UW GPA: 3.74
W GPA: 4.19
UC GPA: 4.04
APs taken (9-12): 6-7 (depends if Gov/Econ counts at 1 or 2)
Total UC Honors (10-12): 20
SAT: 1440 (680 E, 760 M), planning to retake
SAT Essay: 15
Main EC: MUN (2.5 years of experience, applying for a leadership position, unknown if I will get it, but my friends say it’s likely) (This is what I am passionate about and it is by far my strongest EC)
Other ECs: AYSO Soccer (since 9th grade), Volunteering at my public library (since June 2019), Volunteering at Friendship Circle (again since June 2019), 2 week Summer Program (Rustic Pathways) in Costa Rica (60hrs service) (I will direct a Summer Camp for local children and plan to write about how it transforms me), Will join National Honor Society next year and I have been on California Scholarship Federation (since Jan 2019, will tutor 2-4 hrs/week senior year).
Conditions: 90% of my motivation is from myself and my peers, not my parents. Also, I have high functioning autism, which has made academics and ECs difficult.
Application Theme: Going from being helped to being a helper within High School.
Also, any tips for my essays that might improve my chances of acceptance? Thank you!
Your GPAs is on the low side for all 3 places. (Average UC GPA for UCB and UCLA is around 4.25, UCSB around 4.13). UCSB would be a slight reach, possibly a match. UCLA and UCB are longer shots. If you would be able to get your SAT to say 1500 that would probably help your odds at all 3 places.
FWIW my kid had the same exact unweighted and UC GPA and got into Berkeley L&S and UCSB Engineering last year, so there’s definitely hope. Berkeley values giving back to the community a lot, something to think about. Just be passionate about yourself in your writing and stay away from cliches.
Yeah I mean I’m definitely retaking the SAT. Also, I do not have high hopes at all for any of those colleges. I am predicting a rejection regardless of what I write in my essays.
You didn’t mention which major, but you’ve got a shot. Give it your all. And yes, have more match schools and safety schools as well.
@ProfessorPlum168 I’d like to read your posts, so informative. My S will be applying this coming fall to Cal and UCLA. His stats are pretty close to your son’s. He has also taken a couple of CC classes. In your opinion/experience- what would make a difference in his application so that at least his application is not overlooked when his GPA will not be in the high 4’s. Thank you!
Hi @califmom23 in my kid’s case, he had a few things “going for him” that others didn’t have, in retrospect. 1) his mom passed away at the end of 9th grade, which did affect his 10th grade first semester grades a lot. He has a few other ongoing personal issues as well, and wrote a pretty moving piece on overcoming all of these issues and events. 2) he sort of had a hook as a nationally ranked chess player who represented the US at competitions. I say sort of because I’m not sure if it really helped much. 3) had a high SAT/ACT/rigor (10.5 APs) along with a lot of CCC classes to more or less compensate for his not-so-great GPA. Oh, also by going thru L&S CS instead of CoE EECS for Berkeley, I’m pretty sure that helped too as far as getting into the school goes.
I think as far as Berkeley goes, I think volunteering and giving back to the community in genuine and unique ways helps a lot. Something unique, not just the “went on vacation in x country and helped the homeless” type of exercise. As an example, in my kid’s case, he spent a summer and most of his 12th grade as a green advocate and on solar panel installation projects for qualified low-income homeowners (yes, those people do exist even in the SF Bay Area). For STEM majors, rigor is super important. For a school that offers the full gamut of APs, it is expected that a kid’s schedule be solid with APs, probably 8 minimum. Those 2 things come to mind.
I’m also taking 2 classes at my community college and I checked again and again and again to make absolute sure that they would be weighted and they will be. I mean I think those essays will be critical because that’s how a lower GPA or something can be explained.
@ProfessorPlum168 Thank you so much for sharing your son’s personal journey. He sounds like an amazing kid! I will keep encouraging my S to stay focused. When you say a minimum of 8 AP’s would 12th grade AP’s be included even though the grade will not be taken into consideration?
@califmom23, yes, 8 would include the 12th grade. Although the 12th grade class grades aren’t taken into consideration, the courses that you take in 12th grade definitely does matter since it will be listed in the UC application.
FWIW, there is a thought that if you’re only going to apply to UCs and CSUs, you might as well sign up for all AP classes in 12th grade, since grades aren’t taken into consideration. It’s somewhat of a valid thought, though you still have to maintain a 3.0 unweighted (for UCB and UCLA, 3.0 weighted for the other UCs) and not have more than 1 C in a given semester. Of course, if you’re applying to other schools, this strategy won’t necessary work since you will have to submit your 7th semester grades and your GPA might get affected.
Some UC admission data for 2018. 2019 Freshman profiles for all UC campuses should be posted in August, while the admit rates by UC GPA ranges is usually available January/Feb 2020.
2018 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 10%
UCLA: 9%
UCSD: 34%
UCSB: 38%
UCD: 41%
UCI: 38%
UCSC: 70%
UCR: 84%
UCM: 95%
2018 UC capped weighted GPA averages:
UCB: 4.23
UCLA: 4.23
UCSD: 4.16
UCSB: 4.13
UCI: 4.13
UCD: 4.11
UCSC: 3.96
UCR: 3.81
UCM: 3.71
2018 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT:
UCB: 1360-1540
UCLA: 1340-1540
UCSD: 1300-1520
UCSB: 1270-1500
UCD: 1220-1480
UCI: 1230-1490
UCSC: 1210-1450
UCR: 1130-1380
UCM: 1020-1280
Intended major can highly impact your chances.
For 12th grade, because I’m taking 4 APs (max at my school), that’s not going to affect any of my GPAs, right?
if what you mean by “affect” is, will my UC GPA as seen by admissions go up, the answer is no. Your UC GPAs are pretty much locked at this point in unless you take some a-g classes this summer.
I’m taking 2 courses at my community college this summer and they are UC honors, but that GPA I gave assumed As in both courses, so that’s my max possible.
You should still work hard the 1st semester of your 12th grade. The UC may request for supplemental information which can include the 12th grade Fall Semester grades.
