Don’t get paranoid if the UCs request more information from you to validate information you have listed in your academic history, honors and awards, extracurriculars, volunteer work and community service, special programs, or any other topics. They are selecting students from a random sampling to send in proof or documentation about information listed on you UC application.
You’ll need to get documentation from your counselor, teacher, coach, or other, on letterhead. Everything needs to be received by the UC admissions office by January 31, 2022. Failure to respond will result in the cancellation of your application. This is a good heads up about not “puffing” (exaggerating or lying) about anything on your college applications.
Don’t get paranoid if the UCs request more information from you to validate information you have listed in your academic history, honors and awards, extracurriculars, volunteer work and community service, special programs, or any other topics. They are selecting students from a random sampling to send in proof or documentation about information listed on you UC application.
You’ll need to get documentation from your counselor, teacher, coach, or other, on letterhead. Everything needs to be received by the UC admissions office by January 31, 2022. Failure to respond will result in the cancellation of your application. This is a good heads up about not “puffing” (exaggerating or lying) about anything on your college applications.
The demand for the coveted spaces at the 9 University of California has grown over the years, especially since many California students are preferring to stay in state thanks to the uncertainty around the pandemic. The acceptance rate for UCLA and UC Berkeley was 17% last year. The entire UC system received almost 250,000 applications in 2020.
While the UCs have been turning away plenty of qualified California residents – those whose parents are state taxpayers – they realized that they needed to do something to accommodate more students. By 2030, the University of California will add 20,000 students to their 9 campuses. As they should!
Students graduating from UC earn more than the median income for all California graduates within six years of earning their degree and, on average, double their earnings within ten years of graduation. Earnings potential is an important factor to consider in the college search and enrollment process. UC graduates earn about $43K at two years after graduation, $88K by ten years after graduation and $110K by sixteen years after graduation. Naturally this varies by industry, but even alumni working in fields like Fine Arts or the non-profit sector that tend to have lower compensation rates still exceed median nationwide salaries.
UC students from all income quintiles succeed in achieving incomes that surpass those of their parents, with over 90 percent of the lowest income students, and 50 to 70 percent of middle income students doing so. UC is an equalizer for students who come from the bottom 20 percent of income – that is, they go on to earn as much as students who came from middle-income families (reflecting the 3rd and 4th quintiles). Their earnings usually double within 10 years of graduation.
More than 73 percent of UC alumni live and work in California, the fifth largest economy in the world. UC is the state’s third largest employer, supplying one of every 45 jobs, and the university plays a critical role in bolstering California’s economy. Investing in a UC education benefits the state, as every $1 of state funding will generate or support over $21 in economic impact.
As students and families begin a new academic year, and engage in the search for college opportunities, the cost of attendance and availability of financial aid informs concerns about the value of a UC education. The new Tuition Stability Plan freezes tuition for students enrolling in fall 2022 for 6 years, making it easier for families to plan effectively. From the time of the students’ enrollment through graduation, families will not have to worry about unexpected tuition increases or hidden fees. UC offers one of the nations’ strongest financial aid programs, granting more than $4.8 billion dollars annually. Students graduate with almost $10,000 less debt on average when compared to national statistics. More than half (56%) have no student loan debt at graduation.
Finally, graduation and time-to-degree matter. Students and their families want to be assured that they can graduate in a timely manner. UC students have one of the highest overall graduation rates in the country. Freshmen take an average of 4.15 years to graduate with 86 percent graduating from UC in 6 years. The average time-to-degree for transfer students, once enrolled at UC, is 2.4 years, with 89 percent graduating within 4 years of entering.
The qualitative value of UC is a simple and powerful story to tell. We promote the excellence of a UC education with internationally recognized faculty including many Nobel Laureates, and winners of other prestigious awards: the Pulitzer Prizes, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science, and MacArthur Genius grants. We are proud of the diversity and vibrancy of our campus communities, the breadth and depth of opportunities for students in and beyond the classroom, and our commitment to the academic, personal, and professional development of our students. All these remain characteristic of our campuses and community; they are hallmarks of UC. But we shouldn’t forget the numbers. They also have a story to tell about the value of UC.
As usual, the University of California is stirring up controversy in its policies for admissions and tuition hikes. Last year, the UCs broke their own record when they received over 200,000 freshmen applications. That was the first year they did not consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions, which made it possible for students who didn’t have the resources to boost their standardized test scores by paying for prep programs to be considered for admission based on their GPAs and essays.
This year, 43% of admitted students come from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. This was the most diverse undergraduate group in UC history.
37% Chicano/Latino (31,220 students)
34% Asian American (28,402 students)
20% White (17,024 students)
5% African Americans (4,608 students)
.045% American Indian (380 students)
Across all of the 9 UC campuses, 45% of admitted freshmen were the first in their family to attend college, and not surprisingly, 45% of all admitted California freshmen come from low-income families.
Just last week, UC Board of Regents announced that they will be raising tuition for incoming students beginning in fall 2022. This has caused an uproar from UC students. The UCs plan to raise the tuition up to 5% based on inflation plus other campus fees (approximately 2%) every year. They claim that they will face a $694 million shortfall by 2026-2027 without these increases.
Because over half of UC undergraduates receive 100% free tuition and fees, this tuition plan only affects students whose parents have higher income. The students whose parents are in the middle income range are the ones who ultimately get squeezed the most. These families claim that it will be impossible for them to attend because they don’t qualify for financial aid and they’ll be subject to a 7% increase in tuition.
The one positive thing about the new tuition policy is that once a student starts a UC as a freshman, their tuition will be locked in at that rate for 6 years. Curious to see if these policy changes will negatively or positively affect the quality of education at the University of California.
If you’re interested in transferring from a California community college to a UC campus, this is the time to set up your Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG). Six UC campuses offer a TAG to college students who meet specific requirements.
One of the benefits of having a TAG is that you will receive early review of your academic records, early admission notification and specific guidance about major preparation and general education coursework.
TAG applications are due Sept. 30, but you can only apply for a TAG at one campus. To keep your options open, apply to other UC campuses during the regular application cycle (Nov. 1-30).
Here’s how it works:
1. Use the UC Transfer Admission Planner to complete the TAG application, and review it with your community college counselor and/or UC campus TAG adviser. You’ll need to submit it Sept. 1–30.
2. You’ll find out if your TAG is approved in November. If it is, fulfill all remaining coursework and GPA requirements in your TAG agreement.
3. You still need to fill out the application for admission to UC and submit it Nov. 1–30.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
Six UC campuses offer an admission guarantee for junior transfer applicants. These campuses include UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz.
By participating in the program, students can ensure their admission to a specific UC campus and major. Over 80% of students admitted through the TAG program choose to enroll in a UC campus. TAG students come to UC prepared, with 61% graduating in two years. UC’s TAG Matrix provides information about the GPA, major preparation, and other criteria required by each campus.
The University of California (UCs) plans to drop the SAT and the ACT, and create a new test for high school juniors and seniors. Over the years, UCs have complained about the validity of the SAT/ACT and the SAT II.
For 2021 and 2022, the UCs will not require the SAT or ACT. For students who do want to submit them, they don’t have to submit the writing test.
For 2023 and 2024, the UCs will be test blind for California applicants, which means that the SAT/ACT scores will NOT be used in admissions decisions. The SAT/ACT scores may be used for scholarship consideration and for the guaranteed admissions for the top 1/8 of California high schools. Out of state applicants could use their SAT/ACT scores.
For 2025, all California students will use the new UC test instead of the SAT or ACT. Out of state or international students will have the option to use the new UC test or the existing SAT/ACT. If for some reason the new UC test is not ready by 2025, students will not be required to submit either the SAT or the ACT – the UC will go fully test blind and eliminate standardized tests in their admissions decisions.
It’s not clear whether or not the California State Universities (CSUs) will follow suit. My bet is that they will follow the same standards as the UCs; their policies have usually aligned in the past.
The new test will be based on simulations and real performance to reveal more about the student’s reasoning potential, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. They’re hoping that this new test will assess these factors because these are important in determining college and career success. According to the UCs:
“While we acknowledge that this recommendation is multi-faceted, the university would be remiss not to offer students flexibility beyond one admissions cycle. During this period, UC will learn what it can about how its own policies can advance (or limit) student achievement, access, school choice behaviors and educational outcomes,” the plan said. “The university can also exercise its leadership in making available to students a properly designed and administered test that adds value to admissions decisions, enhances equity and access for more students, has a positive impact on student preparation, and does so in a manner that reduces the social and monetary burdens associated with the currently required ACT/SAT tests.”
I have never considered either the ACT or the SAT to be a good test to determine whether or not a student will be successful in college or career. The only reason I like the SAT and ACT is that all students, around the world, take the exact same test on the same day. Up until now, it’s the only factor that is fair amongst all of the college-bound students. GPAs vary by school and recommendations vary by teacher. Looking forward to seeing this new UC test. If it is a success, it may become the new SAT/ACT.
UNCERTAINTY. That is the best way to describe the world of our current high school graduates and their prospects for their fall freshman experience. Normally at this time of year, I give updates on placement tests, colleges still accepting applications, orientation, and choosing fall classes, but this year colleges are reticent in making announcements. That said, I do have some information that may offer hope:
1. UC Merced, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz will be accepting 2021 Winter Quarter/2021 Spring Semester transfer applications between July 1-31, 2020.
2. UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is open now until May 31, 2020 for UC Merced and UC Riverside.
3. UC Merced and UC Riverside have extended their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to May 15, 2020.
4. UCs still expect to receive official transcripts by July 1, 2020.
5. UCs expect AP and IB scores by July 15, 2020.
6. UCs may create their own tests and they’re most likely going to do away with the SAT and ACT by 2024 .
7. CSUs have suspended SAT and ACT requirements for upcoming admissions cycles.
8. AP Tests are taking place online so students will receive their scores (1-5) that they can give to colleges with their applications. The tests are just 45 minutes and don’t cover all of the material they normally do because teachers weren’t able to complete their lectures during the SIP orders.
9. CSUs will offer online classes only this fall; UCs have not announced their decisions but they’re leaning towards online only.
Worried about your UC applications? You’re not alone! There’s a lot of confusion with UC admissions, so I’ll clarify what is going on here. These are just temporary measures to help students who are dealing with closed high schools and cancelled SAT/ACT test dates.
1. Letter grades are NOT required for UC A-G courses for spring and summer 2020. So if your school has opted to offer only pass/fail marks, instead of grades, you’re still eligible.
2. UCs will calculate your GPA based on the grades you received in 10th and 11th grade (and the summers after 9th, 10th, and 11th grades).
3. SATs and ACTs will NOT be required for students applying during the 2020-2021 school year. This is only for this group of applicants (students graduating in 2021).
4. May 1st is still the deadline to accept offers to attend a UC this fall 2020.
5. If you need an extension for your final transcript (graduation 2020), UCs will be flexible. The deadline remains July 1st, but no student’s admissions offer will be rescinded for missing this deadline.
6. UCs will continue to give credit for students who have AP scores of 3, 4, or 5.
7. If your family is suddenly in a difficult financial situation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, contact your financial aid officers to discuss options.