Chances at UC's? Average student :/

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I've just seen so many boards like this, and I'm dying to know my chances. I'm aiming at UCLA/UCB primarily...I've just finished my junior year so I'd like to know.</p>

<p>Anyway, here we go...</p>

<p>High School:</p>

<p>California resident, large public school...not too sure about class rank.</p>

<p>10th grade:</p>

<p>(summer school) Chemistry A/A</p>

<p>Math Analysis/Calc AP A/A*
Enviornmental Science AP A/A*
English II H A/B (is there any way to explain I got a B for leaving a paper on my printer?)
French II H A/A
Beginning Drama A/A
PE A/A</p>

<p>11th grade:</p>

<p>Calc BC AP A/B*
Biology AP A/A*
English III H/AP B/A*
French III H A/A*
Intermediate Drama A/A
US History A/A (no APUSH, at our school it's just way too hard)</p>

<p>*denotes a "weighted" course, where A=5, B=4 etc. I have two of these courses in my soph year, and four in my junior. I'm pretty sure the indicated classes are weighted as I looked up the classes on the UC site for my school myself.</p>

<p>Senior course load:</p>

<p>Statistics AP*
Chemistry AP*
English IV AP*
French IV AP*
Advanced Drama
Civics/Economics</p>

<p>4 weighted classes again.</p>

<p>Testing:</p>

<p>AP Scores:</p>

<p>Calculus AB 5
Calculus BC 5
Environmental Science 4
Biology 5</p>

<p>SAT I: 2120</p>

<p>CR: 700
Math: 740
Writing: 680 (9 on writing subscore, heh)</p>

<p>Another question, should I retake? I took SAT prep class and I felt that was my best shot, heh.</p>

<p>SAT II:
Math IIC: 720
Biology M: 740</p>

<p>Only two taken so far, and scores aren't so impressive...UC's only require two but I might take one or two more...</p>

<p>EC's</p>

<p>This part will kill me, I don't have half the list eveyone else does...but UC's rely more on the "numbers", right?</p>

<p>Life Scout (just need my eagle project done, and I'm there...)
CSF 4 semesters, sealbearer (well, I will be...)
NHS 4 semesters
Chess club officer (also a USCF rated member, placed decent in tournaments but no 1st place, only 2nd and 3rd)
Drama club (3 years acting, taken part in 2 school productions so far)
French club (4 years of study)
Church Voulenteer, CCD teachers aide, two 9 month service programs completed</p>

<p>I figured boy scouts works enough for service, and the other clubs...but I have over 60 hours at my church too. 100+ hours from CSF and NHS combined, and of course the eagle project coming up. I also voulenteer as a teachers assistant for CCD classes...</p>

<p>Again, it's a mediocore list. Anyone can join these clubs, nothing special. I read the post about eagle scouts, if you stay for 9 years like me...you have a pretty good shot of getting eagle. Hopefully, when I earn my eagle rank, my EC list won't hurt me.</p>

<p>Well, that's about it...if I left something out, please let me know. Be honest with me: I'd much rather have you guys tell me that Berkeley is a reach than a slight reach or something. I've seen some of the posters here, and they seem like they really know a lot about admissions chances. I think some are even admissions workers?</p>

<p>Any responses are greatly appriciated. Thanks again in advance for reading through this and for the thoughtful replies.</p>

2

<p>This ain't average... btw you have a good shot at all the UCs. Average student is with "C"s and SAT score of 1500 or so..</p>

3

<p>UCB/UCLA-match
UCSD--safe match
UCSB/UCD/UCI/UCSC/UCR/UCM--safeties</p>

<p>The only thing you might have trouble getting into would be the engineering schools at UC Berkeley and UCLA. Then your three Bs and so-so ECs would count against you--otherwise you're fine everywhere.</p>

4

<p>Thank you for both inputs...I'm happy to hear UCB and UCLA aren't reaches...I really hope they look on my application with some light. Eh, this is an odd question...if you had to put it in a percentage, with a percent chance of me getting accepted into UCB/UCLA, what would the number be? I've heard the UC's (especially the top two) are really random with the acceptences...so nobody can be 100% sure.</p>

<p>And, could eagle scout possibly turn around my chances, in the case I'm rejected? I heard it's a huge EC hook, and can really make the difference...maybe changing my mediocore EC's to average, I guess. I won't have eagle for quite a few months...I plan to amend my application with eagle scout on there.</p>

5

<p>Dude, how the hell are you an average student? Ahh, I hope you just used that title to get people to click on this thread. Otherwise, please don't let CC brainwash you into thinking you are 'average'.</p>

<p>I would say:</p>

<p>UCB/UCLA: Slight Reach
UCSD: Match
All other UCs: Safeties </p>

<p>If anything, just focus on the personal statement and you should be able to get into at least ucb or ucla.</p>

<p>Best Wishes, Cardinal</p>

6

<p>whatiscollegeok:</p>

<p>UCB/UCLA: Slight Reach
UCSD: Match
UCI/UCSB/UCD: Safe Match
UCSC/UCR/UCM: Safety</p>

7

<p>Grateful for the past replies :)</p>

<p>Since I've received the comment twice, I honestly believe that I'm an average student applying to college...perhaps reading all of the boards around here has made me feel a bit inferior. But it's true...I have a few things to be proud of, but I have my shortcomings as well. I'm not your 800 guy, or straight A's...</p>

<p>Anyway, I did not put that into my title to attract people. I don't even see why people would view the average kid. Well, let me put it this way-I'm about average in the group of kids that wish to attend a good college. And the UC's are competitive...basically, I want to know if I'm a decent UC applicant, and if I meet the standards.</p>

<p>Results aren't half bad...seems that UCLA/UCB are still worth the effort to apply to. Hopefully, if I get rejected at one I can get accepted in the other. UCSD is a distant third choice. I'd be really disappointed if I got rejected by all three.</p>

<p>I like numbers, if possible...can someone give a percentage acceptence chance range to the terms slight reach, and match? I have an idea but I'd like to know solid numbers .-.</p>

8

<p><em>revives board</em></p>

<p>Sorry do so, but I just need a few more inputs ;-;</p>

9

<p>You are a lucky punk man. Your GPA is pretty high since your school has so many honors... My school does not have kind things like honors French 3 or English Honors. </p>

<p>Anyways, you have a good gpa. Good SAT. Instate. </p>

<p>I would be surprised if you did not get into Berkeley.</p>

10

<p>Unlike with highly competitive private schools, admissions to the UC system seems rarely to surprise. I have yet to hear of an in-state applicant as qualified as yourself who didn't get into at least UCSD or Davis. Don't hold your breath for UCLA or Cal, but don't fret either--you're in good shape.</p>

11

<p>I can go as far to say the last two posts made my day. Thanks to the both of you. I don't know...this summer really made me think about where I'm headed in life, and I needed some answers.</p>

<p>My family holds very high expectations. I have one cousin who attended Yale, one a UCLA graduate, one who finished 4 years of med at Tufts. Although I'm first generation headed into college, I am the last "cousin" to head to a university. I have a lot to live up to. I put my best forward; I just hope it's enough to secure a spot in at least the best UC's, you just never know. I guess too much worry is a bad thing, I'll just wait 'till I get those acceptence/rejection letters.</p>

<p>Anyway, I guess I am quite fortunate...I modified my schedule so I could still reach the AP/honors weighed cap for UCs' without taking the absolute hardest classes. So junior year wasn't too much suffering, nor sophomore. So my GPA isn't stellar but it isn't too horrible either (4.375W). Some have 4.6+ but others have 4.0- on here...</p>

<p>This is my last post on my own board, unless many more replies come in, which are still greatly appriciated. It is plain rude to bring up a board in a busy forum like this; I am well aware of the hundreds of other students out there who want to know their chances. Thank you all again for the advice, answers, comments, and compliments as well. Best of luck to everyone.</p>

12

<p>I have you at a 4.208 UC GPA (you have to cap your weighted GPA at 8 semester courses and throw out the PE scores) with a total of 5 year-long AP courses taken and 4 scheduled for next year and 4 other year-long honors courses (and this is only for 10-12 grades and doesn't include any honors taken in 9th grade).</p>

<p>You have already received grades on 4 of your 5 AP classes with scores of 5, 5, 5, and 4 (where's the fifth score). Your 5-score SAT I/SAT II totals 3580 or an average of 716.</p>

<p>Looking at this site:
<a href="http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2006/freshman_admit_profile_2006.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2006/freshman_admit_profile_2006.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>we see that the average admit to UC Berkeley last year had a 4.17 UC GPA with a 2007 SAT I score--figuring that the SAT IIs were probably slightly higher (around 1400 total), this means total test scores of 3407.</p>

<p>and we see that the average admit to UCLA last year had a 4.12 UC GPA with a 2003 SAT I score--figuring that the SAT IIs were probably slightly higher (around 1400 total), this means total test scores of 3403.</p>

<p>With this in mind, I rate your chances at UC Berkeley at 55%, UCLA 58%, UCSD 65%, UC Davis/UC Santa Barbara/UC Irvine at 90%, UC Santa Cruz at 95% and UC Riverside and UC Merced at 100% (since you are UC eligible, one of these two is required to take you if you are turned down by the others). (Also, the only reason your chances are this low is because of your less-than-stellar ECs).</p>

<p>If you apply for engineering at UC Berkeley or UCLA I rate your chances at around 42% and 45% respectively for the two schools.</p>

<p>P.S. None of this is very scientific, I'm just giving you my view--so don't think that because I'm not rounding it's somehow super accurate.</p>

<p>Also, if you are "first generation" college, the chances shown above should probably be increased by 2%-3%.</p>

13

<p>The OP seems like a nice guy to be so considerate. I would hardly bat an eye if I made like 3-4 threads just to purely waste other people's time. I wish I went to your score so my GPA would be very high too, but life doesn't work like that. I will give you my percent ratings. </p>

<p>Berk/ UCLA 90%
UCSD 98%
100% for everything else</p>

<p>Schools like Berkeley and UCLA are not so selective as to turn down people with gpa or scores like yours.</p>