GPA expectations at University of California Santa Cruz?

I'm interested in applying to UC Santa Cruz, but I'm curious about what kind of GPA they're looking for. Do you guys have any idea about the average GPA for admitted students at UCSC?

UC Santa Cruz, like other universities, does not provide a strict GPA cut-off or target for applicants, so it's important to remember that the admissions process takes into account a variety of factors, including your course load, extracurriculars, and essays, among other things.

However, getting a sense of the average GPA of admitted students can give you a good benchmark. At UC Santa Cruz, the average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class tends to range around 3.76 - 4.16 on a 4.0 scale. This places an emphasis on having mostly A's and some B's in your coursework. Genuine engagement with your classes is the key here.

Also, keep in mind that these are averages, meaning that people get accepted with GPAs that are both higher and lower than this. If you find your GPA is below this range, it is not necessarily a barrier, but it does mean that the rest of your application must be all the stronger to withstand scrutiny. This can be through strong essays, impressive extracurricular activities or compelling letters of recommendation.

Finally, remember that UCSC will be looking at your UC GPA, which is calculated a bit differently from your standard GPA. The UC GPA only takes into account grades from your sophomore and junior years, and it also gives extra weight to any UC-approved honors, AP, IB or community college courses you've taken.

Also, remember, given the recent developments, UC schools, including UC Santa Cruz, have adopted a test-blind policy and do not consider SAT or ACT scores as part of their review process for the 2024-2025 application cycle.