The University of California Los Angeles, usually just called UCLA, is a public university in LA’s Westwood neighborhood. UCLA is one of nine undergraduate schools in the popular University of California system. UCLA has six undergraduate schools and Arts and Architecture, Engineering and Applied Science, Music, Nursing, Public Affairs, and Theater, Film and Television (and over 120 majors!) They are especially celebrated for their School of Theater, Film, and Television (TFT). Come on, it is LA, but they also have popular majors in biology, business economics, political science, psychology, and psychobiology.
Getting into UCLA is competitive. Last year they had around a 9% acceptance rate. However, that really isn’t the whole picture. Since UCLA is a public school, it accepts more Californians than out-of-state students. So, while their overall acceptance rate is 9%, it is lower if you aren’t a Golden State native. Furthermore, each school has its own acceptance rate. Most colleges are not upfront with these numbers, but we love that UCLA breaks them down.
The TLDR is some schools are harder to get into than others, but none are easy. Since UCLA is so competitive, we wanted to break down what you need to do to be a great applicant for UCLA.
What is UCLA looking for?
UCLA assesses applicants using multiple factors. It breaks down these factors in a yearly document called the Common Data Set.
You want to ~ slay ~ in every category that they even consider. However, you should pay double attention to the factors marked “very important” and “important.” Furthermore they say on their website,
“When you apply for admission, we consider your accomplishments both in and outside of the classroom... Among the factors we consider are: Strong academic performance in a rigorous high school program; Special talents, awards or accomplishments; Meaningful insights about yourself when answering the personal insight questions.”
That’s a great place to start.
Rigor and GPA
The first place you want to prove yourself is in your academic record. UCLA requires students to have certain credits to apply. They are pretty standard, but you still want to double-check that you have the right credits. They also recommend 18 credits. We also recommend you do all 18…. their acceptance rate is sub 10%, so do everything they recommend.
However, just getting the 18 credits isn’t enough. You want to take as many credits as you can at a high level. This might mean AP, IB, Honors, Dual Enrollment, etc., depending on what your school offers. Taking challenging classes speaks to academic rigor, and you want your transcript to be as rigorous as possible while still maintaining an excellent GPA.
UCLA also wants to see applicants with high GPAs. Last year, the median unweighted GPA was 4.0.
They publish a lot of statistics when it comes to GPA, but it boils down to the fact that most accepted students had a 4.0, and the average applicant had a 3.93.
You need an outstanding GPA to apply, and most students had a 4.0 or higher. Full stop. Well, actually, we have more to say…
Extracurriculars
UCLA doesn’t look at SAT or ACT scores, so the next place you can differentiate yourself from the pack is Extracurriculars. UCLA wants to see a couple of things when it comes to your resume. The first is that you are following your passions as far as you can whatever they are. If you love theater, being in your school play is a good start. However, you can push it further. Submit scripts to competitions. Act in your community or regional theater. Sign up for monologue competitions. Take on leadership roles in your school’s arts department. Teach local kids how to act. Do a summer program. Win an Oscar. Push your interests as far as you can.
The next step is related. They want to see commitment and leadership. UCLA isn’t going to be impressed with being a member of a club that meets once a week. They want to see you commit your time and effort to shape the groups you are a part of. If you are pushing yourself as far as you can, this should happen somewhat naturally, but it's worth making sure that it is obvious that you are committed to your passions.
You should also be following your academic interests outside of class. For example, if you hope to study Math, you could be the co-captain of your school’s math athletes, take a summer class on differential calc and a volunteer math tutor. Just taking BC calc isn’t enough. You need to explore your interests outside of class as well. This is especially important if you are applying to a specialized program like TV or Nursing. They want to see you already exploring the industry that you hope to break into.
Essays
The UC schools are not on the Common App, so you will need to fill out the specific UC application if you want to apply to UCLA. They ask for four essays. We know that sounds like a lot. Take a deep breath. If you don’t know where to start, we have a blog about how to write these essays. You want to take time to craft great essays that are memorable and creative. This is where the admission readers will get the best sense of who you are and how you see the world, which is important. Not everyone with a 4.0 gets into UCLA; try to stand out through well-written and thought-out essays. If you need help, we are happy to assist.
It isn’t easy to get into UCLA. You need to try your hardest to be the total package. There really isn’t a trick; you just need to push yourself to be a top candidate. We know this is a lot to ask for, but if you are nervous, we are happy to help!
Need a bespoke application guidance? We have you covered! Reach out here.