Admissions Academy Blog

UC Application Season

•  Posted by Sarah Ziegler on November 3rd, 2009 in Admissions
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With the arrival of November comes the one-month window during which students can apply for Fall admission to UC campuses. Coming on the heels of a challenging economic year, here are some updates and tips for freshman applicants to keep in mind:

* Budget cuts contributed to the competitiveness of UC admissions last year, and this year will be no different. At this year’s UC Counselor Conference, Sue Wilbur, director of undergraduate admissions for the entire UC system, estimated that UC’s would reduce freshman enrollment by about 2,300 students across all campuses (including Berkeley and UCLA). This translates into about a 4% drop in freshman admission offers systemwide for the Fall of 2010.

* Budget and admissions cuts will also translate to changes in admissions policies at traditionally open campuses: UC Riverside and UC Merced. In past years, freshman applicants who were UC eligible but were not admitted to a campus of their choice were automatically referred to UC Riverside and UC Merced for consideration. Both campuses emphasized that their ability to admit from this “referral pool” will be limited this year, and students shouldn’t rely on this option as a fall back. If students want UC Riverside or UC Merced as a campus option, their best chance is to apply directly to UC Riverside or UC Merced during the November filing period.

* A UC education will be more expensive this year, with the average, estimated cost of attendance at just over $26,000 per year. Because of budget cuts, fees may continue to rise, classes may be cut, faculty reduced, and library hours curtailed.

* UC’s do not support the College Board’s Score Choice program for SAT scores. It has always been UC’s policy to select a student’s best single-sitting SAT score and two highest SAT Subject Tests from different subject areas. Sending all scores to the UC’s allows them to ensure they are seeing the student’s best scores, and waiting on scores in order to exercise Score Choice delays UC processing of applications.

* One story that has circulated in the media is that because of the budget, UC’s will be looking to admit more out-of-state students, as out-of-state students pay considerably higher fees. Although some state universities have announced this intention (see more about UMass Amhert’s announcement), Sue Wilbur emphasized that for now, the UC system is not contemplating this move. UC’s mandate is to enroll the maximum number of eligible California residents first, and only then if spots remain available, offer admission to out-of-state students. Systemwide, less than 3% of total enrollment is comes from out-of-state students, which is considerably lower than other public universities. Likewise, UC’s do not have regional preferences in admission; unlike CSU’s, they draw equally throughout the state.

* Essays remain an important consideration in comprehensive review of an applicant. Students should use the first person (“I” and “me”) in their personal essays, communicate different aspects of themselves through the two different prompts, and be sure they answer all parts of the prompts. For example, UC’s first prompt for freshman applicants asks, “Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.” Students should be sure to not only describe their world, but also answer the second half of the prompt: how that environment they have identified has influenced their future plans and goals.

Prospective students and families can learn more about UC admissions through the undergraduate admissions website and through UC’s StatFinder tool, available at http://statfinder.ucop.edu/. For more news about UC campuses, including budget updates, visit the UC News Room.

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