Class of 2027 · Maya

What You Need to Know

The essential building blocks of California college admissions — explained the way a $5K consultant would, minus the consultant.

Starting freshman year is the smartest move. The families who feel calm senior year are the ones who understood the system early — A–G, GPA, and deadlines don't surprise them.

The A–G Requirements

History / Social Science

2 years — world & U.S. history.

English

4 years of college-prep English.

Mathematics

3 years required, 4 recommended (through pre-calc).

Lab Science

2 years required, 3 recommended (bio, chem, physics).

Language Other Than English

2 years required, 3 recommended — same language.

Visual & Performing Arts

1 year in a single discipline.

College-Prep Elective

1 year from the A–G subject areas.

How GPA Actually Works

UC recalculates GPA from your 10th–11th grade A–G courses, adds honors/AP weighting (capped), and there is no 5.0 ceiling on the weighted number. Unweighted (UW) and weighted (W) tell different stories — know which a school uses.

2.50CSU minimum

3.00UC minimum

4.15–4.30UC Berkeley (W)

3.94Stanford (UW)

Testing: SAT, ACT & Policy

UC and CSU are test-blind — they will not look at SAT or ACT scores at all. Many private and out-of-state schools are test-optional, and a few have reinstated required testing. Decide per-school: a strong score can only help where it's considered.

Three Pathways

UC9 undergrad campuses. Test-blind. Uses the 14-point weighted-capped GPA and Personal Insight essays. One app, Oct 1 – Dec 2.

CSU23 campuses, the most accessible four-year path. Test-blind, GPA + A–G driven, often no essay. Great value in-state.

PrivateStanford, USC and out-of-state schools. Holistic review, essays and recs carry weight, many are test-optional.

Track your child's profile, checklist and deadlines — free.