For many Asian American parents in the San Francisco Bay Area, the dream of sending their children to a top University of California (UC) school feels more uncertain than ever.
Parents in cities like Palo Alto, Cupertino, Fremont, and San Ramon have long heard news, stories, and anecdotes about how Asian American students face steeper odds in UC admissions, but recent lawsuits and reports have brought these concerns into the spotlight.
The case of Nan Zhong, known as the “crusading dad,” who sued the UC system after his son was denied admission to five UC schools in 2023, resonated with many Asian families. Similarly, the lawsuit filed by Students Against Racial Discrimination, which accuses the UC system of discriminating against Asian American and white applicants in favor of Black and Latino students, has added to doubts about the fairness of the UC admissions process. These legal challenges, alongside reports like those by UCLA sociologist Robert Mare in 2014, which suggest that Asian Americans receive less favorable holistic review scores than other applicants, have contributed to the increasing uneasiness of parents in these neighborhoods.
As an admissions consultant for 20 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand how high-achieving Asian American students have strived and pushed themselves to get perfect GPAs, top test scores, and impressive extracurriculars, only to face rejection from their dream schools. In this article, I want to share some insights into UC admissions and how Asian American parents can help their kids increase their chances of getting in.
Examining the Data: A Shift in UC Admissions
The UC system maintains its position that it adheres to Proposition 209—the California law that prohibits considering race in public university admissions. It further states that its admissions process is holistic and considers factors beyond grades and test scores to achieve race-neutral decisions. Essentially, they claim that their process is fair and they have already made public the data that is being requested by the complainants.
However, despite UC’s claims of increasing diversity, the data tells a more complex story. Over the past four years since the pandemic (2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024), we have observed a trend:
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The percentage of African American and Hispanic students admitted has either remained steady or increased.
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The percentage of Asian American and White students has declined.
This is despite the UCs consistently celebrating the growing diversity of their Asian American student body.
Factors Affecting the UC Admissions Process
Geography and Demographics
A key factor in UC admissions is regional competition. The Bay Area has a significant Asian American population who live in high-achieving school districts known for producing competitive UC applicants. However, because UCs and other private universities evaluate applicants within the context of their high school, students end up competing against each other.
Local high schools like Lynbrook High, Mission San Jose High, or Gunn High School produce an overrepresentation of top-performing Asian American students. This means the competition is so steep that even students with stellar GPAs and extracurriculars may be overlooked simply because they are compared to peers with nearly identical profiles.
When you have geographic locations with disproportionately high percentages of Asians, that town will also create a disproportionately high number of rejected Asian American students, even if their individual qualifications are exceptional. This demographic context makes the existence of anecdotes about admissions challenges more likely to exist.
Competitive Majors
Many Asian American students, particularly in the Bay Area, gravitate toward highly competitive STEM majors like engineering and computer science, raising the bar for admission. With a strong influence from parents in tech, engineering, and biotech, these students face intense competition, especially for programs like Berkeley’s EECS and UCLA’s engineering school, where acceptance standards are significantly higher than for other majors that even high-achieving students with near-perfect credentials may struggle to gain admission.
Standardized Testing
Another particular area of interest is that the UCs were leaders in banning standardized testing considerations from admission. In May 2020, the UC Board of Regents approved to phase out the use of standardized tests like the SAT and ACT for undergraduate admissions.
As part of this plan, UC proposed developing its own standardized test, a project estimated to cost a billion dollars. While the official reason for abandoning this effort was never clearly stated, some cynical people think that it wasn’t the price tag that discouraged trading the exam, but rather that Asian Americans would work really hard to try to master any new exam that came. They would then just basically get the same result of Asians dominating the test.
With no standardized test scores to provide an additional objective measure, subjective factors—such as essays and extracurriculars—now carry more weight in the process, making admissions less predictable.
Seeking Transparency in UC Admissions
We do not know exactly how the UCs view Asian Americans and other races, and that is what the Students Against Racial Discrimination lawsuit is about. It aims to expose the hidden mechanics of the admissions process and illuminate the role race plays in their decisions. They want transparency, demanding a clear understanding of how the UC system weighs various factors in evaluating applicants. The outcome of this case has the potential to significantly reshape the landscape of college admissions in California and across the nation. It is critical not only for ensuring fairness but also for fostering a broader view of access and equity in higher education and confronting the opaque realities of what it really takes to get into these institutions.
What Can Bay Area Parents Do in the Meantime
While the legal battles over UC admissions play out, here are some strategies that will help with your child’s UC applications.
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Explore and be creative with extracurricular activities. The best way not to be seen as a typical Asian is not to do typical Asian things. Typically, Asians tend to flock to things that are popular or seen as conferring advantage. However, this behavior reduces advantage as it strips away your child’s individuality and they lose the opportunity to stand out. Focus on less popular areas and authentically encourage your child to take risks and be creative about exploring them.
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Take extra classes. There are a variety of free online community college classes and UC Scout online classes that your child can take advantage of. These platforms offer courses that fulfill a requirement for UC or CSU admission or earn college credit by passing an AP exam. If your child gets an A in a community college class that is UC transferable, it’s counted as a 5.0 for your child’s GPA. These opportunities can significantly increase your child’s GPA and perceived intellectuality.
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Understand where your child stands. To the extent you have a choice in where you live, it is important to know where your child ranks in terms of competition in the district because that is an important way in which UCs make decisions. Sometimes, going to the most competitive school district can really backfire for the UCs.
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Research how to change majors. Understand that UCs have interesting strategic opportunities for changing majors within a college. If your child is applying to an impacted major, reach out to the department and ask about the possibility of transferring after a semester of getting really good grades.
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Write a powerful essay. Help your child craft personal essays that genuinely reflect their uniqueness and authentic experiences. Most Asians would just talk about their accomplishments and not really show themselves as a person. Instead, you can write anecdotes that show how your child successfully overcame a challenge. Remember that admissions officers are looking for well-rounded individuals who are resilient and have a genuine passion for learning and it has to show in the essay.
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Be different. Asian students need to have the courage to be different from their peers. So many talented students are trying to follow the same path in the same way. Teach your child to be different because it takes courage to take things differently, and this is what will set them apart in the admissions process.
Will Admissions Policies Change Soon?
Admissions policies are unlikely to change immediately. Lawsuits take time, and significant changes are not expected immediately.
The Takeaway for Bay Area Families
Instead of waiting for policy shifts, Bay Area parents should empower their children to stand out in meaningful ways and have the courage to be different from the rest. By focusing on authenticity, passion, and resilience, students can navigate the UC admissions process with confidence, no matter the challenges ahead.
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About the Author
Allen Koh is the CEO of Cardinal Education, a globally recognized consulting firm specializing in admissions to elite private schools and highly selective universities. A Stanford graduate with nearly two decades of experience, Koh uses holistic and merit-based strategies to guide families, including Fortune 500 executives and Forbes-listed leaders, through the admissions process. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Business Insider, and more.
