MyUCR

Admission as a Freshman

UC Riverside seeks to enroll freshman students who are well prepared to succeed in a rigorous and challenging academic setting. The University defines a “Freshman Applicant” as a student applying for UC admission who is either still in high school or has graduated from a high school and has not enrolled in a regular session at a college or university. A student who attends a summer session at a college or university immediately after graduating from high school is still classified as a freshman applicant to all UC campuses.

UC Admission Requirements

All students interested in entering the University of California as freshmen in the fall of 2012 and beyond will need to satisfy the following admission requirements.

1.) Subject Requirement: Complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (“a-g” courses), with at least 11 finished prior to the senior year of high school.

1. History/Social Science: 2 years
2. English: 4 years
3. Mathematics: 3 years, 4 recommended
4. Laboratory Science: 2 years, 3 recommended
5. Language other than English: 2 years, 3 recommended
6. Visual and Performing Art: 1 year
7. College-Preparatory Elective: 1 year

The University accepts only “a-g” courses that appear on the official UC-Certified Course list. At least seven of those 15 units must be taken or validated in the last two years of high school. All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. More information about “a-g” subjects and courses at specific California high schools is available at www.ucop.edu/doorways.

Honors Courses: The University assigns extra points for up to eight semesters of UC-approved honors-level and advanced placement “a-g’ courses taken in the last three years of high school: A=5 points, B=4 points, C=3 points. A grade of D or F in an honors or advanced placement course does not earn extra points. No more than two year long, UC-approved, honors-level courses taken in the 10th grade may be given extra points.
Acceptable honors-level courses include advanced placement courses, Higher Level and designated Standard Level International Baccalaureate courses, and college courses transferable to the University.

2.) Scholarship Requirement: Students must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 for nonresidents of California) in “a-g” courses taken during 10th and 11th grades, including the summers before and after these years.

3.) Examination Requirement: Students must take and report scores from either the ACT with Writing or the SAT Reasoning by December of their senior year. Students are not required to take the SAT subject tests. However, students are encouraged to take SAT subject tests to:

• Demonstrate mastery of a particular subject
• Apply for a competitive major that recommends certain subject tests
• Use the subject tests to satisfy the “a-g” requirements listed above
  

Students applying to majors in the Bourns College of Engineering and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences are strongly encouraged to take SAT subject exams in Math Level 2 and either Chemistry or Physics. For more information about the examination requirement, click here.

Guaranteed UC Admission for California Residents

If you're a state resident who has met the minimum requirements and are not admitted to any UC campus to which you apply, you will be offered a spot at another campus if space is available, provided you meet one of the following two criteria:

1. Your rank in the top 9 percent of California high school students, as determined by the our Admissions Index
2. You rank in the top 9 percent of your graduating class at your high school, known as the local path (ELC)

For further information on qualifying for admission to UC, please visit universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions.

Keys to Admission at UC Riverside

Admission to UC Riverside is competitive. Not all students who apply and meet the UC admissions requirements will be offered a space in the incoming class. Students admitted to UC Riverside have outstanding academic records as demonstrated by the following:

• Grade point average
• Scores on the ACT with Writing and/or SAT Reasoning test
• Taking and passing AP and IB courses with grades C or better

The campus also values a diversity of experiences and will give additional consideration to students who have overcome the following obstacles:

• First-generation college students (neither parent has a four-year college degree)
• Low-income (as determined by household size and income)

The measures described above will be used to calculate an Academic Index Score (AIS) for all freshman applicants who meet UC admission requirements. Admission to UCR will be determined within the context of campus enrollment goals. Although no particular AIS will guarantee admission to UCR, prospective students who strive for the highest possible AIS will increase their likelihood for admission.

How to Apply

Applicants may Apply to UC Online at the University of California Application Web site. Late applications may not be considered. For further information, please view the filing dates and deadlines.

Admission as a Transfer

The University defines a transfer applicant as one who has been a registered student at a college or university in a regular session (not including summer) after completing high school. Transfer applicants may not disregard a college record and apply for admission as a freshman.

Three Steps to UCR

The best way for students to prepare to transfer to UCR is to take courses that blend the University of California (UC) admission requirements, lower-division major preparation, and general education requirements. Students should prioritize the courses they take by following the three-step process below.

Keys to Admission at UC Riverside

As a selective campus, UC Riverside seeks to admit students who have completed more than just the minimum admission requirements. It is important to note that while there are minimum GPA's associated with admission to each college, school or major, transfer students will be selected on the bases of academic preparation as assessed by their GPA in all transferrable coursework, and completion of required major preparatory coursework where applicable by the end of the spring term. Meeting The following section outlines the basic requirements for admission to each college.

Bourns College of Engineering

All majors require a minimum 2.8 GPA in UC transferable coursework. The College Breath Requirements are recommended; IGETC is accepted. All majors in the Bourns College of Engineering require specific major-preparation coursework prior to transfer.

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

The majors of Psychology and Psychology/Law and Society require a minimum 2.7 GPA in UC transferable coursework. All other majors require a minimum 2.40 GPA in UC transferable coursework. The College Breath Requirements are accepted; IGETC is recommended. Art (Studio) major requires a portfolio review.

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

All majors require a minimum 2.7 GPA in UC transferable coursework to be considered for admission. One year of Calculus and (for most life and physical science majors) one additional year of introductory Chemistry, Biology, or Physics courses with labs are recommended; IGETC is not accepted. The majors of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology, Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology, Plant Biology and Physics require specific major preparation coursework prior to transfer.

School of Business Administration

Business Administration requires a minimum 2.7 GPA in UC transferable coursework. The College Breath Requirements are accepted; IGETC is recommended. The Business Administration major requires specific major preparation prior to transfer.

For all majors, students should refer to articulation agreements between UC Riverside and their community college for specific course requirements on the ASSIST Web site at www.assist.org.

Transfer Credits

The University awards graduation credit for up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units of transferable course work from a community college. Courses in excess of 70 semester units receive subject credit and may be used to satisfy subject requirements.

How to Apply

Applicants may Apply to UC Online at the University of California Application Web site. Late applications may not be considered. For further information, please view filing dates and deadlines.

Transfer Admission Guarantee

To learn more about UCR's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, check out the TAG section of the special admission programs page.

We're Here to Help

Visit UCR's Transfer Resource Center web site to get support, information and resources tailored just for your needs.

Admission as a Homeschooled or Other Nontraditionally Educated Student

The University of California, Riverside 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. To that end, UC Riverside has developed an admission program for homeschooled or other nontraditionally educated students in recognition of the benefits of the education they have received, including the depth of learning, socialization, maturity, creativity, and vision. These qualities provide excellent foundations for pursuing an education at UC Riverside.

How Does UC Riverside Define a Homeschooled or Other Nontraditionally Educated Student?
UC Riverside recognizes that students can be educated in many ways. Students who have received an innovative, customized, or self-determined education, which includes real-life educational experiences, may not only have received an excellent education but may also have developed personal characteristics that can lead to success in college and life.

Those personal characteristics include maturity and self-discipline, creativity and ingenuity, an intrinsic motivation to learn, leadership qualities, determination, a desire to volunteer or perform community service, a desire for the exploration of other cultures and languages, and a possession of clear and achievable goals.
A nontraditional education may encompass one or more approaches that lead to the characteristics that UC Riverside seeks in students. Examples of such approaches include the following:

• Learning primarily in a setting other than a regularly attended classroom. Examples include study at home, in other countries, in community college courses, online, and combinations of the above.
  
  
• Using an approach that combines the study of material from multiple subject areas; for example, blending English and history in a single learning project.
  
  
• Designing studies around solving math problems and then learning the related material needed to solve those problems.
  
  
• Devising a study schedule that allows a monthly variation of subjects to support the in-depth study of a topic of great interest.
  
  
• Taking an active role in the selection of subjects to study and determining how to best learn those subjects, rather than simply taking courses offered at one school.

Examples include learning from source documents rather than a textbook, making extensive use of a museum for learning, or choosing a particular mathematics curriculum after determining the best match to one's learning style. Spending a lot of time in a variety of social settings rather than in age-segregated groups of peers.

Examples of nontraditional educational settings include those where the high school education was:

• primarily home-based
• completed as home-based after leaving a traditional high school during the last year or two
• based on courses from various sources such as high school, community college, and online program, with or without extensive home-based education
• completed early by taking the California High-School Proficiency Exam AND performing additional studies outside of class or participating in significant educational life experiences such as charity work or experience in another country
• taken at a charter school emphasizing an innovative educational approach that doesn't have a UC-approved "a-g" course list
• taken at a high school with a UC-approved "a-g" course list, but the student graduated without fulfilling the "a-g" course work because the student emphasized homeschooling or another novel educational approach instead

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to apply to UC Riverside through this admission program must satisfy the following requirements

• Meet high school qualifications as defined below
• Meet the examination requirement
• Complete the University of California (UC) application for admission
• Submit a portfolio to UC Riverside.

Students applying to majors in the Bourns College of Engineering and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences are strongly encouraged to take SAT subject exams in Math Level 2 and either Chemistry or Physics. For more information about the examination requirement, click here.

Applicants to UC Riverside must complete the University of California Application for Undergraduate Admission and Scholarships, which is available at the University of California Application Web site.

Special instructions in completing the UC application for students who apply through UC Riverside's admission program for homeschooled or other nontraditionally educated students:

1. The University of California school code for home schools is 999111. Applicants should name the high school "home school." Students who were enrolled in a homechool or nontraditional program that has its own code can enter that code but must follow the directions listed below to ensure that their applications can be identified appropriately for this program.
2. Home schooled or nontraditionally educated students typically will not have taken UC-approved "a-g" courses and may not have even studied all seven subject areas. Applicants must try to include, to the best of their ability, their actual studies partitioned into "courses" on the application. They must enter a minimum of one course into the application to prevent the application from being rejected by UC. The more information the student provides, the easier it is for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to make an admission decision.
3. Check the Home School box.
4. Applicants must choose "Riverside" so that the application is forwarded to UC Riverside.

Applicants should submit a portfolio describing aspects of their educational background not captured in the UC application. The portfolio provides an opportunity for applicants to describe their unique educational backgrounds and their specific educational accomplishments. The portfolio is a paper document that summarizes key subjects the applicant has studied and learning methods used and should follow the Portfolio Guidelines available in a Word template or as in PDF format.. A committee of faculty members and staff who are familiar with home or nontraditional schooling will review the portfolio along with the other application materials. Completed portfolios should be submitted to Undergraduate Admissions, 3106 Student Services Building, Riverside, Ca. 92521 by January 31st or three weeks from the date of request by the review committee.

How to Apply

Applicants may Apply to UC Online at the University of California Application Web site. Late applications may not be considered. For further information, please view filing dates and deadlines.

For more information about UC Riverside and its undergraduate programs, call, write, e-mail, or visit:
Undergraduate Admissions
3106 Student Services Building
Riverside, Ca 92521

University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
Phone: (951) 827-4531
E-mail: discover@ucr.edu