Understanding UC Admissions Results
Making the Best Choice for Your Future While Deciding Whether to Appeal and What to Do to Maximize Your Waitlist Chances
The University of California’s admissions results can sometimes feel confusing. Students often gain admission to several UCs, but the results can seem inexplicable. If you were just accepted into several of the Universities of California but denied admission or waitlisted at some, when other students who had (in your mind) lesser qualifications got in, it can seem disappointing at the least and unfair at worst. Maybe you’re considering whether to appeal a decision or not sure how to maximize your chances of coming off the waitlist.
No matter what your outcomes are, it’s worth remembering that you’ve applied to arguably the world’s finest public university system, and admissions are extremely competitive. Rather than dwelling on waitlists or denials, take pride in your achievements and explore the colleges that have recognized your potential. The best path forward is to embrace the options available and make a thoughtful, confident decision about where to enroll.
Why UC Admissions Are So Competitive
UC admissions officers evaluate applications holistically, considering many factors beyond GPA and test scores. These include:
Preparation for Your Intended Major: Some programs have higher standards for coursework and performance, and universities are looking for evidence you’re prepared to succeed in those programs based on your high school coursework and extracurriculars.
The Rigor of Your High School Coursework in Context: UCs look at how a student's high school course load compares to their school's offerings and how they did. GPAs are incomplete measures: the UCs look at the specific courses you choose and your grades in them.
Extracurricular Activities: Students' experiences, passions, and contributions matter, especially in the context of the opportunities available to the student.
Personal Insight Questions (PIQs): Thoughtful responses showcase how you’ve grown through high school and used the opportunities available to you to explore your academic interests, develop your talents and skills, and overcome obstacles.
In addition, UCs, like other colleges, may use systems that help them gauge how likely a student is to accept an offer of admission. Colleges do not reveal whether or how they do this.
Navigating Your Options
For students and families, focusing on the opportunities available rather than dwelling on denials or waitlists is key. As you’ll see below, appeals are almost never successful, so barring exceptional circumstances, it’s best to accept the outcomes and move on.
Here's what to do next:
Review Acceptances: Consider all the colleges where you've been admitted and what they offer.
Visit Campuses: If possible, visit your top choices to get a feel for the environment and resources.
Compare Financial Aid Packages: Weigh costs, scholarships, and financial aid options.
Make a Confident Decision before May 1, and Pay an Enrollment Deposit: Choose the best-fit school for your goals and personal growth, and make a decision before May 1, the deadline for most colleges to submit a Statement of Intent to Register.
Let Other Colleges Know: Once you've accepted one offer, please let the other colleges know you won't be attending so they can offer the spot to someone else.
If a Waitlist Spot Becomes Available or an Appeal Succeeds, Make a Quick Decision: Don't worry about waitlists until a spot becomes available. If one does, you can evaluate the new option against the one you chose. If you decide to switch, first accept the spot on the waitlist, and once that's confirmed, let the other university know. You may lose your enrollment deposit, but colleges will usually refund it.
Understanding Waitlists and Appeals
Waitlists
The chances of admission from a waitlist vary among UC campuses. The table below summarizes the waitlist acceptance data for Fall 2024:
Not all UCs offer waitlists (UC Merced doesn’t have one), and waitlist admissions rates vary widely. UC Berkeley admitted only 26 students, making it highly unlikely that waitlisted applicants would secure admission. UCSB had the highest number of waitlist admits (8,747 students), suggesting a better chance of admission compared to other campuses.
Besides accepting your waitlist spot, there’s nothing else you can do to improve your odds of being selected from the waitlist at most UCs. Of the UCs, only UCLA allows waitlisted applicants to submit additional information. The other UCs will not consider letters of continued interest, emails to admissions representatives, or additional recommendations.
If you’re waitlisted by UCLA, you can use your note in their portal to:
Highlight how you will contribute to UCLA.
If true, express your strong intent to enroll by stating something like "If admitted, I will attend" in your own words.
Explain any extracurricular accomplishments and academic preparation since you applied.
Appeals
Appeals of UC admissions decisions almost never succeed. The table below summarizes appeal data for Fall 2024. As you’ll see, it’s exceedingly rare to be admitted on appeal. An appeal isn’t meant to address the situation of “I’m not happy with your decision, so please relook at my application.” It’s meant for situations where the original application omitted some compelling information. Students should focus on providing substantial new evidence in appeals rather than reiterating previously submitted information. It’s worth pointing out that “new” doesn’t usually mean “recent.” It means “information that wasn’t on the original application, but could have been.”
The table below summarizes the success of admissions appeals. As you can see, appeals are rarely successful:
UC Berkeley admitted only four students out of 1,500 appeals, reflecting an extremely low success rate.
UCLA admitted just five students out of nearly 2,000 appeals.
UC Irvine had a relatively higher success rate with 26 admits, but this is still a tiny fraction of total appeals.
Please note: None of the UCs allow waitlisted students to appeal. If you’ve been waitlisted, you have to wait until a decision is made on waitlist admissions to appeal.
* UCSC doesn’t publish the number of students who accepted waitlist positions.
Successful appeals require new and compelling information that was not part of the original application. Examples include:
Documented errors in the application or evaluation process.
Significant personal hardships or changes in circumstances since applying.
Final Thoughts
College admissions can be stressful, but the most important thing is to make the best decision based on your available choices. Rather than focusing on a particular outcome, focus on finding a school to support your academic and personal growth. There are many paths to success; the right college experience is about what you make of it.
Common Data Set Links
The UCs participate in the Common Data Set project, a collaboration between the College Board, Petersons, and U.S. News and World Report, to provide answers to specific questions each year. Links are below for each UC: