University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers opportunities for inquiry, discovery, and education – and yet is a close community that provides a sense of belonging. The large, 4-year, public university is located in the midst of a vibrant city, offering a primarily residential campus. Bachelor’s master’s and doctoral degrees are all offered at this institution.

Ranked at number 20, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is one of the most highly-rated and prestigious universities in the world. It is a large university with more than 27,000 undergraduates, 150 majors and over 850 student organizations. There are 6 different departments at UCLA: College of Letters and Science, Herb Alpert School of Music, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, School the Arts and Architecture, School of Nursing, and School of Theater, Film, and Television. Popular majors include Computer Science, Biology and Economics. Besides the sheer number of opportunities offered at UCLA, other well known perks include the pleasant Southern California weather and the easy access to the city of Los Angeles.

The acceptance rate at UCLA is 14%, making it incredibly selective not just among the other UC schools but across all US universities. UCLA, as with all schools under the University of California, follows a single application deadline of November 30. This is unlike many US universities that offer both early and regular admission rounds.

To get into UCLA, you will need stellar grades, outstanding SAT/ACT scores, well-written essays and a well-rounded profile.

Grade Requirements

US universities track high school performance based on a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) on a scale of 4. UCLA requires a minimum of 3.4 GPA for non-California residents (and 3.0 GPA for residents) and no grades lower than a C in required high school courses. This translates to 35 IB points, and ABB in A levels.

Of course, to stand a competitive chance of admissions, it is necessary to consider the average GPA rather than the minimum. At an average of 3.9 GPA, UCLA requires straight A’s/ 6s and 7s in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes – AP, IB and H2 in A levels – to show that you are ready for challenging college-level academics.

If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate (only valid for students applying this year, i.e. 2021-2022 admissions cycle). This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

(only valid for students applying this year)

The average SAT score at UCLA is a 1405/1600 SAT scale. However, as an international student, you will need to be at or above the 75th percentile of 1510 (790 in math and 740 in reading) to be competitive. UCLA follows a policy of requiring scores from all SAT attempts and will consider the highest scores from a single test date. If your score is currently below a 1510, we strongly recommend that you consider retaking it. 

The average ACT score at UCLA is 31/36, with the 75th percentile ACT score being 34. Unlike the SAT score policy at UCLA, only one ACT score out of all your attempts needs to be sent. 

Although the application deadline is November 30th, standardized test scores can be submitted before January 15 of the subsequent year. Although optional, you should consider taking the essay for both ACT and SAT in order to meet entry level writing requirements for certain courses at UCLA.

Best Application Practices

Impressive extracurricular experiences and strong essays also make up a substantial component of your UCLA application. When filling out the application, you’ll have to answer four personal insight questions (350 words) out of eight total options.

When choosing extracurricular activities, do note that UCLA places particular emphasis on research and service. Students can demonstrate their interest in research by conducting independent research projects, or doing internships at local labs or institutes.

UCLA also looks for students who will contribute positively to the campus and successful applicants will have a record of being civic-minded and engaging with their communities. You can demonstrate this by initiating community projects in your local neighborhood or school, joining volunteering organizations or even engaging in independent activities such as tutoring.

Students who show special talent or come from a disadvantaged background will often get a close look even if their grades and test scores are a bit below the norm.

UCLA Requirements for Admission

What are UCLA’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we’ll cover what you need to get into UCLA and build a strong application.

School location: Los Angeles, CA

This school is also known as: UCLA, UC Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles

Admissions Rate: 12.3%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at UCLA is 12.3%. For every 100 applicants, only 12 are admitted.

This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don’t meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.

After crossing this hurdle, you’ll need to impress UCLA application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation.

UCLA GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.9

The average GPA at UCLA is 3.9.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.9, UCLA requires you to be at the top of your class. You’ll need nearly straight A’s in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.

You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to UCLA. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.

UCLA SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.

Average SAT: 1405

The average SAT score composite at UCLA is a 1405 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes UCLA Strongly Competitive for SAT test scores.

UCLA SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1290, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1510. In other words, a 1290 on the New SAT places you below average, while a 1510 will move you up to above average.

Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	715	640	790
Reading + Writing	690	640	740
Composite	1405	1290	1510

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

UCLA has the Score Choice policy of “All Scores.”

This means that UCLA requires you to send all SAT scores you’ve ever taken to their office.

This sounds daunting, but most schools don’t actually consider all your scores equally. For example, if you scored an 1300 on one test and a 1500 on another, they won’t actually average the two tests.

In fact, we researched the score policies at UCLA, and they have the following policy:

We require all scores and will use the highest scores from a single administration.

Some students are still worried about submitting too many test scores. They’re afraid that UCLA will look down on too many attempts to raise your score. But how many is too many?

From our research and talking to admissions officers, we’ve learned that 4-6 tests is a safe number to submit. The college understands that you want to have the best chance of admission, and retaking the test is a good way to do this. Within a reasonable number of tests, they honestly don’t care how many times you’ve taken it. They’ll just focus on your score.

If you take it more than 6 times, colleges start wondering why you’re not improving with each test. They’ll question your study skills and ability to improve.

But below 6 tests, we strongly encourage retaking the test to maximize your chances. If your SAT score is currently below a 1510, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You don’t have much to lose, and you can potentially raise your score and significantly boost your chances of getting in.

UCLA ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, UCLA likely doesn’t have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 31

The average ACT score at UCLA is 31. This score makes UCLA Strongly Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 27, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 34.

Even though UCLA likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 27 or below, you’ll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 31 and above that a 27 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you’re taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school’s ACT requirement of 34 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you’re happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren’t able to find the school’s exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to UCLA, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 34.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Both the SAT and ACT have an optional essay section.

UCLA requires you to take the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section. They’ll use this as another factor in their admissions consideration.

SAT Subject Test Requirements

Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.

We did not find information that UCLA requires SAT subject tests, and so most likely it does not. At least 6 months before applying, you should still doublecheck just to make sure, so you have enough time to take the test.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don’t pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they’ll likely reject you without much consideration.

To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1510 SAT or a 34 ACT. You should also have a 3.9 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.

For a school as selective as UCLA, you’ll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We’ll cover those details next.

But if you apply with a score below a 1510 SAT or a 34 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.

Want to build the best possible college application?

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world’s best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We’ve overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Admissions Calculator

Here’s our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

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Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we’ve created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program. We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here’s a summary of why we’re so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses. You don’t waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you’re never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts. PrepScholar’s founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. You’ll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We’ve gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. 

Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials – high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We’ll cover the exact requirements of UCLA here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common ApplicationNot accepted
• Universal ApplicationNot accepted
• Electronic Application
• Essay or Personal StatementRequired for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation
• InterviewNot required
• Application Fee$70
• Fee Waiver Available?Available
• Other Notes

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACTRequired
• SAT Essay or ACT WritingRequired
• SAT Subject Tests
• Scores Due in OfficeJanuary 15

Coursework Requirements

• SubjectRequired Years
• English4
• Math3
• Science2
• Foreign Language2
• Social Studies
• History2
• Electives1

Deadlines and Early Admissions

•  
  • Offered?DeadlineNotification
• Regular Admission
  • YesNovember 30March 31
• Early Action
  • No
• Early Decision
  • No

Admissions Office Information

• Address:405
  Los Angeles, CA 90095
• Phone:(310) 825-3101
• Email:ugadm@saonet.ucla.edu

Our Expert’s Notes

We did more detailed research into this school’s admissions process and found the following information:

You must meet University of California admission requirements, as listed on UCLA’s website. You won’t submit letters of recommendation or transcripts, just the UC application and your official test scores. The application opens in August but can only be submitted during the month of November.

Other Schools For You

If you’re interested in UCLA, you’ll probably be interested in these schools as well. We’ve divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to UCLA.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than UCLA. If you improve your SAT score, you’ll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Brown University	Providence, RI	1485	34
Cornell University	Ithaca, NY	1480	34
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, IN	1475	34
Tufts University	Medford, MA	1465	33
Northeastern University	Boston, MA	1465	34
Georgia Institute of Technology	Atlanta, GA	1465	33
Georgetown University	Washington, DC	1450	33

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you’re competitive for UCLA, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, MA	1420	33
Boston University	Boston, MA	1420	32
Tulane University	New Orleans, LA	1420	32
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	1415	31
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	1409	31
Villanova University	Villanova, PA	1395	33
Southern Methodist University	Dallas, TX	1390	31

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you’re currently competitive for UCLA, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If UCLA is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, CA	1355	29
University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson, TX	1350	30
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	1335	29
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, CA	1335	29
University of Connecticut	Storrs, CT	1315	29
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	1300	30
University of California, Davis	Davis, CA	1280	28