Diversity screening limiting applicants at UC You think the admissions office is capable of weighing how important this kid’s dinner prep contributions are vs the other kids milking the cow? — Riveraggie
I don't know, I'm pretty sure I had to write an essay when I applied to the UC schools. So I guess my answer is yes. As for my personal story, I'm assuming my HS math teacher reached out to someone. Someone made a phone call, wrote a letter, or something. My name wasn't blindly pulled out of a hat with my grades and SAT scores (which definitely weren't outstanding for the UC system). And it wasn't a catch up math class. It was the engineering series of calculus. Had I not taken 21A-D, I wouldn't have been able to change my major to engineering a few years later. I'm always grateful that I got in to that program, and it's part of why I'm such a supporter of UC Davis.
Oh well, we can go in circles all day on the internet, and nobody ever "wins." However, it sounds like we both agree that there aren't enough seats for kids in the UC system.