Stressed with college deadlines? Confusion in navigating college applications? With upcoming deadlines for UC and CSU applications, feelings of anxiety and worry are frequent during the application process. This process shouldn’t be as daunting as it seems. This guide will walk you through the key steps to strengthen your application journey. 

   UCs and CSUs are public colleges in California. The UC and CSU application requires students to present their academic records, extracurricular activities, and their personal background. Both the UC and CSU application is dedicated to helping students reach multiple colleges with a single application. The UC application strays from the CSU system, requiring answers to four personal insight questions, or PIQs, to gauge and understand more about the applicant further from their academic records. 

   Current senior applying to UC and CSU colleges Caleb Chang (12) explained that “the CSU application is not too difficult,” elaborating that “the process requires background information regarding your academic history and home life, but the content itself is not that bad, as long as the application is submitted early.” As the CSU system follows a space-available basis, students who apply early have a stronger likelihood of entering the program. For the UC application, Chang advised that students “should focus on showing unique qualities and highlight strengths towards the applicant readers, to portray the individual outside of the baseline qualities within our academics.” As applications may not be able to portray ourselves through our academic records, the application is able to unearth our personalities and strengths outside of the classroom. 

   Another student applying to UC and CSU colleges Ethan Kang (12) recommended that people should “try to add as many possible activities within the 20 academic achievements for UCs” and that “people often get discouraged about not putting enough extracurriculars. . . but as long as people can see effort and write proper descriptions about the application, people will be okay.” Students could find themselves struggling to reach the 20 awards and accomplishments listed within the application, but the importance of those achievements should be attested for their quality as well. However, he also emphasizes that “people shouldn’t put just anything to give themselves an edge. Something random is likely to give you a worse result.” Kang continues to offer guidance to those applying to Cal State Universities, explaining that “people should try to finish the application as soon as possible. . . and work on the EOP application ahead of time.” The EOP, or the educational opportunity program, serves to provide financial support services to students joining the academic program. As the EOP is encouraged to be finished within the application, it serves as an advantage to students furthering their journey to financial aid.

   With the December deadline quickly approaching, bustles of fear and worry for the upcoming college applications leave many students feeling nervous. Although these applications may seem like a daunting, impossible task to follow, Kang believes that “there is nothing to worry about. . . we all made it this far, and we shouldn’t stress about an outcome.”