The University of California (UC) system announced that it has extended the deadline for fall 2021 applications to Friday, December 4, due to technical difficulties. Initially, people were informed to turn in their college applications on or before 11:59 pm PST on November 30, 2020.
However, the website crashed just hours before applications were due, preventing student access. Reports say that the complications on the site were caused by a problem with one of the servers.
The university tweeted about the internal issue and their intent to resolve it as quickly as possible. However, aspiring applicants, with the help of their parents and other UC alumni, bombarded social media with desperate requests for an extension.
You guys are down before the deadline, you have students relying on this time. A deadline is a deadline and as long as it is in before the deadline there is no room for judgment. Get it back up or give an extension smh
— Lily (@lily_shirin) November 30, 2020
Proud UC alum, requesting on behalf of the next generation, that you provide a deadline extension if the web site remains down. Don't make this year worse than it already has been.
— Joe Scott (@joescottmd) November 30, 2020
Call for Extension
Social media was filled with heartbreaking stories of what students went through because of the frustrating glitches. Many of them shared that the website crashed just as they were about to submit their applications, while a young woman had her entire application essay erased before she could press the save button.
Shortly after the update, the university announced that it would grant an extension to applicants for fall 2021 admission.
As aspiring UC newcomers and transfer students expressed their relief, the school urged them to avoid procrastinating and quickly finish their applications despite the new deadline. In another statement, a UC spokesperson said, “In the meantime, we have taken additional measures to ensure the system performs well while continuing to closely monitor it.”
Despite the pandemic forcing the UC system to transition to online classes, the schools have seen a record growth in enrollment, especially UC San Diego which has reached 40,000 enrollees this year.
