<p>If you have the academic credentials to have a non-trivial chance at the likes of MIT and Stanford, the UCs should include a range of selectivity levels from probably high matches (Berkeley and UCLA) to matches to almost-safeties.</p>
<p>Be aware that UCs’ out-of-state cost is over $50,000 per year, and lower division chemistry and biology courses can be gigantic (although UCLA has tiny honors chemistry courses). But they should offer a large selection of upper division courses in your various subjects of interest, as well as plenty of research opportunities.</p>
<p>Note that out-of-state applicants often do not realize that UCs (and CSUs) have a visual and performing arts high school course requirement of a year-long course, although a semester-long college course or an AP or IB HL test score can be used in place:</p>
<p>[University</a> of California - A-G courses](<a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/a-g-requirements/index.html]University”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/a-g-requirements/index.html)</p>