Hi, 10s4life! I plan on applying to UCLA Engineering for Fall 2020, and I had several questions regarding the admissions process and how it differs from the general College of Letters and Sciences.
Firstly, I have heard that GPA and SAT scores are some of the most important things considered for admission; is this still true for engineering? Does UCLA only consider STEM classes for engineering admissions or do you consider all classes?
Additionally, how important is it to have demonstrated interest through engineering-related extracurriculars? For example, if applicant #1 had a high GPA and test scores (especially in STEM) and participated in many extracurriculars and is a strong leader, but doesn’t have any engineering experience, and applicant #2 had the same GPA/test scores but participated in more engineering-related activities with less leadership experience, how would each applicant be viewed by the engineering admissions?
Finally, is it important to demonstrate a specific interest in engineering through the PIQs, or should they be used to highlight other aspects of a candidate (leadership, musical/athletic experiences, etc.)?
@RA12345 Welcome! Make sure to use the “@“ then a username if you want to tag someone. Answering your questions:
Yes gpa and test scores are the most important part of the app. All A-G classes are considered.
Students don’t need demonstrated interest in stem since not everyone knows they want Engineering it has access to them. They look for people who are passionate about whatever they choose to do.
@RA12345: Here is more insight into what UCLA looks at in your application review.
* LOS ANGELES
Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores
Important: Character/personal qualities, Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability, Volunteer work, Work experience
Considered: First generation college student, Geographical residence, AP/IBHL exam scores
Note: GPA, test scores, course work, number of and performance in honors and AP courses most important. Essay considered. Strong senior program important. Extracurricular activities, honors and awards also reviewed.
For the College of Letters and Science, the applicant's major is not considered during the review process. The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science admits students by declared major, with more emphasis on science and math programs. The School of Nursing also places more emphasis on science and math programs and requires the submission of an additional supplemental application. The School of the Arts and Architecture; Herb Alpert School of Music; and the School of Theater, Film and Television admit students by declared major (within the school), and put more emphasis on special talents through a review of portfolios and/or auditions, which are the most significant admission factors for these schools.
@10s4life Thank you so much for the information!
And thanks @Gumbymom, I had seen that information previously and was more curious about how the engineering process differs from this general process, but I appreciate the help anyhow
Hey @10s4life, I want to know if the application of a 1370 SAT scorer would straight away be rejected?
Also, what is the criteria/how to go about scholarships for international students (if there are any)?
@10s4life – Hi! If you gain acceptance to L&S, how hard is it to later transfer to the school of engineering, and what is the process for doing so? Most interested in comp sci. Thank you and Go Bruins!
@tigerbeat Without being long winded it’s pretty much a 0 percent chance you’ll be able to switch from L&S to CS. If you want Engineering you *really need to apply to engineering the first time around. And if you really want CS then you *must apply to CS directly. It’s that hard to switch due to lack of space. UCLA doesn’t have extra space for people switching in. They fill engineering spots from initial admissions.
@10s4life just saw above that if one is applying to L&S, the choice of major is not considered. That said, would there be any positive impact in saying one is interested in a double major in say Spanish and Neuroscience given that Neuroscience is a highly competitive program? Thanks much!
@sunnnyca Neuroscience is competitive once you’re a student. Because everyone coming in is undeclared in L&S. You’re a pre major. Major isn’t considered for admissions for L&S. Talking about double majoring won’t do anything.
@10s4life how does UCLA look at cases where students have faced serious struggles that have affected their grades? What would you suggest to an applicant who has an upward grade trend but would still like to explain the situation they have been through?
@10s4life For 2018 Calfornia admits who enrolled at UCLA, I saw that the 75 percentile GPA was 4.0 unweighted and SAT was 1490. Would the 75 percentile scores be a little lower for the Letters & Science applicants since the overall data included engineering students whose scores tend to be higher? Would having scores around the 75 percentile numbers put an applicant in a fairly good situation (in terms of scores only)? I know last year you said to look at the 75 percentile number for admits … but just wondering about the 75 percentile number for the enrolled. Thank you.
@Heyryan227 There are only about 700 engineering students in each class has over 5500 Letters and Science so they don’t skew it that much. Really 75th percentile is just a good ball park but nothing is for certain.
@ProfessorPlum168 I was referring to “California admits who enrolled.” If you go to the link you provided and look at one table below where you were looking, you can find “Quartiles - Enrolled.” That’s where 1490 is under 75 Percentile, “California Residents.”
Hi !
I am an international student hoping to study at UCLA or UCB for computer Engineering. What chances do I have considering the following profile.
SAT 1: 1420 ( RW: 660; MATH: 760)
SAT 2 PHYISCS: 730 but not needed for UC’s
GPA: 4/4 for all 3 years of coursework (12th grade results won’t be out before application deadline)
EC:
Lead Guitarist of the school rock band performing at National Competitions for 2 years, finishing 1st and 3rd respectively. Also performed at an even that had schools from foreign countries.
Leader of the school Cricket team, the most competitive sport of my city. finished a close second from a pool of around 75 teams. Also won 3 trophies in different competitions.
Designed a motion detection rover for disaster and calamities/ security . Won the best project prize at school’s biennial science exhibition. Designing included experience with circuits and coding.
Volunteer work of over 60 hours by being part of school’s social service club and also on a personal level, providing meals for underprivileged every 6 months.
Also participated in olympiads and other national competition. Won a gold medal at National Cyber Olympiad but way back in 2013.
Learnt to code in QBasic, C++, Visual Basic, Arduino IDE. Also have my own blog talking about technology.
@Heyryan227 FWIW you have to be admitted before you can be enrolled, so what you need to be comparing against are the admit numbers and not the enroll numbers. Enroll stats should be looked at only only after you’ve been admitted. But then again I’m not sure the exact reasoning for your question, so carry on…
@ProfessorPlum168 I have my reasons why I asked that question based on what I know about the students in my area getting admitted to UCLA and what an admission officer from another prominent university told me. Anyway, no big deal you didn’t fully understand my reasoning.
