Admissions Blog

Taking the Plunge

The last time I wrote here I was in the midst of reading applications. Well, I still am, albeit at the tail end. Logistically speaking, we’ve done a lot to increase our reviewing efficiency over the years, but it still takes a good chunk of time get through our applications since reviewing each one individually is an integral part of the process. We certainly can’t do it as fast as many of our sister campuses. And I’m sure there are schools out there even slower than us. Which (finally) brings me to my point: Even if you are dying to get this whole college application thing behind you, you should not commit (i.e., submit your “Statement of Intent to Register”) until you are certain you know where you want to go. Mind you, I am NOT advocating procrastination. I’m just suggesting that you wait until you’ve heard from all your a-list institutions before signing. Then, when you’ve got all the cards on the table, go for it! Freshmen have until May 1 to commit, and transfers until June 1, and all who comply with these deadlines are given the same chances at housing (if you apply for it on time!!!), enrolling in classes, and other opportunities. Also, keep in mind that if you do change your mind you will lose any registration deposit you pay.

By the way, we plan on releasing admission decisions for freshman applicants at the end of March and for transfers at the end of April.

Did You Know?

As Daniel Fogg mentioned in his blog entry, 99% of the students who applied to UCLA did so online. Applying to the UC has never been easier than it is now; one online application can be submitted to any or all of the UC campuses of the applicant's choice at once. Way back when I was applying to the UC (November 1999), we had to do everything on paper, but it was still nice to be able to fill out just one application to apply to several great universities. However, it wasn't always that easy. Journey with me if you will back to 1986. Ronald Reagan was president, Greg Lemond became the first American to win the Tour de France, and our freshman applicants probably weren't born yet. 1986 was also the first year that students were allowed to apply to multiple to UC campuses at once. Prior to 1986, students submitted applications only to their first-choice campus. If the students were not granted admission, their applications may have been forwarded to a different campus in need of applications. Otherwise, students would have had to attend universities outside of the UC system. This change in UC policy resulted in almost twice as many students applying to UCLA in 1986 than had applied in 1985. And the numbers have kept growing and growing ever since!

Take a Tour!

No matter how many magazine articles, national rankings, or news reports you see on colleges, nothing truly compares to actually seeing a day in the life of a student through a good old fashioned campus tour. My name is Jared Zack, and I'm a student affairs officer who also supervises the campus tours program at UCLA. Actually, as a junior in high school, it was this very tour that convinced me that UCLA was my best fit, and persuaded me to make, in my opinion, the best choice of my life.

With ski week and spring break right around the corner, there's no better time than now to visit UCLA! I invite you to tour our campus, and want to make you aware of the different options you have.

To book a tour, you have the option of directly contacting our campus tours office at (310) 825-8764. Tours are offered at 10:15am and 2:15pm, Monday through Friday. Saturday tours are offered only at 10:15am. There may, however, be changes in the typical schedule due to holiday closures and finals week for our students.

You can also book a tour yourself! Just go to our campus tours website, www.admissions.ucla.edu/tours, and follow the easy steps to reserve a spot with one of our distinguished tour guides.

Lastly, if you'd like to view the campus at your own leisure, our newest addition is the tours podcast. You have the opportunity to download a tour to your iPod or MP3 player, giving you plenty of time to enjoy all UCLA has to offer! The podcast is narrated by three of our tour guides: Mike Stevenson, Shaiya Rahman, and Jed Levine. You can find the podcast, with all downloading directions, at www.admissions.ucla.edu/podcasts/tour.html.

Look forward to having you all visit over the next few months!

Dance Marathon!

Here's a post from UARS student worker and dancer extraordinaire, Sophia Yuan:

Hi! My name is Sophia, and I am currently a fourth year psychology major here at UCLA. I've always been very active in school and within the community, and during my freshmen year, I came across this fantastic student organization: Dance Marathon. From then on, I've been hooked, and I wanted to share with you what UCLA's Dance Marathon is all about. This year, the sixth annual Dance Marathon will be held on Feb. 17-18 at Ackerman Grand Ballroom. Last year, we raised over $270,000 and donated it to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. This is my fourth year participating and my second year on the executive committee, so I can confidently say that I know a little something about this event.

Students sign up to dance for a full 26 hours straight, but that's not the only way they can help Dance Marathon. There are other levels of participation, such as being a "moraler" or a "volunteer". The only requirement for moralers is that they dance for a minimum of three hours (but most moralers stay for MUCH longer). Volunteers help with running different booths during the event. All volunteers are welcome to rock out on the dance floor, too.

To learn more, please visit our website at: BruinDanceMarathon.Org

Here's a photo of last year's marathon...