New Student Checklist for Freshmen

We recommend adding "@admission.ucla.edu" as a safe sender to ensure you receive all of our communications. It is also recommended that you periodically check your spam/junk folders for responses and/or email communications from our office.

You’ll need your UCLA ID Number from your admit letter. Your Logon ID and password will be your key for logging in to secure sites at UCLA. Activate your Logon ID.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

If you filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California DREAM Act Application on or before March 2, you should now be able to access information about financial aid and scholarships awarded to you at UCLA. You’ll need your UCLA Logon ID to View Your Provisional Award Letter (PAL) Information. Some scholarships may be reflected on your first PAL, while others may be offered on subsequent award notifications. This brief tutorial will help you understand your financial aid offer. 

For more information, contact Financial Aid and Scholarships.

You must review the provisions of your contract by visiting the MyApplication Status website as soon as possible. You must meet the conditions stated in the Admission Contract to maintain your admission status.
 
If, after reviewing the contract, you find that you won’t be able to meet one or more of the provisions (especially if any of the course information you reported to us has changed or you received poor grades), please follow the steps for reporting changes.

Review the University of California’s immunization requirement before submitting your Statement of Intent to Register. You must complete the UC Immunization Requirement or an academic hold may be placed on your account.

Learn more about completing these requirements before the deadline from the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.

Please accept (or decline) your offer of admission.

View the  Housing portal for more information.

Bruin to Bruin sessions are your first opportunity to meet with UCLA students. Each session is designed to provide you with lots of information including New Student Session, upcoming dates and deadlines, placement exams, academic requirements, choosing classes, and much more. Your Bruin to Bruin session will be hosted by a New Student Advisor (NSA) who will go over important information as well as answer your questions.

The day before your Bruin to Bruin session date, you will be emailed a Zoom link and password; please check your email for this information in order to enter your session.

You will be able to view all available sessions and register for your Bruin to Bruin session through MyUCLA.

Before the end of your last pre-UCLA class, report changes in your high school academic record or mailing address.

International students should review the I-20 and student visa process.

All incoming freshmen must demonstrate their proficiency with critical reading and analytical writing in English by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).

The following scores on standardized tests satisfy ELWR:
•    30 or better on ACT English Language Arts; 63 or better on ACT English + Reading.
•    680 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT.
•    3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language or Literature).
•    5 or higher on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English (Language A only) or 6 or higher on a Standard Level Examination in English (Language A only).

Admitted students who have not satisfied ELWR by April 1 are required to take the AWPE at UCLA.  

Students are encouraged to take the AWPE, before they attend orientation. We are offering the AWPE online in June, July, and August 2023. In order to have a placement for Fall enrollment, you will need to take the AWPE at least 2 weeks prior to your New Student Session. Once you sign up, you will be emailed with dates and sign-up instructions. There is a fee of $104 for taking the AWPE. Students will be billed after they take it unless they have a fee waiver.

About 2-3 weeks after you take the AWPE, you can log in to see if you satisfied the ELWR using your UCLA Logon ID. Please go to your Degree Progress/Audit Report and look under "Entry Level Writing/ESL Requirement" to see which English Composition course you will start with. If you don't see a result, your New Student Counselor can advise you when you attend your New Student Session. 

Results of the AWPE won’t affect your admission to UCLA. The results will determine if you need to take a course that fulfills the Entry-Level Writing Requirement and which English Composition course you should enroll in.
 

The Pre-Session Planner is a survey that will help us tailor our counseling at New Student Session to meet your needs. You must submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) before you can access the survey, which you must complete in order to register for New Student Session.

Log in to the Pre-Session Planner.

You are strongly encouraged to attend New Student Session, your first step in academic onboarding. You’ll learn about the campus and many of the services available to Bruins, meet with academic advisors, enroll in your first-term classes and much more.

You’ll receive information soon after you submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). Beginning May 15, you can sign up for a session. You’ll need your UCLA Logon ID to do so.

If you’re unable to attend a session, you’ll need to contact New Student Academic Programs so they can advise you on how to enroll and other critical matters. You’ll also need to complete an online module for mandatory health education.

Contact Information
New Student Academic Programs
Phone: (310) 206-6685
Email: newstudents@college.ucla.edu

You must take the online Math Diagnostic Test if you plan to enroll in Math 1 (Pre-Calculus), Math 3A (Calculus for Life Science Students), Math 31A (Differential and Integral Calculus) or Math 31AL (Differential and Integral Calculus Laboratory). The exam is available online beginning May 1 and must be completed before July 1 so that your placement recommendation is available when you register for classes during New Student Session. There is a $20 non-refundable charge since the test is operated by a third party – ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL).

You must take the online Chemistry Diagnostic Test if you plan to enroll in Chemistry 17, Chemistry 14A, Chemistry 14AE, Chemistry 20A or Chemistry 20AH during fall quarter. The exam is available online beginning May 1 and must be completed before July 1 so that your placement recommendation is available when you register for classes during New Student Session. There is no charge for taking this examination and the results are advisory, not mandatory.

Look into enrolling in the College Summer Institute. International students will need to enroll by June 1.

Before July 1, apply for your UCLA BruinCard.

Be sure to send us official high school transcripts.

Be sure to send us test scores (AP and IB). We strongly encourage students to send previous year's exams by July 15.

Take a moment to apply for parking.

Foreign Language Placement Exams

The various schools/colleges within UCLA have different foreign language requirements. If you have not fulfilled your requirement, you may take a foreign language placement exam. Your advisor at New Student Session will go over this with you.

If you don’t attend New Student Session, you’ll have the opportunity to address these questions by attending a New Student Workshop in September.

Music Theory Placement Exam

All School of Music majors must take the Music Theory and Musicianship placement exams. You will receive an email with instruction on how to take it.

During New Student Session, you will register for your fall quarter classes.

The UCLA Degree Audit evaluates your progress toward meeting graduation requirements in your major. It’s a critical tool for selecting classes and plotting your academic course. It will be explained in-depth at New Student Session. After that, you can create your own audit by logging in to MyUCLA with your UCLA Logon ID.

If you have taken UCLA-transferable college courses in high school, submit your official transcripts for this work as soon as possible. Depending on how early we receive the transcripts, credit for this work may be reflected on your audit at New Student Session.

Pay the amount due for tuition and other fees.
 

You must enroll in or waive UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP)

View the academic calendar for fall quarter.

Participate in True Bruin Welcome Week.
 

All incoming students must go through a mandatory education program that covers topics including alcohol use, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.

There are two requirements:

1. an online module

2. an in-person session

Students attending New Student Session will satisfy the second requirement through in-person programming. Students who don’t attend New Student Session will have the opportunity to attend a make-up session in the fall.

More information will be sent to students via email in mid-June.

You must review the University of California’s immunization requirements before you submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). You must complete the requirement or an academic hold may be placed on your account.

Learn more about completing these requirements before the deadline from the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.

Learn more about completing these requirements before the deadline from the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.