University of California
9 undergradate campuses
There are ten UC campuses, nine to which undergraduates can apply: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Riverside. San Francisco is a graduate-only campus.
The UC holds all students in the state to the same standards of educational preparation, regardless of the schools they attend. The first standard is subject preparation, as indicated by the following chart. Students who have completed the normal Bellarmine curriculum without Ds or Fs (or who have remediated them) generally meet this standard. Bellarmine courses that count toward this requirement are listed here.
| Required "A-G" Courses | |
|---|---|
| a) History/Social Science – 2 years required Two years of history/social science, including one year of world history, cultures and geography; and one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government. |
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| b) English – 4 years required Four years of college-preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing, and reading of classic and modern literature. No more than one year of ESL-type courses can be used to meet this requirement. |
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| c) Mathematics – 3 years required, 4 years recommended Three years of college-preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry. Approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that your high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses. |
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| d) Laboratory Science – 2 years required, 3 years recommended Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry and physics. Advanced laboratory science classes that have biology, chemistry or physics as prerequisites and offer substantial additional material may be used to fulfill this requirement. The final two years of an approved three-year integrated science program may be used to fulfill this requirement. |
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| e) Language Other than English – 2 years required, 3 years recommended Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and culture. Courses in languages other than English taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses. |
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| f) Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) – 1 year required A single yearlong approved arts course from a single VPA discipline: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art. |
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| g) College Preparatory Electives – 1 year required One year (two semesters), in addition to those required in "a-f" above, chosen from the following areas: visual and performing arts (non-introductory level courses), history, social science, English, advanced mathematics, laboratory science and language other than English (a third year in the language used for the "e" requirement or two years of another language). |
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The second standard to which students are held is the scholarship requirement, which indicates that they have completed their course of study and standardized testing with enough success to be admitted to a UC campus. This standard is based on a student’s GPA and test scores.
The UC calculates a student’s GPA differently from Bellarmine. Juniors are shown how to calculate this GPA during the College Guidance course. In short, sophomore and junior grades in courses that appear on Bellarmine’s approved list are considered. Bonus points are given for certain advanced courses taken during sophomore and junior years, with a maximum of eight semesters. All AP courses qualify for this bonus point. Certain Honors courses qualify for the bonus (including Chemistry H and Pre-Calc H), certain do not (including Bio H and Algebra 2 H). Please consult the above link for full details.
Under normal circumstances, the minimum UC GPA required for eligibility is 3.0.
Once the GPA is calculated, the UC will consider the student’s performance on standardized tests (SAT Reasoning + 2 SAT Subject tests or ACT w/ Writing + 2 SAT Subject Tests). Please consult these charts (click here) for full details.
If a student meets both the subject and scholarship requirements, he will be considered eligible. Eligibility does not mean that a student will receive admission to the UC of his choice, however. Different campuses have different admission requirements. For example, the average UC GPA of freshman admits at Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego is above 4.0; on the other hand, Merced will accept all eligible students. Being eligible simply means that some campus will admit the student. Click here for more details.
Seniors who choose to apply to the UC will fill out a single online application by November 30, choosing which campuses will receive the application. The student must also send all required test scores to each campus. The student does not send transcripts or teacher recommendations. The UC campuses will evaluate the application separately and each will inform the student of its decision by the end of March.