<p>“If she wants to use the UC system as her safety, she should explicitly apply to all UCs that she prefers over UC Merced.”</p>
<p>In other words, ALL of them. (Sorry, UC Merced fans, but I can’t picture my DD1 stuck in the Central Valley. She would HATE it.) But in reality, she’d rather go somewhere else (e.g., UMass, UWash) than Riverside, Irvine, Davis, Santa Cruz, and maybe even more than San Diego or Santa Barbara. So she’ll keep another safety on her list and limit the UC app’s to the 2-4 she’s willing to attend.</p>