How big is UCLA waitlist?

UCLA's waitlist can be quite large, with tens of thousands offered a spot (e.g., over 18,000 for the Class of 2027), but the number admitted varies yearly; for the Class of 2027, about 1,400 were admitted from over 11,000 who accepted their waitlist spot, showing a competitive acceptance rate that fluctuates based on enrollment needs. The size depends on how many admitted students choose not to enroll, meaning the number of openings changes annually, and the waitlist isn't ranked, focusing on filling specific academic niches.

Is it good to be waitlisted at UCLA?

Being on a wait list does not guarantee enrollment, but can improve a student's chance of enrollment if another student drops the class.

How does a waitlist work at UCLA?

Being on the waitlist is a measure of academic competitiveness, but it does not guarantee admission. For first-year waitlist applicants, consideration for admission occurs if space becomes available after May 1.

What percent of waitlisted applicants get accepted?

Waitlist acceptance rates vary wildly by college, averaging around 20% overall but much lower (often 0-7%) at highly selective schools, though some, like Michigan State, can admit nearly everyone, while others, like Yale or Caltech, admit none. Rates depend heavily on a school's yield (how many accepted students enroll) and fluctuate yearly, with recent trends showing lower acceptance rates at top-tier universities.
 

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

Asking UCLA Grads What Their Starting Salary Is (Part 2!)

Is it harder to get into UCLA or Berkeley?

UCLA is generally considered harder to get into than UC Berkeley due to having a lower overall acceptance rate and receiving more applications, making it the most selective UC, though both are extremely competitive and depend heavily on your major and profile. While UCLA often requires higher stats (especially GPA), Berkeley can be very competitive for specific programs like Engineering or Business, but might be slightly more holistic overall. 

Is UCLA the hardest UC to get into?

Yes, UCLA is consistently among the hardest, if not the single hardest, UC to get into, often competing with UC Berkeley for the lowest acceptance rates, though recent data shows UCLA as slightly more competitive with its plummeting rate and status as the nation's most applied-to university, requiring exceptional academic strength, especially for popular majors like Nursing or Film. 

Does UCLA rank their waitlist?

Students on the waitlist will begin being admitted after May 1, the waitlist is unranked, and they do not know how many students will get in off the waitlist in a given year.

Is the UCLA waitlist first come first serve?

UC Waitlists are not ranked and it is not first in, first admitted. There is no way to determine your chances from being admitted off the waitlist.

How long does it take to hear back after being waitlisted?

Waitlist decisions take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, often stretching from late May/June through the summer until August, as schools fill empty spots from May 1st onward, depending on enrollment numbers, yield rates, and institutional needs. You might hear back in waves, or sometimes as late as just before move-in day, as schools exhaust their waitlists as seats unexpectedly open up, say. 

How to check waitlist status UCLA?

Waitlists. Students are not automatically notified when their waitlist status changes. If waitlisted, students should check their status by viewing the Study List on MyUCLA. Waitlists are maintained through Friday of the first week of the course, unless deleted earlier by the department.

Did UCLA close their waitlist?

In 2022, UCLA closed the waitlist August 19, for 2023 and 2024, they closed it on July 31.

Do people get off the UCLA waitlist?

Getting off the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) waitlist is quite difficult, with the latest waitlist acceptance rate standing at just 13.2%. This rate makes UCLA's waitlist one of the most competitive among the University of California campuses.

How hard is it to get off an UC waitlist?

UCLA: The acceptance rate off of the waitlist was only 12%, or 1,404 students out of 11,725 who accepted a spot on the waitlist, but that's actually higher than the overall acceptance rate of 9%. UC Irvine: They offered 16,743 students a spot on the waitlist, and 3,031 were eventually admitted.

How many kids get waitlisted at Harvard?

Students accept Harvard's offers at a rate above 80% consistently, which leaves very few spots for waitlist candidates. Highly selective schools like Harvard send about 1,950 additional letters of acceptance to fill a class of 1,660 students. This means only 34 to 44 spots might open up for waitlisted candidates.

How likely is it to get accepted after being waitlisted?

Waitlist confirmation probability varies by system (trains, universities), calculated by algorithms using historical data, current demand, and cancellations, often shown as a percentage (e.g., <50% red, >65% green) or specific statuses like GNWL (higher chance) vs. RLWL (lower chance). Higher waitlist numbers, off-peak travel, and specific quotas (like GNWL) generally improve odds, while fewer available seats or high demand decrease them.
 

How to respond to UCLA waitlist?

UCLA provides a text box on the My Application Status (Bruins Admissions) portal called the "Waitlist Option ." This is the only place to submit updates or a LOCI. Waitlisted applicants should log into the UCLA portal and enter any new accomplishments, grades, or explanatory updates.

Has anyone gotten off the Harvard waitlist?

In some years, we have admitted no one from the wait list; in others, we have admitted more than 200 candidates.”

How do I get into UCLA from Australia?

We look for a competitive score above 100 (with sub-scores above 24) on the TOEFL, 7.5 or above on the IELTS, or a 130 or higher on the Duolingo English Test (DET). Current Applicants: TOEFL, IELTS, and DET scores can be updated post-submission directly through the UC Application website.

Why is UCLA not number 1 anymore?

UCLA's slip from the #1 public university spot (held for eight years) to #2 behind UC Berkeley in recent U.S. News rankings is attributed to factors like cuts in federal research funding due to campus controversies (antisemitism, affirmative action) and shifts in ranking methodologies, though some argue the rankings don't fully capture UCLA's value, while others note UC Berkeley's strong programs and Silicon Valley ties. 

What is the 9% UC rule?

The Statewide Index identifies California-resident students in the top 9 percent of California high school graduates and offers these students a guaranteed space at a UC campus, if space is available.

Which UC is the most prestigious?

UC Berkeley and UCLA are the top two public universities in the country, with seven UC campuses in the top 25 and all nine undergraduate campuses in the top 45, according to the 2026 Best Colleges rankings, released today (Sept.

What's the hardest major to get into at UCLA?

The hardest majors to get into at UCLA are often in specialized professional schools like Nursing, Film & Television, and Engineering (especially Computer Science/Engineering), which have extremely low acceptance rates (sometimes <1-4%) due to high demand and rigorous selection, often requiring auditions or high stats, with Computer Science being notoriously tough within the College of Letters & Science as well. 

Is Harvard harder to get into than UCLA?

UCLA's acceptance rate is around ~9% — one of the toughest public universities. But these schools are even harder to get into 👇 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) — ~2–3% Harvard University — ~3–4%