<p>Hey guys I'm trying to gauge whether or not I should even try for Berkeley/Davis with my stats, or just stick to Cal Poly for early decision. I understand that my EC's are weak but they're all I have...</p>
<p>Intended major is EE (EECS at Berkeley).
GPA (weighted): 4.04
SAT (total) 1940 Superscore: 1980 (I know, it's weak)
SAT (Reading+Math): 1290 </p>
<p>ECs: (forgive me if I put something here which is not an EC or is not specific enough; they confuse me so...)
Trumpet for ten years
Piano for fourteen (stopped playing)
Played in marching band for three years; Received a band letter.
Teacher's Assistant (currently)
Church Leadership Program experience
Four years programming experience; Received certification from online free Computational Neuroscience course.
Kung Fu for twelve years (one test away from black belt, I'm slow to make progress)
Competed and placed in the Regional Chevron PLTW California Design Challenge 2 years in a row.</p>
<p>I can provide additional information if needed...I know my ECs are terrible but they're all I have.
Second essay is complete, working on trying to find something great to write my first essay on.</p>
<p>I think you’ve got a fair shot at Davis.<br>
You are in line with their average admission from last year.
[Freshman</a> admission profile | UC Admissions](<a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/davis/freshman-profile/index.html]Freshman”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/davis/freshman-profile/index.html)</p>
<p>Berkeley will be tough - but you know that. </p>
<p>Cal Poly is going to depend on some specific courses you may have taken. Both your GPA and SAT are light for Engineering in particular.
[Student</a> Profile - Admissions - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo](<a href=“Cal Poly Admissions”>Cal Poly Admissions)</p>
<p>You should be in good shape for UCSB. </p>
<p>Each of these schools can be unpredictable so please include a safety or two.</p>
<p>Your stats may be in line with Davis admitted students, but I think they are too low
for the ‘engineering’ admitted students. You didn’t mention whether you have good
course rigor (meaning calculus) or what your unweighted gpa is. I
don’t think your EC’s are going to be the problem.</p>
<p>My free advice (and it is worth what you pay for it)- apply ED to Cal Poly. I would
also apply to UC Davis, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and have some good engineering
safeties (San Jose State if you are N. Calif - we also did New Mexico Tech as a safety).</p>
<p>Have you tried the ACT? It may be too late for ED, but you could still maybe get a
higher number for the UCs. Everyone is diffferent, but my DD got 1930 on SAT and
33 on ACT.</p>
<p>Unless you have some kind of hook (and I don’t know what those would be at UCs)’
I wouldn’t bother for Berkeley.</p>
<p>Course Rigor: This year I’m taking AP Physics, Calculus, Lang, an ROP Engineering class, and a community college Poli Sci class (and an Art of Film class, but that’s not rigorous at all). </p>
<p>In the past I took AP Bio and passed the test with a 3, I took Honors US History and passed the AP Test with a 4 (I dunno if this counts as rigor).
So…my rigor’s not a problem, I don’t think.
Unweighted GPa is a 3.73. </p>
<p>Berkeley’s like Stanford for me…I probably won’t get in, but why not try? I know that my SAT score is on the lower side of all the colleges I’m applying for but I don’t really think I have a terribly low chance of the non-Berkeley colleges…but yeah, I do kinda know that it’s futile. But I appreciate that advice. </p>
<p>Out of curiosity (I know this isn’t what the thread’s for, forgive me) what makes a research college different from Cal Poly’s hands on approach?</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses, I’m probably not going to take the ACT, just apply ED for Cal Poly and make sure my essays great…</p>