University of California, Los Angeles

ucla.md

University of California, Los Angeles

Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)

• Total applicants: 145,900
• Overall acceptance rate: 8.6%
• Early round: No early rounds
• Class size: 6,600
• Yield: 18%

Academics

• SAT middle 50%: 1290–1510
• ACT middle 50%: 30–34
• Avg unweighted GPA: 3.9
• Top 10% of HS class: 97%
• Testing policy: Test-blind (SAT/ACT not considered)

Demographics

• Women: 52.8%, Asian: 26.9%, Black: 2.9%, Hispanic: 16.9%, White: 30.6%, International: 15.3%

Financial Aid / Net Cost

Athletics

377 varsity athletes (~1.2% of undergrads). NCAA Division I, Big Ten Conference (moved from Pac-12 in 2024).

Notable

Test-blind — SAT/ACT not considered at all. Most applied-to university in the US. No early rounds. High Asian enrollment (26.9%) reflects California demographics.

Community Insights (Reddit/Forums)

Admissions Strategy

• No early rounds — UCLA (and all UCs) use a single application deadline. No ED/EA advantage exists to model.
• Test-blind policy means SAT/ACT scores are completely irrelevant. GPA and course rigor are the dominant quantitative factors, followed by essays (PIQs — Personal Insight Questions).
• UCLA does not consider demonstrated interest, recommendations, or interviews. The application is entirely self-reported.
• Most applied-to university in the US (145,900+ applicants). Forum consensus: volume makes the process unpredictable — "holistic review at scale" creates high randomness.
• Only 3 factors rated "very important" by UCLA: rigor of secondary school record, GPA, and application essays.

Campus Culture & Fit

• Described as "vibrant, diverse, and energetic" with 1,000+ student organizations. Greek life is present but not central to social scene.
• Dining consistently ranked best in the nation. Housing guaranteed for 3 years for freshmen (4 years for some programs).
• Campus culture is diverse and casual — reflects California demographics (27% Asian, 17% Hispanic). Not preppy or elitist in feel.
• Location in Westwood/LA is a major draw — internship access, entertainment industry proximity, weather. Downside: cost of living and traffic.
• Forum criticism: large class sizes, impacted majors (CS, engineering, biology) create enrollment bottlenecks.

Financial Aid Reputation

• Strong for in-state students via UC system aid. Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan covers tuition for families under ~$80K.
• OOS students face $45K+ tuition with less aid availability. International students receive minimal institutional aid.
• Forum reputation: excellent value in-state, expensive OOS. Net cost data confirms: $8K for lowest bracket, $28.5K for highest.

Simulation-Relevant Takeaways

• No early round to model — single deadline with holistic review. Test-blind policy means SAT should not factor into UCLA admissions scoring.
• Yield has risen to 52% (up from 44% in 2020) — UCLA is increasingly a first-choice school, reducing yield protection concerns.
• In-state advantage exists but less dramatic than UVA (~70% CA residents). GPA and essays dominate the admissions function.

Sources

• University of California, Los Angeles Common Data Set 2024–2025
• research_colleges.json simulation data
• College Confidential: UCLA Class of 2029 Official Thread (talk.collegeconfidential.com)
• IvyWise: UCLA Acceptance Rate and Stats (ivywise.com)
• Collegewise: UCLA Acceptance Rates 2025 — In-State, OOS, Transfer
• UC Board of Regents: Test-blind standardized testing policy announcement