General Admissions Information
The undergraduate admissions policy of the University of California is guided by the University's commitment to serve the people of California and the needs of the state within the framework of the California Master Plan for Higher Education.The entrance requirements established by the University follow guidelines set forth in the Master Plan, which requires that the top one-eighth of the state's high school graduates, as well as those transfer students who have successfully completed specified college work, be eligible for admission to the University of California. These requirements are designed to ensure that all eligible students are adequately prepared for University-level work.
Mindful of its mission as a public institution, the University of California has had a historic commitment to providing a place within the University for all eligible
applicants who are residents of California, and to achieving, on each campus, a student body that both meets the University's high academic standards and encompasses the cultural, racial, geographic, economic and social diversity of California itself.To that end, the University's admission policy calls for reviewing applications in depth, drawing on factors developed by UC faculty. These criteria are different for freshmen applicants and transfer students, but foremost among them are academic achievement and promise, as well as a student's potential to contribute to the educational environment and intellectual vitality of the campus.
To track the success of admissions initiatives, the University collects data on applications and enrollment, as well as retention and time-to-degree information.
Apply to UC
Any of UC's nine undergraduate campuses can provide you with wide-ranging educational opportunities. To make it easy for you to apply to more than one campus, we have a single application.
Keep in mind that not every student can be admitted to his or her first-choice campus. Applying to more than one campus can significantly increase your chances of being admitted to a campus that, while not your first choice, will enable you to fulfill your educational goals.Submit only one application per term and indicate all campus choices on it. Submitting multiple applications will result in a serious processing delay.
Application Filing Periods | ||
| All campuses except Berkeley and Merced | Winter Quarter 2010 | July 1-31, 2009 |
| Spring Quarter 2010 (except UCLA and UC San Diego) | October 1–31, 2009 | |
| Fall Quarter 2010 | November 1–30, 2009 | |
| Berkeley | Fall Semester 2010 | November 1–30, 2009 |
| Merced | Spring Semester 2010 | July 1–31, 2009 |
| Fall Semester 2010 | November 1–30, 2009 | |
Applications must be submitted online or postmarked by the last day of the appropriate filing period. Most campuses do not accept applications after the filing period. If you plan to apply after the filing period, check with the campus to see if there are openings before submitting your application.
If you apply after the filing period to a campus that is no longer accepting applications, the UC Undergraduate Application Processing Service will notify you by mail that your application will not be forwarded to the campus. You may receive a full or partial refund of the application fee.
Report Test Scores
If you apply as a freshman for the fall 2010 term, you must take two SAT Subject Tests and the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test no later than December 2009. Direct the testing agencies to report your scores to each UC campus to which you plan to apply. They must be received by the campuses by the time December tests scores are normally reported. If you apply as a freshman for the winter or spring term, check with the campus admissions office about relevant testing deadlines.
