College Admissions · Roadmap by grade · 2026-27 school year
The first semester of grade 12 is application season. The University of California (UC) application for fall 2027 admission is submitted from October 1 to November 30, 2026, decisions are released in March 2027, and admitted first-year students must commit by May 1. Grade 12 grades do not count toward the UC GPA, but offers of admission are conditional: dropping a course or earning a grade below C can lead to an offer being withdrawn.
After a school is selected, this section shows the grade 12 dates listed in that school's guide, such as course selection dates, in-school test days, and parent meetings.
The list covers the 28 high schools with a guide on this site. For other schools, follow the school's own notices; the month-by-month checklist below applies to California high schools in general.
This school's guide does not list separate grade 12 dates. See the guide for the school calendar and course selection dates.
UC systemwide figures: a student who applies to multiple campuses is counted once.
School dates are taken from the school guide on this site; sources are listed on the guide page, and the school's notices for the current year take precedence.
Dated items come from official websites, with sources listed at the end of the page. Undated items are tasks suited to that month and can be moved earlier or later to fit the student.
UC and the California State University (CSU) share the November 30 deadline, and most early application deadlines at private universities fall on November 1 or 15. Put every college's deadline in one table and work backward from the earliest.
The UC application asks for every high school course and grade, and reminds applicants to work from the transcript rather than from memory. This step takes the most time and is the easiest place to make a mistake.
UC admission is conditional. A campus reserves the right to withdraw an offer if the student drops a course or earns a grade below C, and course changes after submission must be reported as each campus requires.
The FAFSA, the California Dream Act Application (CADAA), and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form can be submitted from October 1. The deadline is March 2, almost the same time that decisions are released.
Grade 12 grades do not count toward the UC GPA, but UC comprehensive review looks at the type and number of grade 12 courses. After admission, a campus reserves the right to withdraw an offer if the student drops a course or earns a grade below C.
The SAT has five dates in fall 2026: August 22, September 12, October 3, November 7, and December 5. UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission; scores can be reported only after the application is submitted, as an alternative way to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after enrollment.
The activities and awards section of the UC application has six categories: awards or honors, educational preparation programs, extracurricular activities, other coursework, volunteering and community service, and work experience. UC's guidance is to favor quality over quantity. After submission, neither the activities and awards section nor the personal insight questions can be changed.
One UC application can go to several campuses at once. Each campus reviews independently and does not know the results at the others. Decisions are released in March, admitted first-year students submit the Statement of Intent to Register by May 1, and the final transcript must arrive by July 1.
UC first-year application guideDownload the UC Application Handbook
What to do each month from grade 9 through grade 12, one grade per page, with checkboxes, ready to print and keep at the student's desk.
Registered. The documents are ready to download.All three documents are now available. To have a counselor walk through them for the student's grade and school, book a 30-minute initial assessment.
This device is registered. The PDF can be downloaded directly.
For Irvine grade 12 students applying to UC for fall 2027 admission, the submission period runs from October 1 to November 30, 2026. The application has been open for drafting since August 1, all campuses share the same deadline, and there is no early application round. The priority application period of the California State University also ends on November 30.
An offer of UC admission to an Irvine grade 12 student remains conditional. The UC website states that a campus reserves the right to withdraw an offer if the student drops a course or earns a grade below C in a course. A change of school, an added or dropped course, or a grade below C after submission must be reported as each campus requires.
UC campuses release decisions for fall 2027 admission from March 1 to 31, 2027, and some campuses may release them earlier. Admitted first-year students must submit the Statement of Intent to Register by May 1 and have the final transcript arrive by July 1.
Irvine grade 12 families applying for UC financial aid must submit the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application by March 2, 2027, and the school must submit the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. All three have been open for submission since October 1, 2026, and there is no need to wait for an admission decision.
School-specific dates are sourced on each school guide on this site.
Leave the grade and high school, and an Irvine-based counselor will be in touch within one business day. The initial assessment takes 30 minutes, in person at the Irvine Ivy Center or online, and ends with a first set of recommendations.
