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(written by Lori McCormick)
Yesterday, the University of California announced that they are going to ease up on admissions requirements for the current 2020 and upcoming 2021 admissions cycles. The full article is here.
I attended a conference, virtual of course, this morning that addressed the UC’s recent announcement and clarified several questions I have been fielding from families. I want to share that information with you.
How are spring semester grades going to impact my UC admission?
The UC awards A-G coursework with a grade of C or better. Since many high schools are switching to a Pass/No Pass or Credit/No Credit grading system (at least for the time being), the UC will accept Pass or Credit grades on student’s transcripts.
The UC will accept Pass/Credit grades from 2020 Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters. This applies to high school and transfer students, if applicable.
To further clarify, on the UC website: “Pass (P) or Credit (CR) grades will meet A-G subject requirements but will not be calculated in the GPA. UC will continue to calculate the GPA for admission purposes using all A-G courses passed with letter grades in grades 10 and 11, including summer terms following grades 9, 10, and 11. Extra points in honors-level coursework will continue to be capped at 8 semesters of honors points in A-G courses completed with letter grades of A, B, and C in grades 10 and 11.”
Do I need to take the SAT or ACT? What about subject tests?
The main takeaway from the UC was this: if you have test scores and want to submit them, they will review them. However, if you DO NOT have test scores, OR, have scores you wish not to send, there is NO penalty for NOT submitting scores.
Subject tests are OPTIONAL and not REQUIRED, and always have been. The same rule as above applies. If you have taken the subject test (s) and want to send them because you feel they are a strong reflection of your academic understanding of the subject, then submit. However, there is NO penalty for NOT submitting subject test scores.
Also, in case you are wondering, you MAY submit the SAT without writing if you took the test without writing.
For those of you who wonder what the rules will be for IB test scores? The UC is still making their decision, but the word “flexible” came up several times in the meeting.
What about my AP exams?
The College Board announced they would be offering AP exams this spring virtually. The UC will accept those AP scores.
If you are a current high school senior, send your AP scores through the College Board before July 15th to the UC campus you will attend in the fall.
I keep hearing Students Intent to Register dates, also known as Decision Day, have been pushed back to June, is this true for the UC’s?
The short answer is NO. The UC system is still requiring students to commit to their campus by May 1st. The reasoning behind this is their long waitlist of students anticipating an answer from the UC’s.
I am attending UC (fill in the blank campus) this fall. My high school is closed, how do I get my transcripts sent?
The UC understands and wants to be as flexible as possible. The preference is that transcripts, whether official or unofficial, are sent directly from the high school. However, if you are unable to reach your high school administration for support, notify the UC campus you will be attending and they will work with you individually on this issue.
I hope this information has provided you with some answers and clarification. I encourage you to visit the UC’s website for any further information, as I suspect their website will continue to update as new information is available.