ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Berkley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, 

Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz

California Residents  

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To be eligible for admission to the university, you must meet the Subject, Scholarship, and Examination Requirements described below.

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Subject Requirement

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To satisfy the Subject requirement, students must complete the high school subjects listed below with a grade point average defined by the Scholarship Requirement.  This sequence of courses is also known as the “a-f” pattern of requirements.  A new “g” requirement in the Visual and Performing Arts will begin with the class of 2003.

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Students must take 15 units of high school courses to fulfill the Subject Requirement-seven units of which must be taken in the last two years of high school.  (A unit is equal to an academic year, or two semesters, of study.)  To be acceptable to the University, the courses must appear on a list certified by the high school principal as meeting the university’s minimum admissions requirements.

  1. History/social Science (2 years required) To include one year of U.S. History or one-half year of U. History and one-half year of civics or American government; and one year of world history, cultures, and geography.

  2.  English (4 years required) Four years of college preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing, reading of classic and modern literature.  Not more than 2 semesters of grade 9 English can be used to meet this requirement.

  3.  Mathematics (3 years required, 4 recommended) To include elementary algebra, geometry, second year (advanced) algebra.  Approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement.

  4. Laboratory Science (2 years required, 3 recommended) must provide fundamental knowledge in at least 2 of these 3 areas: biology, chemistry and physics.  Laboratory courses in earth/space sciences are acceptable if they have as prerequisites or provide basic knowledge in biology, chemistry or physics.  Not more than 1 year of 9th laboratory science can be used to meet this requirement. 

  5. Language other than English (3 years in the same language required) Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading and composition.

  6. College Preparatory Electives (2 years required) Two additional units (four semesters), in addition to those required in “a-e” above, to be chosen from the following areas: visual and performing arts, history, social science, English, advanced mathematics, laboratory science and languages other than English (a third year in the language used for the “e” requirement or two years of another language).  

  7. Visual and Performing Arts 

UC Certified Course List  

  a.  History/Social Science

American History 1-2, U.S. History 1-2,

AP

U.S. History, U.S. Government and Politics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics

  b.   English

English 9, English 10, English 11, English 12,  AP American Literature, AP English Language and Composition

  c.   Mathematics

Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Advanced Topics (Honors), AP Calculus, AP Statistics

  d.   Laboratory Science

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science

  e.   Languages Other Than English

Spanish I, II

French I, II

  f.    College Preparatory Electives

American Literature, Art, Advanced math classes (Special Topics,  AP Statistics,  AP Calculus), Foreign Languages (all classes listed), all honors classes. 

 g.   Visual and Performing Arts

          Art, Band, Drama

            

SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS

The scholarship requirement defines the grade point average (GPA) you must attain in the “a-g” subjects to be eligible for admission to the University.

  If your "a-g" GPA is 3.3 or higher, you have met the minimum requirement for admission to the University.  If your GPA is below 3.3 but above 2.81, you have met the minimum requirement if you achieve the necessary college entrance test scores.

  The University calculates your GPA in the “a-g" subjects by assigning point values to the grades you earn, totaling the point, and dividing the total by the number of “a-g” course units.  Points are assigned as follows: A=4 points, B=3 points, C=2 points, D=1 point, and F=0 points.

  Only the grades you earn in the “a-g” subjects in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades are used to calculate your GPA.  Courses you take in the ninth grade can be used to meet the Subject Requirement if you earn a grade of C or better, but they will not be used to calculate your GPA.

  D and F Grades

  D and F grades in the “a-g” courses must be repeated or validated.  Consult with your counselor to determine how these grades can be improved and how the University will use them in evaluating hour scholarship record.  Grades for repeated courses in which you initially earned a grade of C or better will not be used.

EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

You must submit the following test scores:

Either the SAT I Reasoning Test or the American College Test (ACT).  The verbal and mathematics scores on the SAT I must be from the same sitting.  The ACT composite score must be submitted.

Three SAT II Subject Tests, including Writing, Mathematics Level 1C or Level 2C, and one test in one of the following areas: English literature, foreign language, science, or social studies.