Actually UCs will read your essays if they’re deciding between applicants so your required one is important. The competitive ones listed above read essays by default. UCSB doesn’t read essays and UCI reads essays if they’re stuck between two applicants. I assume the rest of the UCs do the same as UCI
I haven’t heard back either. Tagged and met all the requirements and my essays were good if they even matter. Even met with a UCR transfer counselor before applying and said I was all good to go all I needed was to meet the credit requirement (which I do now.)
Admitted with Regents Scholarship
Major: Computer Science
GPA 4.0
CCC Transfer
Pre-reqs: Will be done end of Spring quarter
Waiting: UCLA (Top Choice), UCB, UCSD, UCI, UCSB, UCD, USC
Accepted: UCR, UCSC
It says that you got Regents on the home page under where it says you have been admitted. You can also look in your financial aid to see if you got any scholarships on R’Web which you can get to by clicking Documents in the portal and then the R’Web link at the top right of the page.