Interview with Guillermo Vasquez, Freshmen Admissions Counselor at Uc Santa Barbara

We sat down with Guillermo Vasquez, Freshmen Admissions Counselor at UC Santa Barbara to learn more about the admission process and how colleges are adapting to the challenges of COVID-19. Note that this interview took place in June of 2020 and some items have changed, including the UC system deciding to go test blind.

Elton Lin: Good afternoon Welcome to the next installment of our webinar series. We are super excited to have Guillermo Vasquez come and join us today.

            We've really had a great time doing this webinar series for the past three months. It's given us an opportunity to really share helpful content with our families, and it's also given us an opportunity to just find a new medium. It's been, for me, really enjoyable. Especially having different authorities, and guests with different knowledge bases coming on and sharing what they know.

            Today we have Guillermo Vasquez, who is a freshman admissions counselor with UCSB – UC Santa Barbara, just in case that was confusing! And he is cozily sheltering in place in his apartment, but able to join us for today. Thank you so much; I appreciate you coming on with us.

Guillermo Vasquez: Of course. My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Elton Lin: All right. So why don't I start off with, Guillermo, if you don't mind sharing a little bit about your role at UCSB, and perhaps how you got into admissions?

Guillermo Vasquez: Sure thing. As you mentioned, my name is Guillermo Vasquez and I'm a freshman admissions counselor. I mostly work with the freshmen entrance process, so focusing – with high school students, mostly – on that process of admissions.

            Really where I got my start with admissions was just through me being a UCSB alum, actually. Throughout my time as a UCSB student I was able to interact and be a part of programs and activities on campus, and that really led me to want to help other students have that opportunity. And that's why I find myself in admissions nowadays.

Elton Lin: All right. Awesome. Good to hear. So not only are you a UCSB alum, but this whole aspect of introducing this UCSB student world. Super.

            So let me ask you, as an admissions counselor, what has been the greatest challenge – or perhaps, phase change – among your colleagues and on campus during this time? 2020 is a crazy year! What's been the greatest change for you guys now?

Guillermo Vasquez: One of the biggest challenges is just not being able to work with people face-to-face. A lot of the work that we do, one of the most effective ways that we were able to do it is by having people either have us come to campus and do presentations there and meet people face-to-face and be able to answer the questions right there and then, or even just inviting folks to our campus.

            You know, we had a wonderful open house plan where we loved to have you all come to our campus and have you tour wonderful Santa Barbara. But, unfortunately, that was impossible. So that's definitely been one of the challenges of this year: just being a little limited with regards to how we're able to reach people. But know that we're able to find a different avenue to be able to do so.

Elton Lin: Yeah. Let me ask you what sort of adjustments are you making? I mean if you can't do in-person visits to the campus, and people can't smell the ocean air when they're calling campus, what are some things that you're doing to really connect with students?

Guillermo Vasquez: Sure thing. One of the things that we're doing is just being very active and available online through different webinars that we're putting on throughout the summer. So if you were to go to our admissions website and check out our webinars tab, you'll find a list of different webinars that we're doing throughout the summer on different topics with regards to the UC application, or just about UCSB in general. Our visitor center is also using their resources and hosting virtual tours, so you can take a virtual tour of the campus guided by one of our current students who work as tour guides.

            So you're still getting to interact with current students, being able to be a part of that. And on top of that, we're having current students also do a lot of paneling throughout this time. So they're available to be there for students jump in or parents to jump in and ask them questions about what their experience is like.

            Really we're taking to a lot of different options. You'll even find us in social media as well, being very, very active in things such as our UCSB life Instagram page as well. So we're really trying to expand as many avenues as we can when it comes to the internet and whatever capabilities we can find with webinars and the like.

Elton Lin: All right. That's really awesome. So to continue on with our conversation, Guillermo, let's just get right into it! UC made a big announcement on their new approach to testing over the next five years, and even for us, we've been getting constant questions. Students are confused as to whether they should take tests or not take tests! Would you mind telling us a little bit more about the UC’s intention for the change, and perhaps how students should respond to it?

Guillermo Vasquez: Sure thing. Really, the whole point behind going the route of UC Davis is to create a more equitable system of admissions based on findings and based on a lot of communication with different forms of research and different points of contact, with regards to current applicants, etc. – and just enlarge the community. The SAT was something that was preventing equity in the admissions process. So for that reason, that is why UC made that decision. It was in the name of equity. And making the University of California accessible – or more easily accessible – to as many students in the state of California as possible.

Elton Lin: And this is the questions that we're hearing from our students. There are definitely a bunch of students who are super relieved that testing is going to be optional, and maybe they're struggling to get high scores, but there’s certainly a group of our other students who are who've done super well on test scores, and they feel like their scores are going to be in some way discounted. What's your thought on that?

Guillermo Vasquez: I would like to tell those students that that's not at all what's happening at this time. The test is optional. So, in that sense, the test is not a requirement, which means you don't have to take it.

            If you have taken it, or if you want to take it for any reason, you can definitely go ahead and do so, and send us those scores. Those scores can add value to your application. It's not something that has been a waste, or that isn't going to be used at all. So in that sense, if you have done the SAT or ACT, these will be able to give more value to your application, as most any other things on the application will also provide value. So these can be another way to demonstrate value.

            A similar thing to look at are the SAT Subject Tests, which were also – just a year ago – not required, but would add value to a student's application. So that's the way that I always tell students to think of it. Given this change, there's an avenue for students who want to take it, or who have taken it, to add value to their application.

            But it is not a requirement anymore. And it will not devalue any student’s application if they do send scores or if they don't send scores.

Elton Lin: I want to – only because this question has come up quite a bit – but I want to get a little bit more granular with it. Because it's the impression that, “Hey, if I don't send scores, perhaps the admissions reader is reading my application and wondering why I don't have scores.” And then people do send scores – and perhaps send good scores – and they're wondering like, “Hey, if you don't really care as much about testing anyways, are you going to discount that?”

            So, you've read thousands – if not way more – thousands of applications. If you see it missing on one application, or you see a test score come up, are you swayed in any way about whether one application is more viable than the other?

Guillermo Vasquez: Not at all! In the sense of – like I said – our mission is going to be that if you don't send in scores, it's not going to hurt you in any way. If you do send scores, and there is value to those scores, then it can add value to your application. Like I mentioned, similar to the way that SAT Subject Tests used to – and are still viewed, actually. They're not required. If you take them, they can add value and highlight skills that you may have, like anything else can on the application. But if you don't send scores, it's not gonna hurt you. It's not something that we're looking for directly because, again, it's not a requirement. 

Elton Lin: Okay, got it. But would you say that if you don't send scores, would you be theoretically looking at the other elements with a greater weight?

Guillermo Vasquez: Given that it's a holistic approach that we're taking to the application, we're going to be looking at what is given to us and then weighing that. It's not that we're looking for anything in particular, or at anything specifically. We're looking at the application in a holistic manner, so we're taking a look at what is given to us by the student, and then weighing it based on the information they provide.

Elton Lin: Okay, so that is the case for the next two years. So the next two years, UCs are going test-optional. If you submit, great; if you don't submit, fine. Not an issue.

            But three years from now, UC is going test-blind. What do you anticipate will happen then? Is it to where, if tests are submitted at that time, you won't even look at them at all? Just to clarify: is that correct?

Guillermo Vasquez: Yeah. That's pretty much what test-blind means!

            It's hard to say what the process is going to be at that point. It's something that's continuously evolving, especially considering it's something that UC very recently decided on. We're still working out on what that's going to look like. But essentially, what it's going to mean is that we won’t look at tests when it comes to the application process, at least with regards to the SAT and ACT.

            So there's some uncertainty there, but I wouldn't see it as something that students should be too worried about. In the sense that it gives them opportunities to really focus on other aspects of the application. Whether it be their activities, awards, honors, etc. Or other aspects that they can highlight during the application process that, perhaps, taking test prep courses, or taking the SAT multiple times, might have taken away time from. So now it's giving them an avenue to be able to really highlight and focus on those areas.

            Like I said, noting’s really set in stone. It’s a couple years out, and we're still working on making sure that we know exactly what the guidance and direction that UC wants us to take. But that's the way that I see it – if I were a student and I was applying in, say, three years – is that that gives me more time to focus on other things rather than necessarily the SAT, for instance.

Elton Lin: Got it. I think that's a really good point with regards to, if your intent is to go into the UC system, and you know that in three years they're not going to consider tests, you can focus your time on other things. That's terrific!

            I do want to point out, because I know that in the audience there are some families that represent international students as well, there is some fine print with regards to test review for the test-blind year for international students. The UC will be looking at tests, or some form of standardized tests, and will be considering it for international students? I just want to confirm that.

Guillermo Vasquez: That's correct. That's based on what the fine print says, and unfortunately we don't have too many details. That might change going into the future. And our offices – especially if your parents are directly reaching out to us – we'll be more than happy to help. Especially as we get closer to that date, we'll be able to provide more clarification. It’s just because – as I mentioned – UC made this announcement let's say a couple of months ago, and the fine print isn't necessarily something that they run by us at the universities directly right away. So at this time, yes, that is what the fine print says: that those tests will still be visible for us for international students. Whether or not that will stand, or what that will mean necessarily, we're not entirely sure.

Elton Lin: Which means, Guillermo, that you're going to come on with us every year and talk! So you’re saying, “Ask me in two years”?

Guillermo Vasquez: Or a year and a half, as it get’s closer!

Elton Lin: Yeah, when they check in with you on the fine print. Sounds good. Thanks, man.

            So, yeah, on to the next question. The UC system has not made – at least not that I know of – an announcement regarding courses, whether it's in-person or online this fall. Northeastern today just announced a flex plan – a hybrid plan. That's what's it seems like more and more schools are going to. The CSU system has already said that they're going to go completely online this coming fall. Any new news on the UC system?

Guillermo Vasquez: Yeah. So with the UC system, it wasn't a UC-wide decision that was made. All the decisions were left up to each individual university, as we operate fairly autonomously in a lot of regards. Especially because a lot of what we had to consider, for each one of us, is local guidelines for the counties that we reside in.

            So all of the UCs have made their decisions. Pretty much we are all going on some sort of a version of a hybrid model. A great majority of the courses will be online, and some will be offered in-person if they have to be done that way.

            At our campus particularly, about 15% of courses are going to be in-person. Where and the specifics about which courses have not been released, but most likely it will be courses such as laboratory type courses, dance courses, theatre courses and musical courses that require students to be in-person to receive a grade in that course. So for UCSB, students can expect that, for this year, it's mostly going to be online, unless the course requires students to be on campus.

            And the university is slowly – or, as quickly as we can, really – releasing more and more information about what those courses are going to be, and which ones particularly. And the guidelines we're going to take with regards to how we handle those courses at this time. We are going to be running on that hybrid model.

Elton Lin: Got it. And because – I can understand, and this is also something we hear in Oregon – that a lot of parents – especially of graduating seniors – they're not eager to send their kids to online school and pay full tuition. Thankfully the UC system is a public school, so maybe costs are a little bit more reasonable, but in the same vein, nobody wants to send their kids entirely to online school, right?

            So, just for clarity, for the remaining 85% of courses, is there some form of in-person class, or is that gonna be 85% of the curriculum is online, and then 15% of the curriculum is in-person?

Guillermo Vasquez: Essentially, from my understanding, if the course doesn't require a student to be in-person, it will be completely online. So if you're taking a course that requires you to just sit in a lecture hall and take notes, most likely that course is going to be online because it doesn't necessarily require you to be in-person.

            And I completely understand, and I agree. It can be very difficult to have to take a course online. It's not the scenario that we would have liked. It's not the scenario that we would have wanted for our students. But we’re on the same page with parents, so we understand that, ultimately, we have to follow CDC and local guidelines when it comes to student health, in order to protect both students as well as our professors and staff, etc., who make the campus work.

            If we could have folks in-person, UC would have loved to have done so, but ultimately we have to go with this decision that's going to be the best with regards to everybody's health, and based on the guidelines we’re mandated to follow.

Elton Lin: Appreciate the gracious response, Guillermo. Just so that we can keep all the family anger in your direction! It's really a stressful 2020, and a lot of us are making adjustments for our kids, and finances come into play… So you can probably understand the aggravation.

Guillermo Vasquez: Of course.

Elton Lin: So if you don’t mind, let's switch gears and let's go into the UC admissions review process. If you don't mind, would you mind giving us a general overview of how the admissions process works? Because I think there's a lot of miscommunication or misunderstanding about how apps get read. So if you can give us a basic overview, that'd be terrific.

Guillermo Vasquez: Sure thing. So, in general in the UC system, you'll find that we all do a holistic review of the application process. We're looking at the student as a whole, not particularly focusing on one area or another.

            With regards to our campus, we give the students two holistic scores. One for, essentially, the plain numbers – the academic section – and then a holistic score surrounding the three sections that are more available for students to really write about their experiences and accomplishments. So that would be the activities, awards, and honors sections, where students have up to 20 different slots to tell us about different activities or awards, etc., that they've earned or been a part of, as well as the personal insight question section, where students will have the opportunity to write about themselves and tell us a little bit about themselves.

            And then you do have an additional comment section at the end, which is an avenue for students to be able to provide any information that they may not be able to fit anywhere else. One thing I always tell students is that the additional comments section is a really great resource if you still have more information to tell us, but never use that as an avenue to write yet another personal insight questions essay! It’s just really a great way, if there's anything at all that's missing, to really tell us about that information right there.

            Essentially we give those two sections different scores. There are two different readers; each

application gets read twice. And so those scores get averaged out, and then combined to give students a holistic score on their application based on what they are able to present. 

Elton Lin: Got it. And then, once that score comes through, who gets chosen? Kind of a strange question, but…

Guillermo Vasquez: Well, it it'll be based off of the scores, ultimately – the holistic scores that we're able to give students. It's hard to say what specific processes for who gets picked, but it’s essentially based off of that holistic score – based on the academics, and then what we can take from the activities, awards, and personal insight questions sections. How we're able to score those is how we determine which students are considered competitive and selectable, versus students who may not be as selectable.

            A couple of things that I always like to include, though, is to keep in mind that a student's ethnicity or background is not something that we use at all with regards to the selection process. We do not have quotas of any sort. That is clearly illegal based on guidelines that are in place currently. So that's definitely not something that gets used in that process. As well as a person's legal status, or your place of residence. Of course, we are a UC system: a public institution in the state of California, serving the California public. And we do have a certain amount of California students that we're looking to admit – a great majority of them, in fact – but that doesn't mean we're looking to discriminate against anybody for any reason. We don't use any personal information such as that to be able to decide who gets in and who doesn't. 

Elton Lin: Got it. Thank you for mentioning that. Just to be clear, you're not basing any kind of review process on anybody's ethnic background. And – just out of curiosity – do you even see it, when you actually look at the application like on the screen? Do you see a name, or do you see anything that would potentially link a student to their ethnic background?

Guillermo Vasquez: We don't see their ethnic background. It’s asked, but we do not see that on the application ourselves. Names are there, but as someone who has to read a lot of applications during our reading season, we don't really look at a student's name.

            And really a name is not something that we can score or use to score. We have a very direct process of what we look at and how to score it; rather than looking at whatever we want to. We're not looking at a name and going, “Oh, that sounds like this person is this person is this ethnicity, or that ethnicity.” Really, the name’s the last thing I'm looking at, because the first screen where we start off – that's where the name is – and that's not the very first thing I'm looking for. I'm looking for other information. So it's available to us, but it does not get used in any way, shape, or form.

            Like I mentioned, our applications get read twice, so if there was some sort of discrepancy where that was happening because of one person's bias, it would be caught by the second reader. so it's not something that's an issue for us.

Elton Lin: Understood. Thanks for that.

            So let me ask you, because I know, with regards to the coming cycle – COVID-19, 2020, a lot of different rules coming – what will change with regard to the forthcoming cycle and what won't change?

Guillermo Vasquez: For the forthcoming cycle, the only thing – I would say – that is going to change is just what we mentioned, about the SAT and ACT not being required anymore. Other than that, the only other change that I see is students being more inclined to talk about what their experiences have been during this unfortunate time. To which I say, definitely go for it!

            I feel like there's always this thought process with regards to the application process, where people always want to make themselves stand out, in the sense that they don't want to write about the same thing that a lot of other people are probably going to write about. But in this case, we all have had our own unique situation with regards to how we've experienced this year. There's been a lot of different things that have affected a lot of different people. So you know don't be afraid to tell your story! If it was really something that has impacted you throughout this year, don't be afraid to tell us about the impact that that this year has had on you: on yourself, your family, your health, mental health, etc.

            So those are really the only two things that are going to be changing. I see myself reading a lot of COVID-19 essays – which is perfectly fine, as I just mentioned. And just the SAT and ACT not being required.

Elton Lin: Got it. Let's talk a little bit about essays, since you brought that up. Certainly, you must have read thousands of thousands of essays. I think, certainly, you end up reading the same story over and over again. But are there essays – like essay topics or essays styles – that are more effective for the UC submission?

Guillermo Vasquez: I would say the essay styles that are most effective are the ones that are really getting across the message of who the student is, ultimately. We don't do in-person interviews. We don't do phone calls to students to get to know them. So really the only way that we can get to know a student is really through these personal insight questions.

            So I always tell students to not think of these as essays. Think of them more as a written interview, where you're telling us as much as possible about yourself. Now, sometimes, it can be tempting to use it to tell a specific story about your life. And that's perfectly fine. But I will say that sometimes, when you limit yourself to one specific moment, you're using an essay to talk about one time in your life and one aspect about yourself, rather than being able to give yourself more room to talk about various aspects of yourself, or about yourself over time.

            So that's one of the things that I would say for students to look out for – is to not limit themselves to what they're talking about for a specific essay or for a specific personal insight question. Really make sure that – at the end of the day – you’re getting across the message of who you are, what you've accomplished, what your challenges have been, and how you've overcome them, etc. Because, ultimately, like I said we have that section to get to know the student, and if all I get to know about is this time that you went to the grocery store with your mom, perhaps that's not telling me a lot!

            And the only thing I would say is – don't do this very often or don't do it a lot, but it's one of the things to keep in mind – we're not English teachers. We're not going to grade you down for your grammar or spelling or the way that you're structuring your answers to these questions! So you don't have to really focus too much on that. Rather than taking your personal insight question answers to, say, your English teacher so that you can get them proofread, it's best to take these to folks who really know you – whether it be a parent, a teacher, a priest or a rabbi. Whoever it is that is close to you in your life, and can provide some guidance or shed some light on some aspects of yourself that would be really greatly highlighted on the application, or that would do you a lot of benefit to be highlighted on the application. So those are a couple things to really keep in mind when it comes to those personal insight questions.

Elton Lin: I was going to say, for COVD-19, 2020, going to the grocery store with your mom may be the only story you get!

Guillermo Vasquez: True!

Elton Lin: But what you're saying is that more content is actually better. More information is actually better.

Guillermo Vasquez: Yeah. As much as the student is able to provide, ultimately, as long as you're keeping it cohesive, and it's not just like, “and then, and then, and then, and then, and then…” But yeah, of course. The more information, the better.

Elton Lin: Okay. What is the most misunderstood part of the admissions process?

Guillermo Vasquez: I would say it's some of the stuff that we've touched on beforehand, with regards to what we're looking for and what we're not looking for. You know, it feels – especially as somebody who had to go through the application process for the UC system as well – sometimes it can feel like like, and you may have this idea, that the reader is looking for some way to mark points off of your application, or to discount you or demerit you in any way. But really we're looking to take any and all information that you provide to us, and be able to give you points for it.

            The way our application process works is that we anything that is provided can only give value to the application. We'll never take away value. So never be afraid to send in. I get this question a lot: “I took the SAT and now that it's optional, I think my scores are kind of low… Should I still send it?” I say yes. That can add value.

            Or just including information about yourself or your accomplishments that you don't think might be as honorable or as valid in your mind. Any information at all that can be provided to us is going to be to the student’s benefit. It will never take away from a student's application that they mentioned something.

Elton Lin: What you're saying is that nothing will be a negative, essentially. You're not trying to reject people. You’re looking for opportunities to admit people.

Guillermo Vasquez: Exactly.

Elton Lin: Terrific. And I think you've answered some of this already, but what advice would you give for students regarding this particular season? Everyone is maybe more at home than they want to be, and they're a little worried about like maybe lack of activities for the summer. They have the second semester junior grades not really counting, or going pass/no pass. What advice would you give for students for this upcoming application cycle?

Guillermo Vasquez: Yeah. In general, I would say that as many resources as a student can utilize during this time, the better. I mentioned at the beginning that we at UCSB specifically are holding a lot of different webinars and a lot of different events or different activities that students can participate in that can help them towards their application – whether that be one of our selection webinars, or personal insight question and application webinars, et cetera. And a lot of our sister UCs – or all of our sister UC campuses – are doing the same.

            So first and foremost, I would say take advantage of as many of these resources as possible. They're completely free, and we're offering them to any student who will take them. So these are really great opportunities for students to really make up for the fact that they're not able to visit campuses, either this past spring break or over the summer. It’s a really great way to do that, but also a really great way to start getting some ideas and resources for yourself when it comes to the application itself.

            Aside from that, it's not also a bad time – especially if you're just in lockdown currently, as most of us are – to begin working on those personal insight questions. Really starting to refine those, and making sure that those are is that exactly what you want them to be, by the time the application process opens up. That's another thing that I would also list. Those questions haven't changed in several years and they won't for this coming year.

            So it's a really great opportunity for you to get familiar with those questions. To familiarize yourself with the application process. Familiarize yourself with the UC system – and if there's any specific campus if you're really interested in. So that you can go into the application process as prepared as possible.

Elton Lin: Got it. And then last question: how would you describe UCSB? I mean, maybe there's a lot of families and students who are considering UCSB. Or maybe their dream school is UC Santa Cruz and you want to dissuade them! Whatever it is – if they're considering UCSB, what do you want to share about UCSB to somebody who maybe it is not as familiar with the school? And what type of student really fits best on the UCSB campus?

Guillermo Vasquez: Sure thing. So in general, my little sales pitch is always that we're a tier one research institution. I believe this year we were ranked seventh public university in the nation. And on top of that, we're undergraduate focused. Which means that a great majority of our focus goes into making sure that our undergraduate students – from freshman year to senior year – are taken care of, and given resources that they need to not only be successful at UCSB, but also be successful thereafter with their careers or graduate school pursuits.

            On top of that, our location doesn't hurt at all. We’re literally located on a beach! Beautiful, beautiful campus. And we've also been voted to have the happiest students in all of California. So it's a really great place for students to be challenged – to have an opportunity to get a great education, but also live in a wonderful place.

            We’ve had students who are very happy to be going to this campus. We have a very community-oriented – community, for lack of a better word – around UCSB, where students are very collaborative, not only in the classroom but in general, with how they interact with each other in their daily lives.

            It's an amazing university. I had an amazing time there and was able to learn a lot. And that's why I'm here doing what I'm doing. 

Elton Lin: With those last few things about being on the beach and being the happiest students in California, I'm ready to apply myself! Sounds good. Thanks, Guillermo. We're going to open up a time for Q&A, and if Anthony can jump back on with us and share some of the questions that have been posted, we will start marching through some of these questions. 

Anthony Su: First of all, there's a ton of questions, and there's a ton of people that have a lot of different topics that we want to touch on. I'm going to go through the test-related questions first. The big question that someone brought up was, “Hey, is the optional SAT/ACT similar to how the optional SAT IIs and APs are currently, and would it be fair to call it a similar system to what it is now with SAT IIs and AP tests?”

Guillermo Vasquez: It's hard to say, just because we don't have all of the information of how these SAT or ACT scores are going to be weighted when it comes to the application process. As I mentioned a couple of times, so I'm kind of using that as my shield! It's a decision that was recently made at our office. As well, the faculty committees on our campus are still really figuring out how those are going to work with the application process. This is a big change. It's something that has been really important – or not important, necessarily, but a really big part of how the application process worked prior.

            The information that I would give any student who's asking about those exams is pretty much what I've been saying so far: if you're able to do it, or if you have done it, feel free to send scores. But like I said, not taking these SAT or ACT exams is not going to hurt students in any way, shape, or form. That is one of the main things that we’re really focusing on: that not taking these is not going to be a detractor in any way to a student's application. So if a student is teetering between taking it or not taking it, feel free to not take it.

            But it's not going to hurt you if you want to take it for any reason. Maybe you feel that you can do really well on it, and that'll look good on your application. That's fine as well. But I don't want it to come across to any students – especially students who might have a harder time taking it, whether it be for financial reasons or because they're not particularly test-taking people who have the resources they need to be able to do well – that they go out of their way and do all of these different things to be able to take that exam.

            It's, again, not going to hurt any students who do not take these things. So if you haven't taken it, and taking it is not going to be to your benefit, then don't take it.

Anthony Su: I think that’s really a concise summary of the whole goal of that test-optional policy. Parents are still worried, however, saying like, “If you're going to lose information or lose data in regards to test scores, does that mean other things you're looking at more carefully or scrutinizing more?” So things like essays or GPA – things like that. They're wondering if there's a proxy that you're going to be moving towards. 

Elton Lin: Guillermo, do you want to comment on that?

Guillermo Vasquez: No, there’s not going to be a substitute for the SAT or ACT with regards to the admissions process where we're going to be emphasizing one thing or another because of it. Like I said, it's a holistic process. We're using what is given to us and taking a student based on the information that we have. We don't have specific percentages attached to one thing or another, or there's not a specific amount of weight added to one thing or another, that's going to all of a sudden weigh a lot more because the SAT and ACT aren't a requirement.

            It's a holistic process. We look at everything within the scope of what is available and what is provided to us. We're not going to add any specific amount of weight to anything else on the application just because that's not a requirement. So that would be my response to that question. The folks who, understandably, are either concerned or maybe confused about what this is going to be like – because, of course, it's a big change – just know there's not anything else that's going to take the place of the SAT or ACT with regards to weight in the application.

Anthony Su: And then there's also a comment about test-blind. They're saying, “Well, if you're not going to look at SATs or ACTs, is that also going to apply on APs as well?” Since a lot of people take those courses with the hope of getting credit when they apply for college. 

Guillermo Vasquez: That’s not the same. We're not looking at APs the same way, because we're able to mitigate for APs, and really understand the opportunities given to students based on where they're going to school and how many APs they’re offering. So no. APs are completely a different thing. SATs and ACTs and APs really are not the same thing with regards to what we're looking for or how they're treated with regards to the admissions process.

Elton Lin: Just to add some clarity, though, because I feel like, for example, in previous years – just so everyone understands – the SAT, ACT, and AP test scores were also not considered the same. They were not really equal weights in the rubric anyways. And correct me if I'm wrong, AP scores really were not a part of the rubric. 

Guillermo Vasquez: No, they're not a requirement at all. They really aren't in any way, shape, or form. APs are not required. So essentially, APs – in the idea that they're not required now – they're kind of on the same playing field as those tests, in that they're not required.

            Please do not take that as, “Just as I have to take every AP, I have to take the SAT/ACT.” That's not what I'm saying at all! All I’m saying is they’re both not required.

Elton Lin: Got it. Good disclaimer.

Guillermo Vasquez: Yes. I get a lot of questions from parents, so I know when to add a disclaimer.

Elton Lin: Got it. 

Anthony Su: There's also just the straight-up question of parents saying, “Hey, with this change, do you even need to go and take the test? Do I need to worry about it?” And you're saying, practically, if you're looking at going to a UC school, and you know that—with all your heart—you want to go there, you can spend that time doing other things instead of test-prep.

            But if a parent were to come up to you, Guillermo, in a meeting, and say, “Hey, do I even go with the test?” how would you respond?

Guillermo Vasquez: I would say – similarly to what I mentioned earlier – you want to make sure. You want to assess the value that it can bring to your application. You don't want to just go ahead and take the SAT or ACT just because it feels that we're requiring it, even though it's not required. You don't want to take it just because it's something that all the other students at your school are doing, or because it's something that other external forces – for lack of a better word – are recommending that you take.

            It’s really like anything in the application, and to give you an example, if a student were to come up to me during a college fair and ask me, “I can take AP Bio for my junior year in high school, or I can take a regular biology class. Which should I take? I know that APs can give me a bump in my GPA, and they get seen more favorably. Is that something that I should do?” Well my answer wouldn't be, “Yes, just because it can be beneficial to you.” You really want to make sure and take stock of whether it's going to be beneficial to you.

            If you're going to take that, and suffer through it for a year, and then end up getting a C in that class – and yeah, it gets bumped up to a B – but at the end of the day you could have taken the regular biology course and gotten an A. In a way you've already hurt your GPA.

            I'm not saying that taking the SAT or ACT and getting a score that perhaps is not preferable is going to hurt a student’s application – because, of course, GPA and these things are not the same at all. What I'm saying is if you feel that taking the SAT or ACT isn't going to add value to your application. If it's not something that you feel that you can take and do exceptionally well in or that'll show us, “They’re really great in these specific subject areas.” Or if it's something that's going to cause a lot of difficulties, especially right now. There's been a lot of difficulty for students to be able to take the test in the first place – not to mention the cost that comes alongside the test itself. Also test prep or anything around the test. It adds up to a lot of time and money that needs to go into these things. So if, at the end of the day, it doesn't seem that it's going to be something beneficial to you for those reasons, I would say don't take it.

            For students who are looking to take it, power to you. It can add value to your application. And I always say “can” – because it's something that can add value, but it doesn't mean that it always will. It's like any activity that you would do, or any course that you're taking. To challenge yourself can add value.

Elton Lin: Right. Maybe we should move on, because we’ve got a lot of questions.

Anthony Su: Yeah, we've got a lot of questions. Kind of a huge one that everyone's thinking about in recent year is with ACA-5. Could you make some comments about that particular topic, and affirmative action in general? Any thoughts about that?

Guillermo Vasquez: I don't think I can, and that's mostly because that was a decision made by the UC regents in the UC system as a whole. We don't have a particular stance on it, other than we're the UC system and what we're doing is in the name of equity and providing opportunities to students. I, personally, don't think I'm knowledgeable enough or have a high enough ranking position to be able to accurately or be able to really speak on the matter – mostly because I don't speak for all of UCSB. I don't speak for all of the UC system. And in that sense I don't particularly feel comfortable answering that question, or answering how we're taking that.

            Of course – especially in the sense that that decision that UC made is not something that's actually changing policy in any way, shape, or form – this is still going to be something that the state Senate has to vote on, and then the public has to vote on in November. So in that sense – other than the fact that, of course, the UC system is just trying to continuously create a system that's more equitable – I can't really comment on it.

Anthony Su: I think those thoughts are super helpful to parents. So I wouldn't say that's an absolute “No comment.” But the details are up to others, right?

Elton Lin: Guillermo’s going to have to come on with us again!

Guillermo Vasquez: You can call Janet Napolitano, maybe!

Elton Lin: You can leave her number in the chat box.

Guillermo Vasquez: I don’t have access!

Anthony Su: Awesome. There's a question on deferment, since that's something that students are considering, right? Is there a new policy in regards to deferring for one year?

Guillermo Vasquez: So really the policy is going to come down on a campus-by-campus basis. For ourselves – for our campus – for students who have been admitted for this upcoming year, we are giving them the opportunity to defer for up to a quarter at this time. In normal years we don't really grant deferrals, because essentially the student is telling us that they don't want to start yet. If they want to defer for a year, really what we're hearing is that they want to take a gap year, in which case they can always reapply the following year and go through the process.

            So if students are looking for a deferral because they’re not feeling comfortable, or they don't want to start given the circumstances, they are able to email our office directly and request a deferral for a quarter. Then we will be able to grant that. During that time – during the deferral – we are being very flexible. If students want to take courses at their local community college, they are able to do so. And then, if they're transferable courses, that'll be credit that we'll be able to grant.

            But the policy – for UCSB specifically – is that we're granting quarter-long deferrals. Whether that gets increased to another quarter, or whether we provide that at all for the coming winter quarter, after the fall quarter, that's completely dependent on whether we're able to open the campus or not.

Elton Lin: I think the heart of that question is that there are a lot of parents who are worried that, with increased request for deferrals for this coming fall, that is going to impact next fall's class. Maybe you can comment on this. You may or may not know those numbers, but actually, with regards to deferral requests across the United States, it actually has not been any more than previous years. Of course, that could change, and plans can change, but as of right now there doesn't seem to be a huge shift in the size of the class or the admit rate for the next several years. You can confirm that?

Guillermo Vasquez: Yeah, of course. And just like I said, and deferrals that were granted are for a quarter, not for a whole year. That doesn't mean that that's going to change anything with regards to the class size that we're going to be looking for in the coming year for the next application process.

            And just like you said: yeah, I do get a lot of questions of students who are inquiring about deferrals, or perhaps taking a gap year. But like you said, it hasn't been something that's been at a level that's going to have any visible effect whatsoever.

            The thing that I always tell students – and that I've, personally, observed through this process – is that I completely understand that this has been a very difficult year for students who have been admitted for up to any university whatsoever. But at the end of the day – and that will lead to some students maybe wanting to defer or take a gap year – but at the end of the day, the thing that a lot of students are thinking back to – from what I've been hearing from when I talk to students – is that they know that this is going to pass, and that once it does they're going to want to be at the university that they applied to and got admitted to. So that's kind of keeping students thinking with the schools that they've been admitted to and they're looking forward to going to.

            I don't foresee our community college system being flooded with students who are going to defer, take gap years, and then subsequently reapply the following year. So yeah, I would say to folks who are concerned about that, to not lose sleep over it. I do not foresee that being an issue.

Anthony Su: Yeah, makes sense. One other thing about the reopening guidelines, how you're saying a lot of your courses are going to be hybrid – and the courses that need to be in class, in-person, will occur on campus. One person was wondering if that means dorms will be opened. If students can come back for campus activities.

            You mentioned something like dance classes and drama classes need to be in person. What if I'm in a student group that's a dance group. May I also come back to campus to participate in that?

Guillermo Vasquez: Gotcha. So, with regards to the residence halls, they are going to be partially open. Of course, we have to follow social distancing guidelines. In a typical year – when things are normal – we're able to guarantee housing to all incoming freshmen and transfer students. And students who want housing all four of their years, we can guarantee housing all four of their years.

            Unfortunately, this year we're not able to do so, because we have to limit the number of students. So, essentially, our housing is going to be either singles or doubles, depending on the hall they're living in. So, with that in mind, housing will be offered. It'll be in a very limited fashion – at least when it comes to fall quarter. What that'll look like for winter and beyond, we're not sure. We're going to keep working with our local government, as well as with CDC guidelines, to make sure that we can do the most that we can while also maintaining safety.

            Other than that, with regards to your question and with regards to student activities, currently, right now, campus is closed. So right now, students—if they decide to meet up on campus—there's not a real way that we as a university, other than the local police department that can disperse them or anything like that; but we as a university, we're not able to physically prevent people from doing that.

            But the campus is closed, and we're dissuading students from coming to campus if they do not have to. In that sense a lot of our clubs and organizations – even those like dance, like you mentioned – have taken to Zoom, and different avenues as well, to be able to continue to grow and to continue to work, even if they’re ones that typically require people to be in-person. Our students have also been very resourceful and very flexible with regards to their student activities, and they’ve been able to really provide themselves with opportunities to continue meeting with each other, and continuing to grow.

Anthony Su: I want to be mindful of time, since there are still so many questions, so I'll kind of throw them at you. One question about international students – since we haven’t covered that topic yet. And then, at the same time, I'm going to put emails for Guillermo: his contact, our contact, and also an email line for general questions to UCSB.

            So, the question is regarding international students that tend to come to U.S.-based programs over the summer or go to summer camps – things like that. Granted, there's no travel going on now, and then – likely, depending on the restrictions – maybe winter won't even be a time that they can come. What would you say these students should do to have impactful activities or things to demonstrate interest in their particular majors or potential majors?

Guillermo Vasquez: I would say that – similar to our local students – just to try and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible that are available to you. Either in your local area – that continue to follow the guidelines set in your place of residence – or anything that you can follow online. Of course, one of the main things that I will say is that we're not going to be blind to the fact that people – and students specifically – are not able to have the normal go-around when it comes to having activities that they're usually doing. We are mindful of that.

            We also are not able to have the same activities that we would typically be able to do to support students. So in that sense, I tell students to do as much as they can with what they have or what resources are available to them – either online or locally – but at the same time for them to understand and know that we understand. When we look at an application, and then we get to look at the area for winter, spring, summer, even fall 2020, we're going to be mindful of the fact. And know that we know you weren't able to do activities, because – of course – of this pandemic across the entire globe. So, in that sense, I just say we understand and we know, and we're going to be mindful of that when it comes to the application process. We are going to be as flexible as possible, because we completely understand that this is not the ideal scenario.

            And the other thing that I will say is that these are activities that students would typically do to be able to give themselves some sort of an edge when it comes to the application process. Well, we're all on the same boat here. Everybody is going to be on a level playing field – in the sense that nobody got to do these activities! I don't think there's going to be one specific group of people who are going to have the access to this one type of activity that nobody else does.

            So know that we're going to be understanding when it comes to that process, and know that when we do look at this time period, when it comes to the application process we're going to know exactly why the amount of activities are less than on previous years, or less than typical ones. We're all in this pandemic together! We’re mindful of that and we’ll be flexible.

Anthony Su: Great. I’ll give you a last question, and let's end on a positive note since we’ve covered the serious stuff. One person was asking, what do you think makes UCSB special, compared to other UCs. And also, is it easy to make friends at UCSB? Like, through the activities and the other things on campus.

Guillermo Vasquez: Yeah, sure thing. Like I mentioned, one of the things that makes us special is how community-oriented we are as a campus. One of the things that a lot of students fear – and particularly myself, as well as fellow classmates of mine in high school – what we feared the most was that we're going to go to schools that we thought were going to turn us into competitive students that are looking to sabotage each other, or always looking to outdo one another.

            That's not the way that UCSB works, with regards to how the classroom is formed, or what the atmosphere in general is about at UCSB. We generally are a very collaborative, very resource-filled campus that is looking to provide as much support to each other – whether it be student to student or staff to student or faculty to student – as possible.

            With that said, a lot of U.S. campuses are near the beach. We're literally on the beach. That's – and I don't like to mention it as much, because it's kind of like our schtick at this point – but it is an added bonus: to be able to get out of class and walk along our lagoon, and look over the wonderful ocean as you go into your art class or whatever it may be. Definitely an added bonus.

            But the other thing that I would say is just with regards to making friends. It's definitely easy. With regards to just meeting people in general – in a normal year, of course – students are very friendly, from the get-go. Through our orientation program – right when students start interacting with each other – we're fostering that type of relationship and that type of atmosphere with students. So that they understand what UCSB is about. And how they're able to go alongside their fellow UCSB students and be able to grow and create more of these relationships for themselves.

            We also, at UCSB, offer over 500 different clubs and organizations. That provides a lot of different avenues for students to really find the group or community that they're really looking for, and that they can really connect with.

            I can't look back on my very first year – even the very first month – and say, “Oh, yeah, that person didn't have any friends. Everybody had friends. And that's not just because all students who go to UCSB are social from the start. It's just that it's that kind of a university where this collaborative and very friendly atmosphere is really, really special.

Elton Lin: I feel like – especially for this year – the beach is not trite. Not whatsoever! Thank you for sharing that.

            I do want to comment – I looked through some of the questions, and there are some really important questions that you can certainly email Guillermo. And in addition, I think we could certainly be able to help answer some of those questions too. So, Anthony, if you can include our email as well. I’m happy to sit down and just do a free consultation. Happy to answer some of the questions with regards to learning disabilities, transfers, community college… Those are all very valid questions, and I wish we had a ton of time – which also means, again, Guillermo needs to come back – maybe six months from now – and you can even comment on some of this stuff!

            But I just want to say thank you so much, Guillermo. Appreciate you coming on with us, and it's been super helpful. I know that you are getting this onrush of different questions and different variables that are happening this year, but thank you for clarifying a lot of those things for us. And thank you again for all of you who've joined us for this webinar.

            Thank you so much again, Guillermo. I appreciate it. Appreciate you coming on. Thank you so much.

Guillermo Vasquez: Okay.

Anthony Su: Thanks so much, Guillermo, and thank you guys for coming and tuning in. We appreciate it very much.

Guillermo Vasquez: See you guys next time.

Elton Lin: See ya!