Q1: Does this affect high school students who will be graduating in 2021, 2022, 2023, and beyond?
The temporary suspension of the letter grade requirement for A-G courses applies to all A-G coursework completed in spring and summer 2020, including coursework completed by students currently in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. The modification to the SAT/ACT test requirement is not intended as an admissions policy shift but is rather a temporary accommodation driven by the current extraordinary circumstances.
Q2: What impact will the COVID-19 pandemic have on the admissions process for those who intend to apply in the future?
Please rest assured that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, in collaboration with our campus partners, will ensure students who apply for a future term are not disadvantaged in the admissions process. Freshman applicants to UC Santa Cruz are evaluated using a comprehensive review process while transfer applicants are selected using faculty-approved criteria . Students who have been and will be offered admission are those whom our faculty believe have demonstrated the strongest achievement within the context of their opportunities, have the potential to succeed, and will contribute their skills, perspectives, and passion to our campus community. We are strongly committed to enrolling a class of students that is diverse, including those with international experiences and perspectives.
Q3: My school/college has switched to P/NP grades only. How will this impact my admissions status or chances of being admitted in a future term?
Freshman Applicants - The P/NP grades earned in spring and summer 2020 will not impact your admission status or chances of being admitted in a future term. The letter grade requirement for A-G courses has been temporarily suspended for all A-G coursework completed in spring and summer 2020, including coursework completed by students currently in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. A Pass or Credit grade in spring and summer 2020 will meet A-G requirements for any student currently enrolled in high school during the 2019-20 academic year.
Pass (P) or Credit (CR) grades will not be calculated in the GPA. Campuses will calculate the GPA for admission purposes using letter grades received in A-G courses from 10th and 11th grade, including summer terms following grades 9, 10, and 11. Extra points for honors-level coursework will continue to be capped at 8 semesters of honors points in A-G courses completed with letter grades of A, B, and C in grades 10 and 11.
Transfer Applicants - UC has temporarily suspended its cap on Pass/No Pass (Credit/No Credit) units required to enroll at a UC campus as a junior. Any courses taken with Pass/No Pass or Credit/No Credit grading in the winter, spring, and summer terms of 2020 will not count toward UC’s limit of 14 semester/21 quarter transferable units. Additionally, the overall transferable GPA will be calculated using only UC transferable courses taken for letter grades.
STANDARDIZED TESTING
Q4: Does this mean that juniors who will be seniors in the fall of 2020 and applying to UC schools do not have to take the SAT or ACT? What if the students already took these tests, or are planning to?
Students applying for fall 2021 are not required to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), but if they are able, doing so can support their statewide UC eligibility and application for certain scholarships, and can help them fulfill some University graduation requirements.
Q5: What if students have an earlier test score that they do not want to submit?
If you have scores, we encourage you to submit them as they can be used to determine statewide UC eligibility and application for certain scholarships, and can help you fulfill some University graduation requirements after you enroll at UC. If you have scores but do not want to submit them, you are not obligated to do so.
Admitted Students for Fall 2020
Q6: Is instruction being offered remotely in fall 2020? And how does this affect tuition and fees?
Currently, UC Santa Cruz is offering most courses remotely or online and providing in-person instruction for a small number of courses that cannot be delivered remotely, as is the case for some laboratory, studio, and field study courses.
Tuition and fees remain the same, whether instruction is offered remotely or in-person.
Q7: How is housing for fall 2020 affected?
University housing is currently open for a small number of students, prioritizing students who would not otherwise have a safe place to live and learn.
Residence halls are primarily single-occupancy rooms, while campus apartments may have a combination of single and double-occupancy bedrooms (apartments have five or fewer total residents).
Meal plans are included in the housing contract for students living in residence halls and are also available to other students. Dining services have been modified with the utmost care for health and wellness in mind. Students have access to quick-service dining options, including dining hall to-go meals, grab-n-go from campus cafes and convenience stores, and order-ahead take out from campus restaurants.
Additional resources:
➢ Campus dining and meal plans
➢ Housing and dining rates
Q8: Can I take classes at a different university in the fall due to travel/immigration restrictions and get credit toward a UC Santa Cruz degree?
While students may take courses concurrently from other institutions, it is important to seek assistance from your college and academic department advisors to ensure there will not be any impact to your financial aid eligibility, senior residency requirements, etc. You may take courses over the summer at any accredited college or university and earn credit toward your degree at UC Santa Cruz if the course is transferable. We recommend taking courses in traditional academic disciplines that are broad in nature, such as Economics, Anthropology, Psychology, History, etc.
Visiting the Campus
Q9: How can I find out more about UC Santa Cruz, since I can’t visit the campus?
Due to state-mandated restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our in-person Campus Visits program has been suspended. However, you can still find out more about UC Santa Cruz and connect with the Banana Slug community through virtual experiences, such as our Virtual Events for Future Students. We encourage you and your family to attend one of these many events. Live Virtual Tours are also being offered by our tour guides. Consult the calendar on the web page for more information.
We also recommend our on-demand Virtual Tour, hosted by our student tour guides and available in five languages.
Q10: What if I want to visit the Undergraduate Admissions Office?
Due to COVID-19 concerns, we have adjusted services. Our front counter on campus is closed indefinitely.
However, our staff is still available to serve you. For general inquiries, please send an email to admissions@ucsc.edu. You may also use our Contacts and Directory service tool.
For tours inquiries, please email visits@ucsc.edu.
My Future at the UC Santa Cruz Campus
Q11: How is the UC Santa Cruz campus responding to COVID-19?
The latest news and announcements regarding UC Santa Cruz’s response to the coronavirus can be found here. Our Student Health Center is posting updates here.
In addition, our campus has mobilized to help the community and the nation during this trying time. Our scientists and staff are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, providing an on-campus testing lab, mapping the genome of the virus, making hand sanitizers and masks, and studying better methods of testing and treatment. For more news about campus actions against the virus, please see our Campus News website.
UC will receive $19.3 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed in April. At least half of that amount will go directly to students via the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (FASO) to help with expenses related to COVID-19, including costs for housing, food, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.
Q12: How is UC Santa Cruz currently ensuring safety for students on campus?
Spring and Summer Instruction
Much like we did in fall and winter, UC Santa Cruz will continue to offer most courses remotely or online for spring and summer 2021, providing in-person instruction for a small number of courses that may not be effectively delivered remotely, such as some laboratory, studio, field-research and field-study courses. Each course will have the mode of instruction listed within the schedule of courses, available for spring February 2021 and in March 2021 for summer.
Our in-person instruction and learning spaces will remain modified to ensure that we comply with physical distancing and other public health measures. While we may have a small increase of in-person courses in the spring quarter, students are still strongly encouraged to live and learn remotely.
Housing and dining
Students without a safe place to live and learn continue to be prioritized for winter quarter on-campus housing. As we recover from the wildfire, ramp up COVID-19 testing capacity and continue to prepare buildings, we have been able to extend the opportunity for on-campus housing to additional students. We are hoping to house approximately 2,500 students in the winter quarter which was roughly our pre-fire, on-campus housing plan for fall quarter.
The residential housing and dining experience will remain modified to accommodate current public-health guidance - students primarily live in single rooms and are required to take COVID-19 tests twice a week. Students who are taking all courses remotely and who have a safe place to live and learn should still refrain from seeking off-campus housing in Santa Cruz.
Student Services
Student Health Services is providing services in person and remotely. Counseling and Psychological Services, Basic Needs support, Learning Support Services, Disability Resource Center, and CARE are all open and providing services remotely. A full list of services and operating hours can be found on the COVID-19 webpage and the Division of Student Affairs and Success website.
Planning for a healthy campus
Reducing the spread of COVID-19 remains a top priority, and we are continuously evaluating how we can best achieve this goal. In collaboration with the campus Molecular Diagnostic Lab, the Cowell Student Health Center has ramped up an asymptomatic testing program for our campus and is also testing students who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.
Remember to please continue to communicate with us should you become aware of anything that may impact your admission status to UC Santa Cruz. We are reachable by phone at +1 (831) 459-4008, or via our Contacts & Directory page, where you can report any changes to your spring schedule and/or grades.
On behalf of the entire staff of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, we send our best wishes for this challenging time to you and your family.
UC Press Release
UC FAQs
Updated 11/16/2020
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