University of California Admission Requirements

A university’s admission is the process that students follow to gain entrance into that university. Every university has its different procedures and every procedure has its requirements. It is therefore essential that aspiring students seeking entrance into the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), should be well acquainted with the university’s admission requirements.

University of California Admission Requirements

The requirements for gaining admission into the University of California Los Angeles are majorly centered on the GPA of the intending students and their performance in SAT and ACT which are the school’s standardized testing methods for students seeking to gain admission into universities in the United States. 

The GPA Requirement:

GPA which is an acronym for the words “grade point average” is an academic standard for measuring the level of academic performance of a student. The purpose of a GPA is to show you how well you performed in your courses on average. In the United States, the grading system is usually in the standard of A – F with corresponding numbers that each alphabet represents. That is to say, each grade represents a specific number – of points; the A – grade represents 4-point, B – grade represents 3-point, C – grade represents 2-point, D – grade represents 1-point, and the F – grade represents 0 points. 

For example, let’s say that at the end of a semester, a student’s score for English was an “A” grade score, which would be a 4-point; Mathematics was a “B” grade score, which would be a 3-point; Physics was “B” graded score, as well, that would also be a 3-point; Chemistry was an “A” graded score that would be a 4-point; Computer was another “A” graded score that would be another 4-point, and lastly Economics was a “C” graded score that would be a 2-point. 

The student’s GPA of that semester would be:   4 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 4 +26 = 206 = 3.333 ≈ 3.3

Courses offeredEnglishMathematicsPhysicsChemistryComputerEconomicsTotal GPA 
Grades ABBAAC203.3
Points 433442

The GPA requirement, in the United States, slightly differs from one university to another. For the University of California Los Angeles, a GPA of 3.9 and above is required. Anything less would likely halt the student’s chances of gaining admission into the university because a GPA of 3.9 and above tells the school that the student is among the top-ranking student with nearly straight-A – graded scores on their result sheet. 

The SAT Requirement: 

The “Scholastic Aptitude Test” which is popularly known as SAT is an essential multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper standardized test organized by most colleges and universities board for intending students whose desire is to gain entrance into the university. 

SAT score analysis is usually conducted with just two sections, the mathematic section, and the read-and-write section. However, each section can be conducted multiple times for a chance of getting a considerable score.

Each section carries an equal number of scores – 800 points, which together make up the SAT scale used to evaluate students’ chances of being accepted. The SAT scale of universities in the United States is usually split into three percentiles; 25th, which is 1280, average percentile which is 1405, and 75th percentile which is 1520. The 25th and 75th percentile sort of form a reject and a considerable zone. 

According to the UCLA SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT), the SATand admission requirements for the University of California Los Angeles is a score that is at the 75th percentile which is 1520. 

Here is the breakdown of SAT scores according to the different sections:

SectionAverage Percentile 25th Percentile 75th Percentile 
Mathematics715640760
Reading and writing690640760
Composite140512801520

UCLA SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The ACT Requirement: 

The “American College Testing” which is popularly known as ACT is also an essential multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper standardized test administered by ACT, Inc. to measure a student’s preparedness for attending either college or university in the United States. So, in essence, it is somewhat similar to SAT. 

The difference here is that ACT is divided into four sections; Reading, English, Mathematics, and Science. Each section of the ACT is calculated on a 1-to-36-point scale. Another thing that differentiates it from SAT is that the composite score is the average of the four sections, unlike SAT which just sums it all up. 

According to the PrepScholar, the ACT score is classified into the 25th percentile score of 27, the average score of 31, and the 75th percentile score of 34 Here’s an example of what it looks like:

SectionAverage Percentile 25th Percentile 75th Percentile 
Reading 312734
English 322734
Mathematics 312734
Science 302734
Composite 312734

The ACT requirement for the University of California Los Angeles is a score that is at the 75th percentile of 34. Therefore, if a student would stand a chance of being admitted into the University of California Los Angeles, that student must meet the admissions ACT requirement score.

Conclusion 

Students with the intent to further their education should always strive to be among the top-ranking students in their class. This gives them a better chance of being admitted into higher education institutions. Also, parents should make inquiries about the university they wish their child to attend to meet up the university’s admissions requirements. So far, the University of California Los Angeles admission requirement is majorly a GPA of 3.9, SAT score of 1520, and ACT score of 34. 

Frequently Asked Questions
  • What is the minimum GPA for UCLA?

Any student who wishes to apply for UCLA should have a minimum GPA of 3.2 for he or her to be considered a valid candidate to go through SAT and ACT.

  • What is the UCLA application fee?

Students who seek to further their studies at UCLA would have to make a payment of $70 as an application fee for the program they desire.