In general, to prepare for UCLA, you should complete the a-g requirements (ask your counselor for the approved courses at your high school or check online at http://www.ucop.edu/doorways/ ), study and do well in your high school courses and standardized tests (SAT and/or ACT, and SAT II), take as many honors and/or AP courses as you can handle (or take community college courses in the a-g subject areas that are UC-transferable), participate in educational preparation programs available at your high school (see a list on my blog), and commit to one or two extracurricular activities in which you develop leadership skills (more is not better, quality is better than quantity).

UCLA will weigh the following components of your application (in the order of importance): 1) your essay (new personal statement prompts will start for the Fall 2008 application cycle: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html#fall08 ) about your background, personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, aspiration and/or experience that highlight your motivation, dedication, and/or initiative to achieve, and any special circumstances like hardship; 2) your grades and any grade trends (improvements are better than just maintaining a high GPA); 3) your test scores, including SAT and/or ACT, SAT II; and 4) number of AP courses completed compared to the number of AP courses offered at your high school. Other factors are taken into consideration, but to a lesser extent.

RE:
What classes, activities, extracurricular activities, GPA, SAT Prep are needed in order to attend UCLA?
Any suggestions to what I should prepare for?

Enrollment: 25,432

Average GPA: 4.14

Student Faculty Ratio: 17:1

Most Popular Majors: Economics, General, Political Science and Government, General, Psychology, General

Regular Application Deadline: 11/30

Admissions Factors

Here’s how University of California-Los Angeles ranks the relative importance of various factors in admissions decisions:

Academic Criteria

Secondary school record – Very Important

Class rank – Not Considered

Recommendations – Not Considered

Standardized test scores – Very Important

Essays – Very Important

Non-Academic Criteria

Interview – Not Considered

Extracurricular activities – Important

Talent / ability – Important

Character / personal qualities – Important

Alumni/ae relation – Not Considered

Geographical residence – Considered

State residency – Not Considered

Religious affiliation/commitment – Not Considered

Minority status – Not Considered

Volunteer work – Important

Work experience – Important

Average GPA (including honors and Advanced Placement): 4.24

Average number of semesters of honors and AP classes: 18.6

Average SAT I: 1332

Average SAT II (Writing): 667

Average SAT II (Math): 685

Average SAT II (Student’s Choice): 691