May 2026 Counselor Newsletter

• Want to be an Admissions Reader next year? Fill out the Reader Interest Form now. We'll email you when the application opens in July. Selection happens in September.
• We have gone out to our first-year freshman waitlist. We'll do this on a rolling basis until we reach enrollment capacity for the fall. We should complete the waitlist review by the end of June. We email students once their decision is posted in the Applicant Portal.
• Appeals for transfer students are open but we don't encourage students to rush. Spring grades are not required for a transfer appeal. We'll keep the transfer appeal portal open until June 15 to allow for final grades. First-year freshman appeals have closed. We'll review them but might not respond to the appeal until after we conclude the waitlist review.
• I'm hosting a Counselor Chat. Ask Cuca, will happen Friday, May 15 at 9:00 AM PT. | Register

I wish you a safe, relaxing, and healthy summer. If you're in Santa Barbara, please let me know! The Office of Admissions appreciates you. We love you. We thank you for your partnership.

Cuca Acosta,
Executive Director, Office of Admissions
UC Santa Barbara

Reminders/Announcements:

• Sending official documents: You can send us transcripts through an approved electronic vendor OR via mail. Details about sending documents can be found online at First-year documents page | Transfer documents page.
  • Final high school transcripts must show spring grades and a high school diploma date (month and year are required).
  • College transcript must show final grades. Anything marked 'in progress' is not final.
  • Full UC IGETC or CalGETC certification must be sent by the California community college by July 15 on an official transcript or CCC worksheet.
  • Reminder: We do NOT accept emailed transcripts.
• The UC Application Playlist: We will be working to post our UC Application playlist by the first week of July. We hope you’ll share the resource with your students. Videos will be posted on a rolling basis as we complete them. The full tutorial will be visible by August 1. Thank you for your patience as we work to make these videos for you and your students. | YouTube Channel
• Faculty Lecture Playlist: We had amazing faculty lectures this spring. Please share with your colleagues, students, and families. What a great way to learn and explore UCSB! | Faculty Lecture Playlist

First-year Updates:

• UC Application Webinars: In addition to our broader selection of webinars, webinars specific to the UC Application will be available starting this June. Webinar topics include Application Overview, Personal Insight Questions (PIQs), Activities & Awards and more! Encourage your students to register on our First-year events webpage.
• Counselor Webinar Mixed Records: Advising Students with International Coursework: Join us on May 12 at 10:00 AM PT to learn more about how you can support students with mixed records through the admissions process. 
• UC Application Summer Bootcamps: We are hosting virtual UC Application 3-day bootcamps for rising seniors this summer. Bootcamp sessions will cover information about the UC system, majors, and the UC Application. Students who complete the series will have the opportunity to schedule a 1:1 meeting with a UCSB admissions counselor to discuss their UC application questions and review their personal insight questions. Space is extremely limited for the California high school sessions! Please encourage your students to apply for the Bootcamps by the May 22 deadline. More information about session date options can be found on our Bootcamp application website.
• Virtual School Visits: The Admissions Team continues to offer virtual school visits this season. This is a great opportunity for students to connect with an admissions counselor early on. Share your preferred date, time, and presentation topic with us when you register. Register for a virtual visit!

Transfer Updates:

• Fall 2026 Applicants. Please remind your admitted UCSB students to submit their SIR by the June 1 deadline. Students must meet the conditions of admissions and need to report any changes in coursework or low grades by emailing admissions@ucsb.edu.
• Virtual 1:1 advising will be resuming this month. Students can book a 20-minute virtual transfer admissions appointment. Students will need to have an updated UC Transfer Admission Planner account completed prior to their appointment. 
• Transfer Prep Academy (TPA). Save the date for this year’s Transfer Preparation Academy happening July 22-24, 2026. TPA is a free, 3-day, 2-night program on the UCSB campus. This program is intended for students applying for Fall 2027 admission to the University of California. The program will focus on the next steps transfer-ready students should take as they prepare for the UC. The TPA application will be out this month. Students interested in applying should create a UC Transfer Admission Planner account, select “UCSB” as a campus they’re interested in and they will get the invitation to apply! 
• Transfer Making It Happen! (TMIH) is a transfer preparation program for recent high school seniors entering the community college or new students to the community college. Participants will learn about programs, tools and resources to help them prepare for transfer to the University of California. The program date is Tuesday, August 18, 2026 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Students can register for TMIH here.