Any options here?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Well I am currently a junior in texas and hav been living with my mother and 2 younger brothers for 2 yrs without my father. He was deported and hasnt made it back yet. Our income has been cut to about 30,000 dollars. I have also had to recieve a hardship license because my mother needed me to drive. However my grades freshmen yr and sophmore yr were absolutely horrific...my GPAs were 3.4 and 3.7 during those times. But then my father left the end of sophomore yr and i have come out as a new man and have gotten a 4.4 gpa so far even without my father here and all the extra tasks i hav to do because his absence. Would explaining this circumstance help me out to even sway me in?</p>

<p>Here's what i got: </p>

<p>Korean Male
1st generation to go to college
30,000 income
1700/2400 SAT (prep is very expensive unfortunetely)
31 ACT
Subject Tests </p>

<p>U.S. History : 750 French: 700 World History: 690</p>

<p>My overall WEIGHTED GPA is 3.75
and my rank is about 250-300 out of 1010 (Plano,Texas Highschool)</p>

<p>Music:
4 time All Region violinist
2 time All Stater
Top orchestra at school all 4 yrs
Principal Chair for North Texas Youth Orchestra (2 years)
Secretary of Orchestra
Church Orchestra Director for 3 yrs
Clubs:
French National Honor Society
FBLA (5th in Business Law in regionals)
Volunteering:
Big Brothers and Big Sisters Volunteer
Visiting Nurses Association Volunteer
150+ hrs of service
Sports
Recreational Baseball for 2 yrs
JV baseball for 1 yr
2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo</p>

<p>Any chance u guys?</p>

2

<p>Oh i wanna go into sumthin like International Relations or Foreign Affairs btw</p>

3

<p>Might be tough with those test scores and GPA…</p>

<p>Berkeley might be tough financially if you get in as an out of state student. You may want to include Texas public universities and private schools known for generous financial aid (some well known highly prestigious universities are free to students from families with income under $60,000, but they may be even tougher to get into).</p>

<p>But note that violin is a stereotypically common extracurricular activity for Asian male applicants which may work against you if you emphasize it too much (compared to your other extracurricular activities) when applying to universities with a holistic approach.</p>

4

<p>You don’t need to attend SAT prep classes to do well on the SAT. Get yourself an SAT prep book with practice tests and just do all the questions. The official one by collegeboard is pretty cheap and you can share the book with a friend if necessary. </p>

<p>Personally, I wouldn’t apply to Berkeley if I were you. Listen to what ucbalumnus says about applying to local state colleges and private colleges with generous financial aid. OOS tuition fees at Berkeley aren’t worth paying given your financial situation.</p>