How Are Applications Reviewed?: The UC System

As you begin to write your college essays, you may be wondering how colleges review your application–whether they are considering SATs/ACTs, extracurriculars, etc. Students often wonder is GPA and APs that important. We are here to answer those questions for you. 

What do the UC’s Consider?

The UCs consider everything you do beyond grades; however, the emphasis they place on each differs by campus. According to their admissions team here are some factors that they consider:

1. Academic grade point average in all completed A-G courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses.
2. Number of, content of and performance in academic courses beyond the minimum A-G requirements.
3. Number of and performance in UC-approved honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate Higher Level and transferable college courses.
4. Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 9 percent of your high school class at the end of your junior year (Eligible in the Local Context, or ELC).
5. Quality of your senior-year program as measured by the type and number of academic courses in progress or planned.
6. Quality of your academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in your high school.
7. Outstanding performance in one or more specific subject areas.
8. Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field of study.
9. Recent, marked improvement in academic performance as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress.
10. 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.
11. Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of your high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs.
12. Academic accomplishments in light of your life experiences and special circumstances, including but not limited to: disabilities, low family income, first generation to attend college, need to work, disadvantaged social or educational environment, difficult personal and family situations or circumstances, refugee status or veteran status.
13. Location of your secondary school and residence.

What is the Selection Process by Campus?

For freshman applicants the top two UCs, UCLA and UC Berkeley, focus on a holistic approach to learning, meaning that they put equal emphasis on all categories from academic achievement, personal attributes, and likely contributions to the campus intellectual and cultural community. For transfer applicants, Cal places more emphasis on “academic preparedness for the major.” Reading this, you may wonder what all this means for you so we organized the information in a question and answer format below.

• Should I take more Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBHL) courses? What if I am afraid I will do poorly in the course?

• • Short answer: Yes, if you think you will do well. Maybe, if you think you will do poorly.
  • UCLA specifically states that they “compare an applicant’s achievement to those of others in the same high school” essentially meaning that you should take advantage of the courses (AP, IBHL, etc.) and excel in them. If you think you will do poorly in the class we may encourage you to take the course if you have the time and space to dedicate to studying the course, especially if that course relates to the major you intend on studying in college. While colleges do look at your grades, they do place emphasis on steady improvement over time. 

• Does selection differ by major? If I apply as a certain major will it be harder for me to get in?

• • Short Answer: Yes, for competitive majors at competitive colleges, we suggest you aim to be the best at all you do. 
  • Majors like engineering, computer science, nursing, biology, chemistry, and the like tend to be more competitive because those are the fields that most people know about. If you choose a more specific major tailored to your interests and extracurricular activities, you will have a higher chance of admission than a general one that you have no evidence of interest in. We have lots of students who firmly believe that they want to major in biology or computer science and yet, all they have to prove their interest is one AP course. In most of these cases the students actually spend most of their time engaging in other extracurriculars–ones that are generally tied to less popular majors like Education Psychology or Philosophy and Religious Studies to name a few. If you are set on applying for a more competitive major, we suggest you tailor your experiences to show your interests. Here at SK Education, we can help you choose manageable experiences that truly interest you. 

• What personal qualities do they look for in applicants? 

• • Short Answer: As evidenced in the UC personal insight questions themselves, the UCs value leadership, intellectual curiosity, creativity, maturity, and more. 
  • You may be wondering how you can display all of those qualities in four 350 word personal insight questions, but the UCs also look at other parts of your application, like the activities section. The best way to show these qualities is in your realizations and actualizations–what you do after you experience and realize your passions, privilege, impact speaks wonders. 

• How much do the UCs emphasize extracurricular activities?

• • Short Answer: All parts of your application are weighed equally but the duration and what you do within the activity shows character. 
  • For academic enrichment programs the UCs consider intellectual rigor. For non-academic programs like volunteering and such, the UCs consider your leadership capabilities. Just remember that it’s one thing to say you are a leader and another to show you are a leader. In whatever extracurricular you partake in, try to make a measurable impact that truly displays the capabilities of your leadership. This can be leading a small group or participating in the decision making processes. This can also mean leading by example. There are many kinds of leadership and completing extracurricular activities are great ways to uncover what kind of leadership you have. Two of the personal insight questions (the first and the seventh) focus on leadership and you want to make sure you have specific examples to mention in them. 

Key Takeaways

• For freshman applicants, the UCs consider everything you do (GPA, extracurriculars, course selection) equally important. 
• To maximize your chances, try to excel in the things you do and show academic and interpersonal leadership.
• If you need help reviewing your application we at SK Education can help!