Steps to Completing your UC Application:
Please see the end of the post for video guides for each section of the UC Application. We recommend that you watch the 3-5 minute video before completing each section.
Materials You Need: You will need a copy of your transcript, test scores (AP/IB), a Social Security number (optional), a CA Statewide Student ID (for public HS students), and a credit card. It is best to complete the application in sequential order. There is a help feature in the top right-hand corner of the application.
Understanding Comprehensive Review: Using a process called comprehensive review, evaluators consider multiple factors beyond courses and grades to assess applicants’ academic achievements in light of the opportunities available to them and the capacity each student demonstrates to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus. If you are interested in how each campus reviews applications and the factors it considers, look at the Comprehensive Review Page for campus-wide information, then click each campus on the right-hand side to see the specific information for each school.
Transcripts: You do not need to send a transcript to any UC schools. You do need a copy for yourself to self-report your grades on the application. Most of your classes will be pre-populated into a drop-down menu. If you attend a public school, “A-G” courses are often noted with a “-p” on your transcript. If you attend private school, your counselor(s) likely gave you a cheat sheet or video to watch with the details you need. If you do not see a class in the drop-down menu, we recommend visiting the UCOP Doorways website to view your school’s course listings or talking with your counselor. This will help you determine if the class should be added and, if so, the appropriate A-G category. You do not enter Life Skills, World Studies 1(2.5 credits), or PE (unless it is dance). **** If you take PE dance or Advanced Dance at a public school and you get quarter grades, you must check both quarters and semesters when you enter your high school in the application. Enter all courses as they appear on your transcript.
Test Scores: You can report your AP/IB subject tests and future tests. In this section, there is also a button to click if you are planning to complete the full diploma. You do not report your SAT/ACT score unless you are an ELL student.
Extra Information on the Application: Applicants can use the first additional comments box, following the “Academic History” section, to explain their course selection decisions, a circumstance that prevented the student from taking more rigorous courses, gaps in education, differences in terms or grading systems, or a situation that affected their grades.
The second comment area immediately follows the “personal insight questions” section. Applicants may choose to provide information about a learning difference, circumstances or opportunities that significantly impacted their educational journey, or uncommon events that provide context for what they’ve accomplished or were unable to accomplish.
The two additional comment boxes in the application are optional and should not be used as a continuation of a student’s personal insight question responses. Instead, students should use this section to explain anything that has not been discussed in other parts of the application or might benefit from further clarification.
Designating a Major: Every year, students stress over designating a major or choosing “undecided” on the UC application. The good news is that students can select different majors at each campus to which they apply. The bad news is that each UC school handles admissions slightly differently. To do a UC system majors check, click here or visit each school’s academic section of its website to see the majors offered at each school and which majors are capacity-constrained or closed. Then proceed to our “Choosing a UC Major” Newsletter with all of the up-to-date and important information to make a decision.
Revising the Activities Section: The UC application allows you to enter up to 350 characters to describe your activities. You can take your activity descriptions from the Common App and turn them into complete sentences (without ampersands and other tricks we used to cut down the word count). Then, we recommend adding a sentence that explains why the activity is important to you or what skills you have gained through your participation. For community service and work activities, you will also have an additional 250 characters to describe the organization. This is an opportunity to provide the reader with more information about the organization and your involvement. What the UC campuses are looking for in your activities is evidence of COMMITMENT, INITIATIVE & GROWTH. You also want to explain any context and be clear and concise. For great advice and examples, check out the College Essay Guy UC Activities Guide.
The Personal Insight Questions (PIQs): There are EIGHT PIQs, and students must choose to answer FOUR, and each PIQ is up to 350 words. We encourage students to discuss a different topic in each PIQS. The goal of the PIQs, as stated by UCSB, is to give evaluators CLARITY- a richer perspective on your life, experiences, and/or accomplishments; CONTEXT- sharing details on your home, school, or community; and DEPTH- details into your academics (academics or extracurricular activities). Just like the activities, the evaluators are looking for evidence of COMMITMENT, INITIATIVE & GROWTH. They are also interested in learning how you have interacted with diverse communities and worked towards social justice and inclusion. What matters most is the content (packed with concrete examples); you are not being evaluated on your writing.
Helpful Videos: UCSB has a wonderful collection of videos explaining the different parts of the UC Application. They have all been updated for 2026-26. We recommend that students watch each video before completing each section. Visit the UCSB 2026 Application Playlist to access the videos.
