Freshman Selection Criteria

The University makes every effort to find a place on one of its campuses for all California residents who meet the eligibility requirements and apply on time. In recent years, however, the number of applicants to many campuses and majors has greatly exceeded the number of spaces available. When a campus has to choose among qualified students, it applies standards that are more demanding than the minimum requirements. Using a process called comprehensive review, admissions officers look beyond the required test scores and grades to evaluate applicants' academic achievements in light of the opportunities available to them and the capacity each student demonstrates to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus.

Factors Considered in Selection

To guide the campuses in their comprehensive review of applicants, UC faculty developed a set of selection factors, which are provided here. All campuses place the highest importance on academic achievement in evaluating applications. However, the specific evaluation process and weight given to each factor differs from campus to campus and year to year.

The level of performance needed to gain admission to particular campuses and programs varies from year to year depending on the size and academic qualifications of the applicant pool and the number of available spaces.

The following are direct links to the selection criteria for each campus: