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Admission as a freshman, transfer student, international student
Campus selection criteria
Readmission
Special programs (concurrent enrollment, EOP/SAA, limited status, second baccalaureate, special status)
Admission checklist
Information:
Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services
175 Mrak Hall
916-752-2971
916-752-4360 (TDD)
You can obtain the Undergraduate Application for Admission and Scholarships from the counseling office of any California high school or community college or from the admission office of any UC campus.
Submit your application for admission during the filing period for the quarter in which you want to attend UC Davis.
| Quarter of Attendance | Filing Period |
| Winter quarter 1997 | July 131, 1996 |
| Spring quarter 1997 | October 131, 1996 |
| Fall quarter 1997 | November 130, 1996 |
Submit your completed application form to:
University of California
Undergraduate Application Processing Service
P.O. Box 23460
Oakland, California 94623-0460
Winter and spring quarters may require that you submit the application with an appeal letter directly to the Davis campus if we are closed to new applicants. Please call Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services during the winter and spring filing periods to find out the application filing status.
The application fee of $40 entitles you to apply to one University of California campus. If you apply to more than one campus, you must pay an additional $40 for each campus you select. These fees are not refundable. You must include the fee with the application or it will not be processed. Attach a check or money order made payable to the Regents of the University of California to the application form.
A carefully planned program of high school courses provides you with the best preparation for university work. As a prospective university student, you should give priority to completing the high school courses required for admission--the "A to F" subject requirements.
You should take college preparatory courses that will challenge you to work hard and will prepare you beyond minimum levels of competence in reading, writing and mathematics. A student who is well prepared for university work will have taken four years of English in high school, four years of mathematics, two to three years of foreign language, two to three years of laboratory science, two or more years of history/social science, and one or more years of art or humanities.
Reading: You should become proficient in reading and understanding technical materials and scholarly works. Learn to read analytically and critically, actively questioning yourself about the author's intentions, viewpoint, arguments and conclusions. Become familiar, and comfortable, with the conventions of standard written English, and with various writing strategies and techniques. Your reading experience should include original works in their entirety, not just textbooks and anthologies, and should encompass a wide variety of forms and topics.
Writing: Effective critical thinking and proficiency with the written language are closely related, and both are skills that every university student must master. By university standards, a student who is proficient in English composition is able to understand the assigned topic; select and develop a theme by analysis and argument; choose words that aptly and precisely convey the intended meaning; construct effective sentences, i.e., sentences that economically and successfully convey the writer's ideas and display a variety of structures; and demonstrate an awareness of the conventions of standard written English.
If you plan to attend the university, you must take English courses in high school that require the development and practice of these skills. You must take at least four years of English composition and literature classes that stress expository writing.
Mathematics: Many undergraduate majors require preparation in mathematics beyond the three years required for admission to the university. All majors in the natural and life sciences, engineering and mathematics require calculus. Many majors in the social sciences require statistics or calculus, or both. Calculus is also required for undergraduates preparing for careers in the environmental sciences, dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy and biostatistics. If you select a major that requires either calculus or statistics, you should expect to take that course during your first year at the university.
Prepare yourself for university courses in mathematics while you are still in high school. Good preparation includes a year of mathematics beyond second-year algebra (such as precalculus, mathematical analysis, analytic geometry) and, definitely, a course in mathematics during your senior year.
Algebra is necessary for success in university mathematics courses. Students who do not take a mathematics course during their last year in high school often find they need to take a preparatory course at the university in order to renew their algebra skills. The need to take such a course at the university could delay your undergraduate studies for which mathematics is a prerequisite.
Finally, take advantage of any guidance your high school offers in study skills and diagnostic tests designed to assist you in assessing your college preparation. Managing your time well and studying effectively are critical to excelling at the university. Together with solid academic preparation, these skills should enable you to realize your educational goals and, ultimately, fulfill your career aspirations.
The University of California defines a freshman applicant as a student who has graduated from high school but has not enrolled since then in a regular session in any college-level institution. Summer session immediately following high school graduation is excluded in this determination.
Admission requirements for California residents are different from those for nonresidents. Nonresidents must meet higher scholarship requirements.
The following describes the minimum requirements to establish eligibility at the University of California. At UC Davis, students generally must perform well above these minimums in order to gain admission, since the number of applicants exceeds the number of students we can admit. We give priority to students on the basis of highest academic achievements and test scores.
To be eligible for admission to the University of California as a freshman, you must meet the subject requirements, scholarship requirement and examination requirements that are described on this and the following pages.
Subject Requirements: A to F
You must complete at least 15 high school units in the subject areas listed below. At least seven of the required 15 units will have to be taken in the last two years of high school. The required course sequence is often referred to as the "A to F" pattern.
Courses taken in the 9th grade and completed with a grade of C or better can satisfy a subject requirement; however, the grades will not be used in computing your grade point average. If you receive a grade of D or lower in a 9th-grade course, you have not satisfactorily completed the subject requirement until you repeat the course (or, in some cases, complete a more advanced course) with a grade of C or better.
A. History/Social Science--2 years
One year of United States history, or one-half year of United States history and one-half year of civics or American government; and one year of world history, cultures and geography.
B. English--4 years
Four years of English--composition and literature (classes should stress preparation for university study, including frequent and regular practice in writing expository prose compositions of some length). Not more than one year will be accepted from the 9th grade. (See English Proficiency below.)
C. Mathematics--3 years; 4 years recommended
Three years of mathematics--elementary algebra, geometry and intermediate algebra. (Courses taken in grades 7 and 8 may partially satisfy the requirement if they are accepted by the high school as equivalent to its own courses.)
D. Laboratory Science--2 years; 3 years recommended
Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three areas: biology, chemistry and physics. Not more than one year of laboratory science taken in the 9th grade can be used to meet this requirement.
E. Language other than English--2 years; 3 years recommended
Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading and composition. (Courses taken in grades 7 and 8 may satisfy this requirement if they are accepted by the high school as equivalent to its own courses.)
F. College Preparatory Electives--2 years
Two years in addition to those required in "A" through "E" above.
If you are a California high school graduate, the courses used to satisfy the Subject Requirement must appear on a list that your high school principal has certified meets the course descriptions above, and has placed on file with the university's Office of Student Academic Services. If you submit courses from an out-of-state school, the Undergraduate Admissions Office will determine if your courses fulfill the Subject Requirement.
English Proficiency
Instead of a fourth year of high school English, you may satisfy the English Proficiency Requirement by completing one of the following:
The requirement may also be satisfied with a transferable college-level English course in literature, composition, or speech, worth 3-semester or 4-quarter units in which you earned a grade of C or higher.
Scholarship Requirement
An applicant must have earned a grade of C or better in all high school courses to satisfy the "A to F" requirements above. The grades earned in these courses that are taken in grades 10 through 12 will be used to evaluate the grade point average for minimum eligibility.
If you attain a grade point average of 3.30 [where the letter grade A=4, B=3, C=2, and D=1, and in university-approved honors or advanced placement courses taken during the 10th, 11th and 12th grades (limit of four year-long courses with not more than two coming from the tenth grade) where the letter grade A=5, B=4, and C=3] in the required "A to F" subjects taken after the 9th grade, you will meet the minimum requirements to be eligible to enter the university, regardless of your scores on standardized tests. If your grade point average falls between 3.29 and 2.82, you will meet the minimum requirements for the university if you achieve the specified scores on the standardized tests (see the Eligibility Index opposite).
In determining the required grade point average, the university will use a semester grade of A in one course to balance a semester grade of C in another. Grades you received in courses taken in the 9th grade or earlier are not used in determining your grade point average. (However, these courses may be used to satisfy subject requirements.) The grades that appear on your official high school transcript, including those earned in accelerated and advanced courses, are the grades the university will use in evaluating your record. Grades are counted on a semester basis unless your school gives only year grades.
To meet the Subject and Scholarship Requirements you may repeat courses in which you received a grade of D or lower. The grade achieved in the repeated course will be calculated into the grade point average. There is no limit to the number of repeated courses that may be used in the "A to F" pattern, but each course may be repeated only one time.
All freshman applicants must submit official scores from the College Board or the American College Testing (ACT) Program. If you are applying for admission to the fall quarter, take the tests no later than December of your senior year (earlier testing is recommended). The following tests are required:
AND
If you are a California resident and your grade point average in the required high school subjects is 3.30 or higher, the tests are required but your scores will not be used to determine your minimum eligibility for admission. (Reminder: At UC Davis, students generally must perform well above the minimums in order to gain admission.)
If your grade point average in the "A to F" requirement is less than 3.30, refer to the Eligibility Index to see the examination scores you must earn to be eligible for university admission.
Make arrangements to take the required SAT-I and SAT-II by writing to College Board SAT, Princeton, NJ 08541. For the American College Test (ACT) write to American College Testing Program, Registration Unit, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52240. (Test fees should be paid to the Testing Service, not to the university.) UC Davis' College Board code is 4834 and the ACT code is 0454.
If you are a freshman applicant who does not claim California residency, you must meet the following requirements for admission to the University of California:
If you do not meet the minimum scholarship and subject requirements for admission, you can meet minimum requirements for admission as a freshman by examination alone. The examinations must be taken before you graduate from high school. (If you have completed transferable college courses, College Board tests cannot be taken in academic subjects covered in those courses.) You must take the same College Board tests discussed above and receive a total score of at least 1400 on the SAT-I, or a score of 31 on the American College Test. Your total score on the SAT-II must be 1760 or higher with no score less than 530 on an individual test. If you are a nonresident applicant, your score on the SAT-II must be 1850 or higher with no score less than 530 on an individual test.
The University of California will accept the Certificate of Proficiency or the General Education Development (GED) certificate awarded by the State Department of Education in lieu of the regular high school diploma. However, you must also meet all other university entrance requirements (subject, scholarship, examination).
Transfer credit may be granted to a freshman applicant for an acceptable college course taken while still in high school if an official transcript is received from the college that conducted the course.
Transfer credit is also granted for each College Board Advanced Placement Examination completed with a score of 3, 4 or 5. International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examinations with scores of 5, 6 or 7 will receive transfer credit. If students take college courses in combination with Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Examinations in the same subject areas, transfer credit may be limited due to duplication of credit.
If you take one or more of the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations and score 3, 4 or 5, you will be awarded college credit. The credit will become part of the minimum 180 quarter units you need in order to receive a bachelor's degree. The credit from the AP Examinations may also be used to satisfy specific degree requirements. Consult the chart on page 25 to learn how many units you will receive for an AP Examination (see the column headed: Credit Toward Degree), and how those units will be applied toward specific degree requirements (see the column headed: Credit Allowed Toward Specific Degree Requirements). Please note that the courses for which AP credit has been granted may not be used as a substitute for courses required as part of the UC Davis General Education Requirement. Rather, AP credits are counted as transfer credits and may reduce the number of General Education (GE) courses you have to complete. (See the GE section in the Undergraduate Education chapter.)
In general, you may not earn university credit for courses that duplicate credit already earned through AP. There are, however, a few exceptions to this general rule. Since it is often difficult to know exactly which UC Davis course you should take when you have earned AP credit, you should talk with an academic adviser in your department or dean's office before selecting and enrolling in classes.
The University of California defines a transfer applicant as a student who has been a registered student in a college or university or in college-level extension classes since last attendance at high school. Summer session attended immediately following high school graduation is excluded in this determination. If you are a transfer applicant, you may not disregard your college record and apply for admission as a freshman.
California residents must meet the requirements that follow. If you are not a California resident, see Requirements for Residents of Other States below. At UC Davis, students generally must perform well above the minimums in order to gain admission, since the number of applicants exceeds the number of students we can admit.
The highest priority for admission is given to California Community College transfer applicants with 60 semester or 90 quarter units of transfer work with the highest academic achievement, as well as, in some areas, the completion of lower division major program.
Transfer applicants who plan on entering the university any term through spring 1998 must meet one of the following conditions:
If you meet the requirements for admission as a nonresident freshman, you must have a grade point average of 2.8 or better in college courses that are accepted for transfer credit by the University of California.
If you don't meet the minimum requirements for admission as a nonresident freshman, you must have completed at least 84 quarter units (56 semester units) of transferable work with a grade point average of 2.8 or better and have completed the subject requirements for California residents.
If you are admitted with fewer than 84 quarter units of college work (56 semester units), you are classified in lower division standing and must complete one of the four Lower Division Programs listed under Engineering in the Programs and Courses section of this catalog. You are advanced to upper division standing after completing 84 units.
When there are more applicants than space available in the College, priority is given to transfers from California community colleges who have completed the lower division program for engineering with a high grade point average. You must select a major before admission, and once admitted, you may be limited in your freedom to change majors within the College.
The university gives unit credit to transfer students for courses they have completed at other accredited colleges and universities. To be accepted for credit, your courses must be comparable to those offered at the university, as determined by the Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services Office.
A total of 105 quarter units (70 semester units) toward a university degree may be earned at a community (two-year) college. Only subject credit will be granted for courses taken in excess of these amounts.
If you are an undergraduate student currently or previously registered at another campus of the University of California and have not since been registered in another institution, you may apply for transfer to the Davis campus. Filing dates and application fees are the same as those listed for new applicants.
UC Davis welcomes competent, qualified applicants from around the world. An international application may be obtained by writing to Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services, University of California, Davis, California, 95616-8507. It is very important that the application be filed during the appropriate filing period.
To be eligible for admission to the university, international students need to meet specific academic and financial qualifications. International students are responsible for providing the university with all secondary school and college transcripts. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a requirement of admission for applicants from abroad or for those with little schooling in the United States when English is not the applicant's native language. A minimum score of 500 is required.
The Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT-I and SAT-II) are required for international freshman applicants who are graduates of U.S. high schools or American-type schools abroad. These tests are also required for applicants who come from countries that do not have national, external examinations at the end of secondary school. Because many preliminary admission decisions are made on the basis of test scores and marks, all international freshman applicants are strongly encouraged to take these tests and to have the official scores reported to UC Davis as early as possible.
For transfer students, coursework is considered transferable if the applicant completed the course at an institution that is recognized by the University of California and is comparable to coursework offered at the University of California.
Most international students are required to complete a "Financial Statement for Students Seeking Non-immigrant Status" that attests to the student's ability to pay for nonresident tuition and fees and living expenses.
All international students who have not satisfied the Subject A requirement through domestic coursework or testing, or whose native language is not English, must take the Examination in English as a Second Language upon entering UC Davis. Depending on the results of the exam, students may be required to enroll in appropriate classes until they have achieved the necessary language skills.
UC Davis makes every effort to provide a place for all California resident applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements and file an application during the appropriate priority filing period.
In recent years, the number of applicants for some majors has far exceeded the number of spaces available. When UC Davis cannot accept all eligible applicants, it uses standards that are more demanding than the minimum requirements to select students. These standards, which are called selection criteria, identify those students who have demonstrated the capacity for high academic achievement and who have a variety of other qualities that can contribute to the strength and diversity of the campus community.
The selection criteria described below will be used for applicants for the fall 1996 term. The criteria may differ for the winter and spring terms because enrollment targets and applicant qualifications change. Applicants for winter or spring should contact Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services for more information.
Each campus, in consultation with the Office of the President, develops enrollment targets that specify the number of new freshman and advanced standing students expected to enroll. Campuses that receive more applications than the number required to meet their enrollment target admit students using the criteria described below.
Academic Criteria (used to select up to 60 percent of admits): UC Davis selects freshman applicants who have made the greatest effort to fully prepare academically as measured by the following criteria:
Supplemental Criteria (used to select up to 40 percent of admits): Applicants are evaluated using the selection criteria described above in conjunction with the following supplemental criteria:
Academic Criteria: Top priority for admission consideration is given to UC-eligible California community college junior level transfer applicants with 60 semester/90 quarter units of transfer work. Other UC-eligible transfer applicants will be admitted if space is available.
When applications far exceed the number of spaces available--for majors such as engineering, biological sciences, computer science, international relations and psychology, for example--the completion of specific lower division preparatory courses for the major is required. Contact Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services for information on which majors are so impacted.
Supplemental Criteria: The same supplemental criteria described above for freshmen are used.
Upon completion of a review of your academic records, you will be notified of your admission status by letter.
The length of time before admission notification varies, depending upon the completeness of your application. For example, most applicants for fall quarter will be notified of their admission status between March 1 and mid-March for freshmen, and March 1 and May 1 for transfer applicants. When you receive your notification of admission you will also receive an important form called the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). Complete the form and return it to the Admissions office, along with the required nonrefundable $100 deposit, in order to complete the admissions process. This advance deposit is applied to your university Registration Fee as long as you register in the quarter to which you are admitted. EOP and readmission applicants are not required to submit the $100 advance deposit; however, they will pay full registration fees at the time of registration.
The Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) should be returned by May 1 (as a freshman) or June 1 (as a transfer) to notify the campus that you wish to attend. Students admitted to winter or spring quarter must return the SIR by the date specified in the notification of admission. Students not selected for admission consideration at the UC campuses to which they have applied may have their application considered at another UC campus where space is still available.
If you are a former UC Davis undergraduate student planning to return to the Davis campus, you must file an Application for Readmission and pay a nontransferable, nonrefundable fee of $40. This application is available in the Office of the Registrar. (You are a former student if you have interrupted the completion of consecutive terms of enrollment on the Davis campus.) Official transcripts of all work you may have attempted in the interim must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
Undergraduate students applying for readmission must file their applications on or before the following deadlines:
| Quarter | Deadline Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 1996 | July 29, 1996 |
| Winter 1997 | November 7, 1996 |
| Spring 1997 | January 30, 1997 |
Concurrent courses are regular university courses open to the community on a space-available basis through University Extension. This program allows an individual to pursue academic interests and to test academic abilities at the university.
For information, write to the University Extension office, Research Park, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 916-757-8777.
The Educational Opportunity Program/Student Affirmative Action assists students from ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the UC eligibility pool (African American, American Indian, Chicano and Latino). Also, the program assists students with a disability and students from economically and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. EOP/SAA can help you with the admission
application process and offers academic, social and cultural support. (See also under the Academic Advising and Student Resources chapter.) An admissions application fee waiver and financial aid are available to those individuals with demonstrated financial need. You can contact Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services for information on obtaining the fee waiver, and you may contact the Financial Aid Office regarding financial assistance.
To apply for the program, each applicant must complete the regular UC admission application form and complete the appropriate places related to EOP. In addition, the applicant is advised to discuss the reasons for requesting EOP assistance in the required personal statement.
Students in limited status are those whose special attainments qualify them to take certain courses in the university toward a definite and limited objective. To apply for limited status admission, you must either have a bachelor's degree but not be a candidate for an advanced degree, or have completed a substantial amount of college work with a satisfactory grade point average. You must also submit official transcripts from all schools attended. As a limited status student you will be expected to maintain a certain scholarship average during a predetermined time of enrollment.
Application filing dates are the same as those for new applicants. Fees for limited status students who do not already have a bachelor's (or higher) degree are the same as those for new applicants. You will not be admitted to limited status for the purpose of raising a low scholarship average.
Admission to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences requires the approval of the Undergraduate Admissions Director and the dean of the college.
Enrollment pressures have necessitated closing this category of admission for the College of Engineering and the College of Letters and Science.
If you have a bachelor's degree substantially equivalent to one that is granted by the University of California, you may be allowed to enroll as an undergraduate seeking a second bachelor's degree. Admission in this category will depend upon a superior academic record and clear evidence of a change in objective.
Admission to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences requires the approval of the Undergraduate Admissions Director and the dean of the college. You must submit official transcripts from all schools attended, including high schools.
Enrollment pressures have necessitated closing this category of admission for the College of Letters and Science. The College of Engineering will accept applicants if their first degree is not in engineering and if they complete the lower division engineering program at a California community college. Admission requires the approval of the Undergraduate Admissions Director and Dean of Engineering.
The special status classification is for applicants 21 years of age or older who have not had the opportunity to complete a satisfactory high school program or who have not completed a substantial amount of college work, but by reason of special attainment or background may be prepared to undertake certain courses at UC Davis toward a definite and limited objective.
You will not be admitted to special status for the purpose of fulfilling requirements for admission as a regular student. Conditions for admission are determined by the Admissions Officer and are subject to approval by the dean of the college in which you plan to enroll. Admission is for a specified time only and a prescribed scholarship average must be maintained. Fees and filing dates are the same as those for new applicants.
Enrollment pressures have necessitated closing this category of admission for the College of Engineering and the College of Letters and Science.
We welcome your comments.
UC Davis 1996-97 Online General Catalog