If you attend a school which is one of our full-service partners, have an interest in going to college and are a 9th – 11th grade student, then you are likely eligible to join the UCI EAOP!

We welcome all students from UCI EAOP partner schools to apply to our program. Space is limited to 50 students per grade level at each school, so be sure to apply early! Check here to see if your school is one of our full-service partnership schools.

While there is not an official GPA requirement to participate in the program, we do ask that students work towards maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA while in the UCI EAOP. Additional expectations are outlined in our application. Nevertheless, we will continue working with students who fall just below these expectations as long as they are actively participating in the UCI EAOP and striving to meet their expectations.

Yes! So long as our students make an effort to meet the expectations, we welcome your application to the UCI EAOP!

Once in the program, we do require that UCI EAOP students meet with their school site coordinator at least twice a year for an academic advising session, participate in at least 2 EAOP workshops, enroll in four “A – G” courses each semester, make-up any non-passed “A – G” course, and successfully complete “A – G” requirements by high school graduation.

We do not take applications from current 12th grade students.

We appreciate your interest in joining the UCI EAOP, however we are unable to accept applications from school sites outside of our full-service partnerships.

At the moment, we are only recruiting 9th – 11th grade students from our full-service schools.

Please be aware that contact made regarding expanding our partnerships will not be prioritized as we strive to ensure that all our current UCI EAOP partners are capable of receiving the full extent of our services.

UCI EAOP can help you become a competitive applicant to any college you are interested in applying for. We encourage our participants to strive to be UC eligible because if you meet these requirements, then you would also be eligible to apply for most colleges and universities across the country.

No matter what schools you plan on applying to, being in UCI EAOP will help you on your journey to the college of your choice.

At each full-service UCI EAOP partner school, there is a designated UCI EAOP Coordinator.

The UCI EAOP Coordinator for your particular school will contact you via email or other method of communication listed on your application to announce future workshops and events.

If you are not currently a UCI EAOP student, you can either submit an application to join our program to receive updates, regularly visit our website or follow us on our social media pages!

Each event covers a different topic, thus it is best to reach out to your school site’s UCI EAOP representative for more information or when the next event will be.

UCI EAOP representatives are here to provide support, so there’s no reason not to contact them back! They are your direct link to college resources and advice – Take advantage of that!

Please be mindful that UCI EAOP representatives may also be current UCI students. They know what it’s like to apply to college and live the busy life as a college student, so please ask them questions about how to stay on top of everything!

California Public University systems such as the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) require all students complete 15 yearlong high school courses¹ with a letter grade of C² or better in 7 different subject.

These subjects are classified into [A] History (2 years), [B] English (4 years), [C] Mathematics (3 years), [D] Science (2 years), [E] Language other than English (2 years), [F] Visual and Performing Arts (1 year) and [G] College-Preparatory Elective (1 year). Additional more specific requirements for particular classes which are expected to be taken apply, such as the requirement to take Geometry for one of the courses.

Many public California high schools already incorporate “A – G” requirements into their graduation requirements; however, this is not a guarantee. Through Individual Academic Planning sessions with a UCI EAOP coordinator, we ensure that you have a detailed plan to be on-track for “A – G” requirements³.

9th grade is generally the best time to start learning about your post-secondary educational path.

Starting early makes sure that you have time not only to fulfill higher education admission requirements, but also have greater awareness of what you might be interested in pursuing.

That being said, it is never too late to begin planning! As our motto goes, preparation meets opportunity!

There is no exact amount any college is looking for in terms of how many advanced courses a student takes. Taking and excelling in many advanced courses will always look impressive; however, overloading your coursework and struggling may do more harm than good – both for college admissions and outside of that.

Likewise, only taking regular courses when you could be doing well in a more advance class is also not going to make you a competitive applicant. Getting B’s in 8 advanced courses⁴ is more meaningful than getting A’s in regular courses.

Know you limits and always strive to challenge, but not overwhelm, yourself.

Both of these systems in addition to California Community Colleges are part of California’s Higher Education System adopted by the state following the “Master Plan for Higher Education” adopted in 1960.

The UC and CSU systems are California’s public 4-year university options with the California Community College system is the 2-year college option.

The main differences between the systems are that:

• UC is designated as California’s primary academic research institution across the undergraduate, graduate and professional educational levels. Furthermore, the state only permits the UC to offer doctoral degrees (PhDs) and advanced degrees in law, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine with only two exceptions for the CSU. Many innovations and research opportunities are pioneered through the UC, and it is known for having highly competitive admissions. UC campuses are part of the informal group of west coast universities as the “Public Ivy.”
• CSU focuses on providing undergraduate and master’s level graduate degrees with a higher number of acceptance and enrollment than the UC. The CSU generally have a reputation for developing professional and practical skills for many careers. The CSU can only offer Doctorates of Education (Ed.D) in educational leadership by themselves with other doctorates being offered in collaboration with UC or other independent institution.
• California Community Colleges provide accessible higher education for California residents to complete the equivalent of the first two years of an undergraduate education. Many California Community Colleges have direct pipelines for students to enroll in UC or CSU following completion of an associates degree.

Each system also consists of additional campuses (such as UC Irvine) which each independently have their own majors and faculty.

No institution is “superior” than another, as the systems were created in order to better cater the educational needs of the residents of California.

Unfortunately, universities across the nation can accept or deny students for any number of reasons beyond the control of the student. You could be the most exceptional of exceptional applicants, yet an admissions officer may still reject your application.

This is why it’s best to apply to several schools so that not only will you have a back-up school, but also so that you can see if you get accepted to schools which you may have believed to be beyond your reach! Different schools may also offer different financial aid packages, so while your first choice school may have accepted you, your second choice school could have offered a full-ride scholarship.

For California public universities, the application process is standardized within the UC and CSU systems. If you apply for one UC, then you simply just need to add another checkmark to apply to another one without having to write another application (likewise for CSU).

Public colleges and universities, like public high schools, receive money from the state. Because of this, they can provide exceptional education at a respectively low cost.

Within California, the public universities are the California State University (CSU and also known as the “Cal States”) and University of California (UC). All community colleges within California are also public.

Private universities generally do not receive funding from the state and as such are more unique with their philosophies and practices for the curriculum and admissions. Within California, these include notable colleges such as the University of Southern California (USC) and Stanford University. These universities tend to have smaller class sizes so that you have more of an opportunity to interact with your instructor, however they can differ immensely in the opportunities of grants and scholarships which public universities can provide.

Universities all throughout the nation care tremendously about students who excel in both their courses and extracurriculars!

Being a great student and a great athlete, public servant, yearbook editor, older sibling, family member, part-time employee, etc. shows a great deal to universities about the type of person you are and how much you can achieve.

Many universities include sections on their application asking about what you are involved in or to discuss a bit more about yourself. Most people are more than just a student, and this is where you can demonstrate that.

For many college students, being a well-rounded individual tremendously increased their odds of getting into their university of choice than simply being a straight “A” student. For the UC system, applications are reviewed under a “Holistic” perspective. This means your grades are taken into context of your environment, involvement and other details listed on your application.

You can still apply and be accepted to a 4-year college or university. Never let your residency status hold you back from pursuing your dreams.

Due to AB 540, as long as you have attended and will graduate from a California high school, you can pay in-state tuition – the same tuition that everyone else who lives in California has to pay.

In addition, the California DREAM Application allows students enrolled in eligible California Colleges, Universities, and Career Education Programs to apply for state financial aid. Another alternative is to go the community college route, work on your paperwork, and transfer to a 4-year university later.

California public universities have suspected the usage of SAT and ACT in their admissions decisions.

That means when submitting an application to a CSU or UC, you can put down your SAT or ACT scores if you took them; however, your admissions officer will not even see them when reviewing your application. It would be as if nothing was there on their side.

That being said, taking these tests may exempt you from certain courses once you enter the university. For example, UC Irvine considers any student who scored a 680 or better on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section to have passed the Entry Level Writing Requirement – meaning you can save out on needing to take one course! Thus, there is no harm in reporting your test scores.

Never let money stand in the way of your education!

This is not to say that money is not an issue, but rather there are a plethora of resources out there to fund your college education with many of them being provided exclusively for individuals with low family income.

To get started, we suggest you visit the Federal Student Aid website to gather more information about the types of aid available to you. You must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the GPA Verification Form in order to be considered for state and federal aid.

If you are undocumented, unfortunately you will not qualify for federal aid, But good news, if you plan to attend college in the state of California,  you may qualify for state aid through the California Dream Act. You can find out more information by visiting the CSAC website DREAM Act section.

Additionally, there are thousands of SCHOLARSHIPS out there that students let pass them by every year. This is FREE MONEY, so start applying today! California GRANTS are also free money. Qualification depends on your family income and the number of students attending college per household – but you have to apply. Usually, if you believe that you won’t be able to afford college, you probably already qualify for financial aid. There are also LOANS that you OR your parents may receive. Most of them don’t require you to start paying them back until after you graduate college.

When applying to colleges, keep in mind that California public universities offer top-notch education at affordable prices. And if you absolutely know that you will not be able to afford 4 years at a university, you can always go the community college route for the first couple years.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application that determines if you qualify to receive state and federal aid for any college or university.

Turning in the FAFSA early is highly recommended as there is a greater chance of receiving more money the earlier you turn it in. If you are undocumented and plan to attend college in the state of California, you will need to fill out the California Dream Act Application and can find out more information by visiting the California Dream Act section of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) website.

Yes. Financial aid is intended both to remove financial barriers for families who cannot afford the cost of education beyond high school, and to also fill in the gap for families who can afford only part of the cost. Some loans and scholarships are available regardless of “need.”

No, you don’t have to wait till you’re admitted in order to apply, and no, you can’t receive it before you’re actually enrolled at one college/university. You may apply for financial aid any time between October 1st and March 2nd of your senior year. However, you must be admitted and enrolled at the college before you can receive any funds.

Depending on your parents’ income and the number of people in the household you may qualify for a fee waiver. Your high school counselor can help you access a fee waiver if you qualify.