Hello! I'm currently a junior and am looking into UCSB as a prospective college. But I'm stressing out a bit about my GPA. Does anyone know what the general GPA requirements are for UCSB? Is it high- like, should I be pushing for a 4.0+ for my weighted GPA? Or is there more flexibility?
For the University of California system, which includes UCSB, the minimum GPA requirement for California residents is a 3.0, and for out-of-state applicants, it's a 3.4. That being said, UCSB's admission process is quite competitive and the average GPAs of admitted students tend to be higher than the minimum. For reference, the middle 50% range for UCSB's GPA for Fall 2023 admitted students was around 4.13 - 4.29 (UC weighted, capped GPA).
While maintaining a solid GPA is important, remember that UC schools take a holistic approach to reviewing applications. They will look at other factors including course rigor, extracurricular involvement, and essays, alongside your GPA.
Do your best to maintain as high a GPA as possible, but also focus on pursuing challenging courses and meaningful extracurricular activities. Additionally, make sure to spend time crafting thoughtful and personal responses to the UC Personal Insight Questions. All these elements will contribute to making your application strong.
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