Chance thread (low gpa) :(

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Irvine
1

I’m not dreaming into something big like Stanford, more like UCI as a Computer science major.

More about me: Asian looking into CS Major, I go to Evergreen Valley Highschool

Test scores: I haven’t taken the ACT yet, but planning too.

School statistics: My Cal Grant is pretty low, 3.65 (I got 5 B’s sophomore year, 1 AP) ; class rank: 266/667 (competitive public school)

Extra curricular(s):

  • 1 year F/S Track, 3 years Varsity Track, 1 year Cross Country
  • I gathered together a team, project lead, and we as a team of 3 made a game that got 56,000 plays
  • Accepted to a company’s private developer forum (700/10+million) currently accepted
  • Computer software engineering developer internship (healthcare software development)
    This was heads up work experience in computer science field, and I got to sit next to the owner of the company and he taught me stuff, and not just CS, but also how to run a successful business.

However, my GPA is really low at the moment, and especially a D in AP Calculus AB.

Currently schedule:

  1. AP U.S. History - C (I can raise this to a B due to many work he hasn’t updated)
  2. Chinese 3 - B
  3. Band - A
  4. Biology - A
  5. AP Literature - D (Currently, it should be a C due to many work he hasn’t updated, but I strongly believe I can raise this to a B)
  6. AP Calculus AB - D (66%, I bomb’d today’s MCQ too, and I’m not sure if I can raise it, maybe a C at most?)

I’m really stressed out about my AP Calculus AB. I’m not sure if I can raise it. It’s not the content that’s hurting me, but the rigor of the class. My teacher makes it harder than the actual exams and other calculus classes. Others are doing bad too to a point where she advices us to drop out; however there are also a handful that’s doing good.

Should I drop it as she adviced? But I might end up with a class I already took again, OR not taking a math junior year will be pretty bad, due to the fact I’m looking into CS.

I know I still have to months, and I believe I can get a B,B,A,A,B,C End result in terms of grade this semester. The fact that it is a downward trend and it is junior year, do you think I will lose my chances at UC Irvine or equivalent UCs to Irvine?

Any advice?

2

Not sure too much about high school GPAs with the UCs or whatever, I know it’s all competitive. You might want to consider going to a community college for the first two years. I know that sounds lame, but it’s not like you are going to some school with dorms anyways. If you go to a community college you will save a fortune that can go towards who knows what, perhaps graduate school, perhaps toward entry to a more expensive school down the road. Getting good grades at a CC might even seem easier or better to you, it’s a different pace and whats really great is that you have a better chance of going to any university if you went to a community college. You have a better chance of transferring into a top tier school including UCI as a CC transfer than as a freshman applicant. So that might be your best option, maybe not, that’s what I suggest.

3

Average UC GPA for UCI last year was 4.03 and 1878. For CS, you want to above the average due to the competitiveness of the program. Also UCI likes high GPA’s (4.0+) so at the moment, UCI looks like a Reach.

As stated in the above post, going to a CCC for 2 years and doing TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) for UCI will still get you to your end goal. Work hard on getting those grades up and re-evaluate your options at the end of Junior year.

Good Luck.

4

Going to be straight up with you right now. Your grades are not competitive for a CS major, even getting accepted to UCSC’s CS program would be a stretch for you.
Also keep in mind that the CS program requires a full year of calculus, if you’re already failing high school calculus, will you realistically be able to get a decent grade in college calculus where the pace is much faster and the professors can’t teach to save their lives? (Most of my calc professors were horrible and the classes were essentially self study, but that’s college in general) I would highly recommend that you also look into the less competitive UCs, like UCR, UCM or even UCSC.