Chance me please!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - San Diego
1

<p>Basically a rehash of my other thread but I thought that maybe if I post on this part of the forums, I'd get more accurate results since people here for the most part actually go to UCSD =] </p>

<p>Senior/Male of Chinese Descent/First Gen/Lives in California</p>

<p>My school is a pretty good and competitive public school(99% graduation rate, 95% move on to 4 year college, sends many students to higher end colleges)
UW GPA: 3.6
UC GPA: 3.96</p>

<p>Sophomore year (really screwed it up :/)
Honors English: B/B
Pre-Calc Honors: A/B
Chemistry Honors: A/B
Spanish 2: B/B</p>

<p>Junior Year
AP Lang&Comp A/A
AP Chemistry B/A
AP Calculus AB B/A
AP US History A/A
Spanish 3:B/A</p>

<p>AP scores:
Calculus:5
Chemistry:4
US History:4
English Language and Comp:4</p>

<p>Senior Year: currently taking 3 AP's(Lit, Calc BC, Gov) and an honors (Physics)</p>

<p>SAT:
CR:680
Math:720
Writing:670
Total:2070 (retaking October)
SATII:
Math Level 2:800
Chem:680 (retaking November)</p>

<p>Essays: I'd say they are/will be pretty good since I'm a decent writer. 8 or 9 out of 10</p>

<p>EC's:
4 years Band. 2 years as section leader
2 years ECGA
3 years community service club (where we go to a local elementary school and teach children) and treasurer
60 hours of volunteer at a Youth Science Center
12 years piano. Completed the Certificate of Merit Program</p>

<p>Also, my school suffered a recent scandal (AP scores cancelled...need help) which has affected our AP tests to the point that we have retaken them. Because of this, we have each received a letter from the school for colleges about this incident and how it might have affected our scores(they're lower than they should've been) and our GPA. Thus, for many of us, our GPA and AP scores should be better than what they appear on paper to be.</p>

<p>Hopefully you guys can chance me well in comparison to your own admission/experiences.....this school is definitely my main goal and a place I want to get into</p>

2

<p>As you probably know UCSD uses the point system to determine whether or not you are admitted. Your SAT I score is very good and slightly above average. Your GPA is a bit below average. The average is around a 4.1. You GPA is what is weighted the heaviest. Your EC’s a good. Your community service will not count if it below 100 hours so you might want to do more service. Your essays need to be personal. Be descriptive and show UCSD who you are as a person. Take this time to explain any hardships or why you believe you sophomore GPA is not as good as you hoped. The fact that you are first generation to go to college as well as an in state will help you out. I’d stay you have a good chance of getting. Try to get a higher SAT I and II to make up for your GPA.</p>

3

<p>If you are able to raise your GPA and your SAT II scores, you would have a pretty good chance of getting in.</p>

4

<p>i think you’ll get in. don’t slack off on the essay, still try to put in your best effort (you already know that, but yeah). given your gpa, rigor of your schedule and sat & ap scores, plus some pretty impressive extracurriculars, i think your chances are quite strong. you need just a decent+ essay to push you over the top, imo. even with a mediocre essay i think you have a good chance given the point system (I heard they’re switching to holistic?)</p>

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<p>@nicholep
i swear that last year there was a bunch of news spreading saying that UCSD would start using the holistic system.
[Ms</a>. Sun’s UC Admissions Blog - UC Admission Process Shifts Toward Holistic Review](<a href=“Error”>Error)
what i have read is that they will admit anyone who exceeds beyond the point limit they set, and then switch to the holistic view for other students who are on the edge, so yeah you are 50% right :)</p>

6

<p>@heyitzaustin
ok i will tell you the EXACT same thing i have been telling every other applicant. Before that though, you should look around the other chance me threads for other experiences [that’s what i did] and compare yourself,etc.
Here is my own chance me therad:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-san-diego/1036559-final-chance-me-please.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-san-diego/1036559-final-chance-me-please.html&lt;/a&gt;
as you notice from this [i learned it through the CC members] but dont go on a frenzy with chance me threads like i did, accept what you you have heard and leave the rest to the admission officers.</p>

<p>A second thing i would like to point out: Essays
Never ever ever ever ever ever [X2000] say that you are a good writer so you will turn in a good paper. NO NO NO and NOOOO
Always start from the floor up [meaning you are a crappy writer and improve on that “crappy writing”]
what i mean is dont force yourself to write something crappy and work on that. What i mean is write whatever you would write but once you are done conclude that as crappy.
The following is as if you were writing one paper [the course of events taken here is the FIRST DRAFT]

[ul]
[<em>]Begining: Amazing Writing
[</em>] Middle Amazing Writing
[li] End: [once writing is done] = horrible,HOW CAN I IMPROVE???[/li][/ul]
The key point is improvement. You want to start well ahead of your application submission date [yet you have to wait for the essay prompts]… so what do you do? you work on the old essay prompts.
Remember, you want to turn in the best of everything because you want to show that YOU are WHAT UCSD is LOOKING FOR! </p>

<p>Keep the following things as IMPORTANT on your list:
LEADERSHIP
VOLUNTEER
E.C.'s
[Grades are important but not the point in trying to achieve, but remember keep your grades up always]</p>

<p>These three [remember Im not trying to sell grades right now] show how well rounded you are, so the more the better. and the more unique each one is the more stronger your chances :D</p>

<p>Now for the E.C section [this is just a link of what i have written on a previous Chance me thread]</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-san-diego/1202656-chance-me.html#post13142349[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-san-diego/1202656-chance-me.html#post13142349&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And since it’s so IMPORTANT, ill reiterate it:
**If you ever need help with your application [not essays, im over them right now :P] feel free to PM me! Also, College Confidential is your best friend during app times and every other moment in life . Use it, you won’t regret it **
–Shyam Patel</p>

<p>P.S. Sry this is so long, it would have been longer with my previous advice on E.C.'s and also i just gave the link :D</p>

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<p>Whoa thanks guys. You’ve all been amazingly helpful :p</p>