In 5 to 15 minutes, make a copy-ready UC evidence plan: identify the review factors that genuinely fit your record, name the evidence you have, and choose your next three checks. Entries stay in this tab only. Copy them before leaving or reloading. Keep sensitive details out of this worksheet.
UC first-year eligibility and campus selection answer different questions. The current minimum route includes 15 yearlong A-G courses with grades of C or better, at least 11 before the final high-school year, plus a UC A-G GPA of at least 3.0 for California residents or 3.4 for nonresidents. These are eligibility minimums, not targets that make admission to a campus or major likely. Check the current UC first-year requirements and use the official UC guidance for course-by-course eligibility questions.
Once eligible, an applicant is read in context. UC lists 13 factors it may consider and says campuses can apply them differently. The pool and available space also vary by campus and major. This worksheet maps the published factors to evidence; it does not score an application, predict an outcome, or require a student to have evidence for every factor. Source: UC, How applications are reviewed, checked October 6, 2026.
UC says it does not use SAT or ACT scores in admission or scholarship decisions, although submitted scores can have limited eligibility or placement uses. This statement does not apply to every exam. Verify the current UC counselor requirements for your applicant category, checked October 6, 2026.
How to use the UC factor-to-evidence map
If you are a junior, use the map to identify evidence you can still develop. If you are a senior, use it to audit what your application can already show. If you are a parent, help your student find records and official sources without choosing their activities or writing their answers for them.
Read the 13 factors, then fill only the rows that illuminate your actual record or an unresolved question. Write concrete evidence, such as a transcript pattern, available school courses, an activity contribution, or a responsibility that shaped time. Leave irrelevant rows blank. Do not add an activity merely to fill a row. For a claim about eligibility or a particular campus or major, use an official UC or campus source and record its date in the final action section.
The UC-calculated record in completed A-G courses, including eligible honors points.
The subjects, number of courses, and performance beyond basic eligibility.
UC-approved honors, AP, IB Higher Level, and transferable college courses in context.
UC's identification of a student in the top 9% of their participating high-school class.
A-G courses in progress or planned in the final high-school year.
What the student achieved given the courses and resources their school offered.
Particularly strong work in one or more academic subjects.
A substantial project in an academic field, if the student has one.
A meaningful upward academic trend shown by grades and course quality.
Arts, athletics, languages, service, leadership, or other meaningful accomplishments.
A special project done through coursework or a school event or program.
The record viewed alongside relevant responsibilities, barriers, and circumstances.
The location of the secondary school and the student's residence as context.
Factors 8 and 11 describe two different project settings, and neither makes a research project mandatory. Factor 12 gives important context to achievements; it is not a request to disclose private details here. Factor 13 appears on UC's list, but this worksheet does not turn school or residence location into an admissions advantage claim.
Two records, different opportunities
Fictional student A: Maya attends a school with a broad advanced-course catalog and has taken a sustained math sequence, but she also works most afternoons. Her map might use factors 3 and 7 for academic depth and factor 12 for the time constraint. A sensible next check is whether the senior schedule remains feasible. She does not need to invent a separate project.
Fictional student B: Luis attends a school with few advanced courses, has improved steadily, and organized a neighborhood tutoring effort. His map might use factors 6, 9, and 10. The evidence should explain what was available and what he did, without comparing his course count to a school with different options. Neither example predicts selection.
Turn the map into an application evidence plan
Pick up to three evidence questions that matter most. You might need to verify an A-G requirement, confirm what a campus says about an intended major, or identify where a real contribution is described accurately. UC's personal insight questions can help communicate evidence, but this is not a PIQ drafting guide. Use the PIQ and activities guide for that work, the application-system guide for form mechanics, and the mixed-system list guide for campus-list decisions.
Check each UC campus's current selection guidance before making a campus or major decision. This plan helps you organize evidence, not calculate an admission probability. If you want help coordinating UC preparation with a broader college list, see undergraduate admissions support.