<p>Everybody
</p>
<p>There is a lot of misinformation being disseminated here. Let me lend some clarification. The UC System has university-wide requirements that each campus must abide by for purposes of eligibility for freshman admission to any campus. </p>
<p>Briefly, the UC System has a two-fold process of admissions based on Eligibility and Selection. The Selection aspect is done after determining Eligibility, and each campus has its own slightly different approach toward a Comprehensive Review process in which various campuses may weight certain factors differently. Also, for certain campuses, competition for admission may be elevated for certain colleges (i.e., Engineering College at UCB) and/or for certain majors (i.e., Bioengineering at UCB). (Quick Note for UCB: Declaration or non-declaration of a major for the Colleges of Letters and Science have NO influence on your chances for admission. This is NOT true for the more selective colleges.) In the case of the more popular campuses, i.e., UCB and UCLA, selection benchmarks are elevated well beyond the minimum eligibility requirements for UC overall.</p>
<p>As far as ELIGIBILITY is concerned, it has the following components:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>SUBJECT Requirements: These are referred to as the A-G Requirements, and these represent the minimum academic preparation freshman applicants must meet to be eligible for admission to the University of California. More about this later.</p></li>
<li><p>STANDARDIZED TEST Requirements: This would include either of the SAT Reasoning Test (formerly SAT I) and two SAT Subject Tests in different areas (formerly SAT II). As of July 2006, UC has announced a new modified system that will place either of the SAT or ACT tests on equal footing for purposes of consideration for admission. All students will have their test scores converted into a "UC Score", scored on a one to 100-point scale. By and large this is a transparent mechanism that students wont have to be concerned about.</p></li>
<li><p>SCHOLARSHIP Requirement: As of July 2006, the UC System has increased minimum GPA requirements for admission into any UC campus. California applicants must have achieved a 3.0 GPA in required high school courses (A-G Requirements) up from a 2.8 GPA in previous years. As well, UC uses an Eligibility Index a combination of GPA and standardized test scores to determine if you meet this requirement.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Overall ELIGIBILITY to the UC campuses is determined based on both standardized test scores and grades in the required high school courses (A-G requirements). Eligibility as determined in the State-wide Context, Local Context, or by Examination Alone does NOT preclude the necessary requirement of meeting the SUBJECT Requirements. </p>
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<p>(SPECIFIC TO THE VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS REQUIREMENT F REQUIREMENT):</p>
<p>Because each California High School has different courses that will meet each of the A-G Course Requirements, the best way to determine whether or not a course at YOUR high school meets the UC certification is to go to the Search Course Lists for YOUR high school. At the link below, type in your H.S. name in the box and hit search. Select your high school from the list. Scroll down the list of your high schools approved Course List (be certain to click on the appropriate school year) and check to see what courses are approved for the F Requirement:</p>
<p> <a href="https://pathways.ucop.edu/doorways/list/%5B/url%5D">https://pathways.ucop.edu/doorways/list/</a></p>
<p>To get an A-G Guide, including FAQs for the A-G Requirements, go to the following link:</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/faq.html#C1%5B/url%5D">http://www.ucop.edu/a-gGuide/ag/faq.html#C1</a></p>
<p>(Following is a clip from the VPA questions/answers from the above site. Again, do a Search Course Lists for YOUR high school to get definitive information relevant to you.)</p>
<p>VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS (VPA) </p>
<p>Q: Our school submitted several VPA courses. Why were some approved and others not? </p>
<p>A: Usually, the reasons for denial are due to the fact that the course description does not deliberately address all five component strands of the state VPA standards reported in the guidelines. To review the VPA standards, go to this CDE URL: <a href="http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp</a></p>
<p>Q: To meet the year-long VPA course requirement, is it acceptable for a student to take the first semester of a year-long course one year and the second semester another year? </p>
<p>A: Yes. Students must be exposed to one year of VPA course content in the same arts discipline (i.e., drama, dance, music, visual arts) regardless of when the first and second semesters are taken. </p>
<p>Q: What will happen to semester-long VPA courses in 2006 when UC requires year-long courses? </p>
<p>A: For 2006 semester-long courses can still be used to satisfy the VPA requirement, but by 2007 all courses must be year-long. If not, they will be removed from the list unless they are upper level VPA courses that qualify under the elective area.</p>
<p>Q: If we currently offer one semester each of Drama 1 and Drama 2, and both are already UC-approved, can the two courses simply be combined to meet the year long requirement in 2006? </p>
<p>A: Yes, if both semester courses have been approved and are sequential, then the school can simply submit a request to UC (during the regualr course list update period) that they be combined into a single yearlong course on the course list. Please clearly list the new title. The January 2004 enhancement of the a-g Online Update web site includes a simple vehicle for combining two approved VPA courses. </p>
<p>Q: Can students take Visual & Performing Arts courses offered at the community college or another university in order to meet the new VPA requirement? </p>
<p>A: Yes. According to a July 2002 policy clarification, students can take any UC-transferable 3-semester unit (or 4-quarter unit) community college or university level VPA course to meet the VPA eligibility requirement, as long as it clearly falls within one of the four disciplines of VPA (music, dance, theatre, visual arts). Students, counselors, and others can go to <a href="http://www.assist.org%5B/url%5D">http://www.assist.org</a> to find out which courses are transferable.</p>
<p>Q: Can speech, debate, journalism, and creative writing courses be used to meet the VPA requirement? </p>
<p>A: As a general rule, no. These courses are often acceptable as English elective courses in the "g" area, but generally do not adequately address the five strands of the state VPA framework. </p>
<p>Q: Can community-based, private study in the arts meet the VPA requirement? </p>
<p>A: No. However, at the discretion of the teacher and school/district policy, private study of the arts may be used as an appropriate prerequisite for placement in advanced or honors courses in the arts. </p>
<p>Q: Can VPA courses be granted honors status? </p>
<p>A: Yes, an honors policy for VPA was approved by the BOARS committee in July 2002. The policy defines the criteria for certain, advanced level VPA courses to be accepted for UC honors status. Acceptable honors courses include AP, IB, and college courses, as well as other honors courses that meet both the general and discipline-specific criteria.</p>