UC/CSU
University of California "A-G" Entrance Requirements
The A-G/College Entrance Requirements are a sequence of high school courses that students must complete (with a grade of "C" or better) to be minimally eligible for admission to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU). They represent the basic level of academic preparation that high school students should achieve to undertake university work. The following chart summarizes the A-G/College Entrance Requirements:
| SUBJECT | YEARS REQUIRED |
|---|---|
| A. Social Science |
2 years required: * 1 year of World History & * 1 year of US History or 1/2 year of US History & 1/2 year of American Government |
| B. English | 4 years of college prep English Composition & Literature |
| C. Mathematics | 3 years of math with minimum of Algebra, Geometry, and Intermediate Algebra (4 years recommended) |
| D. Lab Science | 2 years of laboratory science, including two of the three fundamental disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. (3 years recommended) |
| E. Language Other Than English | 2 years of the same Foreign Language (3 years recommended) |
| F. Arts | 1 year of Visual and Performing Arts |
| G. College Prep Electives |
1 additional year of electives selected from: History/Social Sciences, English, Foreign Language, Advanced Math, Advanced Lab Science, Advanced Visual & Performing Arts, Advanced AVID classes |
UC and CSU Application Comparison
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | CAL STATE UNIVERSITY | |
|---|---|---|
| WEBSITE | www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply | www.csumentor.com |
| COST | $60 per campus (fee waivers available) | $55 per campus (fee waivers available) |
| APPLICATION |
1 Application for all campuses (9 campuses open to Freshmen) |
1 Application for EACH campus (23 campuses open to Freshmen) |
| APPLICATION PERIOD | November 1st-November 30th | October 1st-November 30th |
| SECTIONS ON APPLICATION | 8 sections | 11 sections |
| FEE WAIVERS | 4 campuses (if eligible, apply online) | 4 campuses (if eligible, apply online) |
| ENTRANCE EXAMS |
SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Plus Writing AND Two SAT Subject Tests from two different disciplines (All test must be taken by December) |
SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT |
| TRANSCRIPTS | Not Required (self reported grades) | Not Required (self reported grades) |
| PERSONAL STATEMENT | 2 Prompts (see Personal Statement below) | Not Required |
| RECOMMENDATIONS | Not Required (may need to provide depending on major) | Not Required |
| ACTIVITIES AND AWARDS | UC wants to learn about student's Honors and Awards, Volunteer Work/Community Service, Extracurricular Activities, Coursework other than A-G, Educational Preparation Programs, and Employment | Not Required |
| EOP | Included on the application | Separate application link on CSU Mentor Application |
| SCHOLARSHIP INFO | Included | None |
| COLLEGE COURSEWORK | List ALL college coursework (in appropriate sections) | List ALL college coursework (in appropriate sections) |
| GPA MINIMUM | 3.0 in A-G courses (taken during 10th-11th grades) | 2.0 in A-G courses (taken during 10th-11th grades) |
| EMAIL ADDRESS | Required | Required (receive email address from CSU Mentor if needed) |
UC Personal Statement
- Respond to BOTH prompts, using a maximum of 1,000 words total.
This is about 500 words for each prompt, or 750/250, or 600/400, whichever combination you like.
- Your short response cannot be shorter than 250 words.
- Stay within the word limit as best as you can. You may exceed the word limit by no more than 15 words.
Prompt 1
• Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Prompt 2
• Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
*Remember: These are the prompts for the UC system. Other universities and colleges may have other prompts so please respond accordingly.
