How Should an 11th Grader Plan for University? Grades, the SAT and ACT, Referees, Essays and Your University List, the Application Timeline for the US, Canada and the UK, and Notes for Domestic and International Applicants
Grade 11 is the most important year before you apply: the University of California counts grades up to the summer after 11th grade, UBC looks at all Grade 11 and 12 courses, and UK predicted grades come from your teachers. Using official sources, this guide covers grades, the SAT and ACT, referees, essays and your university list, sets out the UC, UBC and UCAS application timelines, and lists six things to do in grade 11.
Grade 11 is the last full school year before you apply to university, and usually the busiest: your grades still count, you need to decide whether and which standardized tests to take, referees and essays need early preparation, and your university list starts to take shape. After the summer that follows, application season begins. Using official sources, this guide explains how much grade 11 matters in the US, Canada and the UK and what the timeline looks like, then lists six things to do this year. See the earlier guides for grade 9 and grade 10, and our application timeline by grade.
1. How much grade 11 matters
- United States (University of California as the example): the UC GPA uses A–G courses completed between the summer after 9th grade and the summer after 11th grade, so grade 11 is the last school year that counts; the minimum is 3.0 for California applicants and 3.4 for nonresidents. Honors courses earn 1 extra point per semester, up to 8 points across 10th and 11th grades (UC GPA requirement). At least 11 of the 15 A–G courses must be completed before the last year of high school (UC A–G subject requirements).
- Canada (UBC as the example): UBC considers your grades in all Grade 11 and Grade 12 classes, with the focus on Grade 12 where a subject was taken in both years, and your lowest grade is dropped unless that course is a degree requirement or relevant to your intended area of study (UBC: What we look for). In other words, grade 11 grades go directly into the assessment.
- United Kingdom (UCAS): UCAS states that if your referee is one of your teachers, they can add your predicted grades for any pending qualifications you are studying now; when you apply through a school, the school adds a reference and predicted grades if needed (UCAS references). Your performance in grade 11 is an important basis for those predictions and the reference.
2. Six things to do in grade 11
- Keep your grades as strong as you can: the UC GPA runs to the summer after 11th grade, UBC looks at all Grade 11 and 12 classes, and UK predicted grades come from your teachers. A drop in any course this year shows up directly in your application.
- Decide whether and which standardized test to take: check each university's policy first. UC states that it will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships; the scores may be used as an alternative way to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after you enroll (UC: filling out the application). Other universities set their own policies; check their websites. The basics of the two tests:
| SAT (College Board) | ACT | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and questions | 2 hours and 14 minutes: Reading and Writing 64 minutes, 54 questions; Math 70 minutes, 44 questions | English 35 minutes, 50 questions; Math 50 minutes, 45 questions; Reading 40 minutes, 36 questions; Science 40 minutes, 40 questions (optional); Writing 40 minutes, 1 prompt (optional) |
| Scores | Total 400–1600; each section 200–800 | 1–36; science and writing are optional and do not affect the Composite score |
| Format | Digital and adaptive | The website says digital or paper |
(SAT structure, College Board: what scores mean, about the ACT) The College Board PSAT/NMSQT is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program (National Merit program); if your school offers it, ask your counselor when to take it.
- Choose your referees and let teachers get to know you: UCAS states that the reference must be written by your referee online in the reference section of your application, that your referee should be someone who knows you academically (typically a teacher or tutor if you apply through a school), and that it should not be family, friends, partners or ex-partners (UCAS references). Whether US and Canadian universities require recommendation letters, and how many, varies; check each website. Taking part in class and talking with your teachers in grade 11 gives them concrete examples to write about when you ask in grade 12.
- Start gathering material for your essays: formats differ, and the summer after grade 11 is a good time to start writing. UC's Personal Insight Questions offer 8 questions, of which you answer 4, each up to 350 words (UC personal insight questions); the UCAS personal statement has three questions, 4,000 characters in total and at least 350 characters per answer (how to write your personal statement); UBC's personal profile asks you to describe up to five activities or accomplishments (UBC personal profile). The activity record you kept in grades 9 and 10 pays off here.
- Build your university and program list: in the second half of grade 11, draft a list and check each one: which Grade 12 courses the program requires (UBC names English 12 and Pre-Calculus 12 as examples of key courses), whether tests are needed, how many letters, and the deadlines. Plan your grade 12 courses around that list.
- Map out your grade 12 autumn and winter: the table below shows the dates published for 2027 entry. If you are in grade 11 now, you will apply for 2028 entry and the dates will be updated, but they usually fall in a similar window, so you can plan to this rhythm.
3. Application timeline (2027 entry as the example)
| Region | Opening and deadlines (2027 entry) |
|---|---|
| US (UC) | The fall 2027 admission application filing period is November 1–30; UC reminds applicants to submit by November 30 (UC dates and deadlines) |
| Canada (UBC) | Applications open in early October 2026; deadline January 15, 2027, 11:59 PM Pacific time. Scholarship-related deadlines: December 1, 2026 for Canadian applicants and December 2, 2026 for international applicants (UBC dates and deadlines) |
| UK (UCAS) | Applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026; Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses by 15 October 2026; most undergraduate courses by 13 January 2027 (all at 18:00 UK time) (UCAS dates and deadlines) |
Deadlines for Oxford, Cambridge and UK medicine, for UC, and for UBC scholarships all fall between October and December of grade 12. That means your essays, referees and test plans should be largely in place by the end of grade 11 rather than all left to the autumn of grade 12.
4. Notes for domestic and international applicants (including students in China)
- Domestic applicants: in California, remember that UC does not use the SAT or ACT for admissions decisions, so focus on your GPA, courses and personal insight answers; in Canada, confirm your Grade 12 courses and each university's deadlines within your provincial system; in the UK, talk to your teachers early about predicted grades and your reference.
- International applicants: UC treats you as a nonresident, with a minimum GPA of 3.4 and honors weight only for AP or IB courses; UBC's scholarship-related deadline for international applicants is December 2, 2026 (for 2027 entry). How universities treat your curriculum, which transcripts they need and how to show English proficiency are set out on each university's international pages; aim to complete your English test during grade 11.
- Students in China: grade 11 corresponds to the second year of senior high school. If you take AP or IB at an international school, your grade 11 courses and grades are the core of your application. If you attend a regular Chinese high school and plan to apply abroad, find out early how each university uses Chinese high school transcripts, the academic proficiency tests or the gaokao, and rely on each university's international applicant pages. The pages read for this guide contain no specific guidance for applicants from China.
5. Common mistakes
- "Test scores matter most": UC does not use the SAT or ACT for admissions decisions at all, and elsewhere they are one part of the application. Your grade 11 courses and grades carry more weight.
- "I will write essays in grade 12": the UC filing period is in November and Oxford, Cambridge and UK medicine close in mid-October; with classes and exams in the autumn of grade 12, there is less time than it seems.
- "I will find a referee later": UCAS asks for a referee who knows you academically, and teachers need concrete examples to write a strong reference, which come from your day-to-day work in grade 11.
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of California consider SAT or ACT scores?
No. UC states that it will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships; the scores may be used as an alternative way to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after you enroll.
How long are the SAT and ACT, and how are they scored?
The SAT takes 2 hours and 14 minutes, with Reading and Writing (64 minutes, 54 questions) and Math (70 minutes, 44 questions); the total score range is 400–1600 and each section is 200–800. The ACT has English (35 minutes, 50 questions), Math (50 minutes, 45 questions) and Reading (40 minutes, 36 questions); science and writing are optional and do not affect the Composite score, which ranges from 1 to 36.
How many UC personal insight questions do I answer, and when do I submit?
UC offers 8 personal insight questions, of which you answer 4, each up to 350 words. The fall 2027 admission application filing period is November 1–30, and UC reminds applicants to submit by November 30.
When does UBC open and close applications for September 2027?
UBC states that applications open in early October 2026 and the deadline is January 15, 2027, 11:59 PM Pacific time; scholarship-related deadlines are December 1, 2026 for Canadian applicants and December 2, 2026 for international applicants.
References
UC GPA requirement; UC A–G subject requirements; UC: filling out the application; UC personal insight questions; UC dates and deadlines; SAT structure; College Board: what scores mean; National Merit Scholarship Program; about the ACT; UBC: What we look for; UBC personal profile; UBC dates and deadlines; UCAS dates and deadlines; UCAS: how to write your personal statement; UCAS references. Pages read in November 2026; rules and dates follow the latest official versions.