Yes! 100%! An acceptance at a UC that doesn’t end in LA, B, SB, or SD is NOT a punishment or death sentence. I’ve listened to many podcasts with UC Admissions officers and they definitely consider themselves as: “One University, Ten Campuses.” This system is built to meet the needs of ALL kinds of students and there’s a place for everyone to thrive. We know many kids who ended up at a “non-preferred UC” and they are absolutely killing it and finding their place.
We are very lucky, in California, to have SO many options for stellar universities.