Chance this lurker for the UCs!

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>BACKGROUND INFO
Me: Female. Asian [darn]. Incoming senior. NorCaler.
School: Public and rather ghetto. International Baccalaureate program. We have smart kids, slackers, and smart slackers. Some of my classmates got perfect SAT scores! Every year, we get 20ish kids into Berkeley, a Buck Scholar or two, and several kids into schools like Yale and Stanford. </p>

<p>ACADEMICS
Cumulative unweighted GPA: 3.92
Cumulative weighted GPA: 4.513<br>
Unweighted class rank: 18/393
Weighted class rank: 20/393</p>

<p>Freshman schedule: MYP English, Algebra 2, PE, Honors chem, Honors world history, MYP Chinese 1/2
Soph schedule: MYP English 5, Precalc, Global Art, Honors physics, Honors US History, MYP Chinese 3/4
Junior schedule: IB English 1 [HL], IB 2 Math Methods [SL], IB Art [HL], IB Biology 1 [HL], IB Econ [SL], IB Chinese 1 [SL]<br>
Senior schedule: IB English 2 [HL], AP calculus, IB Art [HL], IB Biology 2 [HL], Theory of Knowledge, IB Chinese 2 [SL] </p>

<p>Cumulatively, I've had 3 B's...Always 1 B every year in math class, always at 89%. :[</p>

<p>TESTING, TESTING...
SATs: 2100 [math:700 crit reading: 760 writing: 650 <---EW] I am retaking.
ACT composite: 34 [math:34 reading:35 science:34 english:34] Writing unknown right now.
SAT IIs: lit: 780 us history: 770 math: 700<br>
IB Scores: as of now, unknown. Expecting 5 or 6 in Economics, hoping to pass in math. </p>

<p>ECs and etc<br>
- KEY Club: member 08-09, president 09-10
- Senior manager our IB program's Group IV Project - This is like a giant scientific study encompassing biology, chemistry, physics, Design Technology, and environmental systems, that all the IB students participate in. Our project has been recognized at a national level.
- Community service: 300+ hours so far, mostly through KEY Club. Also volunteered at a local museum and the local food bank.
-Orchestra: 1st chair violist 07-09 [and hopefully next year too]
- Math Club: secretary 08-10
- Art Honor Society
- Art Docent Program teacher at an elementary school [08-10] - I teach little kids about art history and techniques about once a month.
- National History Day State Qualifier in the documentary category
- Random awards from local art competitions</p>

<p>MISC
I'm undecided about what I want to major in. I used to dream of being an astrophysicist back in the day (I adore Neil deGrasse Tyson, awesomesttt astrophysicist alive and host of NOVA scienceNOW on PBS). Then I took physics, I hated it. I'm also bad at math, so no engineering in my future. Overall, I'm a Type A perfectionist who likes life sciences, but I'm also an artsy fartsy vegetarian activist. :] </p>

<p>I know I have less than stellar grades, activities, and test scores. And the economic situation isn't great either. My parents aren't doctors/engineers/other Asian stereotypes and earn less than $60,000 together, and my sister, who goes to UCB, is on the pre med track. And sooo I am a little worried about getting into college and being able to pay for it.</p>

<p>THE SCHOOLS
UC Davis
UC Berkeley
UC San Diego
UCLA
Cal Poly SLO
University of San Francisco</p>

<p>Are there any other colleges I should look into? Should I even bother looking at more prestigious schools like Bowdoin, Pomona, JHU, etc? I feel so in over my head. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>Oh, and btw I am going for full IB diploma, if that matters at all.</p>

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<p>Anybody? Please? I’ll just be refreshing this page obsessively the rest of the night…</p>

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<p>“I know I have less than stellar grades, activities, and test scores.”</p>

<p>… a UW 3.9 GPA and W 4.5 GPA? 34 ACT? SAT IIs 780 & 770?</p>

<p>err I don’t know where you got that idea from, but you seem more than fine to me lol.
Your SAT score is a little low, but you could just exclude that and give your ACT score (34=2260). Even then, you’re pretty much a guarantee in at the schools you mentioned, especially since you’re in-state. You could probably aim higher and have a good shot at schools like JHU, but since you mentioned money might be a problem, UCs are probably more suited to your needs. Then again, you might get a scholarship or something, so it never hurts to apply, really. </p>

<p>lol, I’m applying to some of the same schools as you, and I feel horrible now rofl.</p>

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<p>Thank you for the reply! I love you! ahaha</p>

<p>I never considered my grades anything to brag about, but that’s probably because I’m a small fish in a genius pond at my school. -.-</p>

<p>Oh man UCs can be pretty darn expensive…I have heard that private schools give more financial aid than UCs, so I wasn’t sure if I should look more into those.</p>

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<p>my advice would be to apply to any schools you’re even interested in (and have a reasonable chance of getting into, but with your application, thats pretty much anything).</p>

<p>Then, once you know what schools you can get into, figure out the money thing then. A lot of schools will give you financial options once you’re already in the school.</p>

<p>honestly, don’t worry about it. Your application is more than fine</p>

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<p>bumpity bump</p>

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<p>Bump. Anyone?</p>

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<p>I’m definitely replying because the word lurker was in the title haha.
I think you have an EXCELLENT shot at everything except for UCB and UCLA and not because you aren’t qualified, but because they are stupid and hate everyone.
Definitely apply though, you have the statistics and EC’s to be able to get in, it’s just impossible to chance people anymore on these schools.</p>