The University of the Philippines released the results of the UP College Admissions, simultaneously bringing happiness to some college hopefuls and crushing the dreams of others. If you’re one of the latter group, you don’t have to give up all hope immediately. Here’s how you can study at UP without passing the UPCAT or UPCA.

Before anything else…

If you’ve been dreaming of getting into UP for so long and still didn’t pass the UPCA, take some time to process your emotions. Rejection is always hard, but after you deal with your feelings, you can get to work. Because if you really want to study at UP, there’s still some hope.

Check if you’re waitlisted

After being evaluated through the UPCA, applicants are force-ranked through the University Predicted Grade (UPG) in their chosen degree programs. If you’re “waitlisted”, that means you got a passing UPG, but there are no longer any slots left. It’s not yes or no, but maybe. You can choose to wait, as slots will open up if some qualified applicants choose to go to another university. If you’re on the waitlist, you can follow up with the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) to ask if your chosen degree program will be opening up for waitlisted applicants.

File a Letter of Appeal

Even if you’re not on the waiting list or if you simply did not meet the passing UPG, you might still have a chance to get into UP. If your UPG is a passing grade at a UP campus, you can submit a letter of appeal and request reconsideration for your application. Each campus has a different cut-off UPG, and some campuses may not receive appeals at all. But if you really want to be an Isko or Iska, check the availability of slots at the campus and in your desired program to see if you can file an appeal.

Iskolar ng Bayan Law

There’s actually a law that automatically qualifies certain individuals to enter a UP university. It’s called the Republic Act No. 10648 (R.A. 10648) or also known as the Iskolar ng Bayan Act of 2014. Through R.A. 10648, the top 10 graduates of public high schools no longer need to take the UPCAT (before the pandemic) because they are given automatic admission to a UP campus located in the same region as their high school. These students need to enroll within two years after graduating from high school, or else they may no longer be eligible for the program.

Apply as a varsity player

If you’re an athlete, dancer, or cheerleader, you may want to look into your eligibility for the Varsity Athletic Admission System or VAAS program of UP Diliman’s College of Human Kinetics. The VAAS program is looking for “exemplary athletes, Filipiniana dancers, and pep squad members” who can represent the university in competitions locally and internationally. You can inquire about the program by sending an email to varsitysportschk.upd@up.edu.ph.

Take the Talent Determination Test

If you’re not athletically inclined, maybe you have a talent in the arts instead. You can take the Talent Determination Test (TDT), which is administered in UP Diliman’s College of Fine Arts (CFA) and College of Music. Through the TDT, you will undergo auditions and earn a pass to get a slot into the university, but you will be competing against many other talented applicants. You may check the colleges’ websites to know more: College of Fine Arts and College of Music.

Qualify as an international applicant

Have you just graduated from high school in another country and have yet to enroll in any college program? You might have a chance to be an Isko or Iska, even if you didn’t apply through the UPCA. You will be eligible for automatic admission if:

1. you completed a high school program in the country where s/he had secondary education;
2. you qualify for college admission by any of the following national or international foreign-administered examinations: the SAT, OR the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examination, OR the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), OR other equivalent examinations approved by UP; and
3. in case your high school doesn’t have English as its primary language of instruction, you have a minimum score in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Transfer from another school

If you decided to go to another university but still want to be an Isko or Iska, you still have a chance. You can enroll in UP through transfer admission, which requires you to have spent at least one year in another university in the country.

In that year, you must have completed at least 33 units with at least a weighted average of 2.00, depending on the degree program you’re applying for. You also have to note that not all UP colleges accept transferees, so do your research well. Check the UP Admissions website for more information.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube for the l8est entertaining, useful, and informative lists!