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The University of
California's admissions process has been in the news a lot
lately. Several proposals that would change the way UC admits
its students are being considered, and you may have heard
about some of them.
We developed this
guide to keep students, parents, counselors and teachers informed
of what is changing - and what isn't - in the UC admissions
process.
What
stays the same for 2002
Eligibility criteria:
UC requires students to complete a specified number of academic
courses in high school, called the "a-f/g" subjects.
The university then uses a numerical index, consisting of
standardized test scores and grades in these UC-required courses,
to determine a student's "eligibility" for the UC
system. Eligibility guarantees a student admission to at least
one UC campus, though not necessarily his or her campus of
choice. The university uses this eligibility model to ensure
that we offer access to the top 12.5 percent of California
high school graduates, as designated in the state Master Plan
for Higher Education. The coursework required, the index and
related information about eligibility are available on the
web at: http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/infoctr/introuc/fresh.html
Eligibility in
the Local Context program: The fall 2002 admission cycle
is the second in which UC will be offering an additional route
to achieving UC eligibility, beyond the statewide eligibility
criteria mentioned above. The Eligibility in the Local Context
program grants UC eligibility to the top 4 percent of students
in each California high school, based on their grades in UC-required
courses. UC makes this determination based on the evaluation
of student transcripts forwarded to UC by individual high
schools. Details about the program are available at: http://www.ucop.edu/sas/elc/
 Audio
file - President Atkinson on ELC
Admissions by campuses:
Students fill out one UC application during the month of November
but use it to apply to as many UC campuses as they wish. Each
campus selects its own freshman class by the following April
1, and students may be admitted to more than one campus. Most
campuses have admission criteria that are more stringent than
the criteria for minimum UC eligibility, though the specifics
vary by campus. Details are available on the Web at: http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/infoctr/introuc/select.html
Consideration of
race and gender: Under Proposition 209, race and gender
cannot be considered in the UC admissions process. This remains
the case despite a recent action by the UC Board of Regents
rescinding SP-1, a similar university policy that preceded
Proposition 209. The university continues to seek out a student
body each year that demonstrates high academic achievement
and that encompasses the broad diversity of backgrounds characteristic
of California. For more, see: http://www.ucop.edu/news/access/welcome.html
Audio
file - President Atkinson on diversity
What is changing for fall
2002
Comprehensive review: The
UC Board of Regents has approved a modified campus selection
process for freshman applicants, beginning with the class
applying for fall 2002 entrance, that will lead to a more
thorough and complete review of the qualifications a student
presents when applying to one of UC's undergraduate campuses.
Called "comprehensive review," the modified approach
replaces the previous "two-tiered" process in which
each campus was required to admit 50-75 percent of its freshman
class solely on the basis of certain academic factors. Despite
the change, however, students applying to UC for fall 2002
do not need to approach the application process any differently.
Details are available at: http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2001/nov15art1.htm
Audio
file - President Atkinson on comprehensive review
Audio
file - Regent Lansing on comprehensive review
What
future changes are possible
Dual Admissions
program: The UC faculty and Board of Regents have approved
a new program first proposed by UC President Richard C. Atkinson
to expand upon the Eligibility in the Local Context program.
Under the new "Dual Admissions" program, the top
4 percent to 12.5 percent of students in each California high
school will be granted admission to UC, provided they first
complete a transfer program at a community college. This
policy will take effect as soon as funding for the program
is secured. For more information on the new policy, go
to: http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2001/july19art2.htm
Audio
file - President Atkinson on dual admissions
Revised use of
standardized tests: The University of California faculty’s
Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) has
issued a proposal [http://www.ucop.edu/news/sat/boars.html]
for the use of tests in UC freshman admissions. The proposal
will be reviewed by faculty systemwide during the spring of
2002 and, if endorsed by the faculty, will be submitted to
the UC Board of Regents for approval. For now, all students
considering applying to UC should continue to take the full
battery of standardized tests required for UC eligibility
and admission, however. For now, all students considering
applying to UC should continue to take the full battery of
standardized tests required for UC eligibility and admission,
however. Current test requirements are at: http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/infoctr/introuc/fresh.html#exam
Audio
file - President Atkinson on the SAT
Other
useful links
For more information
on applying to the University of California, please see these
sites.
Pathways, the online
UC application center:
http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/
$&SENSE@UC, a
guide to an affordable UC education:
http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/finaid/
Answers for Transfers,
a guide to navigating the transfer process:
http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/infoctr/at/
California Notes, a publication for counselors
and teachers:
http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/calnotes/
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