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UC Board of Regents approves policy on nonresident student enrollment

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The University of California Board of Regents today (May 18) approved a policy on nonresident undergraduate enrollment that reaffirms UC’s historic commitment to California residents by limiting the proportion of out-of-state and international students at its nine undergraduate campuses.

Under the policy, the first of its kind at UC, nonresident enrollment will be capped at 18 percent at five UC campuses. At the other four campuses where the proportion of nonresidents exceeds 18 percent — UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA and UC San Diego — nonresident enrollment will be capped at the proportion that each campus enrolls in the 2017–18 academic year.

“Our new nonresident enrollment policy strikes the right balance between UC’s continued commitment to putting California students first and the significant benefits that out-of-state and international students provide the university,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “This policy represents a broad consensus achieved after extensive consultation with regents, legislators and other stakeholders.”

The state’s Budget Act of 2016 called for the UC Board of Regents to adopt a policy limiting the number of undergraduate nonresidents as a condition for receiving $18.5 million to support the enrollment of an additional 2,500 California resident undergraduates in the upcoming academic year.

UC is not only on track to enroll an additional 2,500 Californians this fall, but through an agreement with the state, it enrolled more than 7,400 additional California residents in fall 2016, the largest year-to-year jump in California resident enrollment since the end of World War II.

UC’s strong focus on serving in-state undergraduates is unique among many top-ranked public institutions. UC nonresident undergraduate students currently make up about 16.5 percent of total undergraduates systemwide, compared with an average of 27.9 percent for the public institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU). In fact, all UC campuses enroll less than one-quarter of their undergraduates from outside California — well below the average proportion of nonresident enrollment for public AAU institutions.

“True to the university’s mission, our nonresident enrollment policy underscores our unwavering commitment to the students of the state under the California Master Plan for Higher Education by offering a place on at least one of our campuses to every California applicant who meets UC’s requirements for admission,” Napolitano said. “It also reaffirms our pledge that nonresident students will be enrolled only in addition to, and never in place of, Californians.”

The newly adopted policy also calls for the UC Board of Regents to review the nonresident policy in at least four years. Periodic review of the policy will allow the regents to assess its efficacy in maintaining and enhancing the educational experience and access of California students.

University of California Admission by exam

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If you don’t meet UC’s minimum requirements, you may be considered for admission to UC if you earn high scores on the ACT with Writing or SAT and two SAT Subject Tests.

In general, this method of consideration is designed for students who have been unable to meet the regular subject requirements and/or earn a high school diploma because of unique circumstances, such as non-traditional education or long-term illness.

To be considered, you must take either the ACT with Writing or the SAT, as well as two SAT Subject Tests.

You must earn a minimum UC Score total — calculated according to the instructions below — of 410 (425 for nonresidents). In addition, you must achieve a minimum UC score of 63 on each component of the exams.

You may not use a SAT Subject Test to meet these requirements if they have completed a transferable college course with a grade of C or better in that subject.

How to convert your test scores to UC Scores:

If you took the SAT Reasoning Test (prior to March 2016):

  • Convert the highest scores in critical reading, math and writing from a single sitting and the two highest SAT Subject Tests from different subject areas to equivalent UC Scores (see the SAT test score translation table).
  • Add all five UC Scores to produce your UC Score total. For example: critical reading + math + writing + Subject Test 1 + Subject Test 2 = UC Score total.

If you took the SAT with Essay exam (starting March 2016)

  • Using scores from a single sitting, convert the new reading, math, and writing & language scores to the old SAT scores using the tables listed below. Get the equivalent UC Scores for the three converted scores using the SAT test score translation table.
  • Convert the two highest SAT Subject Tests from different subject areas to equivalent UC Scores using the SAT test score translation table.
  • Add all five UC Scores to produce your UC Score total.

SAT w/ Essay
Reading

Old SAT
Critical Reading

40 800
39 760
38 720
37 700
36 680
35 660
34 640
33 610
32 590
31 570
30 550
29 530
28 520
27 500
26 480
25 460
24 440
23 420
22 400
21 380
20 370
19 340
18 310
17 280
16 270
15 260
14 250
13 240
12 220
11 210
10 200

SAT w/ Essay
Math

Old SAT
Math

800 800
790 780
780 760
770 750
760 740
750 720
740 710
730 700
720 690
710 680
700 670
690 660
680 650
670 650
660 640
650 630
640 620
630 610
620 600
610 590
600 580
590 570
580 560
570 550
560 530
550 520
540 510
530 500
520 490
510 470
500 460
490 450
480 440
470 430
460 420
450 410
440 400
430 390
420 380
410 370
400 360
390 350
380 340
370 330
360 310
350 300
340 290
330 280
320 280
310 270
300 260
290 260
280 250
270 240
260 240
250 230
240 220
230 220
220 210
210 200
200 200

SAT w/ Essay
Writing & Language

Old SAT Writing

40 800
39 760
38 740
37 710
36 680
35 650
34 630
33 600
32 570
31 550
30 530
29 510
28 490
27 470
26 450
25 430
24 420
23 400
22 380
21 370
20 350
19 340
18 320
17 300
16 280
15 270
14 260
13 240
12 230
11 220
10 200

 

SAT test score translation

SAT Score

UC Score

SAT Score

UC Score

800 100 490 48
790 98 480 47
780 97 470 45
770 95 460 43
760 93 450 42
750 92 440 40
740 90 430 38
730 88 420 37
720 87 410 35
710 85 400 33
700 83 390 32
690 82 380 30
680 80 370 28
670 78 360 27
660 77 350 25
650 75 340 23
640 73 330 22
630 72 320 20
620 70 310 18
610 68 300 17
600 67 290 15
590 65 280 13
580 63 270 12
570 62 260 10
560 60 250 8
550 58 240 7
540 57 230 5
530 55 220 3
520 53 210 2
510 52 200 0
500 50

If you took the ACT Plus Writing:

  • Convert the highest math, reading, science and combined English/writing or ELA score from a single sitting to equivalent UC Scores (see the translation table below).
  • Multiply the sum of the converted math, reading and science scores by two-thirds, then add the converted English/writing or ELA score.
  • Add this subtotal to your two highest SAT Subject Test scores from two different subject areas, which are also converted to equivalent UC Scores. For example: (math + reading + science) x 0.667 + English/writing + Subject Test 1 + Subject Test 2) = UC Score total.
ACT test score translation

ACT Score

UC Score

ACT Score

UC Score

36 100 20 47
35 97 19 43
34 93 18 40
33 90 17 37
32 87 16 33
31 83 15 30
30 80 14 27
29 77 13 23
28 73 12 20
27 70 11 17
26 67 10 13
25 63 9 10
24 60 8 7
23 57 7 3
22 53 1-6 0
21 50

University of California Admissions: SAT Subject Tests

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While SAT Subject Tests are not required, some campuses recommend that freshman applicants interested in competitive majors take the tests to demonstrate subject proficiency.

Recommendations for fall 2017 applicants

Remember, these are recommendations, not mandates. You will not be penalized for failing to take the SAT Subject Tests. On the other hand, submission of these test scores (just like submission of AP and/or IB scores) may add positively to the review of your application.

Berkeley

College of Chemistry and College of Engineering: Math Level 2 and a science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) closely related to the applicant’s intended major.

Davis

Not recommended for any area.

Irvine

Claire Trevor School of the Arts: recommends that freshman applicants take any SAT Subject Tests that will demonstrate the student’s strengths.

Henry Samueli School of Engineering (including the joint Computer Science and Engineering major): Math Level 2 and a science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) closely related to the applicant’s intended major.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Biology M, Chemistry, and/or Math Level 2.

School of Physical Sciences: Math Level 2.

Program in Public Health Sciences: Biology E, Biology M, and/or Chemistry.

Program in Public Health Policy: Biology E, Biology M, and/or World History.

Los Angeles

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science: Math Level 2 and a science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) closely related to the applicant’s intended major.

Merced

No recommendation at this time.

Riverside

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Bourns College of Engineering: Math 2 and Chemistry or Physics, for all majors

San Diego

Jacobs School of Engineering and biological or physical sciences majors: Math Level 2 and a science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) closely related to the applicant’s intended major.

Santa Barbara

College of Engineering: Math Level 2

College of Creative Studies:

  • Math Level 2 for math majors
  • Math Level 2 and Physics for physics majors
  • Biology for biology majors
  • Chemistry for biochemistry and chemistry majors
  • Math Level 2 for computing majors

Santa Cruz

Not recommended for any area.

 

Submission deadline

Freshman applicants for fall 2017 must arrange to have official score reports sent to us by December 2016. If you plan to take an exam December, indicate the planned test date on your admission application.

And don’t worry — if you report your scores to one campus, they will be shared with every campus to which you’ve applied.

California to Limit Foreign University Students

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A new policy takes effect at the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year and will limit enrollment of non-California residents to 18 percent of the student population at five University of California campuses: Santa Barbara, Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Merced.

The other four campuses, in Los Angeles (UCLA), Berkeley, Irvine and San Diego, have more than 18 percent non-Californian students. They will be barred from further increasing the proportion of non-state residents in the new school year, which begins in late August on most campuses.

Qualified California students ‘losing out’

The state Board of Regents approved the new limits Thursday, following a release of an auditor’s report that said California high school graduates who otherwise were qualified for university admission have been losing out to non-state residents.

A tactic the universities adopted years ago — encouraging the enrollment of out-of-state residents, who pay higher fees than Californians, to circumvent state government funding cutbacks — “has made it more difficult for California residents to gain admission,” state auditor Elaine Howle said.

The issue was hotly debated before the Board of Regents voted to enact limits on foreign and out-of-state students.

Board of Regents member Hadi Makarechian came to California from Iran in the 1960s as an international student. He warned that the 18 percent limits will prompt talented international students to look elsewhere for college.

Overall, about 3,800 foreign undergrads

“I know the in thing today is to build walls, but we are building a wall around the University of California by doing this,” Makarechian said.

The California state university system, one of the largest in the United States, has about 210,000 undergraduates, about 16.5 percent of whom are non-Californians.

Less than 11 percent of the out-of-state undergraduates, about 3,800 individuals, are international students, coming to the U.S. from about 100 countries.

Some of the financial pressures that confront the Board of Regents emerged during this week’s meeting: California’s state-run colleges receive about $61,000 in tuition and other fees each year from non-state residents, while state residents pay about $27,000 less.

International students’ economic boost

International students who attend public or private colleges and universities in California add $5.2 billion to the state’s economy, according to official estimates. Nationwide, international students add $32.8 billion to the U.S. economy, according to the National Association of International Educators.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block told the regents earlier this year that higher tuition from non-state residents helped the school avoid cuts in class offerings as state education spending dropped.

However, a state lawmaker, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, said he and other legislators have been hearing from parents that their children were being denied admission to state universities in favor of out-of-state students with “lower academic scores.”

University of California President Janet Napolitano listens during a meeting of the Board of Regents, May 18, 2017, in San Francisco.

University of California President Janet Napolitano listens during a meeting of the Board of Regents, May 18, 2017, in San Francisco.

 

University of California President Janet Napolitano said the new limit on out-of-state residents is balanced and supports “our pledge that non-resident students will be enrolled only in addition to, and never in place of, Californians.”

Napolitano, who served as Secretary of Homeland Security under former President Barack Obama, said the state university system still provides opportunities for students from around the world.

Stiff competition among applicants

Competition for admission at California universities is intense.

UCLA received 102,000 applications for the freshman class whose classes begin August 21. It was the first time that more than 100,000 students applied. Last year, UCLA accepted about 17,500 freshmen, including about 40 percent non-Californians, or 4,600 Americans from other states and 2,500 foreign students.

Overall, the California system received 210,000 undergraduate applications for the 2017-2018 academic year, including 33,995 from out of state and 32,647 from international students, more than 31 percent of the total. Those numbers also reflect a 1.1 percent drop in the number of applications from foreign students.