Today, we begin our "30 Colleges, 30 Guides to Getting In" series where we'll share Collegewise tips for admission to over 30 colleges. We're starting with the flagship university system of the state where we were founded, California. So here are five tips for applicants to the UC schools (University of California).
1. Show academic initiative.
Curious learners who pursue educational opportunities are appealing to (and ultimately do very well on) UC campuses. The history buff who takes a Civil War history class over the summer has academic initiative. The future scientist who does independent physics research with a teacher, the flutist who takes extra music classes outside of school, or the budding journalist who enrolls in a summer school journalism program at a local university—they’re demonstrating just how motivated they are to learn more about subjects that fascinate them. So think about times where you've sought out opportunities to learn more, and make sure you mention them somewhere in the application.