I just returned from the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC) conference, where I got the latest information from admissions officers. The good news for seniors planning to apply to the University of California is that the essay prompts will be the same, so you can start working on those essays now. The not so good news is that UCLA and Berkeley are likely to reduce freshmen enrollment next year. Once the state has a budget and UC knows what the funding will be, enrollment goals for next year will be set for each campus. With increasing competition for fewer seats, it’s more important than ever to submit a strong application. Berkeley received 850 appeals this year and only admitted 10 of those students, so the chance of reversing a decision is very low.  It’s tough to get motivated when you’re burned out from an overloaded junior year, and it’s fine to take a couple weeks to rest, but then you need to start working on that personal statement, so that you have plenty of time to prepare your best application. 

The admit rate at many UC campuses will probably drop again for the fall 2012 freshman class, when new eligibility requirements mean that more students will be eligible for admission. Younger students should make sure they’re on track with curriculum choices as well as summer and extracurricular activities that will enhance their UC application. While the 2012 applicants will no longer be required to submit SAT Subject Test scores, students who plan to apply for certain programs, like engineering, will be more competitive if they have strong math and science Subject Test scores.