May I apply for two College of Creative Studies Majors on my Application? Answer: No. You should apply to the major to which you are most strongly committed. Should you be accepted to UCSB and to Creative Studies, you may inquire about applying to a second major in Creative Studies.

You may also consider a second major, or a minor, in the College of Letters and Science. However, if approved, you may not add a Letters and Science major to your Creative Studies major until your second quarter at UCSB. Minors are not declared. You should speak to the undergraduate advisor in the academic department offering the minor in which you are interested after matriculation at UCSB.

If I don't know yet whether or not I have been accepted to UCSB, should I still send in my Creative Studies application? Answer: Yes. As Soon As Possible! You do not need to have been accepted to UCSB at the time that you complete and submit the Creative Studies application. The two applications are reviewed separately. However, you do need to be accepted to UCSB in order to be admitted to Creative Studies.

If I do not know if I have been admitted to UCSB, how do I answer this question on the CCS application? If you haven't heard from UCSB yet, your answer to the question "Have you been accepted to UCSB" may be "I don't know" or "I haven't heard yet."

Do I need to list all the colleges I've attended, even if I only received a few units? Answer: Yes. Please list all colleges attended (if any) and all units completed.

Do I really need to submit a copy of my high school transcript, even if I'm a transfer student? Answer: Yes. All applicants must submit a photocopy of their high school transcript, or equivalent.

Do I have to request official high school and college transcripts to be sent to UCSB Admissions and to the College of Creative Studies? Answer: No. UCSB Admissions will require that official transcripts from all high schools and colleges that you have attended be sent to them. However, the College of Creative Studies will accept photocopies of all of your transcripts for your CCS application.

Can CCS request copies of my transcripts from the UCSB Admissions office, so I don't have to send any extra copies? Answer: No. Transcripts are protected under California State and Federal laws. Once an individual (you) has given an institution permission to mail your transcript to another institution, under the law it cannot be released to anyone — including you. (i.e. once UCSB Admissions receives an official transcript, they may not release a copy of it to CCS).

Should I wait until I have all required materials together (including letters of recommendation and transcripts) before mailing my CCS application? Answer: No. Please send us as many of the required items as you have completed/compiled as soon as possible. Once we have received the Application Form and Letter of Intent, we will consider you to have applied. We will hold these materials until your application packet is complete, at which time it will be circulated to the faculty. You may include a note as to what you are missing and when we might expect it. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW-UP ON ANY MISSING ITEMS FROM YOUR APPLICATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. We work closely with the UCSB Admissions office under very tight deadlines and failure to complete your CCS application on time may result in your not being able to be considered for CCS for the fall quarter.

Is there a form to accompany Letters of Recommendation? Letters of Recommendation may either be included in your application or mailed directly to the College by your recommender(s). There is no special form for the letters of recommendation; recommenders may use their own letterhead.

Do Letters of Recommendation have to be from teachers in the subject to which I am applying? Answer: No. Letters from teachers in the subject to which you are applying are ideal, but not absolutely required. If you can get letters from teachers in subjects related to the major to which you are applying, these will suffice. Letters from any teachers who know you well as a student are welcome. Reminder: Letters of Recommendation are required for applications to all CCS disciplines, with the exception of Art and Literature. For Art and Literature, they are not required, but you are welcome to submit them if you wish.

What exactly is the Letter of Intent and how long should it be? As stated in the CCS application instructions, the Letter of Intent that is required for the CCS application is different from your UC Application essay. You should address your Letter of Intent to the faculty in the CCS major to which you are applying. You may begin your letter “Dear CCS Faculty…”, or “Dear CCS Literature…or…Art…or..Biology, etc. Faculty.” You should introduce yourself to the faculty, talk honestly with them about yourself, your interest and background in, and current relationship to the major to which you are applying, what your goals are, why you wish to study that subject, and why particularly in the College of Creative Studies. You should type the letter. These letters vary in length, the average Letter of Intent submitted being one and a half to two pages long (double-spaced & typed). Some are a bit shorter, and some longer. Your main concern need not be the length, but that you state clearly to the faculty what you wish them to know about you, what you believe is important in reference to your potential academic/scientific/artistic/literary pursuits in the College of Creative Studies.

What is required as “Work in evidence of talent”? In all eight majors, CCS seeks students who are committed to creating new knowledge – original research/creative work – in some form. Therefore we seek evidence of your talent and commitment with your application. This varies with the major to which you are applying. (Please refer to the CCS application instructions for the specifics for each major).

I've heard that I've been accepted to UCSB , but I haven't yet heard from the College of Creative Studies. Should I contact Creative Studies to inquire if there is a problem? Answer: No. The Creative Studies admissions process is done separately from, although in coordination with, the UCSB admissions process. The Creative Studies admissions process is very individualized: completed applications are circulated to the faculty in the major to which the applicant has applied, for each of their recommendations. The faculty review the files independently of one another, and review each file on its own merit. In this way, the College's admissions process is not so much competitive as it is selective to ensure a successful “fit” for both the College and the student.

Because this review is done thoughtfully on a very individualized basis, it takes time. The College will be processing many applications at that time, and school will also be in session. The College of Creative Studies staff will notify you (via email – make sure your current email is included on the application form) if any required materials for your CCS application are not received/are missing. We will also notify you of the decision made about your CCS admission or denial. It may be at least one full month after our receipt of your complete application that we are able to notify you of the outcome. Please be patient; your application is important to us.

Do College of Creative Studies students have special or separate housing facilities from other UCSB students? Answer: Yes, if desired, and available. But not required. There is a “CCS House” called Pendola House in the UCSB dormitory complex, Manzanita Village. It houses 40-42 CCS students, primarily CCS freshmen. You must request Pendola House in Manzanita Village as your first choice on your UCSB Housing application if you are interested. You are not required to house with other CCS students. Some CCS freshmen choose to live in one of the on-campus dorms that are right next to the CCS Building for increased convenience, and others choose to live in UCSB-off campus housing. If you do not opt for the CCS Pendola House, you may wish to call the Housing Office for information about the Scholars Halls; these are selected halls in most on-campus dormitories (very near CCS) designated for more serious/studious undergraduates. Housing & Residential Services: (805) 893-2760 or (805) 893-3281.

Does the College of Creative Studies offer financial aid or scholarships in addition to those offered to UC Regents’ Scholars and the UCSB’s Financial Aid Office? Answer: Yes and No. CCS does not offer financial aid. The only fellowships CCS offers are awarded by recommendation of the faculty to students in their freshman year. These fellowships may not be applied for – but are based upon review of the incoming fall freshman class by the faculty in each CCS major.

For all other questions regarding Financial Aid please call (805) 893-2432. If you are a Regents Scholarship recipient and have questions, please call Admissions and Outreach Services at (805) 893-2485 or (805) 893-3873.

If you should have questions about your CCS application that have not been addressed in this document or on the CCS website, you may email Frank Bauman in the CCS Office at