UCSB Admissions Officer Cuca Acosta: Step Out of the AP Box and Truly Think

Welcome back. Picking up from our Cornell piece on "scores aren't everything," today we move to stop two of the Admissions Officers Interview series.

This time we sit with UC Santa Barbara admissions officer Cuca Acosta to understand how UCSB weighs course rigor against personal growth — and where the balance actually sits.

Background: the pressure to over-load on courses

Every admissions cycle, we hear the same kind of question from anxious families:

"My school offers 20 APs. I only took 5. Am I done?"
"I don't want to take this AP. I'd rather self-study something more interesting — but won't that look lazy on my transcript?"
"My high school doesn't offer many Honors classes. What now?"

That kind of pressure pushes students into picking courses for the sake of picking courses.

But from the perspective of top public universities, the number of courses you take has never been the point. The point is the quality of thinking behind the choices you made.

Here's how UCSB describes it.

The admissions officer says

"Don't take a course 'just because it's there.' Ask yourself why." — Cuca Acosta, UC Santa Barbara

When we read applications, we often catch the real growth arc through the Personal Insight Questions.

Sometimes a student will tell us: "Look, here's where my course schedule changed. I didn't stay in the tight box of AP courses, but my grades actually got better, because I was finally able to grow in a different way."

That's not just acceptable. It's important.

We pay a lot of attention to what we call context.

We look at your high school's data. How big is the graduating class? How many honors courses does the school offer?

We know any evaluation has to be based on what resources were actually available to you. But just because your school offers a particular AP doesn't mean you "have to" take it. The real question is: why did you make the decisions you made? That's what we're looking for. As a Tier 1 research institution, we care enormously about critical thinking.

"You need to be able to ask questions."

The world is changing too fast. Today's degree names will change. Brand-new degrees — like ones in AI — barely existed twenty or thirty years ago. My job is to help students understand where the future is heading, so they can create the jobs that don't exist yet.

How do you, as a high schooler, prepare for that? Don't get complacent. Don't say "well, everyone's taking this class, so I have to." Instead, ask yourself:

"What can I learn?"
"How should I go about learning it?"
Or even: "This article is fascinating — it's not on the syllabus, but how do I dig into it?"

That kind of self-directed curiosity, pushing past the frame, is what we want to see.

EdComm's read: the three traits universities are hunting for

Cuca Acosta's words point at something the UC system — and every top university — cares about deeply: agency.

The traits universities are hunting for:

Decision-making that isn't just conformity. APs are not a task list to clear. If you skipped a popular AP to go deep on a subject you genuinely care about (self-study, non-standard coursework, whatever), and you clearly explained why in your essay, that's a sign of maturity — not a weakness.
Curiosity that breaks the frame. The officer literally said: don't get stuck in the AP box. Real academic potential isn't whether you can ace a test. It's whether you'll read the article that isn't on the syllabus — whether you can pursue knowledge outside the assigned path.
Adaptability that opens the future. Universities are training people who can adapt to — and create — the jobs of the future. They don't need test-takers. They need people who can ask questions.

So our advice to any student agonizing over course selection:

Don't ask "will this course make me look more competitive." Ask "will this course let me learn what I want to learn."

FAQ

What does UC Santa Barbara admissions look for?

UCSB admissions officer Cuca Acosta emphasizes three things: agency, critical thinking, and curiosity that prepares you for the future. They care far more about the quality of thinking behind your course choices than the raw number of APs you took.

Does the UC system require a specific number of AP courses?

No. Cuca Acosta is clear: "Just because your school offers a particular AP doesn't mean you have to take it." UCSB looks at your high school's resource context and evaluates what you did with what was available — not a raw AP count.

What does "context" mean in admissions review?

UCSB looks at your high school's specifics: graduating class size, number of honors courses offered, and so on. Any evaluation has to be based on what resources were actually available. A student who took all 3 APs their school offers isn't comparable to one who took 5 out of 20.

Will skipping a popular AP to study what I love cost me points?

No. Cuca Acosta said: "That's not just acceptable — it's important." The condition is that you explain why you made that choice clearly in your Personal Insight Questions.

Who is Cuca Acosta?

Cuca Acosta is an admissions officer at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB). This is part two of EdComm's Admissions Officers Interview series.

Coming next: from "course logic" to "time philosophy"

If UCSB taught us that course selection shouldn't be ruled by quantity, the next piece — featuring the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor — breaks down another huge AP misconception: speed.

Are APs really about cashing in credits and graduating in three years to save tuition?
Why do admissions officers say the "test out and get out" mindset doesn't fly at top schools?
When everyone wants to "accelerate," why does Michigan insist on making students slow down and live the full four years?

We'll unpack: in the eyes of top universities, the value of AP is breadth, not speed.