Historically, we have admitted very few students on appeal. For an appeal of your admission decision to have merit, it must bring to light new information that was not present in your application—information that clearly shows your application to be stronger overall than had been earlier evidenced. Appeals received that do not follow the process outlined below will not be considered, so please read the information carefully. All appeal decisions are final.
How to Appeal
If you are eligible to appeal, the “Appeal” tab will appear at the top of your UCSB Applicant Portal on the date listed below. To appeal your decision, click the “Appeal” tab to submit your answers to two required question prompts (and one optional question prompt) and attach a transcript, if applicable. Transcripts are required for transfer applicants. Letters of recommendation are not reviewed and interviews are not granted. Once you click “Submit Appeal” in the portal, a pop-up will appear stating that you cannot update or edit your appeal submission or attachment(s) after submitting. Plan accordingly as appeals received after the deadline or separately will not be considered. Email, mail, or fax submissions will not be reviewed.
Decisions will be posted in the UCSB Applicant Portal. A final appeal decision for freshman/first-year applicants may not be posted until late June. A final appeal decision for transfer applicants may not be posted until late August.
Deadlines for Appeals
- Freshman/First-year applicants: April 15 (appeals open April 1)
- Transfer applicants: June 15 (appeals open May 1)
Appeal Process Overview
Watch this Appeal Process overview video to learn more about appeals at UCSB.
Items That Must Be Submitted
You must submit answers to two questions, each with a 500 character limit. An optional third question is available.
- What is the basis of your appeal? (Beyond your desire to be at UCSB, improved fall grades, or new activities since applying, why do you want us to reconsider your application?)
- What details or context was missing that would enhance our understanding of your accomplishments? (What new information can you share not originally presented in your UC application?)
- (Optional) Did your application correctly reflect what is on your transcript? If not, what was incorrect? (If you forgot to list a class, had edits to your grades, or did not explain any academic curriculum here is where you can tell us.)
Optional Items That May* be Submitted
If the basis for the appeal is a changed grade or an incorrectly reported test score, we strongly recommend providing documentation (such as a high school or college transcript or a revised score report) by combining documents into a single PDF and uploading the PDF to the portal. Please note that this process is not focused on changes to senior year grades.
*Transcripts (with spring coursework) are required for transfer applicants.
Next Steps
We regret that we are unable to offer admission to all qualified applicants. UCSB does not set aside space in our class for students who appeal admission decisions. Every single application has gone through extensive reviews. For more information on the selection process, please visit our Freshman Eligibility and Selection and Transfer Eligibility and Selection pages.
If you are still interested in attending UCSB, the Office of Admissions staff will be pleased to assist you in planning for admission to a future term as a transfer student. We offer a variety of services throughout the year for students planning to transfer. We appreciate your interest in UC Santa Barbara.