Chance Me: UCB, UCLA, Harvard, etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi I am a senior in high school and am currently in the process of college applications. I posted this on the wrong thread so I am reposting.
I plan on applying to UCSB, UCB, UCLA, UCSD, STANFORD, HARVARD (i’m a legacy bc of my brother), DUKE, USC, U OF MIAMI, NYU, Boston College, and the rest of the ivy leagues (I’m applying to all the ivy leagues because you honestly never know where you get rejected/accepted to but I in no means think I will get into them)

Academics:
Weighted GPA: 4.4 Rank: 10/171
Unweighted GPA: 3.86 Rank: 23/171
UC/CSU GPA: 4.2
Cal Grant (10-11 grades): 3.8
I have taken 11 AP classes:

  • AP Geography my freshman year (took all the AP’s I possible could)
  • AP Euro my sophomore year (could have taken AP BIO but I did not)
  • AP CHEM, AP LANG, AP US HISTORY my junior year (took all the AP’s I possibly could)----I took the AP Spanish test too
  • AP C PHYSICS, AP CALC AB, AP LIT, AP ART, AP STATS (my whole schedule is currently AP classes-- I am the only one in my class taking 5 AP classes)
    ACT: 28 (I know this is low but I’m retaking it at the end of the month and will hopefully get a 31)

Extra Curricular Activities:

  • Club volleyball for 4 years
  • Founder and President of CSF (largest club on campus)
  • Founder and President of Junior State of America
  • Founder and President of my very own non-profit organization.
  • Secretary of GirlUp
  • I had an internship with my congresswomen where I worked on her campaign and was very involved.
  • ASB for 3 years (I was head of a committee)
  • I worked at my family’s restaurant freshman year

Awards:

  • Presidential Service Award–over 250 hours dedicated to my non profit
  • CSF Lifetime membership
  • State seal of biliteracy
  • AP Scholar

Other:

  • first generation american
  • first generation to graduate from college
  • english learner (ELD)
  • hispanic underrepresented minority
  • female
  • Residency: California
  • annual income: less than 60k a year
2

With a 28 ACT, your application will be tossed in the recycle bin. You might have a shot at being considered with a 30 or 31, but the acceptance rate for all of these schools is 25% or below. Simply put, it doesn’t matter how perfect your stats are. Chances are lousy for everyone. California has a ton of college options. I would compile a good list of target and safety schools. Post your list here and we’ll be happy to help you with it :slight_smile:

3

Even if you get your ACT up to a 31, it’s still going to be low for the Ivies and I don’t see an EC that jumps out. You do have a hook with being a URM but I don’t know that it’s enough to overcome the ACT.

FWIW, I think applying to “all the ivies” makes it seem like you are prestige hunting and not looking for a good fit. That makes it much harder to write meaningful college specific essays. Do more digging about which schools are right for your intended major and think about the kind of school you’d be happiest attending. There is a big difference between Columbia and Dartmouth!

4

UC cannot take race into account for admissions.

5

Harvard does not consider a sibling to be a legacy.