This morning, I visited UC Irvine for the UC Counselor Conference. The weather was, amazing, students were bike riding around and I overall felt a sense of a collegiate atmosphere. This is the kind of stuff you get excited about (well at least I do!). I jotted down some information based on last year’s Fall 2016 admission statistics and some new campus-specific information. Please find the following tidbits helpful from the conference…bear with me, it’s a little long!
Comprehensive review and taking a look at educational and personal circumstances…
When you have thousands (literally THOUSANDS) of students from all over applying to a selective public university system, how do you sift through applicants and make decisions? The UC utilizes Comprehensive Review. A way to look deeper than the transcript and GPA and review each applicant holistically. Take a look at the Freshman Comprehensive Review Guide from the UC website to learn more information. The UC system will look at a number of factors in addition to showing you can do the work. I encourage you to look through the review guide and look individually on each campuses’ websites to see their take on reviewing applicants.
UC has established a set of minimum requirements to ensure students are prepared for college-level work. However, when there are more applicants meeting those minimum requirements than there are spaces available at a given campus, students whose work exceeds the minimum have a better chance of being admitted.
What can students do to increase their chances at admission?
- Take a challenging course schedule and perform well
- Take advantage of other academic opportunities
- Take initiative in pursuing passions and interests
- Get involved in activities at school and in the community
- Exploreleadershipopportunitiesat school, in activities, in the family and in the community
Given the comprehensive review process, it is important that students use the personal statement and other portions of the application to explain their unique individual circumstances.
Source: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/comprehensive_review_facts.pdf
Admissions stats and quick facts – (Remember, these are numbers, not the end-all be-all) Every student has a different story, every student has “life” happen. Keep this in mind when reviewing statistics.
- California students admitted grew by 15.1% as a whole in the UC system and admission rates went up (YAY!)
- The UC system will enroll its largest freshman class in history and one of its most diverse with a huge first generation population
- Remember, UC’s don’t factor in legacy
The campus averages listed include the 10 – 11 grade weighted A-G GPA. (this includes any coursework in the summer after 9th grade and the summer after 11th grade, plus it limits the amount of AP/Honors points.The SAT scores are from the older SAT (to see a conversion chart click HERE)
- UC Berkeley
- New student information system
- 3.9 unweighted 4.42 weighted
- 1970-2280 average SAT
- 30-34 average ACT
- 7,977 wait listed
- Admit 2,136 off the waitlist
- Optional letter of recommendation allows admissions team to make a more informed decision on their applicants
- New cafe, (vegan, vegetarian, kosher) new visitor center
- New competitive, selective dual program in engineering and business – receive B.S. degree (Management, entrepreneurship tech program) will enroll about 30 students in total
- UC Davis
- #2 in agriculture and forestry
- #1 in world for vet
- Marine lab available for students to research California’s north coast
- Opened new international center to help study abroad
- 68,000+ applicants last year, 29,000 admitted (42%)
- 64 percent of the admitted class were CA residents
- 3.92-4.23 average GPA
- 27-32 average ACT
- 1770-2120 average SAT
- UC Irvine
- Admission up by 8.4%
- 4.1 average GPA, 1852 SAT, 28 ACT
- An amazing institution serving a low-income students
- New E-Sports Initiative (competitive online gaming) hoping to create intercollegiate competition in an E-sports arena)
- Expanding Honors program by almost double (no separate application, students will be invited)
- Hosted the LA Rams for their summer training camp
- Fall Preview Day October 22, 2016
- UC Los Angeles
- 97,121 apps, 17,511 admitted (18% rate)
- Letters and Science (21%)
- Engineering (13%)
- Theater film (4%)
- Arts architecture (10%)
- Music (23%)
- Nursing (2%)
- Naturally with increased number of applicants, there is an increased academic rigor among applications and students admitted
- 40% increase in applications with 21 plus honors/APs from CA
- 23% increase in admits with 21 plus honors/APs from CA
- If there is a strong reason as to why grades slip, etc., it is the student’s responsibility to provide context as to why
- Apply to the school or major you want (if you will get into UCLA you will get in! Don’t try to get into a major that is less selective, this can be tricky if you ever want to transfer in…you’ve done the work, be honest and apply where you want to go!)
- Herb Alpert School of Music is now its own free standing school.
- 97,121 apps, 17,511 admitted (18% rate)
- UC Merced
- 3.4-3.9 average GPA
- Students will receive their financial aid package with their admission letter (earlier than most!)
- Just under 7,000 total students
- A LOT of space for research and local resources
- Yosemite leadership program
- Housing guaranteed at least a year
- Campus looking to double in size by 2020. Integrated living learning new residence halls, overall campus growth
- UC Riverside
- Offer degree completion initiatives to ensure student success (helping students graduate in 4 years or less)
- Bringing in new faculty members (80+)
- Renamed major – Computer science with Business Applications (within engineering school)
- 53% admission rate (68% admitted were CA residents)
- UC San Diego
- 84,000+ for freshman, 34,000+ admitted
- 67% admitted <4.0
- 61% admitted < 31 ACT
- 68% admitted <700 Reasoning SAT
- 51% < 700 Math SAT
- Now offer joint Psych and Cognitive Science Major
- Optional portfolio submission available for the following subjects
- Humanities, philosophy, literature, music, theater, dance
- Students can upload anything (works from class, performances, etc.)
- Career initiatives, offers UCSD students a co-curricular transcript to help with internships/job opportunities, the transcript shows grades, research and related works outside of the classroom (a student resume)
- Offers the Basement: a lab space for entrepreneurship students to incubate new ideas
- UC Santa Barbara
- 4.02 average GPA
- 1994 average SAT
- Overall admit rate 36% (higher than last year)
- 85% students enrolled were from California
- New major: Spread and language technologies – Student work with computer programmers to design interfaces (for example Siri)
- New biotech building and library
- UC Santa Cruz
- 8% increase in applications overall
- 3,800 out of 4,500 admitted from California
- 3.85 average GPA
- Big support initiative to help students graduate on time
- 10 residential colleges – smaller living learning communities within a bigger campus
- Over 70% undergrad students participate in original research
- Increased internship opportunities
- 3+3 B.A./J.D. Program (an accelerated program in which you complete your B.A. and J.D. degrees in six years rather than the typical seven years)
For Seniors applying…If I submit my application and I drop a course or earn a D or lower in a course, what do I do?
- If you filed the application and have not hear a decision, contact the application center
- If you filed the application and have heard a decision, contact the campuses directly
- It is your responsibility to report all that you have done and anything that changes
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