I noticed that a lot of the people who get accepted to the UC’s are first generation and/or low income. I was wondering if being first generation and low income is a decent advantage to getting into the UC’s or is it just because lots of people in California are first gen and/or low income?
California has a mission of accessibility to low income and first gen students. If you look closely at the differences between UC admissions and that of many comparatively selective public and private schools, the UC practices are usually more friendly to low income and first gen students. Financial aid for in state students is better than for most public schools, and they do not use CSS Profile. A good transfer path from community college is also available.
Of course, the universities cannot do everything, since the disadvantageous situations in K-12 block many before they even think about applying to college.