Applying to UC Santa Cruz

As an international student, you can apply for admission as a freshman or a transfer. You are considered a freshman applicant if you have completed secondary school and have not enrolled at any college or university. If you have completed secondary school and enrolled at a college or university, please see information on international transfer admissions

 

International students must meet the same admission requirements and will be included in the same selection process as U.S. students. Requirements for UCSC freshman admission can be found by visiting our freshmen admissions webpage.

 

Students interested in applying to UCSC must complete the University of California application for admission. The application filing period is October 1- November 30  (for entrance in fall of the following year). Please note that we only offer a fall-term enrollment option for freshman admission. For information on late application appeals, please visit our freshmen admissions webpage

Secondary School Requirements

International applicants must be on track to complete secondary school with superior grades/marks in academic subjects and to earn a certificate of completion that enables the student to be admitted to a university in their home country.

Crown Dining Hall

Reporting Foreign Coursework

On your UC Application, report ALL foreign coursework as it would appear on your foreign academic record. You should not convert the grading system of your home country to U.S. grades or use an evaluation done by an agency. If your grades/marks appear as numbers, words, or percentages, please report them as such on your UC application. We have International Admissions Specialists who will thoroughly evaluate your international records.

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Test Requirements

The University of California campuses will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll. Like all UC campuses, we consider a broad range of factors when reviewing a student's application, from academics to extracurricular achievement and response to life challenges. Exam scores may still be used to meet area b of the a-g subject requirements as well as the UC Entry Level Writing requirement. 

Student Day in the Life

Proof of English Proficiency

We require all applicants who attend a school in a country where English is not the native language or whose language of instruction in high school (secondary school) was not English to adequately demonstrate English competency as a part of the application process. In most cases, if less than three years of your secondary schooling was with English as the language of instruction, you must meet UCSC's English proficiency requirement.

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Additional Documents

You should not send additional documents, awards, or copies of your academic records when submitting your UC application. However, please use your official academic records to help you fill out the application completely. If admitted to UCSC, you will be given detailed instructions on how to submit your official academic records.

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