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UC Freshman Application Timeline

August

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August & September

August

UC Online Application Becomes Available

The UC Application becomes available on August 1. I recommend that you start on the application as soon as possible, so you can fill in the general information and look at what other data you need to gather to complete the application. Make sure you use a respectable sounding email address. Email addresses like “foxylady47” or “deathmetaldude” do not reflect well on you. Whatever email account you use, check it on the regular basis and make sure you have an adequately complex password to prevent your account from being hacked (and thereby losing access). UCs use email as the primary method of communication, so questions about your application, invitations to apply for housing, and other types of notification will come through email.

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UC Personal Insight Questions

The UC Personal Insight Questions are meant to help you align your responses to the UC comprehensive review criteria. Although the questions are meant to be broad and flexible, I found that many students quickly develop tunnel vision when looking at the questions. Instead of focusing on highlighting their achievements, students try to find whatever examples they can think of to fit the specific topic of the questions (such as leadership or creativity). This is not the intention of the questions! Instead, start with the big picture. Comb through your achievements (focus on events and experiences that occurred during your high school time frame; that is the time period the UCs are most interested in learning about) and determine the pivotal accomplishments of your high school career.

Once you know the defining moments of your recent experiences (essentially the last three years), develop a coherent story for each of your greatest achievements that, together, will give a total stranger a snapshot of who you are. Imagine this as putting together a scrapbook to show off your high school career to a college admission officer (except this scrapbook is full of written words); what experiences or moments do you want to highlight? I also want to remind you that achievements and accomplishments are not just about winning. Sometimes learning from an epic failure or overcoming an extraordinary challenge can be just as crucial as a moment of triumph. Articulate how your motivation, accomplishments, and future aspirations are inspired or shaped by each of your achievements, and this will form a story palette that you can use for every college application. Find ways to adapt different parts of your story palette to the questions to ensure the essence of YOU comes through loud and clear.

Keep in mind that how application readers look at your answers is something akin to an information-gathering expedition (NOT a philosophical pondering or a form of entertainment). Treat these questions as interview questions and answer them as such. Anything you would not do during a regular interview, like bursting into song, reciting a poem, quoting Martin Luther King Jr., or acting out a dialogue, you should not do when answering these questions.

Remember that you must take advantage of EVERY section of the UC Application to convey your stories. The list of extracurricular activities, answers to the Personal Insight Questions, and any additional information, should all support your stories. In fact, I would recommend that you complete the various sections of your UC Application first before starting on the Personal Insight Questions, since the responses you write should supplement and clarify the information already contained in the various sections of the UC Application.

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October

UC Online Application Filing Period Opens

You can begin submitting your completed online application starting October 1. The deadline is at the end of the day (before midnight) on November 30. There is no advantage to submitting your application at the beginning of the application cycle as all applications are thoroughly reviewed before the admission decisions are made. While there is no disadvantage to submitting your application close to the deadline, the server may become slow or time out periodically due to the high volume of users trying to access the online application; the last few days of November can be especially bad. Therefore, I suggest trying to complete and submit your application before the end of October.

You only need to complete one online application for all UC campuses; simply check off the campuses you wish to apply to in the application. Each UC campus makes its own admission decisions and the campuses do not “compare notes,” so you don’t have to worry about one campus not accepting you because you applied to others. The application fee is $80 per campus ($95 for international applicants).

It is extremely important for you to accurately complete the Academic History section. Be sure to have your transcripts in front of you when you fill out this section. Errors and omissions in this section can affect your acceptance when your official, final transcripts are evaluated. Any gaps in education should be explained in detail. Vague or missing explanations can prompt an inquiry from the UCs.

The Activities & Awards section has six categories: Award/Honor, Educational Preparation Programs, Extracurricular Activity, Other Coursework, Volunteering/Community Service, and Work Experience. You are limited to 20 entries total. Make sure you include your most IMPORTANT activities. Any activities you discuss in your responses to the Personal Insight Questions should be listed in this section. Inconsistency between activities listed in this section and your responses to the Personal Insight Questions may raise red flags.

The UC Application will not submit if you exceed the word limit for any of the Personal Insight Questions. Remember, contractions are your friend; while your responses should be well written and presentable, you do not need to use a formal writing style.

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UC Application Fee Waiver

You apply for the UC Application fee waiver at the end of the application before you pay, and the system uses the information you enter to determine whether you qualify for a fee waiver on the spot. The fee waiver allows you to apply to four UC campuses for free. Additional campuses are $80 each.

Fee waiver determination is based on income information from the prior year. If you did not qualify for a fee waiver but your family’s income has changed due to job loss or other extenuating circumstances, choose “Pay by check (mail)” as the payment option and contact the UC Application Center to appeal the fee waiver decision.

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Additional Comments Section

The Additional Comments section is not an opportunity for you to continue your response to a Personal Insight Question or write a response to an extra question. You should ONLY use this section if you have something you need to tell the admissions office that you didn’t mention anywhere else on the application. Typically, this includes things like other names you have used (that may be on official records you need to submit), citizenship/visa issues, or anything that does not appear anywhere else on the application. I recommend using the Additional Comments section to describe the following if they are not already mentioned elsewhere in the application:


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November

UC Online Application Filing Deadline

The deadline for the UC Application is 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on November 30. Before you submit the UC Application, go over it thoroughly by clicking on the “Print version” button on the “Review & submit” page to see the entire application. Ask a parent, a guardian, your counselor, or a teacher to look through everything to catch errors you may have missed. Keep in mind that you cannot initiate the submission process until status indicators for all sections are showing “completed” (a check mark instead of “To do”).

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December

Making Corrections to Your UC Application

You submit your application right before the deadline and, as you review your receipt, you realize there were some mistakes. Panic sets in and you are not sure what to do. Well, don’t freak out.

You may update your personal information or apply to an additional UC campus by logging back into the UC Application.

There are a few things, such as family size/income or other background information, that you can change by contacting the UC Application Center.

For corrections to the “Academic history,” “Activities & awards,” and the “Personal insight” sections, some UCs allow you to submit corrections AFTER you have set up an applicant account with each UC campus (search the applicant FAQ or the “Help” section within your applicant portal to find out if corrections are required/permitted).

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Set Up Your UC Campus Applicant Accounts

Each confirmation email you receive from a UC campus should include information on how to sign up for an “applicant account” with the campus, which will allow you to update your contact information, send communications to the admissions office, and check your admission decision. You MAY be required to submit corrections through the applicant account at each UC campus (search the applicant FAQ or the “Help” section within your applicant portal to find out if corrections are required/permitted). Some applicant accounts are easier to set up and navigate than others, so sign up as soon as you receive instructions to familiarize yourself with the account features.

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January

UC Application Verification

The UC system conducts verification on a small pool of randomly selected applicants and each UC campus may also conduct its own random and/or targeted verification (if anything on the application raised serious questions). If you receive a verification request, respond promptly; not responding will void your UC Application. If you are caught lying on your application, the UCs will ban you from all admission consideration present or future (yes, I do mean you will be banned for life from all UC campuses).

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UC LOR/Questionnaire

Berkeley, Davis, UCLA, and San Diego employ an augmented review process for a selected pool of applicants. Berkeley requests optional recommendation letters from applicants who have mentioned special talents (including athletics), learning differences, or those applicants who may be considered borderline. Davis may issue supplemental questionnaires to applicants who have mentioned special talents (including athletics), learning differences, or those applicants who may be considered borderline. UCLA and San Diego generally issue a short supplemental questionnaire only to applicants who may be considered borderline. If you receive a request for recommendation letter submission from Berkeley or to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire from Davis, UCLA, or San Diego between December and February, it means you are selected for the augmented review. Respond to the request promptly and thoroughly; how you answer these questions can strongly influence whether or not you get into that particular UC. Please visit LOR/Questionnaire for available services.

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February

Report Changes to the UCs

If you added or dropped A-G or AP courses, or received any D or F grades in A-G or AP courses, you need to submit corrections AFTER you have set up an applicant account with each UC campus by contacting the admissions office through the account.

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March

UC Decisions Become Available

Each UC campus will release admission decisions through its own portal and on different dates throughout March (some UCs may release small batches of decisions earlier than March). Guesstimated and confirmed decision release dates are below.

If you want to try your hand at guesstimating the decision release dates, you can dig through online forums (e.g., College Confidential and Reddit) for past decision dates or, if you prefer to have the information handed to you on a platter, you can get the decision release date of every UC campus for the past 10 years I have compiled for just $18 here (remain on the payment page after you pay and you will be redirected to the PDF – please note, purchase of a digital product is NONREFUNDABLE).


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UC Waitlist Information

Each UC campus handles the waitlist opt-in process a little differently. Most UCs will have an opt-in deadline of April 15, but some campuses may have an earlier or later deadline; review the campus waitlist information and/or FAQ to verify.

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Waitlist Statement Writing Guidelines

Most UC campuses will not release waitlist decisions until well after the May 1 SIR deadline, so be sure to follow through with a backup plan in case the waitlist decision does not work out in your favor. There is no penalty for you to withdraw the SIR if you are accepted from the waitlist somewhere else (except losing the $250 deposit).

For the campuses that have optional or required waitlist statements, be sure to explain why the campus is right for you. For example, what unique opportunities will the campus offer you that you cannot get anywhere else? How do you intend to take advantage of those opportunities?

You should also reinforce why you are the right student for that campus. For example, what experiences, knowledge, skills, characteristics, and/or personality traits do you bring to the campus? How will you contribute to the student body and/or the campus community?

Need guidance on what to emphasize in your waitlist statement? Consider my Waitlist Statement Service.

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UC Provisional Admission Contract/Conditions of Admission

Remember that the UC admission offer is provisional and you must meet ALL requirements specified in your Provisional Admission Contract or Conditions of Admission to remain eligible for admission. The UC campus may cancel your offer of admission for any violation of the contract or conditions.

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Deferring Your UC Acceptance

The UCs do not defer acceptance for freshman applicants. Extenuating circumstances are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Contact the campus to find out how to file a request for deferment.

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April

Visiting UC Campuses

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UC Appeal Process

Most UC campuses will not have an answer for your appeal until well after the May 1 SIR deadline, so be sure to follow through with a backup plan in case the appeal does not work out in your favor. There is no penalty for you to withdraw the SIR if you are accepted on appeal somewhere else (except losing the $250 deposit).

Each UC campus offers a set of instructions on how to submit an appeal. You MUST follow the instructions to ensure proper and expedited processing of your appeal submission. Failure to comply with the instructions may result in dismissal of your appeal. Many UCs have an appeal deadline of April 15, but some campuses may have an earlier or later deadline; review the campus appeal instructions and/or FAQ to verify.

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Appeal Writing Guidelines

I want to emphasize that the UCs have become heavily reliant on the waitlist to meet enrollment targets, and therefore, appeals are likely to receive more scrutiny. Students without significant new and compelling information that was not previously available to the admissions office (i.e., not disclosed on the UC Application) may have a harder time being reconsidered (although the admissions office does review every appeal it receives). I do want to point out that whether a particular piece of information is “compelling” is entirely subjective and, ultimately, can only be decided by the admissions office.

For your appeal to have merit, you must prove that you are a much stronger applicant than what was presented in your original UC Application. Keep in mind that when the UCs ask for “new and compelling information,” they are asking for information not previously available to the admissions office (not necessarily information that is recent; in fact, most UCs have stated that recent developments are generally not considered “new and compelling information”).

Your need to stay in a particular geographical area, in itself, does not constitute grounds for an appeal. Any hardship in relocating must be accompanied by other new and compelling information for your appeal to have merit. Similarly, changing your major, in itself, is not sufficient grounds for an appeal; additional new and compelling information must be present for your appeal to have merit.

Examples of new and compelling information may include extraordinary hardship or exceptional talent. You can discuss these things on your appeal as reasons for the UCs to reconsider you. Make sure you describe exactly how the exceptional talent qualifies you for UC admissions or how the hardship prevented you from achieving academically. The objective of your appeal should be why you are an excellent candidate for the UCs and how you expect to excel in college (and what resources at the UCs you intend to utilize in order to succeed). Avoid badmouthing anyone or any institutions (high school, other colleges, etc.) and do NOT brag about the other colleges that have made admission offers (this is not a competition). Be concise and don’t exaggerate or try to be dramatic. Follow through with a backup plan in case the decision is not reversed.

You may download an appeal template to help you structure your appeal letter. Need guidance on what to emphasize in your appeal? Consider my Appeal Service.
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May

UC Statement of Intent to Register

You must decide by May 1 which UC campus you wish to attend. Because of budget constraints, most UCs will not accept late SIRs. Submission of multiple SIRs is not tolerated and may affect your acceptance across the UC system. Make sure you visit the campuses and consult your family to reach a decision before the deadline.

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UC Analytical Writing Placement Exam

All incoming UC freshmen must satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). Depending on your UC campus, you may be required to take and pass the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE), administered in May, to meet that requirement. Check the Entry Level Writing Requirement page for additional information, including campus-specific instructions and exam details.

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June

Report Changes to Your UC Campus

The UCs like to be kept abreast of what is going on with your academic performance. You should always report any changes to your schedule or if you are performing poorly in school. Reporting early allows the UC campus time to evaluate the new information and to work out something with you if necessary. This is much better than getting your acceptance revoked in August when the UC sees your final transcript.

If you changed your schedule or performed poorly in school because of extenuating circumstances (family crisis, medical emergency, death in the family, etc.), make sure you explain the situation to the UCs and indicate how you will make-up for the missing courses or your poor performance.

To submit changes or notify UCs of poor performance, contact the admissions office through your applicant or student account. If you are uncertain of how to proceed, politely ask one of the overworked admissions staff to help you figure out what to do:

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July

Official Transcripts/Score Reports Due at Your UC Campus

Final official transcripts from all high schools and/or community colleges you have attended are due at your UC campus on July 1. All other documents and exam scores (such as official AP/IB exam scores) are due at your UC campus on July 15. Put in the requests early and check online to make sure the UC campus received your transcripts/scores. Most UCs are flexible if you are a little late as the process of verifying the transcripts against the application of accepted students can take a while. But this also means that the UC may raise questions about your academic record right before school starts. If there is any discrepancy between your application and your transcript, I recommend that you report the change to the UC before final official transcripts are sent.

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August & September

Starting at Your UC Campus

Follow the advice below to ensure you have a smooth transition:

Take the minimum number of required units (usually around 12 or 13 units) your first semester or quarter; UC courses will likely go at a faster pace than high school (this is true for most 4-year colleges), so give yourself some time to acclimate.

Take the time to get to know your roommate/floormate/suitemate and make friends with people in your classes; having a good social network is an important part of your college experience. Explore the different extracurricular activities available to you on and off campus to gain new experiences and expand your network.

Show up at your professors’ office hours to talk to them. Find out about what kind of research they are doing or ask questions about the course materials. If you can’t think of anything to say, stick to simple inquiries like: 1) recommendations for other reading materials that will help you in your courses (be prepared to actually read whatever the professors recommend so you can have thoughtful discussions of the materials with them the next time you go to office hours) and 2) how to prepare for the midterm or final. Once the professors put your face to your name, you will likely do better in the courses (brownie points for showing up to talk to them during office hours).
 
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