So which SAT score would be better? 1450 with a 19/24 on the essay or a 1490 with a 15/24 on the essay? Will it hurt my chances at UCLA and UC Berkley?They require the essay so would it make a big difference? Will it hurt my chances at schools that don’t require the essay?
SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile for admitted Freshman 2018:
UCLA/UCB: 16 - 20
Although UCLA/UCB require the essay, they will put more emphasis on your SAT scores (Math+EBRW) along with your personal insight essays than the SAT essay.
Self-report your 1490 SAT score with 15/24 essay on your application and submit both official scores as recommended through CollegeBoard.
@Gumbymom I think UCLA/UCB ask for official scores once admitted but not during the admissions process. So will they even consider official submitted scores during the admissions process if you submit them?
You self report your highest score from a single sitting but need to send official SAT or ACT scores in by the December deadline. AP scores are not required until you have been admitted and enrolled.
Does anyone know how bad it will look?
It will not kill your chances, if that is what you are worried about. @Gumbymom is absolutely right (as she is on all things about UC !!) You will be competitive.
You are clearly capable of writing a very fine essay (19 is nothing to sneeze at, and puts you in the high end of the mix of most UCLA / UCB students). Just be sure that your personal insight essays reflect the better end of your writing talent, and the one-time 15 score will be dismissed as you simply had a bad day.
I’m out of state and the average for out of state kids at UCB is a 1484 according to them. The real question is will they look at my 19 at all? My GPA is from 3.85 to 3.90 range, which is slightly below average. This only includes my grades during sophomore and junior year. How will other colleges that don’t require the essay see the score?
Again, the 1490 means a lot, lot more. They may glance at it, but they won’t consider much. Because they (through College Board) recommend that you self-report the 1490 and 15/24, but submit all official scores, they will look at everything you submit. They are fair to all applicants - if you submit it they will look at it. They will notice that you had 1490 and 19, and understand immediately that you just had a bad morning on your essay. Stuff like this happens all the time. Because of the difference, they might subconsciously be wondering how good a writer you really are, so your personal insight essay will be even more of a chance for you to shine.
As for other schools that don’t require the essay, you’re still submitting both official scores so they will see them, and again, they will be more concerned about the Math+EBRW. And since you’re going to be competitive, they are not going to auto-reject your application (like they effectively do for the kids who submit SAT scores of 1050 or 1100) , they will read and consider everything that you submit.
You’ll be fine, unless your rec letters and GPA are both terrible. 
Relax.
If you are OOS, you will need to calculate your UC GPA using this calculator. As an OOS applicant, only AP/IB courses count for the extra honors points in the calculation. A UC GPA capped weighted under 4.2 will make your chances at UCLA/UCB very tough even with a competitive SAT score. The SAT essay question could be moot if your GPA is not competitive.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19 (capped weighted) and not major specific:
UCB: 12.6%
UCLA: 11.7%
Also be aware that the UC’s offer little to no financial aid to OOS applicants so make sure $65K/year is affordable before applying.
the essay doesnt really matter. your actual score is more important, colleges just wanna see that you took it. And 15 is a decent score, its not bad
@Gumbymom I thought the capped weighted GPA was determining if you were even eligible to be considered for admission.I read in other places they look at the fully weighted one. Do they not do a fully weighted GPA when considering you for admission?
My unweighted GPA is a 3.87 with a 4.40 weighted. The capped GPA is a 4.13.
@goodperson200: I do not want to derail this thread on a discussion about UC GPA, but you are correct in that the capped weighted UC GPA is used to determine eligibility for admission. However, the UC’s will see your uW UC GPA, capped weighted UC GPA and fully weighted UC GPA and almost all the statistical documentation posted is based on the capped weighted UC GPA. UCLA and UCB do cite their fully weighted UC GPA in the Freshman profiles (the rest of the UC”s do not) but check the UC website’s Freshman profiles, the UC capped weighted is listed. The UC admit data based on GPA is also the UC capped weighted GPA.
So if your UC Capped weighted GPA is 4.13, then the admit rate data for that range for UCLA and UCB is listed in post #8. It is not major specific and it does not distinguish between in-state and OOS/International applicants.
UCLA has not listed their 2018 Freshman admission data yet, but the 25th percentile for OOS admits in 2017 was a 4.4 fully weighted UC GPA.
The bottom line is that UCLA/UCB should be considered Reach schools and your SAT essay score will not be a huge factor in your acceptance or rejection.
Below is how each UC reviews applicants:
- BERKELEY
*
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Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores -
Important: Extracurricular activities, Volunteer work, Work experience -
Considered: Character/personal qualities, First generation college student, State residency, AP/IBLH exam scores -
Note: Thorough review of academic performance; likely contribution to intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus; diversity in personal background and experience; demonstrated qualities in leadership, motivation, concern for others and community; non-academic achievement in the performing arts, athletics or employment; demonstrated interest in major. - LOR’s by invitation only as of 2017
Division (L&S, CNR, CoC, CED, CoE) matters for admission selectivity.
Within CoE (but not the other divisions), major matters for admission selectivity. Changing majors within the CoE after enrolling is not guaranteed, unless one is CoE undeclared.
Note that L&S admits students as undeclared; admission to capped majors (e.g. CS, economics, psychology, ORMS, statistics, art practice, and a few others) is by college GPA in prerequisite courses (and portfolio for art practice) after attending for a few semesters.
The business major is in a separate division and admits students in a competitive holistic process. Frosh intending business majors begin in another division (usually L&S), take the business major prerequisites, and apply (usually in their second years). They also need to take prerequisites for a backup major in case they are not admitted to the business major.
* LOS ANGELES
- Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores
- Important: Character/personal qualities, Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability, Volunteer work, Work experience
- Considered: First generation college student, Geographical residence, AP/IBHL exam scores
- Note: GPA, test scores, course work, number of and performance in honors and AP courses most important. Essay considered. Strong senior program important. Extracurricular activities, honors and awards also reviewed. For the College of Letters and Science, the applicant's major is not considered during the review process. The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science admits students by declared major, with more emphasis on science and math programs. The School of Nursing also places more emphasis on science and math programs and requires the submission of an additional supplemental application. The School of the Arts and Architecture; Herb Alpert School of Music; and the School of Theater, Film and Television admit students by declared major (within the school), and put more emphasis on special talents through a review of portfolios and/or auditions, which are the most significant admission factors for these schools.