Students applying to the University of California for fall 2007 freshman admission will calculate their test scores in a slightly modified way to determine their UC eligibility.  Instead of converting ACT test results to equivalent SAT scores, as is done now, applicants will convert their ACT or SAT test results into a new UC Score on a 0-100 scale.
 
Students will then use their UC Score and high school grade point average to determine where they fall on the university's Eligibility Index. The index defines the combination of test scores and grades in required high school courses a student must earn to meet UC's statewide eligibility requirements.  (Students can also become UC-eligible by being in the top 4 percent of their graduating class or based on test scores alone.)
 
An online calculator allowing students to calculate their statewide eligibility using the new UC Score has been posted to the UC web site, and the university will be communicating the modified approach to high school students, principals and counselors.  Students apply for fall 2007 admission during the month of November 2006.
 
University faculty have adopted the new UC Score because it puts scores from all standardized tests on an equal footing.  No students should worry that their results may be viewed differently because they chose one test over another, said Susan Wilbur, UC director of undergraduate admissions. Establishing a separate, neutral scale also gives us the flexibility to accommodate any new tests that may be adopted for determining UC eligibility in the future.
 
This technical change gives a new look to the Eligibility Index, but it will not alter who becomes eligible for UC, Wilbur said.  The revised index will capture the same share of California 's high school graduates with the same academic strengths as those who met the previous index. The outcomes will remain the same, Wilbur said.
 
The online calculator can be found at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/scholarshipreq. Students with limited computer access may download a printed worksheet from www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/resources/materials.html.
 
Students also should be reminded that the Board of Regents in 2004 approved one other change affecting fall 2007 applicants an increase in the high school grade point average required for statewide eligibility.  Starting with the fall 2007 entering class, the minimum grade point average in high school a-g courses required for statewide eligibility will be 3.0, up from 2.8.  This change is likewise being publicized in student application materials and on UC web sites.

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