The academic promise review seeks to identify an applicant's achievements and personal qualities in the context of the opportunities and/or challenges an applicant has had which, when coupled with the academic review, provide a comprehensive view of an applicant's potential for success at UCSB. Achievements and personal characteristics for which evidence is sought in the academic promise review are grouped into the following five categories:

Challenges, special circumstances, hardships and persistence

Leadership, initiative, service and motivation

Diversity of cultural and social experience

Intellectual and creative engagement and vitality

Honors, awards, special projects, and talents Files are reviewed by trained admission professionals and retired teachers and counselors, all of whom go through an extensive training program every year. Reviewers are monitored for accuracy and consistency throughout the review process. Applications are read by at least two independent reviewers who do not know the score given by the other reader. Following a thorough review of the entire file, the reader assigns a single rating to it. If the scores differ significantly, then the file goes to a third, more senior, reader.

While there are no fixed points for activities or accomplishments, there are broad guidelines given to readers to suggest where point levels should lie. An applicant will receive one of the following ratings during the academic promise review:

Outstanding:

Applicant demonstrates outstanding characteristics or achievement in one or more of the five categories of review. Applicant will offer a remarkable quality or level of achievement that will greatly enrich the freshman class.

Significant:

Applicant demonstrates strong or significant characteristics or achievement in one or more of the five categories of review. Applicant will offer a quality or level of achievement that will significantly enhance the freshman class.

Good:

Applicant demonstrates average or good characteristics or achievement in one or more of the five categories of review. Applicant will offer a quality or level of achievement that will enhance the freshman class.

Typical:

Applicant demonstrates some characteristics or achievement in one or more of the five categories of review, but with limited range or depth. The applicant will not distinguish himself or herself relative to the other UCSB applicants and will not enrich the freshman class.

　　学术承诺审查以图确认申请者在可获得的机遇或者挑战面前，所取得的成就或者表现出来的个人品质。这和学术评审相结合，向我们提供了一个申请者欲在USCB获得成功所需潜力的全面的视图。学术承诺审查寻找的成就和个人性格特点大致包括这样五个范畴：

　　挑战，特殊的情境，艰辛和持久性

　　领导力，主动性，服务和积极性

　　文化和社交经历的多样性

　　知识和创新的参与和活跃度

　　在UCSB，由训练有素的专业人士、退休教师和招生顾问审查你的荣誉、奖项、特殊项目和印证能力的文件。他们每年都会进行大量的专业项目训练，而且评审的全程都收到精确和持续的监督。每份申请文书都由至少两位独立的评审委员评阅，他们互不知道对方给出的分数。在彻底审核了整个文件之后，评审委员给出一个等级分数。如果两个分数差别悬殊，那么这个申请材料将移至第三位评审委员审查，以此类推。

　　虽然没有对活动或者成就设置固定的分数，但是还是存在一些指导大纲辅助评审委员进行分数定级。在学术承诺审查时，一位申请者将获得以下等级之一：

　　杰出的

申请者在五个范畴中的一个或多个，展示出无比的性格魅力或者杰出的成就。申请者将会表现出可圈可点的品质和成就水平，而这些会极大的丰富新生群体。

　　显著的

　　申请者在五个范畴中的一个或多个，展示出很强的或显著的性格魅力和成就。申请者的品质和成就水平，将会显著地增强新生群体实力。

　　良好的

　　申请者在五个范畴中的一个或多个，展示出平均化或者良好的性格特点和学术成就。申请者的品质或者成就水平，将会对新生群体起提升作用。

　　标准的

　　申请者在五个范畴中的一个或多个，展示出一定的性格特点和学术成就，但是范围和深度有限。于其他的UCSB申请者相比，申请者将不能表现出与众不同的个性和学术能力，而且不能对新生群体产生提升作用。