Prep Courses, 84% 2. Strength of curriculum, 68 % 3. Admission test scores (ACT, SAT), 59 % 4. Grades in all courses, 52% 5. Essay or writing sample, 25% 6. Student s demonstrated interest, 21% 7. Counselor recommendation, 19 % 8. Class rank, 19 % (used to be 42%, but many districts, like IUSD, have stopped ranking) 9. Teacher recommendation, 17 % 10.Subject test scores (AP, IB), 7 % 11.Portfolio, 7 % 12.Interview, 6 % 13.SAT II scores, 5 % 14.Extracurricular activities, 5 % 15.Work, 2 % Source: http://www.nacacnet.org/research/publicationsresources/marketplace/documents/soca2012.pdf
UNIVERSITY ADMISSION OPTIONS There are two categories of admission options: NON-RESTRICTIVE RESTRICTIVE NON-RESTRICTIVE application plans do not restrict students from applying to other institutions. You ll have until May 1 to consider your options and confirm enrollment. There are three application plans under non-restrictive: 1. Regular Decision : Regular Decision means that students turn in their application by the college s deadline, and they let you know by a specified date. 2. Rolling Admission: Schools review applications as they re submitted and make decisions throughout the admission cycle (usually within four to six weeks of submission of the application). It is usually wise for students to submit their application as soon as possible since some colleges will fill their class by early winter. 3. Early Action : this is an early option: applicants submit their application by the early deadline and the college sends its decision earlier. Some colleges do have additional restrictions on their early action programs, though, so make sure to read carefully the instructions from each college.
RESTRICTIVE ADMISSION OPTIONS There are two types of RESTRICTIVE application plans: 1. Early Decision: If accepted, applicants who apply early decision are committing to attend that school. Early Decision is for those early-bird students who already have a clear firstchoice college. If your student is still comparing colleges and doesn t want to limit their choices yet, Early Decision is not the best choice. Why not? Early Decision is a contract between your student and the college. Your student is agreeing that if accepted, they ll withdraw all other college applications and attend the early decision college. **Because of this commitment, students can apply Early Decision to only one college. 2. Restrictive Early Action: This means that students apply to their school of choice and get a decision early. Be aware, though, that some schools restrict applicants from applying to any other schools early. If you go this way, you ll have until May 1 to confirm that you ll be attending. These early options can be CONFUSING some schools even have more than one of these options READ the agreements carefully and contact the colleges if you don t understand! Colleges respond to early applications in one of three ways: acceptance, rejection or deferring the application into the regular admission pool.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA APPLICANTS 2011-2013 Campus # Applied/# Admitted /# Attended Avg. GPA Avg. SAT UC Irvine 402 191 92 4.03 1854 UCLA 321 91 55 4.15 2052 UC San Diego 315 118 42 4.11 1993 UC Santa Barbara 262 108 40 4.01 1915 UC Berkeley 237 77 45 4.18 2076 UC Davis 208 88 28 4.07 1906 UC Riverside 155 104 43 3.72 1720 UC Santa Cruz 136 72 22 3.84 1793 UC Merced 53 36 11 3.59 1634 Davis Santa Barbara Santa Cruz Irvine
4 year Private and Out of State University Application Data 2011-2013 USD LMU Where WHS Seniors Applied: #applied/#admitted=admit rate Where WHS Graduates Attend: GPA / SAT / ACT 1. USC 207/58 28% 1. U. of Arizona (21) 3.5 1755 26 2. Chapman University 127/44 35% 2. Chapman U. (21) 3.8 1911 28 3. Stanford University 83/ 3 4% 3. U.of Oregon (17) 3.6 1832 27 4. University of Oregon 81/55 68% 4. BYU (Utah) (15) 3.8 1960 30 5. Boston University 80/27 34% 4. USC (15) 4.1 2130 31 6. U. of San Diego 70/19 27% 6. U. Col. (Boulder)(14) 3.4 1826 26 7. Loyola Marymount 68/30 44% 7. Biola (12) 3.5 N/A 25 8. U. of Arizona 64/47 73% 7. BYU (Idaho) (12) 3.3 1554 24 9. U. of the Pacific 63/40 63% 9. Loyola Marymount(11) 3.7 1905 28 10. Pepperdine 62/22 35% 10. Azusa Pacific U. (9) 3.5 1723 26
THE IVY LEAGUE 2011-2013 University # Applied/ # Admitted / # Attended Stanford University (not Ivy League) 83 3 3 Cornell University 50 9 4 Columbia University 42 3 1 Harvard College 38 1 1 University of Pennsylvania 35 3 3 Princeton University 34 2 2 Brown University 30 1 1 Yale University 30 2 2 Dartmouth College 17 4 2 359 28 19 Yale Cornell Dartmouth Princeton Columbia
NEXT STEPS Visit some college campuses if possible over Spring Break. Use Naviance Family Connection to research college options. Select a challenging but realistic course schedule for next year. Attend NACAC Regional College Fair in Anaheim on April 27 th. Attend RACC College Fair at Woodbridge High on May 21 st. Create an application list of colleges and universities. Apply broadly. (Reach, Target, and Safety Schools CCC is an excellent safety option) Write essays over summer if you already know the prompt (UC) http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-statement/ Attend Senior Parent Workshop at WHS in Fall more details about application process including transcript and letter of recommendation info. Apply Get accepted - celebrate! Attend college, graduate, get a job, live happily ever after.