<p>I’m pretty confident that my UC essays will be good since I’m a pretty good writer. But will those good essays be a saving grace for a dismal GPA? My UC GPA is around 3.6 (which is pretty low even for the mid-UC’s). I’m applying to five UC’s: Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Irvine and Davis, as a neuroscience/neurobiology major. Do I have a shot at those schools even with a low UC GPA?</p>
<p>Oh and if anyone’s curious, my SAT scores and extracurriculars are fine. I got a 2210 on the October SAT’s (with an 800 on writing) and am planning on taking it again on December in the hopes of getting a 2300+. I have a fair few officer positions in my extracurriculars, am able to fill in the five awards sections with state-level awards and I even had an internship over the summer and I have one during the school year.</p>
<p>With your high SAT scores, you’re bound to get accepted to one of your UC choices. Especially UCI and UCSD.
I do personally think that the admission essay(s) plays a vital role in your admission, so write a good one haha</p>
<p>Can others give me feedback as well? I especially want to know about my chances at Berkeley and LA as those are my top choices.</p>
<p>Oh and I forgot to mention, I’m an out-of-state’er, which will probably decrease my chances. :/</p>
<p>I feel like you could possibly get on the waitlist for Berkeley or UCLA. The UC’s tend to weigh GPA more heavily over SAT scores. I’ve heard that at UCLA, they will usually look at GPA first and only pick those above a certain threshold level for a second round of review (i.e. reading personal statements and considering other factors). Unless your personal statements are mind-blowing, I wouldn’t count at getting in. You might also consider adding UCR or UCSC as backup schools incase Irvine and Davis don’t pull through for you…which is a possibility. It’s not that you are not a good student, it’s just that UC admissions has become so cutthroat.</p>
<p>Consider adding Riverside and Santa Cruz. Your SAT scores are fine, but your GPA is on the low end for some of the UCs.</p>
<p>Add UCR to your list!</p>