Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana, located in Santa Ana in Orange County, opened in 2009. It is a public charter school operated by Magnolia Public Schools under a charter approved by the California State Board of Education, and it serves students from transitional kindergarten (TK) through grade 12. In 2025-26 the school enrolled 586 students, including 196 in grades 9 to 12. In the U.S. News 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings, it placed No. 111 in California and No. 731 nationally, and 12th among Orange County public high schools. This page answers one question only: how should a student plan four years in this school’s high school grades?
How Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana Is Structured for College Admissions
Public data point to four features of this school’s high school grades.
First, it is small. In 2025-26 there were 196 students in grades 9 to 12, with 46 to 54 students per grade. The School Accountability Report Card (SARC) for 2024-25 lists a pupil-to-academic-counselor ratio of 150:1. With about 50 students per grade, the number of sections for any AP or honors course is limited, and so is the flexibility of the schedule.
Second, the curriculum is built on UC A-G, and the range of choices is narrow. The 2026-27 UC A-G course list includes 45 courses, among them 10 AP courses and 7 honors courses. English has an honors section from grade 9, math has honors sections of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, and science has Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry. Math goes up to AP Calculus AB, and the list has no AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, or AP Physics. Spanish is the only world language.
Third, the grading and graduation rules are strict. The school does not give a D, and a semester grade of C or higher is required for credit; the high school offers three diplomas, and the Honors Diploma requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 and 20 AP or college course credits.
Fourth, graduation and A-G completion rates are high. California Department of Education DataQuest data show that 36 of the 38 students in the Class of 2025 graduated on time, a graduation rate of 94.7%, and that 29 of the 35 graduates in the Class of 2024 met UC and CSU A-G requirements. In 2024-25, 68.62% of grade 11 students met or exceeded the standard on the state English test, and 43.14% did so in math.
How to Get Into Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana
The conclusion first: this is a tuition-free public charter school with no entrance exam, open to students from anywhere in California; when seats are limited, a lottery decides.
Step 1: Submit a Pre-Enrollment Application
- Submit a pre-enrollment application online through SchoolMint, or drop off a printed application at the school office
- The application period for the 2026-27 school year ran from August 11 to November 21, 2025; each sibling needs a separate application, due by 4:00 p.m. on November 21
- The enrollment page offers a sign-up form for open houses and scheduled campus tours
Step 2: Lottery or Direct Admission
- When applications for a grade exceed capacity, the school holds a public random drawing with priority for siblings
- When space is sufficient, there is no lottery, and the school contacts families to pick up an enrollment packet
- Students not drawn are placed on a waiting list in lottery order and notified in order as space opens; acceptance letters are mailed to families
Step 3: Enrollment and Continuation
- Families complete the enrollment packet and return it to the school with the required documents
- Current students keep their place for the following year, and grade 8 students move directly into grade 9 without entering the lottery
- High school promotion requires credit and GPA benchmarks: 50 credits to enter grade 10, 100 to enter grade 11, and 150 to enter grade 12, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
| School type | A tuition-free public charter school with no entrance exam. The enrollment page states that all students in California may apply regardless of where they live, and that the school admits students without regard to race, religion, sex, national origin, medical condition, or disability |
|---|---|
| How to apply | Submit a pre-enrollment application online through SchoolMint, or drop off a printed application at the school office. The application period for the 2026-27 school year ran from August 11 to November 21, 2025. Each sibling needs a separate application, due by 4:00 p.m. on November 21 |
| Lottery | When applications for a grade exceed its capacity, the school holds a public random drawing; when space is sufficient, there is no lottery and the school contacts families to pick up an enrollment packet. Current students keep their place for the following school year and do not enter the lottery |
| Order of preference | The enrollment page states that siblings receive priority in the lottery. The 2019-2024 charter renewal petition posted on the school website lists the further order of preference: children of Magnolia Public Schools board members and employees (capped at 10% of students admitted through the lottery), students coming from other Magnolia schools, and foster youth or homeless students |
| Waiting list | Students not drawn are placed on a waiting list in lottery order and notified in order as space opens; acceptance letters are mailed to families |
| Applying for 2027-28 | The school's 2026-27 calendar lists the enrollment lottery on Friday, December 11, 2026, and shows the application deadline as "Friday, November 21," a weekday that does not match the 2026 calendar. For the 2027-28 application period, confirm with the school's updated enrollment page |
| Grade 9 seats | As a TK-12 school, current grade 8 students move directly into grade 9. The number of grade 9 seats open to new students depends on the space left after continuing students, and the school does not publish openings by grade |
| Requirements after enrollment | There is no re-qualification requirement, but promotion has credit and GPA benchmarks: 50 credits to enter grade 10, 100 to enter grade 11, and 150 to enter grade 12, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Extracurricular activities and athletic teams require a C or better in every class |
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana: Four Differences From the Five Irvine Public High Schools
Irvine families most often compare Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana with the five high schools of the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD). The table below lists the four rules that most affect course selection, GPA, and applications. The entries for this school come from the Magnolia Public Schools 2026-27 student handbook and the 2026-27 UC A-G course list.
| Item | This school | Five Irvine schools |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | Public charter school open to all California students; lottery when oversubscribed, with priority for siblings | Enrollment by Irvine Unified School District attendance area |
| Passing grade and D | No D; below 70% is an F, and credit requires a C or better | The transcript includes a D grade, and courses with a D or F can be repeated; UC A-G courses require a C or better |
| Honors weighting | The school weights all 7 honors courses at 5.0, but UC recognizes only 2 of them | Honors courses in grades 9 and 10 are unweighted; weighting comes mainly from AP, and each school sets its own rules for honors courses in grades 11 and 12 |
| Diplomas and highest math course | Standard, Advanced, and Honors Diplomas; math goes up to AP Calculus AB | One diploma; University, Irvine, Woodbridge, and Portola High Schools offer AP Calculus BC, and Northwood High School offers Chapman University dual enrollment calculus instead |
For Irvine families, the second rule is the easiest to overlook. Transcripts in the Irvine Unified School District include a D grade; at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana, a semester grade below 70% is recorded directly as an F, earns no credit, and must be made up through summer school, online courses, or a community college. The third rule means that the weighted GPA on the school transcript will differ from the weighted GPA UC calculates, and the size of the gap depends on how many school-only weighted honors courses the student has taken.
Twelve Years of UC Application Data at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana: Applicants, Admit Rates, and GPA
The data below come from the UC Infocenter of the University of California Office of the President, reported by source high school for fall 2014 through fall 2025; there is no record for this school in 2015. GPA is the UC weighted, capped GPA, which counts only courses taken in grades 10 and 11. Fewer than 30 students from this school apply each year, and UC does not publish cells with fewer than 5 applicants or fewer than 3 admits or enrollees, so blanks in the charts mean the data were not published, not zero.
The ten lines are hard to tell apart where they overlap. Hover over any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; click to keep it highlighted, and click again to clear it.Tap any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; tap again to clear it.
Official UC data · By high school of origin · 2014–2025
Year-by-Year Data for the Top Six UC Campuses
The table lists, by year, the number of Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana students who applied to, were admitted to, and enrolled at UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, and UC Davis, along with average GPA. Use the buttons to switch metrics. Cells shown as a dash were not published by UC because the counts were too small.
This table has five data views. Use the buttons below to view admits, applicants, enrollees, admit GPA, and applicant GPA; the button for the current view is highlighted in yellow.
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 5 (29%) | 3 (14%) | 12 (63%) | 4 (27%) | 6 (24%) | 6 (67%) |
| 2024 | — | 3 (21%) | 11 (69%) | 4 (80%) | 5 (29%) | 5 (83%) |
| 2023 | 4 (44%) | — | 4 (36%) | — | 6 (40%) | 3 (33%) |
| 2022 | — | — | 5 (50%) | — | — | 3 (38%) |
| 2021 | — | — | — | — | 3 (30%) | 3 (60%) |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | 3 (60%) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 17 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 25 | 9 |
| 2024 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 6 |
| 2023 | 9 | 16 | 11 | — | 15 | 9 |
| 2022 | 14 | 17 | 10 | — | 22 | 8 |
| 2021 | 6 | 7 | 6 | — | 10 | 5 |
| 2020 | — | 5 | 5 | — | 7 | — |
| 2019 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 5 |
| 2018 | 5 | 7 | 5 | — | 6 | 5 |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — |
| 2016 | — | — | 5 | — | 8 | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | — | — | — | ▲ 5 → 25 | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 5 | — | 5 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.15 | — | 4.12 | — | 4.18 | 4.03 |
| 2024 | — | — | 4.23 | — | 4.29 | 4.12 |
| 2023 | — | — | — | — | 4.25 | — |
| 2022 | — | — | 4.15 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 3.98 | 4.01 | 3.97 | 4.00 | 3.94 | 3.87 |
| 2024 | 4.15 | 4.09 | 4.04 | 4.12 | 3.98 | 4.01 |
| 2023 | 3.86 | 3.77 | 3.75 | — | 3.82 | 3.88 |
| 2022 | 3.75 | 3.54 | 3.81 | — | 3.56 | 3.81 |
| 2021 | 3.99 | 4.07 | 4.08 | — | 3.93 | 4.00 |
| 2020 | — | 4.05 | 4.05 | — | 4.03 | — |
| 2019 | 3.91 | 3.80 | 4.01 | 3.84 | 3.69 | 4.04 |
| 2018 | — | 3.83 | 3.85 | — | 3.71 | — |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — | 3.42 | — |
| 2016 | — | — | 3.76 | — | 3.67 | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | 3.24 | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | — | — | — | ▲ 3.24 → 3.94 | — |
Applications and Admissions by Campus in the Most Recent Year
| UC campus (fall 2025) | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrollees | Admit GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 17 | 5 | 29% | 5 | 4.15 |
| UC Los Angeles | 21 | 3 | 14% | — | — |
| UC San Diego | 19 | 12 | 63% | 5 | 4.12 |
| UC Davis | 9 | 6 | 67% | — | 4.03 |
| UC Irvine | 25 | 6 | 24% | — | 4.18 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 15 | 4 | 27% | — | — |
| UC Merced | 5 | 5 | 100% | — | 3.97 |
| UC Riverside | 15 | 13 | 87% | — | 3.94 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 6 | 3 | 50% | — | — |
GPA Rules at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana: 5.0 Weighting, No D, and Only Two UC-Weighted Honors Courses
| Grading and weighting | The MPS Student-Parent Handbook 2026-27 states that regular courses are graded on a 4.0 scale, while honors, AP, and approved college courses are weighted on a 5.0 scale. Grades carry plus and minus marks: A+ and A earn 4.0 (5.0 weighted), A- 3.7 (4.7 weighted), B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B- 2.7, C+ 2.3, and C 2.0; below 70% is an F. The school does not issue a D (No D Policy), except where a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) permits it |
|---|---|
| Weighted courses | All 10 AP courses (weighted by both the school and UC); English 10 Honors (weighted by both the school and UC); Honors Chemistry (weighted by both the school and UC); Honors English 9 (weighted by the school only); Honors Algebra 1 (weighted by the school only); Honors Geometry (weighted by the school only); Honors Algebra 2 (weighted by the school only); Honors Biology (weighted by the school only); Approved college courses that meet UC A-G requirements (weighted by the school) |
| Honors courses weighted by the school only | Honors English 9; Honors Algebra 1; Honors Geometry; Honors Algebra 2; Honors Biology |
| Difference from UC | On the 2026-27 UC A-G course list, only two of the school's seven honors courses, English 10 Honors and Honors Chemistry, are UC-approved honors courses. The other five are weighted at 5.0 on the school transcript, but UC treats them as regular courses when calculating the application GPA |
| No D | The school does not issue a D: the minimum passing score in every course is 70%, anything below 70% is an F, and a semester grade of C or higher is required to earn credit. A D transferred from another school is accepted as passing, but it may count only toward the Standard Diploma, not toward Advanced or Honors Diploma requirements |
| Class rank and graduation honors | The school uses the weighted cumulative GPA to determine class rank, graduation honors, and eligibility for the National Honor Society. There is no salutatorian; every graduate who earns an Honors Diploma and holds a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or higher as of June 1 is named a Co-Valedictorian |
| Repeating courses | Courses already passed for credit normally may not be repeated; credit for a repeated course is awarded only when the original grade was an F or Incomplete (I). When the administration approves a repeat for extenuating circumstances, the new grade is used in the school GPA, but UC does not use the repeated grade in the A-G GPA if the original grade was a C or higher |
| College and middle school courses | College courses that meet UC A-G requirements or are listed in ASSIST as UC/CSU transferable are converted to high school credits and weighted in the GPA; other college courses are converted to credits but not weighted. Counselor approval is required in advance. High school courses taken in middle school can count toward graduation credits but are not included in the high school cumulative GPA |
These rules shape course selection. At Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana, students can take Honors English 9 in grade 9, and math and biology also have honors sections, so the weighted GPA on the school transcript can begin rising in grade 9. UC, however, counts only courses taken in grades 10 and 11 and adds weight only for UC-approved honors courses: English 10 Honors, Honors Chemistry, and the 10 AP courses. What actually matters for a UC application is how many AP courses and these two honors courses a student takes in grades 10 and 11, and earning an A in each.
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana Timeline From Middle School to High School
Because this is a TK-12 school and math placement that affects high school begins in grade 6, the timeline starts in grade 6.
Grade 6
- SpringPlacement in Accelerated Math 6/7 depends on the grade 5 final grade, CAASPP, MAP, and a placement exam; parents must attend an information meeting and sign an acceleration agreement
- Year-roundOne of the grade levels at which students are assessed for GATE
Grades 7 to 8
- SpringThe prior year's math grade, CAASPP, and MAP determine whether a student takes Accelerated Math 7/8 or Algebra 1 in grade 7, and Algebra 1 or Geometry in grade 8
- Year-roundAlgebra 1, Geometry, and approved computer courses taken in middle school can count toward high school graduation credits but not toward the high school GPA
Grade 9
- AugustA math placement checkpoint takes place within the first month of school
- Year-roundHonors English 9 is weighted by the school but not by UC, as are Honors Algebra 1, Honors Geometry, and Honors Biology; grade 9 is one of the GATE assessment grades
- FallThe school encourages students to take the PSAT/NMSQT; community service hours count from the end of grade 8, and the Advanced and Honors Diplomas require 40 hours
Grade 10
- Year-roundEnglish 10 Honors is weighted by both the school and UC, as is Honors Chemistry; UC's application GPA starts with grade 10 courses
- JuneEntering grade 11 requires 100 cumulative credits and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
Grade 11
- Year-roundAP English Language, AP United States History, AP Precalculus, or AP Calculus AB are the main sources of weighted grades
- Year-roundStudents may apply to take community college courses with a weighted GPA of at least 2.0 and counselor approval; students in grades 11 and 12 take at least five courses each semester
- MayAP exams; grade 11 CAASPP English and math tests
Grade 12
- August to SeptemberReview diploma type, A-G progress, and community service hours with a counselor; entering grade 12 requires 150 cumulative credits
- October to NovemberUC and CSU application season; the College Counselor helps with applications and scholarship materials
- June 1Co-Valedictorian status is determined from projected final grades as of this date
Three points truly set the direction. Placement in Accelerated Math 6/7 in the spring of grade 6, and placement in Algebra 1 for grade 8 decided in the spring of grade 7, determine how far a student can go in math before grade 12. The AP and UC-approved honors courses taken in grades 10 and 11 determine the UC weighted GPA. At the start of grade 12, the student should confirm the diploma type with a counselor, since the community service and AP credits required for the Advanced and Honors Diplomas must be complete by then.
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana Clubs and Academic Competitions
The student competition section of the school website lists three activities. The school does not publish a full list of clubs or the number of clubs.
- Science Olympiad (one team each in elementary, middle, and high school)
- VEX Robotics
- Academic Decathlon
The competitions are organized as follows.
- Science Olympiad: the elementary, middle, and high school divisions each have a team that competes in the Orange County regional tournament
- VEX Robotics: listed under student competitions on the school website
- Academic Decathlon: teams of nine, with three students each from the 3.75 and above, 3.00 to 3.749, and below 3.00 GPA groups
Two points should be noted separately: the school website does not publish a full club list or the number of clubs; the website lists no math competition team, debate team, Model UN, or business competition clubs such as DECA or FBLA.
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana Signature Programs
- Three high school diplomas (Standard, Advanced, Honors): The Standard Diploma requires 200 credits and a minimum GPA of 2.00. The Advanced Diploma requires 220 credits, a GPA of 3.25, 10 AP or college course credits, 40 hours of community service, and a Prepared rating on the California College/Career Indicator (CCI). The Honors Diploma requires 220 credits, a GPA of 3.50, and 20 AP or college course credits. Graduates who earn an Honors Diploma with a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or higher are all named Co-Valedictorians
- Science Olympiad: The school website states that the elementary, middle, and high school divisions each have a Science Olympiad team that competes in the Orange County regional tournament; students sign up with the coaches
- VEX Robotics and the Robotics course: The school website lists VEX Robotics under student competitions; the high school also offers Robotics, a UC A-G category g elective
- Academic Decathlon: The school website lists the United States Academic Decathlon, in which each team of nine students is divided into three GPA groups. The school also offers a course of the same name that counts as a UC A-G category g elective
- Advisory and the four-year plan: The last period of each day in the secondary grades is Advisory or Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). In Advisory, students create four-year plans, explore careers, record community service, and build a high school portfolio
- Dual and concurrent enrollment: Students with a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and counselor approval may take college courses. College courses that meet UC A-G requirements are weighted on the high school transcript, and a course of 3 or more semester units converts to 10 high school credits
- Gifted and Talented Education (GATE): Magnolia Public Schools assesses students for GATE in grades 3, 6, and 9, and parents may also request an assessment; at the high school level, gifted education is delivered through AP, honors courses, and math acceleration
- Home visits, Saturday programs, and break camps: The school website describes teacher home visits, Saturday programs with tutoring, enrichment, and parent workshops, winter and spring academic camps, and summer school
Counseling and College Services at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana
| Counselors and college advising | The School Accountability Report Card (SARC) for 2024-25 lists 5.0 full-time-equivalent counselors (academic, social/behavioral, or career development) and a pupil-to-academic-counselor ratio of 150:1; the staff directory also lists a College Counselor. The student handbook states that counselors provide academic advising, college planning, scholarship information, and SAT/ACT materials, and that students and parents may make an appointment at any time |
|---|---|
| On-campus testing | The student handbook encourages students in grades 9 to 11 to take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall; the 2026-27 calendar lists AP exams in May. Eligible students may apply for AP exam fee assistance. The school does not publish on-campus PSAT or SAT dates |
| Schedule changes after school starts | No schedule changes are made during the first five school days except for scheduling errors; necessary academic changes may be made during the next 10 school days; withdrawal within 15 school days carries no F, and students must remain in the course after that |
| Transcripts | Graduates request transcripts online through Parchment, linked from the Students section of the school website |
| Dual enrollment and community college | Handled under the Magnolia Public Schools Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Policy: a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and counselor assessment and approval of each course, with the grade recorded on the high school transcript; for partnership (CCAP) courses taught during the school day, the grade appears on both the college and high school transcripts |
For the UC A-G category and weighting of each course, see Courses and course selection; for the math acceleration pathway, see Math pathways; for the AP list and outside options, see AP course list and course selection.
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana College Planning Guide: Frequently Asked Questions
Can families who live in Irvine apply to Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana?
Yes. Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana is a public charter school, and its enrollment page states that all students in California may apply regardless of where they live, with no release from the home district required. The application period for the 2026-27 school year ran from August 11 to November 21, 2025; when applications for a grade exceed capacity, the school holds a public lottery with priority for siblings. The campus is on West 1st Street in Santa Ana, and families arrange their own transportation.
A note for Irvine families: are there grade 9 openings at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana?
It depends on the seats left after continuing students. Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana is a TK-12 school, and current grade 8 students move directly into grade 9 without entering the lottery. In 2025-26 the school had only 196 students in grades 9 to 12, including 46 in grade 9. The school does not publish the number of openings by grade, so families should confirm with the enrollment office before applying.
Are honors courses at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana weighted by UC?
Most are not. The Magnolia Public Schools student handbook weights honors, AP, and approved college courses on a 5.0 scale, but on the 2026-27 UC A-G course list only two of the school's seven honors courses, English 10 Honors and Honors Chemistry, are UC-approved honors courses. Honors English 9, Honors Algebra 1, Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, and Honors Biology are weighted on the school transcript but count as regular courses in the UC application GPA.
How many Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana students apply to UC, and how are they admitted?
According to official UC Infocenter data by source school, 25 Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana students applied to the University of California for fall 2025; 22 were admitted to at least one campus, 11 enrolled, and the average admit GPA was 4.00. UC Berkeley had 17 applicants and 5 admits, UC Los Angeles 21 applicants and 3 admits, and UC San Diego 19 applicants and 12 admits. Because the school is small, UC suppresses many campus and year cells.
How do the three diplomas at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana differ?
Under the 2026-27 student handbook, the Standard Diploma requires 200 credits and a cumulative GPA of 2.00. The Advanced Diploma requires 220 credits, a GPA of 3.25, 10 AP or college course credits, 40 hours of community service, and a Prepared rating on the California College/Career Indicator (CCI). The Honors Diploma requires 220 credits, a GPA of 3.50, and 20 AP or college course credits, with the other requirements the same as the Advanced Diploma. Both the Advanced and Honors Diplomas require four years of math (40 credits) and three years of science (30 credits).
Why does Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana not give a D?
This is the Magnolia Public Schools No D Policy. The student handbook sets the minimum passing score in every course at 70%, records anything below 70% as an F, and awards credit only for a semester grade of C or higher, except where a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) permits otherwise. The rule matches the UC and CSU requirement of a C or better in A-G courses, but it also means that a 69% must be made up, so students should not overload their schedules.
