chance me @ UC's, CSU's, some others please!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Chinese, 17 year old male

ACT - 35 (English:35, math:34, reading:34, science:35)
Math II SAT – 800
Chemistry SAT- 670 (yeah ik really bad :frowning: )

GPA :
weighted GPA: 4.08 (soph+junior)
unweight GPA: 3.55 (soph + junior)
UC GPA: 3.88
Don’t have class rank, but in top 12% (guaranteed into a UC)
school is really competitive (one of pretty high ranking)

Sophomore Schedule: physics, AP World History, Honors English, chemistry, spanish 3, honors precalc
Junior Schedule: AP comp sci, ap spanish 4, ap langauge arts, ap chemistry, ap calculus bc, ap us history

AP Scores: CS(3), spanish 4 (4), language arts (5), chemistry (4), calculus bc(4), us history (5), world history(4)

ECs ( not great) :
Vice - President - Chinese Yoyo Club - lead performances where we performed around Bay Area
Treasurer - Computer Science Club - mangaged finances and money for our club; gave lectures about cs topics
national honor society: 4 year member
unicef: 4 year member - got Certificate of Congressional Recognition
track and field - 4 year member - NCS Atheltic Scholar (gpa of 4.0+ while participating in sports)
community service- 80+ hours

Work Experience:
Elementary school tutor: 1 year, tutored elementary school students strugglign in science, english, math
High school tutor: 1 year, tutored high school peers struggling in science, english, math
Panda Express worker – Worked at panda express since July 2017, still working ~6 hrs a week during school, ~23 hours during summer

No serious financial hardships; one brother and one sister both attending college, parents both graduated from college

Teacher recs should be pretty good
I really like my personal statements/essays

Applying for Computer Science and Engineering where available, just Computer Science where its not
Schools:

  • UCB, UCLA, UCSB, UCI, UCD, UCSD
  • Cal Poly SLO, SJSU
  • Georgia Tech
  • university of washington
  • UIUC
  • Purdue
  • umich

CHANCE ME PLEASE!!! ANYTHING IS APPRECIATED :slight_smile:

2

Comp Sci is a really impacted major. I recommend more people start looking at statistics, which is the foundation of data science and artificial intelligence (really big fields in tech right now!). You could pair that up with a CS minor and learn all you need.

Regarding schools, you seem to be in good shape. UCB, UCLA, and UMich seem to be reaches, but if you have solid explanations for your low GPA and really attend a top school, you look to be in good shape.

3

i think your sub 4 UCGPA will keep you out of all the UCs on your list. CPSLO is unlikely and SJSU may take you for CS but, be sure to include a less competitive alternate major. I’d add an ap to UCSC and UCR as well as CPP and SDSU.

Purdue will probably take you but with no aid. The others, i don’t know well enough to give even an informed opinion.

Good luck.

4

The UCs on your list, Washington, UIUC should all be considered reaches or super reaches for CS for you.

5

Agree with the other posters that CS will be a tough admit for the top UC’s and SLO. Definitely apply widely and you need a safety or two even with your competitive ACT.

Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19(capped weighted) and not major specific.

UCB: 14%
UCLA: 14%
UCSD: 44%
UCSB: 54%
UCD: 58%
UCI: 65%
UCSC: 85%
UCR: 94%
UCM: 96%

6

do you guys think if I wanted to remain as a cs major, i should apply to the college of letters and sciences rather than college of engineering?

7

Depends on if (a) CS is offered in the L&S division and/or engineering division, and (b) whether a competitive secondary admission process is required to get into the CS major after the various possible admission states.

8

If the secondary admission process is really competitive would you not recommend it?

9

If you attend a college where you are not directly admitted to your intended major and must face a competitive admission process to get into your major later, you need to consider what you would do if you are not admitted to your major. Would you continue in a different (less or non competitive) major, or would you transfer to a different school where you could do your intended major?

Obviously, how competitive the major is at each school can matter. The risk is lower if you attend a school where you just need a 2.7 college GPA to get into your major, versus one where you need a 3.76 college GPA just to apply with no assurance of being admitted.