UC Merced’s Bobcat Day making big in-person return after two-year hiatus due to pandemic

Bobcat Day at UC Merced is back, after being put on hold for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saturday, April 23 will be first time UC Merced has held the annual event since 2019.

Incoming freshmen, transfer students and their families with have an opportunity to explore the campus, meet professors and faculty, and sit in on presentations hosted by each campus school, according to a UC Merced news release.

Students can also talk to staff in the Financial Aid and Admissions Offices. plus find student clubs and organizations they want to join.

The day starts off at 9 a.m. with a welcome presentation and campus tours start at 10 a.m. Tours run until 2 p.m.

The upcoming school year is notable in many ways for the students who are matriculating in the fall.

Students from the Merced Union High School District, who were the first students to be admitted to UC Merced under the new Merced Automatic Admission Program, are starting as first-time freshmen in the fall.

These students had to complete specific requirements before high school graduation that include a 3.5 GPA and getting a C or higher in all their high school classes.

Another notable group to start school at UC Merced in the fall includes transfer students from Merced College who were admitted as upperclassmen through the newly-established Merced Promise program.

This program is a partnership between UC Merced and Merced College that allows local students to complete their degrees without having to leave home.

Those who come to Bobcat Day this year are urged to wear comfortable shoes and bring sunscreen.

Water bottles are also encouraged. To register for Bobcat Day 2022, visit admissions.ucmerced.edu and click on “admitted student events.”

Bobcat Day is usually well-attended by prospective students, with as many as 3,000 students attending the on-campus event in years past.

The day is jam-packed, as previous Bobcat Days have included six hours of workshops, tours and opportunities for future students to mingle with current students, instructors and staff.

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 12:23 PM.