Applying to a four-year university directly from high school is considered the traditional way to complete your higher education. As of the launching of this tool, we will primarily be focused on the postsecondary education system of the State of California. For our direct-to-university pathway, we will be referring regularly to the admission requirements for UC Berkeley, since it is a top school in not only California and the United States, but also in the entire world. California has two public pathways for direct-to-university traditional students: the California State University (CSU), and the University of California (UC).
The California State University system is the more popular pathway for traditional students seeking a public postsecondary education, with about 479,000 students served annually. CSU also claims 1 out of 10 of those employed in California, and half of all degrees granted annually in California come from their system. CSU has 23 campuses throughout the state, to find out where they are located, click here.
The University of California system is considered to be the more prestigious of the two public postsecondary education systems. Schools like Berkeley and UCLA are universities in this system. The UC systems boasts that it is “the only world-class public research university for, by and of California.” The UC system is geared more towards scientific and medical research, and is more selective of what students they admit to its universities. As such, the UC system is smaller in comparison, with 10 campuses throughout the state and admitting about 238,000 students each year. To find a UC campus or other facility, click here.
General Admissions Requirements for the UC and CSU Systems
The CSU and UC system have similar admissions requirements for traditional students:
- Completion of 15 “A-G” classes in high school.
- Take the ACT or SAT exams.
The CSU adds an additional requirement, that students must have a minimum score on the ACT or SAT if the GPA is below 3.0.
The UC system adds an additional requirement, that students must complete their “A-G” classes with a 3.0 GPA or better, and that at least 11 of those classes be completed before the last year of high school.
“A-G” classes correspond with subject areas that are required for students to complete in order to graduate high school. This list of “A-G” classes comes from the UC Berkeley website, with the required number of years for both CSU and UC for each subject area:
A. History/Social Science (2 years)
B. English (4 years)
C. Mathematics (3 years, UC recommends 4)
D. Laboratory Science (2 years, UC recommends 3)
E. Language Other than English (2 years, UC recommends 3)
F. Visual/Performing Arts (1 year)
G. College Preparatory Elective (1 year)
It can sometimes be confusing attempting to satisfy the “G” subject area requirement, since unlike the other subject areas it is not exactly clear what type of classes and “elective” course can be. We again look to UC Berkeley for guidance with this category. Elective classes satisfy the “G” subject area requirement if they:
1. [Are] academically challenging;
2. Involve substantial reading and writing;
3. Include problem-solving and laboratory work, as appropriate;
4. Show serious attention to analytical thinking, as well as factual content;
5. Develop students’ oral and listening skills; and
6. Incorporate learning to develop skills and cultivate interest in the academic enterprise.
These types of classes can come from the arts and humanities (general art or music, journalism etc.), geography, political science/economics, and other sciences such as computer science/programming. If you are certain on your future major, you can also take classes that will later be applicable to your program. But think of this area as your opportunity to explore your interests, or to even take some fun classes to break up the rigor of your other classes. If possible, try to space out your electives when you’re planning your courses so that you’re not taking them all in one semester, that way you can help prevent burning yourself out.
When To Apply
If your desire is to be a traditional university students, you must prepare early! Both the CSU and the UC systems are very popular not only in California, but also globally. People apply to both systems from around the world, so it’s going to be a competitive process. Both system’s admissions departments are going to take a fair amount of time to review each application carefully in order to preserve the integrity and reputations of their institutions. As such, you will need to prepare your application materials at least a year before you intend to apply to either system. This is why early preparation in high school is so critical, and what you do now in school will affect you a year down the line.
To apply to a CSU, click here.
To apply to a UC, click here.
Private Colleges and Universities
There are also many private colleges and universities available to students in California. A private institution does not belong to the public school system, and can include both for-profit and nonprofit institutions, and those that are affiliated with a trade, career discipline, or religious affiliation. There are many private institutions that are well known and well respected, such as Stanford University, University of the Pacific, University of Southern California (USC), and the University of San Francisco to name a few.
There are some important things to consider if you decide to apply to a private college or university. The first such consideration is the cost of attending. According to College Board (the company that owns the ACT and SAT tests), attending a private institution will cost 1.7 times more on average than attending a public university.
The other consideration is accreditation. In order for institutions to be considered “legitimate,” they must be accredited by a major regional accreditation organization. The major accreditation body for California is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Attending an accredited institution ensures a qualilty education that is recognized nationally, and ensures that you can receive subsidized student loans (more about this on the Paying For School page).
The admissions requirements are generally similar to those of CSU and UC, but keep in mind that each private institution will have their own admissions requirements that can vary at each college. To ensure that you are meeting each requirement, you should contact an admissions representative for each of the private institutions you wish to attend.
Paying for school
If you’re ready to take classes but not sure how to pay for them, be sure to visit Paying for School