Did you know that in 2021, California students were 3.67 times less likely to be admitted to UC Irvine than out-of-state students?
Put another way, UCI denied 80% of California applicants vs just 26% of out-of-state applicants.
The trend is similar with all of the competitive UC campuses, with the exception of UC Berkeley.
See the chart below--
In light of this trend, it is in every California student's best interest to keep their options for college open and consider colleges outside the UCs.
How does a student stand out from the pack when applying to selective colleges outside the UC system?
ACT and SAT scores.
In the pie-chart below you can see that the percentage of four-year colleges that are "test-blind" is very small (mostly, it's the UCs and Cal States). While the vast majority of other colleges are "test-optional," meaning that they will accept an ACT or SAT.
ACT/SAT Required: 5.8%
Test-Blind (Do not consider ACT/SAT scores): 8.4%
Test-Optional (ACT/SAT scores can boost a student’s application): 85.9%
(These numbers are subject to change in the future. The above graph was created in April 2022.)
Now, the big question? Do ACT and SAT scores help students gain admission to selective colleges?
The chart below tells a story. The grey bars are the admit rates for students applying without an ACT/SAT score, while the red bars are for students applying with a score. As you can see, the red bars are much higher.
A few highlights:
Notre Dame: Students were nearly twice as likely to be accepted to Notre Dame with an ACT or SAT score.
USC: Students with an ACT or SAT score were accepted 30% more often.
Boston: Students without scores had an admission rate of 14%. Students with scores had an admission rate of 25%.
Conclusion:
If you're going to apply to colleges outside of the UCs, there is a simple 3-step plan to help you reach your goals for the future:
1) Prepare for the ACT or SAT
2) Raise Your Scores
3) Stand Out from the Pack