Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, Columbia

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>Guyanese from Southern California
Attend Oxford Academy (#4 high school in the nation according to US News and World Report, #1 Public school)</p>

<p>UC GPA: 4.12
SAT I: CR - 720, M - 590(Horrible, but haven taken again), W - 720 = 2020
SATII: US - 730, Bio - 700, Lit - 660 (only first two for obvious reasons)</p>

<p>Have taken 8/13 possible APs at my school, including
AP US History (5)
AP Biology (4)
AP Language and Composition (4)
AP European History
AP Chemistry
AP Calculus AB
AP Literature
AP Government</p>

<p>Junior Classes:
Pre-Calculus HP
AP Biology
AP Language and Composition
Physics HP
Anatomy and Physiology
Orchestra
AP US History</p>

<p>ECs:
Computer Club President
Athletic Publication Committee: Editor in Chief
Instrumental Music Vice President
Symphonic Orchestra principal musician
Varsity policy debater
National Honor Society Vice President
Student Body Senate member
Track and field varsity thrower</p>

<p>Awards:
Platinum/Gold award for academic excellence
Award for Excellence (2x) AP US History
AP Scholar award
Policy Debate MVP
Award of Excellence - National Forensics League
~500 volunteer hours
Work experience</p>

<p>Essays: One is about earning my track letter, the other is about growing up in a small town, and how that affected me.</p>

<p>Recs: Pretty good, one from Calculus teacher, one from US/Euro history teacher, counselors know me well</p>

<p>Please rank me for:
UC Berkeley
UC Los Angeles
UC San Diego
Columbia University</p>

<p>New SAT score: 2050 (760 CR, 610 math, 680 writing), brings my total up to 2080.</p>

<p>Any responses?</p>

<p>good chance</p>

<p>I think your secondary school report will help you out a lot. Other than that, your SATs are kinda low for Columbia and your ECs, in my opinion, are very concentrated, but you have a lot of leadership positions so that's good.
Berkeley/LA = match
SD = safetyish
Columbia = depends on your essays but looking at stats, I'd say slight reach to reach. You never know with ivies</p>

<p>I hope you realize that the UCs do not super score, meaning they don't take the highest from each individual sitting. They're going to take that score - the 2050, though it's probably the same as a 2080.</p>

<p>You are into UCSD after reviewing their average scores/gpa. Berkeley is a crapshoot in all honesty. I know of a kid who had perfect SATs, got denied from Berk and accepted to Princeton.</p>

<p>you are definitely in at UCSD, UCLA and UCSD are matches, if u raise your SAT scores then you are definitely in... i don't know anything about Columbia tho</p>

<p>Yeah, I knew that the UCs don't superscore, but since I had Columbia up there, I figured I might as well put it, considering it's not that much change anyway.</p>

<p>That's weird, I thought that the UCs were generally easier to predict than some privates which seem to pick semi-randomly. I don't think I'm going to take the SAT again, I'm really tired of studying for that stupid thing to only get low 2000s, but I will for sure take the ACT.</p>

<p>My daughter applied to all of those schools last year with a comparable gpa (she is OOS, so couldn't weight honors classes and had more college credits than AP's but an instate calculation would have been around 4.15) a 2110 SATI and lower SATII's. Your EC's are stronger. She got into San Diego and Berkeley. I think you're good for Berkeley, San Diego and LA (although UC's can certainly defy prediction--she was denied at Santa Cruz). Columbia is a bit of a reach, but worth a shot IMO.</p>

<p>That is quite odd, she got into Berkeley and San Diego, but not Santa Cruz.</p>

<p>well since you're URM id say you get in definitely</p>

<p>Would I be considered a URM? I don't know how they can tell, considering I'd probably put "other" on my application. And I don't fall into the traditional URM categories of American-Indian, Black, or Hispanic</p>

<p>You're in to SD. However, try to boost your SAT scores for LA and Cal. Impressive extracurriculars! I'm not too sure about Columbia; they don't have much data online. Your intended major could also bear some weight.</p>

<p>PS--Thanks for chancing me!</p>

<p>I think you are most likely in at SD. LA and Berkeley seem a little like reach-matches. You have a great gpa at a great school, so that's good. Also, you're ec's are great (500 hours is a lot, too). The only reason you're not in at these schools is cuz of ure SATs', which overall are good, but could be better in math. In any case, you stand a great chance for all of these schools. Columbia has a very low admission rate, so it's tough to tell. For Columbia, your essay is going to matter more, so make sure you have a killer essay, and you will have good chances.</p>

<p>P.S. thanks for your chance</p>

<p>Hi Darkdude,
I think that from everything I've read, you will get in to most if not all the UCs you listed, I am not tooo experienced at this yet, but from what I have read, I think that they will consider all of your ECs combined with good AP test scores, and not too shabby other stats, and want you to be a part of their student population. Your "whole picture" looks impressive, interesting, and scholarly as well. As far as Columbia, I know nothing about their admission likes in particular, but, if these things were just about a certain SAT score, and GPA, there would be a clear line drawn in the sand determining who gets in and who doesn't. Since that's not how it is, I believe that you have an excellent shot for all your schools and a bright future ahead regardless. Good luck, and also thank you for chancing my daughter..
-trueboo</p>

<p>I believe that you are a qualified applicant to all the schools. Columbia is very competitive, but you have a good chance. Your test scores are great and extracurriculars are diverse. I think you bring a different dimension due to the fact you are Guyanese. Just make sure your essays flow and reflect you.</p>

<p>Would what I put for ethnicity really change anything? Since it doesn't fall under really any specific guidelines, I was planning on putting other for race.</p>