Steps to Completing Your UC Application:
We recommend watching these 2 videos and the UCSB Playlist for each application section before you start.
UC Admissions Officer Reacts to Real PIQs
UC Admissions Reacts to TikTok Application Advice
UCSB 2027 Application Playlist
Materials You Need: You will need a copy of your high school transcript, any college transcripts, 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. The application includes a help feature in the top right-hand corner.
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 copies of all transcripts to self-report your grades on the application. Some California public high school students in participating districts can launch the UC application through CaliforniaColleges.edu and import courses and grades using their SSID. Students should still check imported information against their transcript.
If you are entering information manually, most of your classes will be pre-populated in 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 UC A-G Coursework Search to view your school’s course listings or talking with your counselor. This will help you decide whether to add the class and, if so, which A-G category it belongs to. **** If you take any classes for credit that are 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. *** Students need to report all college and dual-enrollment coursework, regardless of where classes were taken or whether they appear on the high school transcript. UC warns that failure to report college coursework may jeopardize admission or enrollment.
Test Scores: You can report your AP/IB subject tests and future tests. This section also includes a button if you plan to complete the full diploma. The UC System is test-blind; you do not report your SAT/ACT scores.
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 broader context than academics.
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 for each campus they apply to. 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 read our “Choosing a UC Major” newsletter for up-to-date, important information to help you decide.
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). Use your 350 characters for concrete responsibilities, contributions, impact, and growth. 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 CONTRIBUTION, INITIATIVE & GROWTH. You should also provide 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 FOUR to answer; each PIQ is up to 350 words. We encourage students to discuss a different topic in each PIQ. UCSB states the goal of the PIQs is to give evaluators CLARITY, a richer perspective on your life, experiences, and/or accomplishments; CONTEXT, details about your home, school, or community; and DEPTH, details about your academics (academics or extracurricular activities). Like the activities, evaluators look 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); they are not evaluating your writing. We HIGHLY recommend you watch this video: UC Admissions Officer Reacts to Real PIQs and UC Admissions Reacts to TikTok Application Advice.
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 2027 Application Playlist to access the videos.
