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FAQs from Denied Transfer Applicants

Here are the most common questions we get from transfer applicants who were not admitted to UCLA.

 

Q: Can I be placed on a waiting list?

A: We offer admission to more students than we expect to enroll based on the assumption that some will choose to attend another institution. Since we do not reserve space in our class for every student offered admission, we do not maintain a waiting list of students who are not admitted.

Note: While reviewers in the Film and Television, Ethnomusicology, Music, Nursing, and Theater departments do maintain small waiting lists of applicants to these specific programs, applicants themselves cannot request to be placed on these lists.

Q: I would like to appeal my decision. What should I include in my appeal letter?

A: UCLA reviews applicants very thoroughly, taking into account all information provided on the application. Our decision will not change unless there was academic information (e.g. not listing major preparation courses, or classes required for eligibility that you did take) inadvertently omitted from the application—information that clearly shows you to have a stronger academic record had been earlier evidenced. Additional extracurricular activities or fall term grades are not a basis for the reversal of the decision since decisions are based on academic information that was available at the time of application.

In rare cases, students may find it necessary to be in Los Angeles due to a personal hardship. In itself, this is not necessarily grounds for reversal of an admission decision since there are several other colleges in the Los Angeles area. Academic qualifications combined with the particular hardship listed would allow for an additional review of an applicant. If you base your appeal on an emergency or sudden need situation, please be prepared to document your circumstances.

(more on the appeal process)

 

Q: Was I considered for my alternate major also?

A: Unfortunately, UCLA only reviews transfer applicants for the first-choice majors. Due to the high volume of applicants each term, we are unable to provide a second review to students once they have been denied for their first majors.

 

Q: Can you tell me why I was denied to UCLA?

A: UCLA received over 16,500 applications for Fall 2009 from applicants at the transfer level for a class of 3,200. Therefore, we must deny over 11,000 applicants. Among these were excellent students who had completed a majority of the requirements for UCLA. All applicants must be at junior standing, have two English Composition courses, a college level Mathematics course, and four courses from at least two of the following areas: Arts & Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Physical Science, and Biological Science, completed prior to entering UCLA. All transfer admission is based on the completion of the major-specific preparation courses and a competitive GPA.

(more statistics on the transfer class)

 

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