Berkeley?

<p>Can anyone give me an idea of my chances at getting into Berkeley? I know they aren't good, but how bad is it? I'm hoping the jump from 3.5 to a 4.2 shows growth, or something to that effect. lol</p>

<p>I'm Currently a Junior (First Semester Grades)(4.2w,3.7u) :
Year Long:
AP Lang with a B
Statistics with an A
AP US History with an A
Spanish II with a B
AP Environmental Science with an A </p>

<p>Semester:</p>

<h2>Badminton with an A</h2>

<p>In Sophomore Year I took (Full Year Grades)(3.5w, 3.3u)
Year Long:
Spanish I and received two A's
English II Honors and received two B's
Alg II/Trig and received two B's
Chemistry and received two B's
AP European History and received 2 B's (with a 3 on the AP exam)</p>

<p>Semester:
Psychology and received an A</p>

<h2>Track and Field and received an A</h2>

<p>In Freshman Year I Took (Full Year Grades)(no weighted classes, 3.3u)
Year Long:
Biology and received one B and one A
English I Honors and received two B's
Geometry and received two B's
String Orchestra and received a C (due to missing a concert for a funeral) and an A+</p>

<p>Semester:
Tech/Career Ed and received an A
Health and received an A
Geography and received a B</p>

<h2>PE 9 and received an A</h2>

<h2>I took Algebra I in 8th grade and received two C's</h2>

<p>Other:
I am an Eagle Scout, also held positions within scouts: Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol leader, Senior Patrol leader, Historian, Librarian. Member of the scouts for approx. 10 years</p>

<p>I'll have held a steady job for over a year when i submit my app.</p>

<p>I volunteer at a homeless shelter (Catholic Worker)</p>

<p>Member of JSA (Junior Statesmen of America)</p>

<p>Member of ERF (Earth Resource Foundation)</p>

<p>Member of Laguna Niguel Youth Committee in 2004</p>

<p>Deeply involved in Political Activism i.e. protests, spreading information, etc.</p>

<p>Earned High Honors on the Golden State Exam (Tests taken after Algebra)</p>

<p>(I haven't taken my SAT's yet, but after taking some practice SAT's in workshops and the like, i estimate it to be anywhere from 1300 to 1400.)</p>

<p>Reach, or simply not possible? Any suggestions on what to improve?</p>

<p>UCs only count Soph and junior years. You need to calculate your UC GPA. Look at UC Pathways site but basically the UC GPA is core classes only with up to 8 weighted for those 2 years. Class rank is the next most important piece of information. For UCB top 5% is important. You'll want a 1400 plus on the SATI and strong SATII scores (700 plus) to be a strong candidate.</p>

<p>you mention top 5%, what if my school is a kick ass school that kicks ass and top 5% have all 4.7 uwgpa </p>

<p>you won't believe me but my school is asian majority and the year 2006 graduation comes from people born in the year of the dragon which means the asian parents (including mine) all want their children to become dragons. Weird...well asians kick ass and this year my schools top 20% is like all 4.6 above wGPA with me included yet, i confidentely know I am not top 5%. The dragon thing might be fun for you to read though...</p>

<p>And what is UC GPA?</p>

<p>That's a funny story but I doubt that colleges (even the predominantly asian UC colleges) will care what year it was.</p>

<p>Yeah I like my own screwed situation lol,</p>

<p>I constantly see people flood their apps with such and such community service such and such clubs etc.
In my point of view isn't that superfluous? Wouldn't a college prefer a app with concrete evidence of dedication to a minimal amount of things rather than seeing a applicant with a long list of things with no concrete evidence to backup their dedication?</p>

<p>So what if your the president of 20 different clubs, it wont hurt yet what is the reputation of your world of clubs? You split your 100% fanatical NRG in managing your world and it all amounts to nothing. </p>

<p>If you have no concrete evidence to show that all those organizations of yours are done with the utmost perfection, it amounts to nothing.</p>

<p>My friend graduated this year, she had a 1400-1500 SAT I and SAT II's were above 700 yet all lower than 750. her wGPA was 4.2 (crappy).
By the stats above, clearly she would have a hard time getting into Ivy.
The key was her EC'S, she constantly devoted herself to the schools chemistry team yet never made it year by year for 3 years since our schools chem team has won every regional (public schools) for 14 years with the exception of 1998 (I also have done the same yet made it and won this year). She didn't mention this although she should've. </p>

<p>No awards, no internships, no desire to get a job etc. She followed her heart, stuck with a aeronautics club that we started 2 years ago and made it even more physics related than the physics club which just did nothing except compete for president etc. Our aero club was huge not by size, but by reputation. We are blocking new applicants this year b/c everyone heard it was a good org and wants to join b/c it will GET THEM TO COLLEGE and not b/c they like it. Our supervisor is actually making the joining process much like applying for a internship...its not even a academic club. Although i am officially president in the club, it has been 2 months since anyone including myself has brought it up. We don't compete but we are a big team and that makes us extra strong. This club curved her stats tremendously in my point of view, the team notion which I and her highly value.</p>

<p>She has done community service at one site and one site only since middle school along with me and that is it, no other mumble jumble, it is only a nature center directed at the community, not national defense or some high science research.</p>

<p>When the founders of our school chemistry club made it, it was crappy like hell, everyone competing, gathering at lunch to talk about how i'll kiss your buttocks if you'll kiss mine. The most popular got the majority vote and became president. Purpose of club, to raise cash. Purpose with cash, none given. I was suspicious of what was done with the money yet never found out. Me and her teamed up and with my reputation for being the worst person to argue against and her bright knowledge, we were elected as pres and treasurer. Then I personally humiliated every one of those money eating lowclasses and shut them out, all 8 left the club, never found the money, club account was handed over with 20$ out of at least 400$ the club made. Then I transferrred the club into a different reliable supervisor's hands rather than have the previous teacher do it. Then we got rid of the whole president, vp, treasurer etc system and made the membership universal. With that action 24 members stepped out. She made a tutoring system in our school and OUT TO OTHERS for chemistry help and it is so successful that we get at least 20+ kids every afterschool session we hold with over half from other schools mondays and fridays. I guess people came because it was free of charge and somehow we taught good? Like aero everyone wants in so barriers of qualifications and devotional issues were set in place. Now there is a advancedChem club and Chem club, you must be a member of chem club for a year with teacher recommendation to reach advancedchem club. Seniors and juniors only needed teacher rec b/c they wouldn't have time. </p>

<p>advChem, Chemclub and Aero club has been our devotion in reform and unity as a team. I wouldn't trade any part of it for what some people have on their EC's. She got accepted into 2 out of 3 ivy's (what is wrong with the 3rd...) and all 4 other schools. That is a 6/7 which is fairly good. Her EC looks like:</p>

<p>EC's:
chemclub
aeroclub
community service at a nature center for 5 years</p>

<p>Me and her value devotion, constant improvement, truth and above all teamwork. I hope College's agree. </p>

<p>In my point of view which may be totally wrong, your EC's look like mostly all other EC's to berk and your scoring calibur isn't as high when compared to most people who get in. Berk is a top organization in the world, not just a school. I am terrified at its achievements, when your app looks like everyone else's, and not better in some aspects... what are your chances? </p>

<p>My friend and I took a risk and it surely paid off well for her, we strived to center not at accomplishing things that LOOK like our sole purpose in life was to get into college, maybe all those EC's were your true devotions, maybe not, regardless of all that, your stats are just like everyone. We strived to accomplish things that LOOKED and truthfully felt like it was our interest and we wanted to change things for the better rather than join a club to compete for all the presidents and awards.</p>

<p>What would a high calibur school do if its students always fought with one another? Nobody wants that!!! Teamwork is key to us and I am pretty sure key to any organization, yes I struck some people down but I did give them chances to walk out slowly without creating a scene. HAHA, now those people can only write on their apps that they were founders of a club and this asian kid robbed it away from them. </p>

<p>Me and my friend both have wGPA's 4.0-4.6... SAT I's 1400-1550,
SAT II's 700-800's, no internship, no job, EC's are 3 lines long...</p>

<p>Just enough to be at the minimal point of entering a competitive Univ. , our concrete supports of our daily social life backed by teacher rec's, community letters etc. gave us a huge bump to our stats... it showed a part of our personality and if I were a University, that is what I would value the most. Only schools that won't accept kids like us are probably score centered places, I won't name any since that might be seen as a act of disreputation to some. ooooo how i want to bulldoze down those schools.</p>

<p>Good luck on your app, you'll need lots of luck. And if your asian, you'll need tons of luck.</p>

<p>chemchi, I understand your position. I also went to one of the most competitive high schools in the Country. In applying to colleges, you are first and foremost competing with grads of your high school. While Harvard took about 7/yr from my small high school, about 35 applied! Most legacies and athletes and all top students with great ECs and high SATs! So your ranking still matters at all but just quantative State schools, even if your school is kickass!</p>

<p>word, kickass is the term that describes everything. 7/35 to harvard??? whew, my school got 13/13 to berk. 4/4 to CalTech. And some people overestimate their power so 3/45....for MIT. lol instate to UMD in my school is 426/431... that harvard 7/35 is pretty good. </p>

<p>Forgot to say, your situation to me isn't impossible, if your asian, forget about berk, may as well try CALTECH which don't have ethnicity points of view, I want to go to CalTech. </p>

<p>Your gpa is non-improvable</p>

<p>your SAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, increase by 100-200 and you'll stand a better chance</p>

<p>SAT II IS KEY for berk and those specially strong schools!!!!!!!!!!!!! DISPLAY SOME DATA ON THOSE PLZ, get them between 750-800 and thats beautiful, above 700 is good, below... personally i wouldn't apply</p>

<p>EC has a list, not long...award not a big one in my point of view. If it was a regional win or national then that'd be damn good. But when its like shared award from over 1,000 kids. I wouldn't put that on my app</p>

<p>If I were you, I would stop thinking about BERK, you underestimate the strength of BERK, foreigners who win international competitions apply Berk. The best out of the bestest apply berk. Its a school where everything must be highly ranked, and if one part of your application aspect is off, you must find a strength to pull up your weakness.</p>

<p>Try something like Emory which I personally don't favor that much. Or chicago if you got a killer essay. you live in Cal so I'll assume money is a issue, out of state's have a higher chance to get in I THINK so no, you're not getting into berk and i'm 80% sure. Your chance is 30% with your stats (maybe lower) and significantly killed by out of state applicants and foreign apps. So overall, 10-20%(maybe lower). </p>

<p>In Cal....hmmmm....CalTech is the other but....about same stats as above, slightly higher by 5% if your asian. Isn't there like other branches of California University??? Your stats are higher than those so you have extremely high chance and i am sure you'll get those no doubt. Maybe you can work fanatically in one of those and then go from one college to berk. </p>

<p>My school apps are displayed to us and I recall looking up berk. My state is MD so ppl had to mostly pay lots of tuition. 13/13 accepted, SAT average 1560, gpa 4.6-4.76...</p>

<p>Pretty high stats eh?</p>

<p>Make use of your last year, I study from beginning of school to 1 AM at the least every day with certain events such as tutoring and looking up colleges online like I am now. GO SEE YOUR COUNSELOR!!!! THEY HELP ME ALOT!!! your satII are coming, im assuming your applying 2006 enrollment (damn year of dragon for us asians) so theyre are 3 chances to take those sat's (i think?). Hurry and study those like your life depended on them. You'll need to use those to pull up your gpa. Your EC looks like everyone else so its good, that 10 year thing on the scouts looks like a devotion to me :) , awesome. Counselor and SAT II, work on that and dont take your 12th grade year easy like everyone else, im personally filling mine with all AP's and a physics and chem course at U MD so i hafta drive from HS to U for like 30 min everyday(>.<). This will be my year of suffering.</p>

<p>If all goes well, you'll get in Berk with around a 50% chance i hope. Just dont show to them that you are starting to slack, I personally find studying and learning a enjoyment and keep reinforcing that into myself so I dont slack but raise my calibur next year.</p>

<p>This 12th grade is important to you, I hope you work the hell out of your school even if everyone says "12th grade doesn't matter", regardless of if it does or doesn't the harder you work, the more you learn, the better off you'll be in society even if you dont make berk. When you go to U somewhere else or berk, you'll have more knowledge and therefore stand a bettter chance at improving. School isn't about college to me, its my own personal knowledge that is the important element to me, college is not my future, my knowledge is my future. Dont slack 12th grade.</p>

<p>I think I judge too hard... aim high is my motto so aim higher than what is expected of you and all will be well :) . Sorry for like a page of criticism... AIM HIGH!!!!!!! and when your flying, you'll realize your the only one who CAN fly while the others are grounded :)</p>

<p>How do we calculate our UC gpa?</p>

<p>please...we're talking about kickass schools?? early applications my school got 14 into stanford, 3 dartmouth, 11 harvard, 12 penn, 3 yale, 8 columbia, 4 princeton, 3 cornell, 3 MIT, 3 CALtech</p>

<p>being involved with protests is pathetic. it shows you encourage civil disobedience. goddamn hippy.</p>

<p>Tim, it would sound like Andover or Exeter except for the 14 early into Stanford. What's the school?</p>

<p>Calculate your UC GPA by going to the pathways website and read how to calculate it. Basically, they don't count freshman or senior grades. They only count "UC approved" classes. And they weight honors classes, but cap it. This is better than listing all your classes and grades. UC average gpa was 4.3 for admitted students. I wish they would publish the range: I'm guessing 4.0 to 4.6, if 4.6 is even possible.
<a href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>jazzpiano: harvard-westlake, it's supposedly #3 high school in the nation but i have no idea where that comes from...</p>

<p>TimR, its not a private school is it? thats kick ass... I don't believe your speaking the truth, give me your school name :)</p>

<p>I think UCB will accept lower than average GPAs from H-W considering the competition, but really do your all to get 730 plus SAT I and IIs. They expect it from top private school candidates given the prep.</p>

<p>Your chances are much better if you're from California. Berkeley only accepts 8% out of state...</p>

<p>as far as I know, the most important thing for ANY UC admissions is your 'A-G unit count'.
Yes, this sounds very far-fetched but it is true. Even if your GPA's as high as it can go and you have dazzling SAT/AP scores, your chances will be diminished if you have low A-G unit count. To my knowledge, you need 55+ units(9th-12th) to be at a good standing. This means taking 7 SOLID courses (PE doesn't count, nor does leadership class, ASB class, Teacher's assistant, driver's ed) every semester of your highschool year including freshman and senior year. Most schools have mandatory PE class as freshman and even as a sophomore, and sometimes mandatory driver's ed, so it is plainly impossible.........
That's why you must take community college courses. They will give you necessary a-g unit count credits to fullfill the 55+ quota. Trust me, getting the unit count above this number is very important. I realize not many people talk about this, but I am certain that a person with higher A-G count will stand better chance at berkeley than someone with higher GPA or SAT scores.</p>

<p>"I constantly see people flood their apps with such and such community service such and such clubs etc.
In my point of view isn't that superfluous? Wouldn't a college prefer a app with concrete evidence of dedication to a minimal amount of things rather than seeing a applicant with a long list of things with no concrete evidence to backup their dedication?"</p>

<p>It is true that having a bunch of spread out ECs won't do you any good, especially on a UC application. The UC application has a few sections to post ECs and awards. These are Awards and Honors, Extracurricular Activites, Community Service, Educational Preparation Programs, and Work Experience. Each of these catagories gives you five spaces to put your ECs in...this includes all the clubs, sports, plays, band...etc. Since there is such limited space, they don't care if you were a member of a club. That just looks like filler. They want you to be an officer in a club, or captain of your sports team. They want to see a well rounded student, but they also want to see someone who has direction and knows what they want out of an education so they can get them out in four years. Colleges, especially the budget-strapped UCs don't want people who are spreading themselves thin, who will waste their money and take up space for the students they want.</p>

<p>harvard-westlake is an insanely good school. (not too far from mine, if i could afford it i wish i could go...)</p>