The UC Schools are some of the most sought after in the nation. Like many others across the country, COVID has changed some things in the admissions process. In this post, we talk about what this all means for UC-applicants and the parts of your application you should plan to focus on as a result.
Testing
The UC system was one of the first schools to announce that they were going test-optional in the wake of the pandemic. While this may seem like an altruistic move, it might in fact be a result of budget cuts. You see, universities are businesses. And like countless other businesses out there, they have lost funding in the wake of the pandemic. State budgets are seeing deficits and as a result, places like California are making cuts to public education funding. It’s been reported that California public universities and colleges could lose hundreds of millions as a result of state budget cuts.
But how does pivoting to a test-optional admissions policy help a school financially? If schools make it easier to apply, more kids will, theoretically, send in applications, including kids who don’t live in California. If more kids from out-of-state apply and decide to attend, that’s more out-of-state tuition the UC schools can collect.
On top of, and perhaps in light of the schools’ financial difficulties, students shouldn’t expect a discounted tuition if UC courses continue to be remote in the fall. In fact, Berkley already announced it would not be discounting tuition should classes continue remotely. While a lawsuit has been launched against the UC Schools (like several others) demanding a refund in tuition for this year’s remote classes, schools will be hurting for money in the coming months.
What Now?
So, what does this mean for you? The UC Board of Regents decided the university would become test-optional for fall 2021 and fall 2022 admissions. That means applicants can still send in their scores and campuses in the UC system have the option to use them in consideration for admission. It should be noted that the SAT/ACT writing portion will not be considered at all for fall 2021 admission.
By the way…the following year, UC will become test-blind for admissions, meaning tests will not be considered. At the same time, somewhat confoundingly, the board also announced it would explore the creation of a new standardized test for future years. But that’s beside the point.
If your test scores are good, we recommend sending them in. it doesn’t hurt and in fact, it should help. Test scores are still culturally engrained into university admissions. They’ll want to see good ones. But, if you didn’t do so well on the ACT/SAT, it looks like you caught a break this year.
What Else?
While some students might be thrilled by the fact that test scores are no longer mandatory, consider that this means all other components of your application are now that much more important, especially the essay. We put a lot of emphasis on college essays during a normal year. Now, consider them to be crucial. Essays are the best way for a university to get to know an applicant’s personality. A test score on paper can be impressive, but hearing about a personal account is what actually makes an applicant become human in the eyes of the admissions council…you may find this surprising, but admissions counselors are human, too. They want to connect with you and will respond to personality, and even humor, as opposed to just numbers. Get started on your application essays as soon as possible. Even though the pandemic has probably given you a lot to think about, avoid focusing on the gravity of the situation. Instead, pick a personality trait and demonstrate that trait through a story you tell with a beginning, middle, and end. Keep it simple and edit it many times over until it’s perfect. You can even write a well-written essay about your daily routine these days.
What Does It All Mean?
A lot of kids and parents have been asking us whether or not this means the UC schools will be easier to get into this year. The answer is, we have no idea whether or not more students will apply. What we do know is, you should prepare to work really hard on your essays in the absence of test scores and also keep in mind that this could be a good year for out-of-state and international applicants hoping to make a move to California.
Need help crafting stand-out essays? We are experts at helping students create a well-rounded and impressive application. Call us.