Admission to the University of California

2023–2024

Overview

• The UC system • How to apply
• Freshman admission overview • Transfer admission overview
• Tuition and financial aid

• UC and campus resources

The UC system

We are California

With nine amazing campuses, you can’t go wrong.

From the program, to the setting, to the vibe: each of our nine undergraduate campuses has something different to offer.

But no matter which campus you choose, you’ll find a culture of academic excellence, and fellow students and faculty who’ll inspire you every day.

UC students

83% are California residents

37%
are first-generation college students

27% transfer to UC from a community college

Choosing a UC campus

To find your fit within UC, consider…

• Does the campus have a major in which I’m interested?

• What resources and support programs are available to me and others like me?

• What campus environment is best for me?

Applying to UC

Nine campuses, one application • Opens August 1
• Select which campuses you’d like to receive your UC application

• $80 fee for each UC campus ($95 for international applicants)

• Fee waiver available for up to four campuses for qualified students

Freshman admission

Applying as a freshman

You’ll start as a freshman if… You’re currently in high school

OR

You’ve graduated high school, but haven’t enrolled in a regular session (fall, winter, spring) at a college or university.

You are still considered a freshman applicant even if you have earned college credit while in high school.

August 1
UC Application opens

October 1 – November 30

UC application filing period

	
December – March 2

FAFSA and CADAA priority filing period

	

March
Freshman admission decisions released

May 1
Freshman SIR deadline

Freshman admission timeline

July

Official, final transcripts and AP/IB exam results due

Minimum freshman admission requirements

Complete 15 A-G courses

Earn a UC GPA of 3.0 or better (3.4 for nonresidents)

A-G subject requirements

A. History – 2 years

A-G requirements	B. English – 4 years

• Complete a minimum of 15 A-G courses with a grade of C or better

C. Mathematics – 3 years (4 years recommended)

• Prior to beginning your last year of high school, you must complete 11 of these courses

Note: UC will accept Pass or Credit grades in A-G courses completed in spring 2020 through summer 2021 to meet A-G requirements.

D. Science – 2 years (3 years recommended)

E. Language other than English – 2 years (3 years recommended)

F. Visual and performing arts – 1 year

G. College-preparatory elective – 1 year

UC GPA

UC GPA minimum requirement	How the UC GPA is calculated

• California residents: 3.0

• Non-residents: 3.4

•	Includes all letter grades from A-G courses taken during grades 10 and 11 (including the summers after 9–11)

Students should aim to exceed this minimum requirement to be a competitive applicant.

•	Grade points are based on the letter grade received; plus (+) and minus (-) grades are not factored

•	Up to 8 semesters of extra points are added for passed AP, IB, college-level or UC-approved honors courses

Minimum requirements versus selection

Minimum requirements • A-G coursework
• UC GPA minimum

• Consistent for all campuses

Selection

• Comprehensive review (13 factors) • Varies by campus

Comprehensive review for freshmen

• 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

Learning more about you: Activities & awards

Activities and awards can include: • Awards or honors
• Educational preparation programs • Extracurricular activities
• Coursework other than A-G

• Volunteer/community service • Work experience

Learning more about you: 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

Campus admission websites

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

Campus financial aid websites

UC Berkeley | financialaid.berkeley.edu

UC Davis | financialaid.ucdavis.edu

UC Irvine | ofas.uci.edu

UCLA | financialaid.ucla.edu

UC Merced | financialaid.ucmerced.edu

UC Riverside | financialaid.ucr.edu

UC San Diego | fas.ucsd.edu

UC Santa Barbara | finaid.ucsb.edu

UC Santa Cruz | financialaid.ucsc.edu/index.html

Course requirement

7-course pattern

• Complete the seven-course pattern with a grade of C (or equivalent) or better in each course

It is recommended that you complete math and English as early as possible.

•	 Two transferable courses in English Composition

•	One transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning

•	Four transferable college courses chosen from at least two of the following subject areas:

•	Arts and humanities

•	Social and behavioral sciences

•	Physical and biological sciences

Unit requirement

Junior standing

• Complete 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable college credit

• No more than 14 semester (21 quarter) units may be taken Pass/No Pass

•	See next slide for Pass/No Pass grading exceptions

Pass/Credit grading exceptions

Pass/Credit maximum	Pass/Credit for major preparation

• All Pass and Credit grades earned in winter–summer 2020 are excluded from the 14 semester/21 quarter unit maximum of Pass/Credit grades

• All campuses will accept Pass or Credit grades earned in spring 2020 for major prep courses for all majors except Psychology and Cognitive Science majors at Santa Cruz

Students should check with each campus regarding the usage of Pass or Credit grades for major prep courses beyond spring 2020.

Transfer GPA

How the transfer GPA is calculated

GPA minimum requirement

• California residents: 2.4

•	Includes all UC-transferable units attempted, including college courses completed while in high school

• Non-residents: 2.8	•	Grade points are based on the letter grade received; plus (+) and minus (-) grades are recognized

Students should aim to exceed this minimum requirement to be a competitive applicant.

•	Academic Renewal (AR), Pass/No Pass, Credit/No Credit, Satisfactory/Non-Satisfactory, Excused Withdrawal (EW), and/or Withdrawal are not included in the GPA calculation

Eligibility versus selection

Major Preparation

• Certain majors may have required or recommended coursework

• Consider taking courses from other CCCs or online UC-transferable courses if your CCC doesn’t offer a major preparation course
• Take full course sequences at one CCC

GPA

• Meet or exceed the minimum transfer GPA

• For selective majors, a strong GPA is especially important

IGETC

• Not required for admission; may be recommended for certain campuses/majors • Full or partial certification is available

Comprehensive review for transfer

Academic Accomplishments

Extra- and Co-Curricular Activities

Additional Information

•	Major preparation •	GPA
•	Transfer paths

•	Special projects
•	Internship/research experience

•	Life experiences
•	Family responsibilities •	Location of college

•	TAG
•     UC Transfer Pathway
•	Pathways + •	ADT

•     Work/volunteer experience
•	Participation in UC-sponsored programs
•	Leadership
•	Special talents, skills or achievements
•	Awards and honors

Learning more about you: PIQs

Personal Insight Questions (PIQs)

• One required question; respond to 3 of the other 7 questions

• 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

Required PIQ for transfers:

Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.

Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

What is TAG?

A guarantee for admission to a participating campus and a major, so long as all deadlines and requirements are met.

To be eligible for TAG, students must:

Students with non-CCC coursework and international students with

 Transfer from a California Community College (CCC)
 Complete over half of their units at the CCC
 Last attend a CCC before transfer

a F1 or J1 visa can also be eligible for TAG

Systemwide TAG requirements

Complete 30 UC-transferable semester units by September 30

Complete 60 UC-transferable semester units by spring prior to transfer

Complete UC-E and UC-M

Meet GPA criteria (2.7–3.5) which varies by campus and major

Review campus-specific major requirements

UC Transfer Pathways and Pathways+

UC Transfer Pathways

A common set of courses that provide uniform major preparation for majors associated with each pathway, at each UC campus.

Pathways+

Completion of a UC Transfer Pathway plus the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG).

Transfer Pathway

TAG	Pathways+

Transfer Admission Planner (TAP)

Benefits of using TAP

• Facilitates admission advising and tracking of progress

• Can apply directly to the TAG program

• Imports directly into the UC application

• Can indicate areas of interest and participation in UC programs

• Receive communications directly from UC and CCC

Tuition and Financial Aid

UC Tuition

Multi-year Plan

For systemwide tuition & fees for undergraduates

Incoming undergrads

Each incoming class will have a set tuition

Up to six years

Tuition will remain flat*

Cost of attendance

Personal/transportation $2,500

For California residents, the estimated average cost for a new student living on campus in 2024–25 is $42,236.

UC tuition $14,436

However, most students do not pay the full cost of attendance.

Housing & meals $19,200

Health insurance $3,000

Campus fees $1,600

Books & supplies $1,500

Nonresident cost of attendance

Personal/transportation $2,500

For non-California residents, the estimated average cost for a new student living on campus in 2024–25 is $76,436.

Limited financial aid is available for nonresident undergraduates attending UC.

Housing & meals $19,200

Health insurance $3,000

Books & supplies $1,500

Campus fees $1,600

UC tuition (non-resident) $48,636

Grants and scholarships

$2.6 billion in grants and scholarships available to California students

Results for California students

70%

of California undergrads receive

grants and scholarships, with an average award of $18,000

55%

of California undergrads pay no tuition because of grant and scholarship aid

Want to estimate your financial aid? Check out our campus financial aid calculators.

UC financial aid programs

For California residents who are eligible for financial aid and with a family income less than $80,000, the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan can cover the cost of your tuition, with extra funds available.

For California residents with family income and assets less than $217,000, California’s Middle Class Scholarship may provide scholarships to help with paying for college costs.

Loans

$28,350 National average

55%of CA undergrads graduate with no student loan debt

$21,100 UC average

UC students’ monthly payments average 6% of their post-graduation earnings

Resources

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

Transfer admission resources

General admission information admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

UC admission requirements

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/transfer-requirements

UC admission selection process

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-transfer/how-applications-are-reviewed.html

Filling out the UC application

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-transfer/filling-out-the-application.html

Campus major preparation information for transfers

UC Berkeley | admissions.berkeley.edu/transfer-admissions-information-by-college

UC Davis | ucdavis.edu/admissions/undergraduate/transfer/selective-major-requirements

UC Irvine | admissions.uci.edu/apply/transfer-students/requirements.php

UCLA | admission.ucla.edu/apply/transfer/deciding-on-major

UC Merced | admissions.ucmerced.edu/transfer/major-preparation-schools

UC Riverside | admissions.ucr.edu/transfer/majors-preparation-guide

UC San Diego | admissions.ucsd.edu/transfer/transfer-major-preparation.html

UC Santa Barbara | admissions.ucsb.edu/selective-majors

UC Santa Cruz | admissions.ucsc.edu/transfer-students#screening-major-requirements

Transfer programs and tools

ASSIST.ORG assist.org

Transfer Academic Planner (TAP) uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu/students

UC Transfer Pathways

admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/transfer-requirements/uc-transfer-programs/transfer-pathways

Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/transfer-requirements/uc-transfer-programs/transfer-admission-guarantee-tag.html

Campus housing websites

UC Berkeley | housing.berkeley.edu

UC Davis | housing.ucdavis.edu

UC Irvine | housing.uci.edu

UCLA | portal.housing.ucla.edu

UC Merced | housing.ucmerced.edu

UC Riverside | housing.ucr.edu

UC San Diego | hdhughousing.ucsd.edu

UC Santa Barbara | housing.ucsb.edu

UC Santa Cruz | housing.ucsc.edu

Thank you