Editing Applications and Processing Materials
Editing Applications and Processing Materials
The Edit Screen
Application Administrators may use the Edit screen to interface with the online application and review system and record information about application materials. Only Application Administrators may edit applications.
In the Submitted Queue, the Edit screen can be accessed from the main menu:
It can also be accessed from the Datasheet:
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Applicant Edits After Submitting
It’s helpful to keep in mind that applicants may modify the following four sections even after submitting and paying for the online application. If applicants ask you to change information in these sections, you may instruct them to do so themselves.
Address
Exam Scores (self-reported exam records only)
Letters of Recommendation (if a letter has been received, the recommender record can no longer be edited)
Statements & Supplemental Documents (only unlocked documents)
Institution Information
The Institutions section outlines the educational history of an applicant as self-reported on the online application. The first listed Undergraduate and Graduate institutions are meant to list the school(s) that granted the applicant their degree(s). Please make sure that the applicant has uploaded the appropriate transcripts from all institutions listed in this section and that the transcript is legible and complete (including all coursework completed at the time of the application). If the transcript is not legible, contact the applicant for a new transcript and upload it to this section. Also be sure to double check that the institution name reported in the Education History section matches that written on the transcripts. If it does not, please correct the reported name so it matches the transcripts.
Use the blue arrows on the left side to change the order of listed institutions, if needed. Institutions where the applicant received a degree should be first, followed by other institutions where the applicant completed the equivalent of one or more academic terms (12 units).
Click the Edit button to the right of the listing to view the institutional information in detail, to upload a new transcript, or to edit portions of the institution information.
Note: Clicking the Delete button will delete the full record for that institution, not just the transcript.
Checking and Confirming Accreditation
You may verify an international or US institution’s accreditation status by searching for it in the International Association of Universities’ (IAU) Worldwide Database of Higher Education Institutions, Systems and Credentials (WHED). Institutions with an active listing in the WHED are accredited.
Use the Quick Search field on the right side of the page for search for individual institutions or by country. More information on searching the WHED can be found in the International Application Review and Country Guide.
Also use WHED to verify the reported language of instructions is correct. For each institution in the Education History section, applicants must select Yes or No in response to the question: “Is the language of instruction at this institution English only?”. Please verify that what is reported is correct. One of the ways to validate language of instruction is through WHED. If the institution’s listing shows English as the only language, then that is confirmed to be the sole language of instruction.
Alternatively, you may verify a US institution’s accreditation status by searching for it in the US Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). Institutions with an active listing in the DAPIP are accredited.
If you cannot locate a domestic degree-granting institution in either the WHED or the DAPIP please contact the Graduate Division Admissions staff for assistance.
Note: Accreditation does not need to be verified for Associate’s Degrees and/or transfer work. Accreditation of community colleges cannot be verified using the WHED or the DAPIP.
Calculating and Confirming the GPA and GPA Scale
If the department will admit the applicant, the Application Administrator must verify that the recorded cumulative GPA and GPA scale, reported by the applicant, match the transcript. You will need to review the transcript to see if the cumulative GPA is provided. If it is not provided on the transcript, you will need to calculate the GPA yourself. You can use the 
GPA-Calculator Department-Template.xlsx to assist with GPA calculation. Please contact the Graduate Division Admissions staff if you would like training.
The Application Administrator should review the information reported by the applicant in the GPA Scale and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) fields. If this data is entered incorrectly, the Application Administrator should update these fields to match the transcript and then check the Confirm GPA Accuracy box. This indicates that the GPA is official according to the department’s review and calculations.
Note: GPA Accuracy must be confirmed before admitting an applicant. Be sure to complete this step before moving the applicant to the Admit or the Exceptions queue.
When you have recorded the necessary information in the Edit Screen of the Application Datasheet, click Update Institution.
Calculating International Grade Point Average (GPA) Equivalency
Each department should confirm that the institutions and degrees listed by the applicant are accurate, accredited, and equivalent for graduate study at UCSB. Please contact the Graduate Division Admissions staff if you would like further training.
To complete an international transcript evaluation:
Make sure that official TOEFL or IELTS or DET scores have been received and that the applicant has met minimum score requirements. Evaluations should not be completed for applicants missing TOEFL or IELTS or DET scores, unless an exemption applies.
Open and review transcripts, certificates, and diplomas (original language and official English translations).
Check the accreditation status of the Institution/Degree program in WHED using the Quick Search function.
Verify the institution name and language of instruction are correctly reported in the Education History section.
Calculate the GPA using all courses represented on the degree granting institution’s transcript. You can use the
GPA-Calculator Department-Template.xlsx to assist in calculating foreign country GPAs (open the page in Google Drive, and then download the template). If a cumulative GPA is provided on the transcripts, then you will not need to calculate one.GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Units
Use the International Application Review and Country Guide to find information on the country’s grading scale and to determine whether the GPA meets minimum requirements on the scale used by the institution. Compare the calculated GPA to grading scales provided in the Country Guide. The institution’s grading scale should also be provided on the transcripts.
Once the calculation is complete, make necessary edits to the reported Education History in the application.
If the information reported by the applicant in the GPA Scale and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) fields is incorrect, the Application Administrator should update these fields to match the transcript and then check the Confirm GPA Accuracy box.
Select the appropriate equivalent letter grade based on the grading scale in the Country Guide. GPA Accuracy should always be confirmed before admitting an applicant.
Note: DO NOT convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale.
The Reported GPA Scale is the scale used at the university the applicant attended as reported on the transcript.
The Reported GPA is the GPA calculated using the grades/score indicated on the transcript. DO NOT convert the GPA to 4.0 scale!
For the US Equivalent Letter Grade, select the appropriate equivalent letter grade based on the Country Guide scale.
For the Department GPA Calculation, you may indicate another GPA based on your department’s practices (not required by the Graduate Division).
Calculating Domestic Grade Point Averages (GPA)
Cumulative GPA as stated on the degree granting institution’s transcript is the admission standard. If no cumulative GPA is listed on the degree granting institution’s transcript, the cumulative GPA must be calculated. The cumulative GPA calculation should include all graded coursework represented on the degree granting institution’s transcript.
The GPA can be computed by dividing the total grade points by the total number of units. You can use the GPA-Calculator Department-Template.xlsx to assist in efficient GPA calculation (open the page in Google Drive, and then download the template).
GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Units
Once the calculation is complete or verified via the transcript, make any necessary edits to the reported Education History in the application. If the information reported by the applicant in the GPA Scale and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) fields is incorrect, the Application Administrator should update these fields to match the transcript and then check the Confirm GPA Accuracy box.
Note: DO NOT convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale if the institution does not use a 4.0 scale.
Confirming the GPA and GPA Scale for Institutions that do not Assign Letter Grades
If an applicant submits a transcript from an institution that does not issue grades, write the text that is appropriate for that institution in the GPA and GPA Scale fields of the Datasheet. Examples of these types of GPA scales are provided in the table below.
Type of Evaluation | Description | GPA Scale | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
Passed/Not Passed | Student receives a grade of Passed (P), Not Passed (NP), or Failed (F) for each course | Passed/Not Passed or Pass/Fail | Pass/Passed (if the student is passing) or Not Passed/Failed (if the student is not passing) |
Narrative | Written (usually a few paragraphs) evaluations of the student’s performance in each course are provided by the instructor | Narrative | Narrative |
Applicants for whom no numerical GPA can be calculated require an approved Exception to Admissions Policy in order to be admitted. The justification should address the department’s evaluation of the applicant’s overall academic performance, including comments made in narrative evaluations, if applicable.
Department GPA Calculations
The Department GPA Calculation field is provided for the department’s internal use only. This section will not be used by the Graduate Division when reviewing students and confirming eligibility for admission. If your department calculates a specific subset of courses for a Department GPA (major GPA or upper division GPA, for example), you may enter it into the field marked Department GPA Calculation.
Calculating an Upper Division GPA
Departments may elect to calculate an upper division GPA for students if desired. If an applicant does not meet the 3.0/B minimum GPA requirement with the cumulative GPA, the applicant is not eligible for admission automatically. However, the department may choose to request an exception to admissions policy by placing the applicant in the Exceptions Queue and requesting an Exception to Admissions Policy. The department may wish to use a strong upper division GPA as a justification in the exception request.
To calculate an upper division GPA using an undergraduate transcript, complete the following steps:
In order to determine the semesters or quarters that fall under the junior and senior years, start at the beginning of the transcript and count forward until you reach 60 semester or 90 quarter units.
Include any transfer units the applicant may have earned at another school in your count. Grades for all units that fall after the first 60 semester or 90 quarter units on a transcript will be part of the upper division GPA calculation.
Be sure to take note of any codes that may follow a grade. These codes will flag repeated courses or courses that should not be used in calculating the GPA.
Use all of the remaining units (those after your 60 semester or 90 quarter unit count) to calculate the upper division GPA using the same method used for the cumulative GPA: the GPA can be computed by dividing the total grade points by the total number of units.
GPA = Total Grade Points ÷ Total Units
Note: You can use the GPA-Calculator Department-Template.xlsx to assist in efficient GPA calculation (open the file in Google Drive and then download the template).
Transcripts
Applicants are required to upload a transcript to each educational institution they have attended, at which they completed the equivalent of one or more terms (or the equivalent of 12 units at UCSB) of coursework (see Application Materials for details).
Applicants are instructed to upload official transcripts to their online application; however, these transcripts are treated as unofficial since they were not submitted by the university-of-record. It is at the discretion of the department to enforce, or not enforce, the instructions stating that official transcripts (those produced by the school’s Registrar) should be uploaded. If unofficial transcripts are uploaded, the Graduate Division will not handle the applicant differently, as long as all coursework is listed.
Application Administrators may upload transcripts to an application by editing the institution information. If the institution has not yet been added, you will need to create a new institution for them, enter the required information, and upload the transcript. Press Save Institution after entering the information and uploading the unofficial transcript.
You may also use the Update Transcript link to upload a new transcript to an existing institution record.
Please be sure to redact any Social Security Numbers before updating. Similarly, if you see an applicant has uploaded a transcript with their SSN please ask them to upload a new transcript with a redacted SSN or print the document, redact the SSN, and re-upload the document yourself. A partial SSN is fine, but full SSNs should always be redacted.
Applicants who are admitted and decide to attend UCSB will be instructed to send their final/official transcript and/or WES evaluation to the Graduate Division (see Provisional Admissions for more information). If you receive an official transcript or other official document, forward it to the Graduate Division for processing. If received by mail, include the original envelopes/packaging when possible. You will be able to view the official, verified transcripts and WES evaluations as part of the student’s file in GradPoint (under the Documents tab) after they have been verified and processed by the Graduate Division.
Note: Official transcripts and WES evaluations provided directly to UCSB from the institution of record will not be accessible to applicants and should not be shared with them. These documents should never be uploaded to the Unofficial Transcript field (Education History) or to the Supplemental Documents section of the Datasheet.
Modifying Supplemental Documents
In the Statements and Supplemental Documents section, you will see all of the documents currently associated with the application. Documents that have been uploaded to the application cannot be edited, but they can be deleted.
Deleting a Locked Document
If an applicant has “Locked” a document and you want to allow them to upload a new one, you may use the Delete button to delete the document. They will then be able to upload a new document via their online application.
You can add documents (such as writing samples, forms/questionnaires, etc.) that you receive via email or mail to this section using the Upload Document tool. Any documents added to the Supplemental Documents section WILL be visible to the applicant in their online application. A maximum of six documents may be uploaded to this section of the application.
Important: DO NOT add letters of recommendation or official (supplied by the institution) transcripts to the Supplemental Documents section. These are confidential documents and cannot be shown to the student in the online application. Official transcripts sent to the department by mistake should also be treated as confidential.
Notice regarding Social Security Numbers: If you notice a student has uploaded a supplemental document with their Social Security Number please delete the document and ask the student to redact their Social Security Number and upload the document again.
Troubleshooting and Uploading Letters of Recommendation
If a recommender has trouble uploading a letter of recommendation, Application Administrators may assist them with the process using the application Edit screen.
Under the Letter Status column, No Letter indicates we haven’t received anything from the recommender yet. If we have received something, you will have the option to View Letter and see what’s on file.
When you receive a letter from a recommender via email, verify that the email address used to contact you matches the email address provided in the application. This is our verification that the recommender has been designated by the applicant.
To upload the letter, save the pdf or word document and click the Upload Letter link in the application. You will see a very similar version of what the recommender sees.
Fill out all of the fields you received from the recommender. After you have successfully uploaded a letter, a link will become available for you to view the letter. Please ensure you uploaded the correct document.
You can also resend a full request (if a letter hasn’t been uploaded yet) or email the recommender from this page. Please note that if you resend a full request, the App Review System will generate a new upload link for the recommender, invalidating any previous links that were provided.
Uploading Letters from a Letter Service
An applicant may indicate in the online application that a Letter Service will be providing the letter on behalf of a recommender. The applicant must still enter recommenders into the online application regardless of the mode of submission. If the letter will come in the mail, you will need to add the scanned materials to the applicant file.
If a letter is being provided via Letter Service, you will see an Upload Link in the Letters of Recommendation Section. You can use these links individually to upload the information as needed (for example, if you receive a letter in the mail from Interfolio or a cover sheet in the mail from the recommender). The link provided under Upload Link is exactly the same as the one we provided to the Letter Service and the Recommender.
Upload Link (provided to Letter Service):
The instructions state:
[STUDENT NAME] is applying to the University of California, Santa Barbara for admission to graduate study in the [DEPARTMENT NAME] department with the objective(s) of [DEGREE OBJECTIVE(S)] and may be applying for financial assistance. This applicant asks that you provide the letter of recommendation from [RECOMMENDER NAME] to be considered as part of their application materials.
Application Datasheet
The Datasheet provides users with a representation of almost all of the data collected from the applicant in their online application. This is the main point of reference for faculty reviewers. They can view all documents, letters, exam scores and information about the applicant on the datasheet.
Self-reported Data and CA Residency
Please note, much of this information is self-reported by the applicant, including visa type, residency status, and other details. Information is subject to verification, specifically with regard to California residency, which is determined by the Office of the Registrar’s Residence Deputy. If you notice a possible discrepancy in applicant-reported data, email the applicant to ask if data needs to be changed or ask the applicant to contact the Graduate Division directly by emailing us at gradadmissions@graddiv.ucsb.edu.
Complete Applicant Files and Faculty Review
When you have determined that a file is ready to be reviewed by your admissions committee, move the file from the Submitted Queue into the Review Queue. Once files are in the Review Queue, Restricted Reviewers will be able to see them. You may also move files back to the Submitted Queue as needed.
Sample Datasheet