<p>GPA: 3.81
SAT: 1920
SATII: Math II: 640 Biology: 700
APs: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Government, AP Macroeconomics, AP Enviromental Science (my school does not offer too many AP courses but I have taken a number of honors and advanced courses)</p>
<p>E.C.
Research Internship at the Scripps Research Institute
Lab screening for Chytrid fungus at San Diego Wild Animal Park
3 week college course at Davidson College
Student Ambassador trip to New Zealand and Australia
200+ hours of community service
I play in a professional rock band and write music
Club Soccer
Club Baseball
Campus Minister (student spiritual leader)
N.H.S peer tutor
California Scholarship Federation
I play two instruments</p>
<p>You sound like pretty much a sure thing to me! Only 110 people applied ED so you have a good chance. They can’t fill up more than 25% of their class with ED, but their classes are generally around 400 each year, so it’s likely everyone that’s as impressive as you are will be okay.</p>
<p>PLEASE CHANCE ME TOO! </p>
<p>I have pretty much the same resume, test scores (a little better, 31 ACT, 2040 SAT) and community service (a little worse) wise except have gotten published a few times in national magazines for short stories and am really into tennis (four-year letterman, varsity team captain) as well as been in four different concert bands and pep, jazz, and marching…I’m taking four APs this year, 6 total. NHS, Parks & Rec Board, etc. Not much leadership though…my essays are very solid.</p>
<p>The only thing I’m worried about is that my GPA is 3.59. Basically I’m terrible at math, and have gotten C’s throughout middle and high school (I have Narcolepsy w/ ADD symptoms, can’t concentrate on it at all). I had to take AP Calc as a pass/no pass because my grade sunk too low and I didn’t want to get my GPA wayyy down.The average for Whitman is 3.89, so you can see why that’d be a problem. Whitman accepted someone with a 3.2 last year though according to US College Report. :)</p>
<p>However, I’ve been committed to Whitman from the start though, visited twice, interviewed, attended in-school college visit. I’ve been in contact with my interviewer (and tour guide!) Alana K. (anyone know her?) throughout, emails and such, and she told me that while the GPA was a concern, I would still be strongly considered because of my writing credentials. However I’m still really worried that it won’t be enough.</p>
<p>What do you guys think? Do I have a chance? Letter’s probably arriving tomorrow, but I’m trying not to get too worked up about it. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!</p>
<p>Okay, I’ll chance you both, simply because I know you’re both going crazy waiting and probably just want something to read. I’ve been on CollegeConfidential for several years now, where I usually answer questions on the MIT board as a volunteer for MIT’s ParentConnect.</p>
<p>Guitarist: Your GPA is solid, and your SAT scores are within Whitman’s 25% to 75% range, which is 1850 to 2140. Your extracurricular activities look strong as well. I’d say you are a match.</p>
<p>JustinNate: Your GPA is low, but since you don’t say whether it’s unweighted or weighted, it’s hard to evaluate. On the other hand, you’ve challenged yourself with AP courses, which is a plus. Your SAT and ACT scores put you in the high end of Whitman’s 25% to 75% range. I think the 4 years of varsity tennis and the achievement in writing is impressive, and probably enough to counterweight the GPA. I’d say you are also probably a match.</p>
<p>My son has also applied ED, and I’d also characterize him as a match. His unweighted GPA is 3.44, but weighted using the University of California calculator, it’s 4.16, which is about the average GPA for students admitted to UC Berkeley from his high school. He’s taken alot of honors and AP courses as well. His ACT is 32 and his SAT scores are 2130. He loves hiking/backpacking/mountaineering and has studied abroad in Japan. </p>
<p>I hope you all get in, because you’d probably like each other.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback guys, I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>CalAlum: It’s a 3.59 on a 4.00 scale. I’m not sure what it is weighted, is that just if you get good grades in AP classes you get above a 4.0? In that case, I think I’m higher. I’m on track to get A’s in all 6 AP Classes I have taken (except AP Calc, which doesn’t count for GPA anyway because I’m taking it Pass/No Pass).</p>
<p>Guitarist: Although I am quite busy with everything senior year-wise, I’m training hard and hope to be a strong enough player to qualify for a state-berth again (I live in Oregon), maybe get to the quarterfinals. Won’t get further than that unfortunately because there are three sophomores that have already committed to Stanford and UCLA for tennis. XD If I improve enough to get to that point, I would definitely look into trying out for the Varsity squad at Whitman, which I hear is quite good. If not, well, club tennis will be just fine. :)</p>
<p>To weight your grade according to Univ. of Calif. criteria, drop freshmen grades, omit grades in all non-uc required courses (autoshop, p.e, etc.) and allow a score of 4 for an A in a non-honors or regular class and a score of 5 for an honors or AP course. If you Google “University of California undergraduate admissions eligibility” you’ll find the online calculator that does this for you.</p>
<p>Each high school is different. At my son’s large public high school, there were 21 valedictorians last year. Of these, a substantial number had taken no – or few – honors or AP courses. The grading in the honors and AP courses is brutal. The school has an open access policy allowing any and all students to take the courses, but one result is demand that exceeds the capacity of the school. The school’s response has been to make a grade of “C” a true average grade in those courses. To defer as many students from taking the courses as possible.</p>
<p>My son had a great gpa until he decided to take 6 academic courses last year (not counting pe/tennis) and got B-plus grades in all his AP courses, which were reported on the transcript as straight B grades (the school does not award plus or minus grades). But the UC system is really familiar with this school, and so his GPA is competitive for Berkeley, UCLA, etc. California residents who want to see how many students from their schools are admitted to UC campuses, average gpa’s and SAT’s of admitted students, can just Google “University of California statfinder” to find a site that will provide that information.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t want to be an admissions officer, trying to figure out each school’s grading policy.</p>