UCLA is a public research founded in 1919, making it the fourth oldest of the ten schools in the University of California system. Based in Los Angeles, California, the university is ranked # 13 in the latest Fobes listing of American colleges. It boasts of several prestigious undergraduate programs. They include the School of Theater, Film, and Television and the Samueli School of Engineering. UCLA enrolls about 30,000 undergraduates and offers numerous graduate and professional programs. https://www.ivycentral.com/university-of-california-los-angeles/
Changing Trends
A whooping 169,800 applications were received by UCLA for fall 2023 admission. Approximately 145,900 came from freshman applicants and nearly 24,000 from transfer applicants — making UCLA once again the most applied-to four-year university in the nation.
In comparison UCLA received almost 145,000 applications for the 2022-2023 academic year and admitted slightly fewer than 13,000 students, resulting in an acceptance percentage of less than 9%. However, for the years 2021, 2020, and 2019, University of California, Los Angeles acceptance rate stood at 11%, 14%, and 12% respectively
Geographical Diversity
Since UCLA, is part of the state-funded University of California system, it emphasizes in-state students in admissions decisions. UCLA’s in-state acceptance percentage for the Class of 2027 was 9.46%, compared to 8.62% for out-of-state candidates and 6.09% for foreign applicants.
UCLA, with students from more than 150 nations, is a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and viewpoints. The bulk of international students come from Asia, followed by Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
Standardized Testing
UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes. The University of California Board of Regents decided unanimously in May 2021, to suspend SAT requirements. They announced,
“Elimination of the ACT/SAT requirement: By 2025, any use of the ACT/SAT would be eliminated for California students and a new UC-endorsed test to measure UC readiness would be required. However, if by 2025 the new test is either unfeasible or not ready, consideration of the ACT/SAT for freshman admissions would still be eliminated for California students.”
A Diverse Student Body
UCLA has an extraordinarily diverse student body and almost a third of undergraduates earning a degree are the first in their families. The university provides opportunities for students, regardless of socioeconomic background. Additionally, ample financial aid is also available which means most families pay less than the full cost
Competitiveness
The profile of a typical student admitted to UCLA is diverse and showcases strong academic and extracurricular achievements. Students typically have taken a rigorous course load, including numerous honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or other advanced courses.
High performance in these courses is essential, demonstrating the student’s ability to handle challenging academic material. Most admitted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.9-4.0.
UCLA looks for students who demonstrate leadership, initiative, and commitment to extracurricular activities. This includes clubs, sports, community service, work experience, and other significant achievements or talents.
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