I have always dreamed of going to a UC school (primarily UCLA or UCSB) but I would be pleased with any. I was really curious as to my chances of getting in to any of them since my application is quite different to others:
Firstly I would like to mention I am apart of a program called Alternative Choices in Education, which according to my guidance counselor shouldn’t affect my chances on getting in. It’s more of a program about going at your own pace and being able to do more real world learning.
- GPA Freshman year : 2.67
- GPA Sophomore year : 3.5
- GPA Junior year (so far) : 4.0
- 1500 on my SAT
- AP Classes aren't available in my program but I've taken a dual enrollment psychology college course and I got a 4.0 in it and I'm taking the psychology AP exam in May
- 1 year of co-ed Rugby (was planning on continuing this year and next year but our season got cancelled because of corona virus, will that affect me?)
- began a girls rugby team
- I was going to begin volunteering at the samaritans hotline but it's postponed due to corona so I don't have any volunteer hours currently
- I've been employed at a local sports camp since my freshman year
- I'm starting a rugby club to make up for the lost season
- I plan on taking two more dual enrollment college classes (not sure which subjects yet)
- I've also began brainstorming for my essays and will definitely be talking about my school program since it gives me a unique angle since literally no other schools have a program like this
Other than this not sure what more I can do but please give me recommendations because I will genuinely do everything it takes to be accepted into one of these schools
Also how will corona be affecting possibilities for extracurriculars and volunteering because that’s a big thing I feel like I’m lacking in
Your ECs and SAT are competitive and improving GPA looks good but, it is hard to say how a sub 4 GPA will be received. They both get around 100k applications a year and are both very selective and IMHO, they are probably both reaches. I encourage you to apply but, apply elsewhere as well. UCR, UCSC and perhaps SDSU, and CSULB.
good luck
Please calculate your UC GPA’s: Unweighted, Capped Weighed and Fully Weighted.
UC’s tend to be very GPA focused and an upward trend will help your chances.
Below is some UC statistical data to help guide you with your chances but make sure you identify 2 safety schools (guaranteed admissons and affordable).
With the UC’s suspending test score requirements, your SAT will help your chances but your GPA may hinder. There are 14 areas of application review criteria and GPA/Test scores/HS course rigor and essays are considered Very Important.
2019 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 12%
UCLA: 7%
UCSD: 33%
UCSB: 32%
UCD: 47%
UCI: 35%
UCSC: 72%
UCR: 87%
UCM: 96%
2019 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 4.20 or above capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 38%
UCLA: 35%
UCSD: 71%
UCSB: 73%
UCD: 84%
UCI: 55%
UCSC: 85%
UCR: 97%
UCM: 98%
2019 UC capped weighted GPA averages along with 25th-75th percentile range:
UCB: 4.23 (4.15-4.30)
UCLA: 4.25 (4.18-4.32)
UCSD: 4.16 (4.03-4.28)
UCSB: 4.16 (4.04-4.28)
UCI: 4.13 (4.00-4.25)
UCD: 4.13 (4.00-4.26)
UCSC: 3.96 (3.76-4.16)
UCR: 3.90 (3.69-4.11)
UCM: 3.73 (3.45-4.00)
2019 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT totals:
UCB: 1340-1540
UCLA: 1330-1550
UCSD: 1300-1520
UCSB: 1280-1520
UCD: 1230-1490
UCI: 1250-1510
UCSC: 1200-1450
UCR: 1130-1400
UCM: 1020-1290
My GPA is the same for unweighted, capped weighed, and fully weighted because of the fact I am not able to take AP courses. Will that count against me? Since the point of taking the AP courses is to add rigor, I took my dual enrollment college course which doesn’t count towards my GPA, but my guidance counselor told me that when I apply to colleges the transcript from that class gets sent in.
If the dual enrollment classes are UC transferable, then they would be weighted like AP’s. 1 semester DE = 1 honors point.
Were these DE courses taken at your HS or Community college? Are you a CA HS student?
I attend school in Massachusetts, and my classes were taken at a community college.
As an OOS applicant, you realize that you will be full pay at any of the UC’s which are currently $65K/year to attend with little to no financial aid?
CC classes in Massachusetts may or may not be UC transferable, so you would have to try to articulate your CC classes to the UC transferable classes to see if you would get the extra weighting.
The CC classes you took, do they fulfill the a-g course requirements for the UC’s? You can look up the descriptions for all the UC a-g courses here:
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/guide/a-g-subject-requirements/a-history-social-science/
Or you could list them and posters can help you figure out if they could be UC transferable?
Will you have a year of a Visual/Performing arts course (one of the a-g course requirements) which trips up many OOS applicants?
So what is your unweighted UC GPA?
After researching on the colleges website, it will count towards my GPA and because it is a psychology class it should be UC transferable. I will also have a full year of dance and a full year of piano so I’m definitely okay for visual/performing arts.
I do realize the expenses would be crazy that is why I’m applying to in state schools and ones on the less expensive side, I would just like to apply to these UC schools because it has always been my dream to go there and I will decide if it is worth it depending on where else I get in.
I’m also quite interested in San Diego State University since its out of state tuition isn’t as high but it still offers things I’m interested in.
My younger son attended San Diego State so if you have any specific questions regarding the school, let me know.
SDSU admits by major and eligibility index. No essays or EC’s are considered.
To calculate your Eligibility index, you need your UC/CSU capped weighted GPA plus either your ACT composite or SAT Math and EBRW score and plug into this formula:
(UC/CSU GPA capped weighted x 800) + (SAT Math + EBRW) or (UC/CSU GPA capped weighted x 200) + (ACT composite x 10).
SDSU is an impacted campus so all majors are impacted (meaning more qualified applicants than spots available). SDSU is the 2nd most competitive Cal state and the average Eligilbity index for SAT was 4459 and for the ACT was 1069.
Weighted capped UC gpa - 3.64 (I know, yikes)
SAT score - 1540
PSAT (junior year) - don’t remember but 96th percentile
AP Classes:
-Freshman Year
AP Human Geography: Score of 4
-Sophomore Year:
AP World History: Score of 5
AP Physics 1: Score of 3
AP Computer Science A: not being submitted
AP Environmental Science: not being submitted
- Junior Year:
AP United States History: 4 (prediction)
AP English Language: 5 (prediction)
AP Biology: 4 (prediction)
AP Calculus BC: 4 (prediction)
AP Physics C Mechanics: 3 (prediction)
AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism: 2 (prediction)
AP Spanish Language and Culture: 5 (prediction)
-Senior Year:
AP Phycology
AP Seminar
AP English Literature
AP Spanish Literature
AP Chemistry
AP Statistics
AP Government
AP Economics
AP Physics 2
Extracurriculars: Younger then grade level (will be 16 at time of graduation) thus internships/volunteering was limited due to age restrictions. Same thing with work experience.
- Arabic School Volunteering
- Teaching math to elementary School students who don’t speak English
- Possibly hospital volunteering this summer when I am of age.
Immigrant, first generation US college student, moving many times inside of the US including across states, low income family, couldn’t work bc of age/immigration papers, 16 at time of graduation
3 clubs sophomore year, none junior year (covid)
Significant improvement in GPA from sophomore year to 1st semester junior year to 2nd semester junior year
biochemistry or molecular/cell biology major, pre med route. Planning on applying to all the UC’s except for Merced and I am out of state. Thoughts on chances of admission?