ACT scores just came out and my daughter’s score actually went down over last time, getting a bit worried, we were hoping to go into applications with a 27-29 ACT. She’s still taking it one more time with a ton of prep.
What are her chances for CP SLO, UCD, UCSB, UCI?
weighted HS GPA 3.9 (4.0 after fall)
unweighted 3.6
Capped weighted CSU, UC 3.74
ACT comp 24
great EC’s, 4 years varsity sports, clubs, volunteering, leadership
She wants to major in mathematics or statistics. Trying to make sense of the Cal Poly enrollment report and projections for her prefered majors, looks like projections are:
I’ve read on here that the first time freshmen target is multiplied by 3 for actual acceptances, so would that mean Stats would accept 102, over 50% of applicants and Math 165, 22% of applicants?
Forgot to mention, 4 years math to AP Calc, 4 years lab science, 3 years foreign language: H Geometry, H Aleb 2/ Trig, H Pre-calc, AP Calc, AP Euro, AP Gov, AP Econ, AP Spanish 3, AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Art History, AP Cinema, AP Music, H Anatomy, AP Env Sci, AP Philosophy
For the projected SLO acceptance rates, yes you take FTF target multiply by 3 and divide by # of apps. These are projections so it will be dependent upon the competitiveness of each in-coming Freshman class.
SLO will use 9-11th grades and the UC’s will use the CSU/UC GPA for 10-11th grades. If 3.9 is her weighted 9-11th GPA, she is on target but ACT is low. SLO will superscore the English and Math sections, so what are her highest scores?
SLO looks like a High Match/Low Reach
For the UC’s, her GPA and test scores are below the 25th percentile so all would be a Reach. UC’s love those 4.0+ GPA.
Admit rate for UC GPA 3.4-3.79 for 2015 was:
UCI: 16%
UCSB: 13%
UCD: 11%
She’s applying to a lot of schools, UC Santa Cruz, San Diego State and Long Beach are some safeties. She’s also applying to several private schools around the country she should be safe for. She will be over a 4.0 weighted by the time those apps go out in December and January. I was really hoping for CP SLO or a UC. I was sure her September ACT would be a couple of points higher, she actually dropped 3 points. Oddly most of her friends dropped 3-4 points as well from their June scores. She’s taking it one more time in October. her highest act math and english scores are 26 math, 20 english, 25 reading.
UC’s and CSU’s do not use Senior grades in their admission decisions and they will not be calculated into your CSU/UC GPA. My chancing is just based on her stats. SLO will consider her HS course rigor and she will get bonus points for the extra Math and Science classes. You should try to calculate out her MCA score. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/1694769-confused-about-mca-score.html
UC’s will consider her EC’s and essays along with HS course rigor which should help her chances. I would UCR if she is interested as a good Match UC and UCSC would be a Match not a safety unless she can get her test scores up.
If you go through the MCA thread, there is a conversion chart posted. I also wanted to note that since SLO is not offering ED this year, I think there will be more applicants and more competition, but time will tell. Having a high acceptance rate for the majors that she is interested in will help her chances. I am siding on the cautious side.
ok… I’m getting an MCA of 4271? GPA 2004, 1217 for SAT (1180 converted score from prepscholar of 24 ACT, 750 for rigor of classes, 300 for EC’s, work, etc…
Her SAT converts to 1090 if they are still using the same concordance tables (they only use Math and English, not the composite). Of her two choices, I’d go with Statistics (52% admission) over Math (22% admission).
Has she considered taking the SAT? The tests are very different (at least they used to be). The SAT has classically been a reasoning test where the ACT is all about reading speed and comprehension even for the science sections.
Thank you eyemgh! She took the new SAT and only scored a 1090, 560 math, 530 whatever they call english, so she opted to focus on the ACT since her first score was a 24 which we thought was comparatively higher than a 1090.
Standardized admission tests are games and not tests of knowledge. The best way to practice is by doing LOTS of timed practice sections. The key is the correcting phase.na student should go back over every single question, right and wrong and understand, with the aid of a key, why the answer is what it is. It’s boring and hard to fit into a regular school schedule with ECs and a social life, but this is how the kids who get 2100+ typically prepare.
Yes, she was doing prep through a private tutor and I felt like she wasn’t getting enough time in, she has 20 hrs plus a week of EC’s plus a full AP load and college classes. I bought her the prep scholar ACT prep to do before the October test.
@socalmom007 - Is SDSU your local CSU? If not, I don’t know if I’d view SDSU as a safety school. For fall, 2016, the average CSU GPA & ACT for incoming freshmen at SDSU = 3.85/27.
I would think for her major it’s safety. It’s not our local CSU, we’re in L.A. county. I actually went to SDSU, but I don’t think they give any legacy points
@socalmom007: All majors are impacted at SDSU, so I agree that with the # of applications that SDSU has been getting 74,000+, that it is not a safety school. You can look up last year’s acceptance rate for Math or Stats on this link: https://asir.sdsu.edu/applications-by-major/
With a 3.74 CSU GPA and a 24 ACT, her Eligibility index is 988. An EI of 1000+ will give her the best chances. She is close so I would say a Match school.
Thank you so much Gumbymom, that’s super helpful information! I’m still hopeful she can get a few more points on the next ACT. She and her friends all went down 3-4 points on the September ACT from their June scores. I have no idea why that would be, but I’m hoping October can bring her up a bit.
I’m an alumna, too, definitely no legacy points!