Honestly it’s junior year,first semester ended and I’ve been doing average in high school lately,all honors courses frosh/soph years,Right now I’m in IB Courses and I’ve gotten 2 D’s so far,art and a design class we have to take since its part of the honor course at my school.My GPA is subpar(3.1)to the average at Merced(3.56),those being my 10-12 grades so far,but my entire GPA being a 3.3,yes these are weighted and that’s what’s been scaring me,will i be able to get into UC Merced with these grades so far(although this past semester grades haven’t been calculated)?If I do well on my SAT will this help?
Welcome to College Confidential.
Art is an a-g course requirement and you need 1 year of a VPA to meet the minimum UC requirement. Also if you do not retake these courses, the D’s will be included in your UC GPA which will definitely impact your chances.
The average UC capped weighted GPA for UCM 2018 admissions was 3.71 so you are on the low end of their 25th-75th percentile range. Doing well on the SAT will help (aim for the 1300+) but the UC’s tend to be very GPA focused. Right now based on GPA alone, your chances are probably 50:50 and if you do not meet the a-g course requirements, then your chances are Zero.
Here is some UC Merced statistical data:
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.00-3.39 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCM: 56.7%
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.40-3.79:
UCM: 88.7%
2018 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT:
UCM: 1020-1280
IF you are a California resident, there are many Cal States such as Sonoma, San Francisco, Sacramento, Channel Islands, Monterey Bay that would be good options. Come back when you have an SAT score to post and you have completed your Junior year for a better idea of target schools.
Ok,thanks for being honest,just needed to make sure I could start thinking about college now
There are many options for college so finish your Junior year on a high note and continue doing your research on prospective colleges.
The most important aspect when it comes to starting your college search is usually how much can you and your family afford to pay each year? Will you be eligible for need-based aid or are you looking for merit aid also? Are you a California Resident, if so the options are many and you will be able to find a school the fits you academically, financially and socially.