***UCLA CLASS OF 2019 APPLICANT DISCUSSION THREAD***

My son was invited to apply for the Alumni Scholarship and wasted no time sending everything in. We also wish there was a guarantee of admission but he is happy there is even a glimmer of hope because UCLA is at the very top of his list. This week, he got a hefty scholarship offer from another school in southern California but he says his decision would be a no-brainer if he gets accepted to UCLA, scholarship or not.

He got this e-mail a few days ago from the Alumni Association. If you haven’t received it yet, this will likely answer many of your questions. He also heard from an admissions director who said they are “on track to send out their decisions in late March.”

Good luck to everyone. UCLA is an awesome school and I can see why more than 100K students applied this year.

Thank you for applying to be an Alumni Scholar. You are 1 step closer to being part of UCLA’s oldest and most prestigious scholarships program!

So what is next for you?

In late March, admission notifications will be sent from the UCLA Undergraduate Admission Office. If admitted, your application will be reviewed by Alumni Scholarships Volunteers, who are dedicated alumni and friends of the university across the nation. High scoring applicants will then be invited for an interview between April 1-8. Interviews will be conducted in your city or via Skype.

What determines the scholarship award amount?

After your interview, high scoring applicants will be awarded the scholarship base amount of $4,000 ($1,000 per year). Plus, additional grants are available to students who demonstrate financial need and have completed FAFSA/DREAM. You may receive up to $5,000 for your first year in addition to your scholarship award which is determined by the Alumni Scholarships Program and the Financial Aid Office.

What is the National Finals Competition?

Every April, the highest scoring scholarship applicants participate in a competition at UCLA to potentially increase their base scholarship award up to $20,000 ($5,00 per year). This competition is a 30-year tradition of the Alumni Scholarships Program, where students are brought to campus to meet current Alumni Scholars and UCLA Alumni for a weekend. This year, it will be held on April 25 & 26, with one day of welcoming events and another for the scholarship competition.

@SoccerGirl365‌ The deadline was on February 27th.

@hallowdreams‌ I know :smile: I sent it in! But was just wondering if it meant anything!

I have read from previous posts that Ucla alumni invites have an admission rate 3x than that of regular admission. I’m not sure if the same can be said about the regent scholarship invite

@SoccerGirl365 There was a post TWO years ago from someone who claimed to have knowledge from a reputable source*… but at the end of a day it’s all speculation, haha. :slight_smile:

*Basically said that yes it is a good thing. It’s not guaranteed acceptance or anything but a fair sign!

How will we be notified of our decision? By email?

Mostlikely you will recieve an email to check your portal. Either that or a direct email about your admissions descision.

Do UC schools take demonstrated interest into account when reviewing?

I dont think its a huge factor unless it is related directly to your major. For example, my major is Korean and in my sophmore year I co-founded a Korean Club that introduces people to contemporary Korean culture and language, so that could be a factor they take into consideration when making descisions about my acceptance.

The decision is definitely going to be available for viewing through the portal. I’m not sure about whether or not applicants will receive an email prompting them to check the portal though…

“Demonstrated interest” as in like visiting campus and showing that you want to attend that school. Does that make sense?

Not as far as I know, just because some of us went to fall open house doesnt mean that we have better chances of getting in. But on the other hand, we we’re invited by the University so that could show their interest in us.

UCs do not care about demonstrated interest. Check Common Data Set.

@hallowdreams‌ @imjennah‌ thanks. Is the portal the link that admissions sent where you have to login with your birthdate and city of birth?

@Ruggy7 Yes.

@Ruggy7 Yep. I’m not sure if you applied to Berkeley but it would be the same for that campus as well. I believe the UCB log in only requires your UC Application ID and a password.

I feel like to avoid another system crash, the admission is going to send decisions in waves.

@petercho1996‌ Ahh, but I think the portal should be okay… I don’t remember them sending decisions in waves ever, especially because they have the portal now!

I am still confused with the alumni scholarship invitation as some people disagree that this invitation is a bit of an indicator.

but the annual system crash is part of the fun! :wink: