Get your UC application ready to submit

Overview

UC Application opens October 1 at apply.universityofcalifornia.edu. Deadline is November 30. This is THE critical month for UC applications—handle it methodically to avoid mistakes. UC includes all 10 campuses (Berkeley, UCLA, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Davis, Irvine, Riverside, Merced, Santa Cruz, Fresno).

Step-by-Step UC Application

1. Create Account on October 1

• Go to apply.universityofcalifornia.edu
• Click "Create Account"
• Enter email, create password
• Verify email address
• You can now access application

2. Complete Basic Information Section

• Legal name and preferred name
• Date of birth and citizenship status
• Phone number and email
• Mailing address
• If international student: visa status, country

3. Academic History

• High school name and location
• Expected graduation date: June 2027
• Unweighted GPA (UC recalculates using own formula)
• Enter all AP/IB/honors courses taken
• Expected UC grade point average at time of application

4. Standardized Test Section

• SAT: Enter both Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math scores
• ACT: Enter composite score
• You can enter multiple test dates if you've tested more than once
• Test-optional: You can choose not to report scores

Important: UC no longer requires SAT/ACT as of 2024, but you can report if scores are competitive

5. Select UC Campuses

Choose which UC campuses to apply to (you can select 1-all 10):

• Selectivity tiers:
  • Most selective: Berkeley, UCLA
  • Highly selective: San Diego, Santa Barbara
  • Selective: Davis, Irvine
  • Moderately selective: Riverside, Merced, Santa Cruz
  • Competitive: Fresno

Strategy: Apply to 3-5 UCs with mix of reach, target, safety

6. Select Majors

Critical step: For each campus you selected, choose up to 2 majors

• Primary major
• Alternate major (helps if primary is impacted)

Important: UC has "impacted" majors (limited spots, harder to get into)

• Engineering at Berkeley/UCLA: highly impacted
• Business at Berkeley: highly impacted
• Computer Science: impacted at multiple campuses
• Liberal Arts: not impacted
• Check school website for impaction status

Strategy:

• If interested in impacted major: put as primary at reach campuses, alternate at target/safety
• If interested in non-impacted major: put as primary everywhere

7. Complete Personal Insight Questions (PIQs)

UC requires 4 out of 8 optional PIQs (350 words each):

• Already drafted these in SR-SEP-008
• Copy and paste finalized PIQs into application
• Double-check word count (exactly 350)
• Proofread carefully on-screen before submission

UC Application Checklist

• [ ] Account created by Oct 1
• [ ] Basic information complete (name, address, citizenship)
• [ ] Academic history entered (GPA, courses, graduation date)
• [ ] Test scores entered (or chosen test-optional)
• [ ] Campuses selected (3-5 recommended)
• [ ] Majors selected for each campus
• [ ] PIQ 1 pasted (350 words)
• [ ] PIQ 2 pasted (350 words)
• [ ] PIQ 3 pasted (350 words)
• [ ] PIQ 4 pasted (350 words)
• [ ] All information proofread
• [ ] Application saved (don't submit yet—review in Nov)

Submission Strategy

IMPORTANT: Application opens Oct 1, but don't rush to submit

• Applications submitted early are NOT reviewed early
• Submitting 1-2 weeks before deadline actually avoids server crashes
• UC deadline: November 30
• Submit by November 25 to allow 5-day buffer

UC Fee Information

• Application fee: $70 per campus
• Fee waivers available:
  • Low-income students: automatic fee waiver eligibility
  • Check if eligible on application
  • Fee waivers cover application fees but not enrollment deposit

Key Dates for UC

| Date | Action | |------|--------| | Oct 1 | Application opens | | Oct 15 | Create account and complete all sections | | Oct 31 | Have application 95% complete | | Nov 1-15 | Final review and proofread | | Nov 20-25 | Submit application | | Nov 30 | DEADLINE | | Early March | Admission decisions released |

Pro Tips

1. UC is formula-driven: Good essays matter less than GPA/test scores; ensure test scores are accurate
2. Major selection strategy: Put dream major at one or two campuses, safety major at others
3. Solyo College Comparison: Use to compare UC campuses by size, location, programs before selecting which to apply