High school seniors across the Bay Area applying to UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State, SF State, Cal State East Bay or any other UC or CSU campus face the same deadline: Monday, Nov. 30.
University of California
The fall application filing period runs Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. UC Berkeley and UC Merced are on semesters, while the other campuses are on quarters. UC says it isn't looking for perfection and wants applicants to share their passions and life experiences through the personal insight questions.
Cal State
The CSU priority filing period for fall 2027 runs Aug. 1 to Nov. 30, 2026, and submission opened Oct. 1 through Cal State Apply. Many campuses and majors keep accepting applications after the priority period, so check each campus.
Don't forget aid
The California Student Aid Commission says the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application must be filed by the March 2 priority deadline for Cal Grant consideration, or by Sept. 2 for students attending a California community college. No separate Cal Grant application is required.