Freshman Student Admission

UCR seeks to recruit and retain an academically strong student body that has demonstrated the rigorous preparation needed for admission to a major research institution and reflects the diversity of our state and region.

This section describes the two-phase undergraduate admission and selection process at UCR:

• 1. Satisfying the University of California minimum admission requirements

• 2. Selection by UCR according to the principles of Comprehensive Review,

as determined by the UCR faculty

Meeting UC minimum admission requirements will not guarantee admission to UCR. Applicants who seek to increase their likelihood for admission should strive for achievement well beyond UC minimum requirements.

Final determination of admission will be made within the context of campus enrollment goals.

Freshmen Students interested in entering the University as freshmen need to satisfy the following requirements:

• 1. Complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (a-g courses)

with at least 11 finished prior to the senior year. The a-g course requirements are shown in the box on this page. More information about the a-g course requirements can be found at http://www. universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/requirements/a-g- requirements/index.html. The university will accept only those “a-g” courses that appear on the official UC-Certified Course List for the California high school the student attended. The UC-Certified course list is available at https://doorways.ucop.edu/list.

• 2. Earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 for non-residents)

in these courses with no grade lower than a C.

• a. Honors Courses The university assigns extra points for up to four

year- long university-certified honors level, Advanced Placement, and/or UC-designated International Baccalaureate courses taken in grades 10, 11, and 12: A=5 points, B=4 points, C=3 points. College-level courses in the a-g college preparatory courses that are transferable to the university are also assigned honors grade points. A maximum of two yearlong courses taken in grade 10 are assigned honors points. Grades of D are not assigned extra honors points. (Extra points will be awarded to 10th graders only when they take honors courses that have been certified by the university as honors- level courses.) Acceptable honors-level courses include Advanced Placement courses, specific Standard Level and all Higher Level International Baccalaureate courses, and college courses that are transferable to the university.

a. History/Social Science (2 years required) Two years of history/social science, including one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government; and one year of world history, cultures, and geography.

b. English (4 years required) Four years of college preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing, and reading of classic and modern literature. Not more than two semesters of ninth-grade English or no more than one year of approved ESL-type courses can be used to meet this requirement.

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 this entire requirement, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that the student’s high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses.

d. Laboratory Science (2 years required, 3 recommended) Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in two of these three core disciplines: biology (which includes anatomy, physiology, marine biology, aquatic biology, etc.), chemistry, and physics. The final two years of an approved three-year integrated science program may be used to fulfill this requirement.

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 language other than English taken in the seventh and eighth grade may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if the student’s high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.

f. Visual and Performing Arts (1 year required) A single yearlong approved arts course from a single visual and performing arts discipline: dance, drama or theater, music, or visual art.

g. College Preparatory Electives (1 year required) One year (two semesters) in addition to those required in “a–f” above, chosen from visual and performing arts (nonintroductory-level courses), history, social science, English, advanced mathematics, laboratory science, and language other than English (a third year in the language used in the “e” requirement or two years of another language). Undergraduate Admission / 27

• 3. Meet the examination requirement by taking the ACT with Writing or the

SAT Reasoning Test by December of your senior year. SAT Subject Tests are not required. However, you may want to take them if you want to:

• • Demonstrate mastery of a particular subject

• • Satisfy an “a-g” requirement

• • Apply for a competitive major that strongly recommends them

(e.g., Bourns College of Engineering and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences recommend Math Level 2 and either Chemisry or Physics).

• a. ACT Assessment Test plus Writing To register, obtain a registration

packet from a high school counselor or register at act.org.

• b. SAT Tests To register, obtain a registration packet from a high school

counselor or register at collegeboard.com.

For the highest-achieving California applicants, we have two paths to admission. If you are in one of the following groups and you are not admitted to any of the UC campuses you apply to, you may be offered a spot at another campus if space permits.

• 1. Statewide Path Students who rank in the top 9 percent of California

high school students according to the UC admissions index, which can be found at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/ california-residents/admissions-index/index.html, or

• 2. Local Path (ELC) Students who rank in the top 9 percent of their

graduating class at a participating high school. Students whose high schools participate in the ELC program – which most California high schools do – will be identified to be in the top 9 percent on the basis of GPA in UC-approved coursework completed in the 10th and 11th grades. To be considered for ELC, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and complete the following a-g courses prior to their senior year:

• a. History/Social Science

1 year

• b. English

2 Years

• c. Mathematics

2 Years

• d. Laboratory science

1 Year

• e. Language other than English

1 Year

• f. College-preparatory elective (chosen from the subjects listed above

or another course approved by the university) 4 Years

After students enter their coursework and grades in their applications, the UC Central Processor will compare their GPAs to the historic top GPA for their school. Students who meet or exceed that GPA, will be identified as ELC and a note will be added to their application. For more information on this process, go to http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/ freshman/california-residents/local-path/index.html.

Students who do not meet UC’s minimum requirements, may be considered for admission to UC if they earn high scores on the ACT with Writing or SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests. To qualify by examination, students must achieve a minimum UC Score total of 410 (425 for nonresidents), calculated according to instructions that can be found at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/ requirements/examination/index.html. Additionally, students must earn a minimum UC Score of 63 on each component of the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test and on each SAT Subject Test.

Students may not use a SAT Subject Test to meet Admission by Examination if they completed a transferable college course in that subject with a grade of C or better.

High School Proficiency Examination If a student does not have a high school diploma, the university will accept the Certificate of Proficiency awarded by the State Board of Education upon successful completion of the California High School Proficiency Examination. The university also will accept proficiency examinations from other states, or the General Education Development (GED) Certificate, in place of a diploma. However, a student must still meet the UC admission requirements and campus selection requirements.

Two paths to UC eligibility exist for nonresidents at the freshman level. The first is the same as described under UC Admission Requirements and the second is the same as described under Admission by Examination, with the following exception: Non-resident students must have a minimum GPA of 3.4.