It’s that time of year again as the UC application has now opened and submission starts October 1 through November 30 for this admissions cycle. I am @Gumbymom one of the two UC Forum Champions/Moderators. My Co-Forum Champion is @lkg4answers and we are knowledgeable on the increasingly complicated UC admissions process and hopefully we can help any prospective UC applicants with their questions.
UCLA like all the UC’s are test blind and will use 13 areas of criteria to review Freshman applicants. Each campus will weight the various areas of criteria differently so one size does not fit all. The UC application website has plenty of information that can help determine if UCLA is a good option when applying.
Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Personal Insight essays
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, course work, number of and performance in honors and AP courses most important. 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.
Good luck future bruins! I’m not as active as @Gumbymom and @lkg4answers but I am a double bruin myself. Feel free to tag me or shoot me a DM if you have any questions.
S24 getting close to finishing his UC application and UCLA engineering is his most desired location. Any specific tips to add to the app that will be helpful there? Also does the order of the activities matter? He has done them randomly but i feel they should be ranked by importance….
I would spend some time looking at UCLA and UCLA Engineering’s website, You Tube and social media. Look for themes and values. How do they define themselves and what do they say they are looking for in students? Look at how he describes himself and his A&A. Is he telling them that he is the type of student they are looking for?
As far as A&A, list them in order of importance to your son.
Examples: On the UCLA Admissions home page, they used to refer to themselves as “Optimists.” Now they say, “Want to make the world better? Let’s go” along with “Let’s bring about positive change.”
You’re idealistic, driven and creative. You love learning and hearing different points of view. You feel empathy for others and believe everyone deserves a fair shot. You see obstacles as a chance to grow. You are a changemaker, just like us. Together? We’re unstoppable.
Driven to create a brighter future for ourselves, our families and the world at large, we arm ourselves with knowledge and compassion. We collaborate, innovate and imagine. And we let our hearts and minds lead the way as we chart a new path forward.
Where Does the Journey Begin? With Knowledge.
Our rigorous academic curriculum and extensive research opportunities form the foundation you need to turn your dreams into action.
On the UCLA Engineering website when you click on Undergraduate Admissions, it takes you to a page on research.
At the bottom of each page is: Engineer Change. Other emphases include:
Attract and retain the world’s top researchers
Nurturing the spark of innovation from the onset
Forefront of interdisciplinary research and education through the very active efforts of our students, faculty and alumni
UCLA Samueli is a tightly knit community
Students who want to learn, create and make positive contributions to society
Offer undergraduates a chance to collaborate with their peers and make lifelong friends.
For an excellent, well-rounded educational experience, UCLA Samueli has it all.
Edit to add other descriptions on the UCLA website.
Poking around on the UCLA website, they have a FAQ section. In it they list
Q: I’m getting involved in a lot of extracurricular activities and sometimes I can’t keep up with my classes. Won’t my activities make up for any drop in my grades?
A: Of course, a strong academic performance combined with sustained, meaningful involvement in extracurricular activities is the ideal. But if it comes down to a choice between excelling in your coursework or your extracurricular activities, choose your academics.
I’m posting because this is a frequent question (for all campuses).
S1 just came home for Thanksgiving break as a Freshman Art major in the School of the Arts and Architecture. Couldn’t be happier. Some thoughts, many of which aren’t new:
My son applied to UCLA because it has one of the top art programs in the country, set in the context of a large public research university, with a strong commitment to service and social action. It was the only UC he applied to (and the only non-Common App school), and filling out the UC application and arts supplement were a pain. He almost gave up, but is now very glad he didn’t.
My son is highly gifted but highly left-brain and visual spatial, and outside the “sweet spot” where most kids are who excel at the college game (like his parents). What got him into UCLA was his art portfolio, without a doubt. It was top notch, and while he easily met the UC standards, he would not have stood out without it.
We are OOS (Maryland) and did not qualify for financial aid anywhere, so the full cost of OOS UC tuition is comparable to private colleges (though he did receive $80-100k of merit aid from some schools). We are extremely fortunate that we could let him choose without regard to cost.
Once accepted, UCLA stood out for my son for a number of factors:
The art program is on a par with that at top art schools, but is integrated into a larger university, and surrounded by the LA art and entertainment scene.
The 3 art schools combined are quite small, so he has the ideal situation of being in a small environment yet all the opportunities which a large university affords.
The optimism and energy of UCLA stood out. Bruins Day showcased that energy and enthusiasm, and the feeling of being part of a large, talented community dedicated to making the world a better place. That kind of energy, optimism and enthusiasm really set UCLA apart.
The work hard/play hard atmosphere and social opportunities help ease the transition away from home and temper the academic pressure.
So far, my son couldn’t be happier. He has an easy-going engineering roommate from SoCal, a diverse group of friends, and a terrific work-life balance. Going to school across the country, and having to learn to navigate the UC bureaucracy, have matured him tremendously. His art experience has been great, but what will really stand out will be applying his creative talents to social issues.
UCLA is an amazing place and community, and we’re fortunate that my son has a spot in it. For those finishing their applications, try to go beyond GPA, course rigor and extracurriculars and think about what you could bring to such a community in terms of your skills, passion, drive and commitment to making both your college community and world a better place.
And good luck to you all! We had no idea 12 months ago that UCLA would be “the one”. Doors open and close all the time, and there are amazing opportunities all over.
Thank God I don’t have to go through this again for another 2 years.
How long does it take to receive portal information for UCLA after submission? UC Berekely and UCSD came almost next day. It has been a week and no news from UCLA. Time to call/email?
