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It really depends on the context. UCSD is the best UC for certain majors, UCLA others, and UCB others, and other UCs perhaps for some other majors. Beyond the majors, there are some people who simply don’t want to go to some of the ‘higher USNWR ranked UCs’ and regardless, people can do fine at any of them if they’re so motivated. The gap in applicant stats is closing between many of the UCs - especially between UCSD, UCLA, UCB where it’s very very close.</p>
<p>and maybe i’m a little slow here, but doesn’t ‘flagship’ mean the first school (public school) established in a state–as opposed to the school(s) with the lowest admission rates???</p>
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<p>Look at the USNWR rankings for national universities: There are 6 UCs ranked in the top 41.</p>
<p>“i would think that anybody who’s seriously considering UC as an option (resident or no) would do the basic research on the system. the info is readily available.”</p>
<p>Certainly. I was purely asking for general opinions, since you had mentioned the subject.</p>
<p>Sometimes it can be hard to gauge the odds of a kid being accepted to schools, even based on stats. For example, I know someone who was accepted OOS with a 3.15 GPA to Cal Poly SLO a few years ago when their average acceptance GPA for that specific college was over 3.9. I would guess that he wouldn’t have had a chance as an in state applicant.</p>
<p>okay, busdriver. sometimes it’s hard to tell if folks are being smart-alecky on the internet. i’m still learning, and apologize if my reply was a little sour.</p>
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I don’t think so - I think it’s generally regarded as the most selective state U - which implies a higher threshold for more of its programs than the others in the state. Many states have a more distinguishable top U but in California the line gets more blurred beteen the top 3 UCs (especially) since the selectivity is so close and since there’s not one of them with the highest ranking in all majors.</p>
<p>As another example - the College of William and Mary was established long before UVA but I think UVA is generally regarded as the flagship for Va.</p>
<p>Ha, cali, I am often smart-alecky, I can’t help it. But in this case, I was curious and lazy. And in the last couple of minutes I’ve already looked up UC Davis, Santa Barbara and Irvine. Just based on statistics alone, the average SAT’s look relatively low compared to their average GPA’s. Our son’s school completely deflates GPAs, with someone graduating with a 4.0 perhaps every 5 years. And I don’t know if the state schools consider that with very tough college prep schools, they have too many applicants to spend the time. </p>
<p>I suppose if the application process isn’t too painful for the kids and they’re really interested, may as well cough up the $50 and give it a shot. It’s just, before this, as an OOS applicant it seemed like a waste of time to look at the UC’s, unless you were a superstar.</p>
<p>I didn’t find it that way. I have a 2200 SAT, didn’t apply for financial aid, and didn’t get into Cal.</p>
<p>is william and mary a public or private? forgive my ignorance.</p>
<p>More federal funds heading to Cal:
[Chancellor:</a> UC Berkeley morphing into federal university | California Watch](<a href=“[700+] California Wallpapers | Wallpapers.com”>[100+] Vermont Wallpapers | Wallpapers.com)</p>
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I can vouch for that. 
And that makes busdriver all the more endearing.</p>
<p>W&M is a public school calimamai. [The</a> College of William & Mary - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_College_of_William_%26_Mary]The”>College of William & Mary - Wikipedia)</p>
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<p>It’s a public but there might be a technicality involved since it was around a couple hundred years before it became state supported so UVA was state funded before it.</p>
<p>Wiki agrees with what you said - that the flagship is the original campus. </p>
<p>The question might have some interesting responses to see what connotation people have with the term ‘state flagship’. I think some, like me, think of it as the most selective and ‘all around best’ in the state regardless of when it was established but maybe I’m the only one who thinks of it that way. Of course, the two often go hand in hand.</p>
<p>but then, of course, we get back to that eternal question of what constitutes the ‘best’. but i do agree that the responses may be interesting. we’ll see, uc<em>uc</em>dad! lol</p>
<p>We visited UCSD a couple of weeks ago, the week they mailed decisions, and were told that the OOS acceptance rate was 9%.</p>
<p>If a CA student is applying to UC from a Highly Rated HS, in a solid middle class zip code, that student will need a 3.8-3.9 UC GPA/ MANY AP’s and min 1850-1900 SAT/27-28 ACT to even hope to get in to UCD,UCSB,UCI-forget UCB,UCSD and CAL unless recruited athlete, (Cal is technically the Flagship). The only UC’s that student can count on is UCM, UCR and MAYBE UCSC these days. So now the 4.0+ student from a top high school is getting wait listed at top CSU’s. The lower stats listed for each UC are for students from low income, low performing HS. Don’t be mislead by the stat’s = low ranked UC. Just not true anymore, those UC’s are very hard to get admission. A certain % of students from each HS are accepted, which means students are evaluated against their peers at each HS. Because of economy, and students wish to stay in CA, 6 of the UC’s are uber competitive. Only a fraction of the top HS students even think of applying back east- and than only to top 20 as a shoot the moon strategy. So, what you now have is CA students getting into Ivy and Uchicago, Georgetown, JHU, you get the idea, but not accepted into Cal/UCLA and for Bio Science, UCSD. The spill over for the good student who does not want to go to CSU, and if they can afford it, is to Boulder, Oregon(honors) ASU(honors) and AU. Maybe UW. The mass of top CA students have really not looked for mid-west or eastern schools, but that will be changing I’m sure.</p>
<p>busdriver:</p>
<p>UC places much more weight on gpa than on test scores, unlike some other schools (cough, cough 'SC). And UC does not superscore (for whatever that may be worth.) But yes, the gpa is compared in context to the HS. So a 3.8 that is top 2% will be noticed, as will a 3.8 that is top 20%.</p>
<p>cali: ‘flagship’ can be a nautical term (meanest, baddest-a ship in the fleet) or more general (flagship store, as in Bloomingdales’ in NYC). Not sure age has much to do with it. At one point in life, UCLA was actually an extension of the University of California (which was Berkeley). The SoCal school was officially known as Southern Branch, before it received its own moniker, ‘UCLA’. While personally I may consider Cal the UC system flagship, I was pilloried by the Bruins on cc when I first wrote it years ago. Now I use the term in plural. :)</p>
<p>Very True, Bruin’s get VERY touchy about the “top UC” debate. Since the vast majority of Cali kids, especially Nor Cal and central Cal kids prefer UCLA- hands down-most only apply to Cal because of prestige. These kids view UCLA as a ripping fun school, with prestige and the beach. Cal is viewed as cut throat, grinder school. Doesn’t help that this generation of kids parents still think Cal is in the 60’s-70’s mode. Not saying any of this is true, but that is how most Cali HS graduates view the “top UC’s” Poor UCSD, right there in San Diego is viewed as “dead” social life.</p>
<p>“UC places much more weight on gpa than on test scores, unlike some other schools (cough, cough 'SC).”</p>
<p>What is SC? Is that Santa Clara?</p>
<p>I haven’t found anything yet that posts the stats of the accepted OOS to the UC’s. The stats seem to be for all students. That would be curious to look at for comparison.</p>
<p>negative I was referring to the Univ. of Southern California (aka USC, or 'SC as it is known in these parts). USC gives automatic tuition discounts to NMSF’s, regardless of gpa.</p>
<p>To get the stats for OOS using statfinder, takes a little work. (You need to run the sort twice, for California residents and then for Total, and then solve for the difference.)</p>
<p>Hi Blue, What is statfinder? Is that specific to California schools?</p>
<p>I googled statfinder, it is California specific. But the most current stats they have is for 2009. I ran a few choices, saw that overall Berkeley admittance for 2009 was 21.6 (OOS only 14.27), and UCLA overall 2009 admittance was 21.9, (OOS 23.28). That is, if I did my math right, and it’s a big “if”. Probably not worth the effort for old stats, maybe something will come out more current. With the budget cuts, I’d assume the OOS is going up.</p>