The UC Application is Open! Now What?

The fall 2014 University of California application for freshman admission and scholarships is open as of October 1!

The filing period for the UC Application is November 1-30. While you can create your UC application account and start filling out the information requested immediately, be sure to take the time to put together the best application possible, which includes writing strong personal statements that discuss your hopes, ambitions, life experiences, and passions.

You don't need to complete the entire application at once; you'll be able to save your work and come back to it at later. It also doesn't matter if the application is submitted earlier or later in the filing period. All applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed in the same way.

Here are a few tips for completing the UC application:

1. Use an email address that you will check regularly. Better yet, create a new email account to use for your college applications. If your parents are taking an active role in your college application process, consider creating a shared email address so both you and your parents will receive updates. Colleges email applicants to request or clarify information, and they often need a quick response.
2. Write down your UC application password to avoid the hassle of having to keep resetting your password.
3. Gather the following information and documents to complete the application:
4. • Information about yourself, including your social security number and California Student ID number (which you can find on the bottom of your high school transcript)
   • Information about your family, including household size, date that parents began to reside in California, parents' level of education, parents' employment (type and number of years of employment), and household income
   • Your high school transcript – the UCs use applicants' self-reported academic record to determine if applicants meet eligibility requirements and to select applicants for admission
   • Your standardized test scores, including scores for the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams, and IB Tests
   • A list of your extracurricular activities, including a description of each activity and time spent in terms of number of hours per week and weeks per year
5. You will complete one application and submit the same application to each UC campus to which you will be applying. Therefore, you should not "customize" the application for a particular campus.
6. You can submit your standardized test scores to one UC campus and all of the other campuses to which you apply will receive your scores.

For students who are signed up for Elite's college application service:

Gather all of the information listed above and bring it to the meetings with your Elite counselor. We will review your UC application not only to check that you have provided complete and accurate information, but also to make sure that you have appropriately highlighted your strengths and accomplishments.

Over the next several weeks, we'll help you craft your UC personal statements to evaluate your accomplishments and achievements in the context of the opportunities that you have had.

We will also guide you through choosing the appropriate number of campuses, selecting primary and alternate majors for each campus to which you will be applying, applying for UC scholarships, and submitting your standardized test scores.

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For more information about Elite's college application services, contact your local branch today!