Admissions

My number one tip is to work hard in high school and to keep that up all the way through until high school is over. There is never a time for slacking off or letting yourself get behind. Working hard will prepare you for college. I had a difficult time with this for a while in my first year of college, but I had to remind myself to stay on task and really stay focused. In a college like UCI, there are so many students that it's a good idea to always try to be ahead because once you fall behind you stay behind. There are so many students working hard that you cannot let yourself down. I also suggest looking into colleges by doing a college search and seeing what your top choices are. Are you looking for a place that is bursting at the seems with stuff to do and is not focused on academics? Or are you looking for a place that is safe and maybe close to the beach? Those things are important to take into account because you not only want to take into account the academia of your school but also the extracurricular stuff and the location of the college! For me, UCI is located in a great area and I love that about it. The beach is so close, and that helps me when I need to clear my mind and get through a rough day.

The strong points of this school are the weather, location, and layout of the campus. However, the people here can be quite snobby (it is in the middle of the O.C) and the classes aren't as challenging as I expected. The campus itself is great, and the faculty and staff are INCREDIBLY knowledgeable! My advice is to come to the campus and take a tour, and really evaluate whether you would fit in with a crowd of rich kids who are not always out to get an education.

Look into the department and get acquainted with professors right away. Start freshman year when you are in the larger classes so they remember you in the upper divisions - it's all about those letters of rec!

Study hard in high school and try to get at least a 3.7 GPA.
Participate in as many extracurricular activities as you can.
Try and score at least an 1850 in your SATs.

Live on campus your first year, and form good relationships with your hallmates and RA. Go to class.

Mainly my tips are: get a tour of UCI and visit their website to see if you like the school, live on campus because you will meet a lot of people and it will be more convenient when you are studying, send paperwork on time for when you are applying for Irvine and financial aid, do a summer programs for Irvine (don’t take classes during the
summer, because you won’t really meet people, my best suggestion is to do CAMP, if not, do SPOP), go to Welcome Week, but join a club if you have the time for it (maybe 1 or 2), go to office hours for professors, try to apply for LARC, if you are taking a biology class, you should look for free tutoring in this subject, because there is, check your EEE (for class quizzes, scores, evaluations, surveys and emails from professors), check your Webmail (email from the school or professors), and check your ZotAccount (to know if you owe any money to the school) .
Also, I highly recommend you not to miss class, and be early to class, because seats will be taken quickly or you will come into class with classes already started and you sitting on the stairs. Keep a schedule of your day that you can see everyday to know when you have classes, and a planner will help a lot (to remember midterms and finals).
Lastly tips for which teachers to take. I have only taken one quarter here at UCI, but these teachers are really good. For Biology 93, you should take O’Dowd and Warrior. For Chemistry 1A you should take Borovik and for Precalculus (Math 1B) you should take Mrs. Famiglietti. If you are still curious on which classes you need to take, you can always check ratemyprofessor.com.

Get he smallest meal plan! Dorm food is made to be produced cheaply and in mass amounts, so it's usually unhealthy. Have a meal plan but also make sure to supplement with vitamins, fruits, veggies, and lean proteins! Also, never buy books at the bookstore. Wait until your professor tells you which books you need, then buy from Amazon. Big money saver!!

Its a great school, but parking is expensive! If you don't need a car, I recommend you leave it at home. There are plenty of shuttles and alternative modes of transportation you can take that will save you a ton of money; parking permits are hundreds of dollars every quarter and UCI parking lots are always congested, making that permit worth even less since you might not even be able to find a spot!

Utilize the resources available on campus such as Department Peer Tutors, LARC, and the libraries!

I would highly reccomend for all prospective students to get involved as soon as you can when on campus. Whether you join a club, join student government, or just introduce yourself to the hallmates, get involved! I encourage you to reach out because these are relationships you will most likely keep for the rest of your life. Also if you get involved with student council like I have, you can get a significant letter of recomendation which will secure you that job or internship! Another tip is manage your time well. We all procrastinate and I am no exception. But manage your time to the best of your ability. Do your absolute best to prioritize!