Applying to college doesn't have to be stressful once you've done the research. Explore the most frequently asked questions about applying to UCI before you start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you wanted to know about applying to UCI — and more.
You may be considered for admission to a program for a second degree if your educational objective changed substantially after you received your bachelor’s degree. All second baccalaureate admissions are subject to the approval of the dean or director of the UCI school or program in which the second degree will be earned.
Admission as a candidate for a second bachelor’s degree requires that the applicant:
- Is fully eligible for admission to the university
- Has strong promise of academic success in the new major
Learn more about UCI Undergraduate Admissions supplemental application/audition registration.
Note: UCI is open to all admission applications during the traditional UC application period, October 1 - November 30.
Students who have not attended UCI as undergraduates during a regular academic quarter must complete a UC Application for undergraduate admission.
Students who have received an undergraduate degree from UCI and are interested in pursuing an additional undergraduate degree must apply for readmission as a second baccalaureate.
Students who have completed a degree at another institution, but have attended UCI as an undergraduate during a regular academic quarter may apply as a second baccalaureate.
(The deadline for second baccalaureate candidates to submit all of their official transcripts is February 15.)
View the list of majors available for second baccalaureate candidates by selecting "2nd Baccalaureate" as the applicant level here.
An applicant for readmission is a student who was formerly registered and enrolled at UCI and who has interrupted the completion of consecutive quarters of enrollment. Visit the Office of the Registrar for information on how to apply for readmission. For additional information about readmission, call 949-824-6124.
You may be considered for admission to UCI as a re-entry applicant if you are an adult aged 25 years or older and have either experienced a significant break in your education, or decided to earn a university degree for the first time. For information about specific majors and programs, contact a counselor in your academic unit of interest.
UCI will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes. After enrollment, exams may be used for class placement or some graduation requirements.
Admissions decisions regarding first-year applications will be posted in the Applicant Portal by March 31. Decisions regarding transfer applications will be posted in the Applicant Portal by April 30. Admitted students also receive a formal letter of notification sent to their current mailing address. Do not contact UCI Admissions until AFTER March 31 for first-year or April 30 for transfers regarding admission decisions and/or your status.
If you have your Application ID number, you may have your UCI ID number emailed to the address on your application form. Visit your Applicant Portal and submit your request for your ID number.
You must make any corrections on your UC Application, which will update your information on our campus. Check your Applicant Portal one week after you make the changes to verify the correction.
The Office of Admissions is not able to change your major once you have applied. Once admitted, students can work directly with academic units to apply for a change of major.
First-year applicants are responsible for reporting all D or F grades earned in the seventh semester as soon as possible. Notify us using the Message Center in your Applicant Portal. In some cases we may be able to advise you of options that will enable you to remain UC-eligible.
If you do not use the Message Center, be sure to include your UCI Student ID Number and mail your letter to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Attn: Official Documents
260 Aldrich Hall
Irvine CA, 92697-1075
You are responsible for reporting any schedule changes to your class schedule. This is important because course changes may affect your eligibility in certain majors. Either use the Message Center in your Applicant Portal or send a letter, being sure to include your UCI Student ID Number, and mail your letter to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Attn: Official Documents
260 Aldrich Hall
Irvine CA, 92697-1075
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website provides a sample budget for approximating the cost of attending UCI. Their website can be found at ofas.uci.edu.
The UCI Disability Services Center provides effective and reasonable academic accommodations and related disability services to UCI students, Extension/Continuing Education and Summer Session students, and other program participants. Specific information about these services can be found at disability.uci.edu or by contacting their office:
Disability Services Center
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-5250
(949) 824-7494 (voice)
(949) 824-3083 (FAX)
dcs@uci.edu
High school students can take classes at UCI:
- UCI Division of Continuing Education's Concurrent Enrollment Program - This option is ideal for either (1) well-prepared high school seniors who have exhausted the curriculum available in high school and who are looking for advanced level coursework, or (2) students who are seeking an enrichment course or coursework not available at their high school. For information, call (949) 824-5414; email: dce-services@uci.edu; Concurrent Enrollment website: https://ce.uci.edu/courses/concurrent/.
- UCI's Summer Session Program - This option enables highly qualified high school seniors to enroll in regular UCI courses. For further information, contact the UCI Summer Session Office at (949) 824-5493; email: summer-session@uci.edu; or visit the Summer Session website at www.summer.uci.edu.
- Admission and enrollment in courses either through Concurrent Enrollment or Summer Session does not also mean admission to UCI as an entering first-year. To enter as first-years, high school seniors are required to complete and submit the official University of California Application for Undergraduate Admission and Scholarships during November of the year prior to the fall quarter in which they seek to enroll.
About the Waitlist
Applicants that have accepted a waitlist offer may potentially be admitted to UCI if there is space available. To accept your spot in our waitlist pool, please submit the Statement of Intent to Participate (SIP). We do not require a Letter of Continued Interest. We encourage you to accept an offer from another university while you await a status update from us.
Contacting our office by email or sending a letter of demonstrated interest will have no impact on your chances of being admitted from the waitlist. We highly encourage you to accept an offer from another university while you await a status update from us.
The waitlist is not an actual list or ranking - it is a pool of highly qualified applicants. There is nothing further an applicant can do to increase their chances of being admitted. To be considered, applicants must accept the waitlist by submitting the Statement of Intent to Participate.
Admitting applicants from the waitlist is entirely dependent on how many applicants accept their offer of admission. That said, the waitlist varies year-to-year. Our history with admitting off the waitlist does not affect whether we will admit off the waitlist this year.
All applicants who have submitted their Statement of Intent to Participate in our waitlist will be notified through the Applicant Portal. While waiting on the waitlist decision, students are highly encouraged to accept an admission offer at another university to ensure they have somewhere to attend in the fall.
Applicants must decline their offer for the waitlist to be able to appeal their selection decision. Applicants who accept a waitlist decision will not have the opportunity to submit an Appeal to Selection Decision.
You will have a predetermined timeframe to submit a positive Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) to UCI. In addition, you will need to decline any other offers from another university (including one you may have previously accepted).
If attending UCI remains your ambition, please consider applying to UCI as a transfer student. We offer a variety of resources throughout the year for students who are planning to transfer. For more information about transfer requirements, please visit our Transfer Admission website.
Appeals to Selection
The following deadline for applicants to submit an Appeal to Selection are:
- First-year applicants: April 15, 2024
- Transfer applicants: May 15, 2024
The Appeal to Selection is an opportunity for you to submit new and compelling information not included in your original application that might bring to light new academic and personal information, as well as information pertaining to extenuating circ*mstances that were not previously presented in the application.Please note: high grades received in the senior year, recently acquired awards, or an increase in activities are not a basis for the reversal of a decision.
For instructions on submitting an Appeal to Selection, pleasevisit this page.
New and compelling information should bring to light new academic and personal information that would cause us to review your application differently. Pleasenote:high grades received during your senior year/last term, recently acquired awards, or an increase in activities are not basis for the reversal of a decision.
Appeal decisions will be released by June 1 for first-year applicants and July 1 for transfer applicants. We highly encourage students to explore other plans and not miss the deadlines at other colleges or universities.
If attending UCI remains your ambition, please consider applying to UCI as a transfer student. We offer a variety of resources throughout the year for students who are planning to transfer.For more information about our transfer requirements, please visit ourTransfer Admission website.
