US holisticUnited States · Bachelor’sResearched 1d ago

Computer Science

University of California, Los Angeles

PortPath researches criteria from public sources and can be incomplete or out of date. Always verify against the program’s official announcement before relying on it. PortPath never predicts admission chances.

Overview

UCLA admits first-year applicants to the B.S. in Computer Science through a holistic review under the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. For this school, UCLA says admission is by declared major and places more emphasis on science and math preparation; readers also weigh the personal insight questions and the academic record in the context of available opportunities. SAT/ACT are not considered for admission, while English-proficiency testing matters only for applicants who must prove English proficiency.

Admission criteria

PortfolioLow

A portfolio is not part of UCLA first-year Computer Science admission. UCLA identifies portfolios/auditions as major admission factors for certain arts-related schools, not for Engineering/Computer Science. Projects can still help indirectly if described in the UC application achievements list or personal insight questions, but there is no separate portfolio review for this program.

Bar to clear: Not used by this program

Statement of PurposeMedium

UCLA uses the UC Personal Insight Questions as the main written component. The university says this is the applicant’s chance to add insight beyond the rest of the application, and reviewers consider evidence from these responses during holistic review. For CS applicants, the writing should clarify motivation, initiative, impact, and fit with rigorous STEM study rather than function as a graduate-style research proposal.

Bar to clear: 4 UC Personal Insight Question responses, up to 350 words each

Academics & GPAHigh

This is the strongest academic lever for UCLA Computer Science. UCLA says competitive applicants should be much stronger than minimum UC requirements, and Engineering admits by declared major with more emphasis on science and math programs. Reviewers consider course rigor, grades, senior-year load, and performance in honors/AP/IB/college-level work. The recent UCLA first-year profile by major shows extremely high GPAs for admitted Computer Science students.

Bar to clear: Computer Science admits: 4.64-4.92 UC weighted GPA (Fall 2025 profile)

Test scoresLow

SAT and ACT are not considered for UCLA admission or scholarships, so they do not help for first-year CS admission. Test scores matter only where required for English proficiency: UCLA requires TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test from applicants who must demonstrate English proficiency, and it publishes competitive score guidance.

Bar to clear: SAT/ACT not used; if English testing is required, aim for TOEFL iBT 100+, IELTS 7.5+, or DET 135+

Application components

Personal Insight QuestionsHigh school transcript / academic recordSelf-reported GPA and courseworkEnglish proficiency test report if required

How to stand out

→Take the most rigorous math and science schedule available and keep grades at the very top of your class profile.

→Use the PIQs to show technical curiosity, problem-solving, initiative, and real impact from coding or STEM work instead of repeating your activities list.

→If you have strong CS projects, describe what you built, why it mattered, and what you learned in the activities section or PIQs because UCLA CS does not review a separate portfolio.

→If you need to prove English proficiency, treat that threshold seriously and target UCLA's competitive published score levels rather than the bare minimum needed to submit an application.

Source confidence

90%Well sourced

Sources

UCLA Undergraduate Admission - First-Year Requirements

admission.ucla.edu/apply/first-year/first-year-requirements

Official UCLA page stating holistic review, competitive applicants should exceed minimums, PIQ format, and SAT/ACT are not considered.

UCLA Undergraduate Admission - Application Review Process for First-Years

admission.ucla.edu/apply/first-year/first-year-requirements/application-review-process

Official UCLA page stating Engineering admits by declared major with more emphasis on science and math, and that reviewers consider PIQs, academic record, honors, and achievements.

UCLA Undergraduate Admission - First-Year Profile by Major, Fall 2025

admission.ucla.edu/apply/first-year/first-year-profile/2025/major

Official UCLA major-level profile listing Computer Science admission rate and GPA range for admitted first-year students.