UC Application Verification
Sounds like the UC Application verification (audit) requests went out yesterday (12/27/2021). Typically all of the requests go out on the same day, so dig around the email account you used for the UC Application now (double check your spam folder and other locations, such as the Promotions tab for Gmail). This year, the UCs will be notifying applicants using multiple methods (email and postal mail, plus text message if the applicant opted in on the application) to ensure receipt of the request.
Below is the official information regarding the application verification (audit) from the UC Counselors and Advisers Bulletin – November 2021:
UC Application Verification
As in previous years, UC selects a random sampling of applicants who are required to verify information in their application. The selection and notification takes place in late December. Applicants are notified by postal mail, email and text message that they have been selected for verification along with instructions on how to meet the requirements. Applicants are asked to provide original documentation to verify one item from the following sections on the UC Application: academic history, honors and awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and community service, special program participation, employment or information contained in the personal insight responses.
The instructions sent to the selected applicants details how to complete the process as well as a list of appropriate documentation. Appropriate documentation could include official transcripts, a letter from a teacher, counselor or coach on letterhead, or a copy of a certificate or award. Letters from a counselor, teacher or a coach can be emailed to the UC Application Center directly from the counselor, teacher or coach. The deadline to respond is January 31, 2022. Failure to respond to the request by the deadline will result in cancellation of the application.
According to one source from 2010 (includes description of the verification process), verification requests go out to approximately 1% of the applicant pool (randomly selected freshman and transfer applicants).
If you receive a request, respond before the stated deadline; not responding will cause your UC Application to be canceled with no refund. Carefully review the instructions for examples of acceptable verification documents. If you are unable to provide proof for the selected item, reply to the request with a clear explanation of the reason(s). If the explanation is deemed acceptable, the UCs will choose a different item to verify.
The verification process does NOT delay review of your UC Application. Your application is being reviewed separately by each UC campus. The verification results are checked before admission decisions are released.
Remember that this is a data verification request; anything that can definitively prove your participation will do (within the parameters of the instructions). There’s no need to go out of your way to get glowing recommendation letters since the people reviewing the verification forms do NOT make admission decisions.
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16 Comments
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What email addressnis the audit sent from? Also is it viewable on our UC application portal?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen the actual audit form so I don’t recall the sender, but it should be be prominently marked as from the UCs (UCOP, UC Application Center, etc.). The audit process is separate and is not (or, at least in the past, it was not) indicated within the UC Application. If you had opted in to receive text messages when you submitted the UC Application, you should also receive a text message notifying you of the audit. The UCs have said they will send the request by postal mail as well. Generally the auditors will follow up with you by email several times throughout January if they don’t hear from you.
Dear Ms. Sun,
My daughter received a verification request from UC . Her art work was chosen for the cover of an art magazine. She has a screen shot of the original email from the editor sent in August congratulating her and giving her the right to refuse before they go to print. She also has a screen shot of the Magazine cover from their website that allows you to digitally “flip” the page. She also has a screen shot of the inside cover that credits her by name for the cover art. Can she just upload that in her portal? Will that suffice or should she reach out to the editor and request that they send a letter to UC? Should she send in an original copy of the magazine? Should she do all of the above?
Thank you so very much for your consideration! Pam
The digital proof sounds sufficient. I would just recommend including the link to the digital copy of the magazine if it’s publicly available.
Thank you so very much!!!
I’m happy to help!
Dear Ms. Sun,
My son is transferring from a California community college this year and I wonder if he will receive audit email from different UC campus respectively and by choice before the admission decision comes out. He told me that he knew someone from last year’s application pool who received audit email after December. No audit email has been sent yet but I am not sure whether we should still constantly monitoring his email in case of a sudden request for UC application verification from one or even more UCs.
This year the UCs have said that they will notify applicants of verification (audit) request by postal mail, email, and text message (if opted-in). Based on what I heard, the requests should have gone out on December 27, 2021. However, you need to continue monitoring the email between now and August because, besides the audit request, UCs often request documents or unofficial transcripts from transfer applicants.
Is it likely that the documents asked from UCs are audits of the activities applicants listed in the UC application or it can be anything in the UC application? And if my son is asked by one of the UCs, how long can he be prepared for the proofs from your previous experience with your students?
UCs frequently ask for unofficial transcripts (screenshots from the student portal of coursework and grades will usually work), typically from applicants who have complicated educational background (for example, cross-enrollment at multiple colleges, enrollment at unaccredited institutions, enrollment at 4-year or non-domestic higher education institutions, etc.). At one point, an UC transfer admission officer said that close to half of the transfer applicants are asked to submit some type of documentation. The request generally has no deadline, but the sooner the student submits the information, the sooner application review will occur (supposedly, after a week of no response, the application falls to the bottom of the pile).
These requests (including the audit) are clerical in nature and there is no need for a grand show (obtaining recommendation letters, etc.), so I’m not sure what you mean by “preparation.” The audit is a little annoying because you may need to find a supervising adult to write a note; but you can, quite literally, just have the person say “I verify participation of the activity below” and just include a copy of information from UC Application underneath, and that should be sufficient.
Dear Ms. Sun,
I am a high school senior applying for undergraduate admissions. I am writing to ask what the format of the verification letter for UC Admissions would have to be, and if I need to provide additional content in the email I send to UC’s email address alongside an attachment of the letter.
Thank you for your time.
I assume you are required to send the verification documents using the email address on your UC App account. I would suggest looking through the instructions you received to see if you are required to provide additional information to verify your identity (such as the UC App ID or date of birth). Besides that, something like “I have attached a letter verifying my participation in [whatever activity you were selected to verify]. Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thanks!” should work.
Dear Ms Sun,
About a month ago I received an email about verifying my application. I do not remember what I had to verify and I tried to check what I had to verify and it does not tell me. Since it does not tell me what to verify do you think I should send my official transcript and that’s it? Also do you know which email to send my transcript to?
Thank you.
According to the UCs, you should have received notification by postal mail and text message (if opted-in) as well. Look through the notification for instructions on how to contact the verification service.
Would they do this for international applicants aswell?
I’m not sure. I don’t think I have ever heard from international applicants who received such requests, but that could just be because no such students contacted me for help (kind of makes sense, a lot of international applicants work with an agency/consultant to apply to U.S. colleges).