Commons

Admission as a Freshman

UC Riverside seeks to enroll freshman students who are well-prepared to succeed in a rigorous and challenging academic setting.

The University considers you a freshman applicant if you are applying for UC admission and are either still in high school or have graduated from high school and have not enrolled in a regular session at a college or university. If you attend a summer session immediately after graduating from high school, you are still classified as a freshman applicant to UC Riverside.

UC Eligibility Requirements - California Residents

There are three paths to satisfying the University's minimum admission requirements for freshman students: Eligibility in the Statewide Context, Eligibility in the Local Context, and Eligibility by Examination Alone.

Eligibility in the Statewide Context

Most students attain UC eligibility under Eligibility in the Statewide Context guidelines. Eligible students must satisfy the subject, scholarship, and examination requirements described below.

1. Subject Requirement

Students must complete or have validated 15 units of high school courses to fulfill the Subject Requirement. At least seven of those 15 units must be taken or validated in the last two years of high school. (A unit is equal to an academic year, or two semesters, of study.)

The University accepts only "a-g" courses that appear on the official UC Certified Course List for the California high school the student attended. The UC-certified course list is available at the "A-G" Course List Web site.

The "a-g" subject requirements are as follows:

1. History - 2 years required
2. English - 4 years required
3. Mathematics - 3 years required, 4 years recommended
4. Laboratory Science - 2 years required, 3 years recommended
5. Language Other Than English - 2 years required, 3 years recommended
6. Visual and Performing Arts - 1 year required
7. College Preparatory Electives - 1 year required

2. The Scholarship Requirement

The Scholarship Requirement defines the grade point average (GPA) students must attain in the "a-g" subjects and the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Test scores that must be earned to be eligible for admission to the University. Students qualifying for admission in the statewide context must present an "a-g" GPA and UC score total that meets the criteria for the Eligibility index.
Honors Courses The University assigns extra points for up to four years of UC-approved honors-level and advanced placement "a-g" courses taken in the last three years of high school: A=5 points, B=4 points, C=3 points. A grade of D in an honors or advanced placement course does not earn extra points. No more than two year long, UC-approved, honors-level courses taken in the 10th grade may be given extra points. Acceptable honors-level courses include Advanced Placement courses, Higher Level and designated Standard Level International Baccalaureate courses, and college courses transferable to the University.

3. Examination Requirement

Freshman applicants must submit the scores from the following examinations:

• Either the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test. Students must report each test score from the ACT Assessment plus Writing and the composite score. The scores from the ACT Assessment plus Writing or the critical reading, mathematics, and writing scores on the SAT Reasoning must be from the same sitting.
• Two SAT Subject Tests in two different areas: history/social studies, English (literature only), mathematics (Level 2 only), science, or languages.

Eligibility in the Local Context

Through the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) path, the top four percent of students at each participating California high school are designated UC eligible and guaranteed admission to one of UC's general campuses.

To be considered for ELC, students must complete 11 specific units of the subject requirement by the end of their junior year. Together with the participating high school, the University identifies ELC students on the basis of GPA in the required course work.

The 11 units include one unit of history/social science, three units of English, three units of mathematics, one unit of laboratory science, one unit of language other than English, and two units chosen from among the other subject requirements.
UC Riverside guarantees admission to ELC designated students who 1) submit the University's application for admission to UC Riverside, 2) complete all examination requirements, and 3) complete all subject requirements.

Eligibility by Examination Alone

You may qualify for admission to the University by earning high scores on the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test, and two SAT Subject Tests.

To qualify this way, you must achieve a minimum UC Score total, calculated according to the Eligibility Index instructions, of 410 (425 for nonresidents). In addition, you must earn a minimum UC Score total of 63 on each component of the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test and on each SAT Subject Test. See the current Eligibility Index.
You may not use an SAT Subject Test to meet these requirements if you have completed a transferable college course in that subject with a grade of C or better.
UC Riverside guarantees admission to students who are determined eligible by examinations alone.

UC Eligibility Requirements - International Prospective Freshmen

We've put together an online section just for you with helpful checklists, downloadable resources and answers to frequently-asked questions.

UC Eligibility Requirements - Nonresidents of California

There are two paths to UC eligibility for nonresidents at the freshman level. The first is through Eligibility in the Statewide Context, and the other is through Eligibility by Examination Alone, with the following exception:
Scholarship Requirement Students whose GPA is 3.40 or above satisfy the minimum scholarship requirement if they achieve the UC Score Total indicated in the Eligibility Index.

UC Riverside Comprehensive Review

Comprehensive Review is generally the process by which UCR evaluates UC-eligible freshman applicants. It uses multiple measures of achievement and promise, while considering the context in which each student has demonstrated accomplishment. UCR calculates an Academic Index Score (AIS) for all UC-eligible freshman applicants, taking into consideration the following:

• High school GPA
• ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test and
• SAT Subject Test scores
• Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC)
• Low family income
• First-generation university attendance
• A-G courses completed beyond the minimum
  

Admission Counseling

Prospective students may arrange to meet with a UCR counselor who can provide advising on UCR admission and answer related questions. The Office of Undergraduate Recruitment schedules these counseling appointments.

How to Apply

Applicants may Apply to UC Online at the University of California Application Web site. Students can request a printed copy by e-mailing ucinfo@ucapplication.net with the reason you are unable to submit your application online. Late applications may be considered. For further information, please view filing dates and deadlines.

Admission as a Transfer

The University defines a transfer applicant as one who has been a registered student at a college or university in a regular session (not summer) after completing high school. Transfer applicants may not disregard a college record and apply for admission as freshmen.

UCR Preadmission Evaluation

Have a UCR recruitment counselor evaluate your California community college course work by mail. Click here to download the print-friendly Evaluation Form.

Three Steps to UCR

The best way for students to prepare to transfer to UCR is to take courses that blend the University of California (UC) admission requirements, lower-division major preparation, and general education requirements. Students should prioritize the courses they take by following the three-step process listed below.

In addition to this course pattern, UC Riverside encourages students who have decided on a major to complete as much of the lower-division preparation for their major as possible.

If you were eligible for admission to the University when you graduated from high school, meaning you satisfied the Subject, Scholarship and Examination Requirements, or were identified by the University during your senior year as Eligible in the Local Context, you are eligible for transfer if you have a C (2.0) average in your transferable college coursework.

If you met the Scholarship Requirement in high school but did not satisfy the Subject Requirement, you must clear the course deficiency by taking transferable college courses in the missing subjects, earn a C or better in each required course and have an overall C (2.0) average in all transferable coursework to be eligible to transfer.

Some UC Riverside majors require a GPA that is higher than the published UC admission requirements, lower-division course preparation, and/or 60 semester (90 quarter) transferable units completed as part of their admission criteria.

Major requirements are presented in the statewide articulation database, the ASSIST Web site. The California community colleges with which UC Riverside has course-to-course articulation also have copies of these publications for students in their transfer or counseling centers.

Lower-division major preparation is not an admission requirement for every major; however, the University evaluates transfer applicants in part on the basis of their performance in major preparation course work. Students should investigate the requirements for their intended major as soon as possible.

Although not a requirement, completing general education requirements before transfer gives students more freedom in selecting courses when they enroll at UCR and helps them complete their degree on time.

Depending on the major, these requirements may be fulfilled by following the College Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).

College Breadth Requirements

The College Breadth Requirements are designed to give UC Riverside undergraduates a broad background in all major academic disciplines. Each college has its own series of courses used to meet the requirements. With careful planning, students can meet much of the lower-division requirements while attending community college. UC Riverside's College Breadth Requirements are at the ASSIST Web site.

The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

The IGETC is a series of California community college courses prospective transfer students may complete to satisfy the lower-division breadth or general education requirements for both the University of California and the California State University.

Each UC Riverside college defines the most appropriate way to satisfy its general education requirements. Requirements are presented at the ASSIST Web site.

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

The College Breadth Requirements are accepted; the IGETC is recommended. For Liberal Studies, students should refer to the articulation agreement between UC Riverside and their community college for specific course requirements.

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

College Breadth Requirements are recommended; the IGETC is not accepted, although courses taken to satisfy the IGETC may be used for the college's breadth requirements.

The Bourns College of Engineering

College Breadth Requirements are recommended; the IGETC is accepted, although two additional upper division courses taken on campus after transfer are necessary to complete the requirement.

Transfer Credits

The University awards graduation credit for up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units of transferable course work from a community college. Courses in excess of 70 semester units receive subject credit and may be used to satisfy subject requirements.

How to Apply

Applicants may Apply to UC Online at the University of California Application Web site. Students can request a printed copy by e-mailing ucinfo@ucapplication.net with the reason you are unable to submit your application online. Late applications may be considered. For further information, please view filing dates and deadlines.

Transfer Admission Guarantee

To learn more about UCR's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, check out the TAG section of the special admission programs page.

We're Here to Help

Visit UCR's Transfer Resource Center web site to get support, information and resources tailored just for your needs.

Reentry Student Scholarship

Who are Reentry Students?

Reentry students are defined as people over age 25, pursuing a bachelor's degree after an interruption in their education of at least two years. Who is Eligible for the Scholarship? Scholarship applicants may be either continuing UCR reentry students, or prospective reentry transfer students who have applied for admission to UC Riverside for Fall. Awards are based on a minimum grade point average of 3.20 in recent college work, financial need, and potential for success.

How Much is Awarded?

Each year, at least two $1,500 to 2,000 awards are given. The scholarship committee may award additional scholarships. Awards are announced in mid-May for disbursement during Fall Quarter.

Where Do I Get the Application?

Click here to download a PDF of the application.

The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations Reentry Scholarship
2203 Alumni and Visitor Center
Riverside, CA 92521

Questions About the Scholarship?

Please direct your inquiries to Kristin Seiler by e-mail at Kristin.Seiler@ucr.eduor by telephone at (951) 827-4511.

Admission as a Homeschooled or Other Nontraditionally Educated Student

The University of California, Riverside seeks to recruit and retain an academically strong student body that has demonstrated the rigorous preparation needed for admission to a major research institution and reflects the diversity of our state and region. To that end, UC Riverside has developed an admission program for homeschooled or other nontraditionally educated students in recognition of the benefits of the education they have received, including the depth of learning, socialization, maturity, creativity, and vision. These qualities provide excellent foundations for pursuing an education at UC Riverside.

How Does UC Riverside Define a Homeschooled or Other Nontraditionally Educated Student?
UC Riverside recognizes that students can be educated in many ways. Students who have received an innovative, customized, or self-determined education, which includes real-life educational experiences, may not only have received an excellent education but may also have developed personal characteristics that can lead to success in college and life.

Those personal characteristics include maturity and self-discipline, creativity and ingenuity, an intrinsic motivation to learn, leadership qualities, determination, a desire to volunteer or perform community service, a desire for the exploration of other cultures and languages, and a possession of clear and achievable goals.
A nontraditional education may encompass one or more approaches that lead to the characteristics that UC Riverside seeks in students. Examples of such approaches include the following:

• Learning primarily in a setting other than a regularly attended classroom. Examples include study at home, in other countries, in community college courses, online, and combinations of the above.
  
  
• Using an approach that combines the study of material from multiple subject areas; for example, blending English and history in a single learning project.
  
  
• Designing studies around solving math problems and then learning the related material needed to solve those problems.
  
  
• Devising a study schedule that allows a monthly variation of subjects to support the in-depth study of a topic of great interest.
  
  
• Taking an active role in the selection of subjects to study and determining how to best learn those subjects, rather than simply taking courses offered at one school.

Examples include learning from source documents rather than a textbook, making extensive use of a museum for learning, or choosing a particular mathematics curriculum after determining the best match to one's learning style. Spending a lot of time in a variety of social settings rather than in age-segregated groups of peers.

Examples of nontraditional educational settings include those where the high school education was:

• primarily home-based
• completed as home-based after leaving a traditional high school during the last year or two
• based on courses from various sources such as high school, community college, and online program, with or without extensive home-based education
• completed early by taking the California High-School Proficiency Exam AND performing additional studies outside of class or participating in significant educational life experiences such as charity work or experience in another country
• taken at a charter school emphasizing an innovative educational approach that doesn't have a UC-approved "a-g" course list
• taken at a high school with a UC-approved "a-g" course list, but the student graduated without fulfilling the "a-g" course work because the student emphasized homeschooling or another novel educational approach instead

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to apply to UC Riverside through this admission program must satisfy the following requirements

• Meet high school qualifications as defined below
• Meet the examination requirement
• Complete the University of California (UC) application for admission
• Submit a portfolio to UC Riverside.

Visit the following sites for information about the tests.

Click here for information on SAT testing.

Click here for information on ACT testing.

Applicants to UC Riverside must complete the University of California Application for Undergraduate Admission and Scholarships, which is available at the University of California Application Web site.

Special instructions in completing the UC application for students who apply through UC Riverside's admission program for homeschooled or other nontraditionally educated students:

1. Section IV: The University of California school code for home schools is 999111. Applicants should name the high school "home school." Students who were enrolled in a homechool or nontraditional program that has its own code can enter that code but must follow the directions listed below to ensure that their applications can be identified appropriately for this program.
2. Section VI, questions 55-61, "a-g" courses: Home schooled or nontraditionally educated students typically will not have taken UC-approved "a-g" courses and may not have even studied all seven subject areas. Applicants must try to include, to the best of their ability, their actual studies partitioned into "courses" on the application. They must enter a minimum of one course into the application to prevent the application from being rejected by UC. The more information the student provides, the easier it is for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to make an admission decision.
3. Section VI, Question 72. Check the Home School box.
4. Section XII, question 175: Applicants must choose "Riverside" so that the application is forwarded to UC Riverside.

Applicants should submit a portfolio describing aspects of their educational background not captured in the UC application. The portfolio provides an opportunity for applicants to describe their unique educational backgrounds and their specific educational accomplishments. The portfolio is a paper document that summarizes key subjects the applicant has studied and learning methods used and should follow the Portfolio Guidelines available in a Word template or as in PDF format.. A committee of faculty members and staff who are familiar with home or nontraditional schooling will review the portfolio along with the other application materials. Completed portfolios should be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 3601 Student Services Building, Riverside, Ca. 92521 by January 31st or three weeks from the date of request by the review committee.

Applicants with strong SAT scores and/or strong grades in several college-level courses (e.g., community college or Advanced Placement) may elect to postpone their preparation and submission of a portfolio, and instead wait to see if the review committee can make a positive decision from the rest of the application materials without a portfolio. If the committee is unable to make a positive decision without a portfolio, applicants would have three weeks after being informed that a portfolio is needed to submit the portfolio.

How to Apply

Applicants may Apply to UC Online at the University of California Application Web site. Students can request a printed copy by e-mailing ucinfo@ucapplication.net with the reason you are unable to submit your application online. Late applications may be considered. For further information, please view filing dates and deadlines.

For more information about UC Riverside and its undergraduate programs, call, write, e-mail, or visit:
Office of Undergraduate Recruitment
3249 Student Services Building
Riverside, Ca 92521

University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
Phone: (951) 827-4531
E-mail: discover@ucr.edu