BUSP Eligibility and Application
BUSP Application Deadlines
Application Deadline
You must submit your application no later than 11:59pm on June 23, 2024 to be considered for the BUSP program in the 2024-2025 academic year. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances, so please be sure to complete your application in a timely manner.
Application Timeline
- Early May: BUSP application available
- June 23, 11:59pm: BUSP application submission deadline
- Mid July at the latest (depending on the size of the applicant pool): admissions decisions made; students notified
- July 31: Contracts due for admitted students
The BUSP application opens in May.
BUSP Eligibility
Students are eligible to apply for BUSP if they are incoming freshmen interested in the life sciences at UC Davis and belong to one group that is underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences. These groups are defined as:
- Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis. The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
- Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
- Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds*, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
- Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Definition: https://nche.ed.gov/mckinney-vento/);
- Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families (Definition: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/focus-areas/foster-care);
- Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines);
- Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018009.pdf);
- Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants (Definition: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/eligibility.html);
- Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-eligibility-requirements).
- Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer (https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/rural-health), or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zipcodes are included in the file).
* Individuals who belong to disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply for the UC Davis Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) for additional services.
The BUSP program provides the pre-curriculum and curriculum for the ADAR and ADNR sophomore programs. For this, BUSP receives federal support from the NIH, including NIA grant R25AG048787 and NINDS grant R25NS112130.
BUSP Application Instructions
General Instructions and Eligibility
- Please print these instructions or copy and paste these instructions into a word processing document for future reference. You can use these instructions when registering for classes during summer orientation!
- We recommend that you compose your essays in a word processor and copy and paste.
- Your application can be saved and revisited/updated until the application period closes. When you have finished the application, please check the box at the end to certify that your application is complete.
- If you have completed the required courses for the IGETC Transfer Agreement, you are not eligible for BUSP.
- Be sure to take the Math Placement Exam (instructions e-mailed to you from another department)! If your score on the Math Placement Exam is below 20, you are not eligible for BUSP.
- You do not need to have taken the Chemistry Placement Exam to be eligible for BUSP (although we do highly recommend it).
Program Information
This application may be used by incoming first-year students to apply for the Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP) only.
Completing the Application
To successfully complete the BUSP application, you will need the following information:
- Your UCD ID number;
- Your UCD email address;
- Your Entry Level Writing Requirement (satisfied/unsatisfied) information. You can find this information in your OASIS portal; or here. If you have not satisfied the ELWR, you can take introductory English at your local community college over the summer, receive credit for BOTH the ELWR and lower division English at UC Davis (if your community college course will transfer to UC Davis - check assist.org to make sure);
- The title and grade of the last Math class you took, and the year you took it;
- A list of your community college courses (if you have taken them) and grades;
- What is your main motivation for pursuing a degree in science? Please describe what career you hope to have in the future, if you have a clear career goal at this time (it’s okay if you don’t have a clear goal right now!). Why are you interested in this career, or what interests you about pursuing a degree in science? Please include any alternate choices that you may have. (200 words or less);
- What are your academic strengths? What are your academic challenges? (200 words or less);
- What are your personal strengths? What are your personal challenges? (200 words or less);
- Have you encountered any adversities on your educational pathway and if so, which steps, if any, have you taken to overcome these adversities? (200 words or less);
- Do you anticipate any adversities on your academic pathway at UC Davis? (200 words or less);
- Why do you want to participate in the BUSP program? How will your participation in the program contribute to achieving your career goals? (200 words or less);
- How would your participation enhance the BUSP community? (200 words or less).
Academic Instructions
So that you can be prepared if you are accepted into BUSP:
- Please be aware that if you are admitted to BUSP and you are registered for CHE 1V, CHE 2A, CHE 2AH or BIS 2ABC that you will be required to drop these courses and add the BUSP PreChemistry Intensive; you will also add a pre or co-Math course or courses. We will assist you with adjusting your courses to reflect the BUSP curriculum. Please be assured that this will not be a problem. BUSP students take a PreChemistry intensive in the fall quarter of their first year, followed by CHE 2A in the winter (2B in spring and so on). BUSP students take BIS 11 in their first year, and begin BIS 2A in the fall of their second year. You can find more information about the BUSP curriculum here.
- If you are accepted into BUSP, you must apply for the Education Opportunities Program (EOP) (more info and application information available here). However, if you do not receive EOP status, you will not be disqualified from BUSP.
- Another UCD department will contact you about Math and Chemistry placement exams. Please take at least the Math placement exam if you have not already done so.