Im a sophomore in Highschool right now and I was wondering if there was anything i can improve on or get to help me get into a good UC
Grades:
Freshman year 4.0/4.0
Sophomore year: 3.5 ._. I got a B and a C in algebra 2 H and chemistry H/ still working on it but 3.8?
(my school doesnt go above a 4)
EC
Jv basketball (2 years) Team Captain and MVP twice
Red Cross(trying out for cabinet)
MUN
FBLA
Speech and Debate
going to a Leadership Development camp
Internship with Red Cross
VBS (vacation bible school) volunteer for church
Staff Writer for school newspaper
Historian for ACL (american sign language)
PSAT:1100
Majors im thinking about
Biochemistry
Biomedical Sciences
Journalism?
something in the Med department
IS there anything I can do or anything i need to get like
for ACT Score
gpas for junior year
volunteering at a hospital?
PLEASE HELP ;( the schools I def would love to get into are UCSB UCI UCSD UCLA and CAL
Thanks!!
Freshman grades are irrelevant in UC admissions. You need very strong grades (and even stronger if you’re OOS) and decently strong test scores. ECs aren’t as important for UCs (but they do help). Take rigorous classes, get a solid SAT, like at least a 1450ish, and make sure you keep your grades up from here on out. Also if you want anything med, you should aim for the holy trinity of AP Calc, Physics and Chem to have a decent chance of surviving.
If you want to major in biochemistry or anything in biology or medicine, then it would seem like a good idea to avoid getting any more C’s in science classes. Also, algebra is core to a LOT of future classes in STEM. I think that for any STEM field job #1 is to keep ahead in your math and science classes. If you do your homework the day that it is handed out, then you are a bit ahead for the next class, and will pick up just a little bit more. Over time this can help a lot (I didn’t learn this until graduate school).
SAT preparation is pretty obvious also.
You DEFINITELY need to bring up your gpa, especially in science and math classes. If you want to go into anything biology related you should do research at a local university or hospital volunteering. Also, improve your standerized testing scores (1100 is a bit low for psat, unless you study for your sat).
You are a Sophomore, so you have gotten good advice in the above posts. UC’s use 10-11th grades in their GPA calculation and if you are OOS, only AP/IB or DE courses get the Honors points in the calculation.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
You need to aim for a UC GPA of 4.0+ and SAT scores in the 1300+ range or at least a 31+ ACT for the best chances at most of the UC’s. UC’s tend to be GPA focused, but they will all review your application based on GPA/Test Scores/HS course rigor/Essays and EC’s. Each campus may emphasize some areas more than others so overall you want a complete and competitive package. Intended major is also a big factor in determining your chances so pick wisely.
Each year the UC’s publish their Freshman profile which shows the 25th and 75th percentile for UC GPA and test scores. The 2017 Freshman profiles should be out in August.
Just do your best in your classes, prep for the SAT/ACT and continue with the EC’s you enjoy. At the end of Junior year, repost with your stats and more suggestions will be forthcoming.
Just some GPA info for the UC’s:
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.40-3.79:
UCB: 2%
UCLA: 3%
UCSD: 6%
UCD: 15%
UCSB: 14%
UCI: 13%
UCSC: 59%
UCR: 78%
UCM: 92%
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19:
UCB: 14%
UCLA: 14%
UCSD: 44%
UCSB: 54%
UCD: 58%
UCI: 65%
UCSC: 85%
UCR: 94%
UCM: 96%
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 4.20 or above:
UCB: 42%
UCLA: 54%
UCSD: 87%
UCSB: 85%
UCD: 91%
UCI: 94%
UCR/UCM: 98%