Hello. I am a current junior who was wondering what my chances would be at UC’s other than Merced and Riverside. Here is some information about me:
I have cerebral palsy, A congenital disorder of movement. I am hemiplegic. This interfered heavily with my life until the summer before junior year. I was forced to wear painful leg braces at all hours, get casted on my left leg for months at a time, got into multiple fights with my parents, and was told that cerebral palsy patients don’t live as long as ‘normal’ people, making me very anxious about my life and future. I was also bullied by people (even my own friends), and used to getting questions like “why do you limp when you walk”. I was also going through heavy depression impacting my life, and my dog died when I was a freshman. My father has also been unemployed for 9 years, causing a ton of economical stress and fights within the family. Because of these circumstances, I received some C’s and D’s my freshman and sophomore year. Nevertheless, I had plans of going to college, so I repaired these classes by retaking them and did even better my junior year. It took months to retake the classes I got a D in, but I eventually got it done. I no longer get into big fights with my parents, I am no longer depressed, and I am taking harder classes than I have ever taken. There is a great upward trend in my grade trend. For example, I received a C in java programming and Pre-Calculus my sophomore year, but got a B+ in AP Computer Science A and an A in Calculus my Junior year. Here are some technical details about me:
Race: Asian
I live in California and go to one of the most competitive schools in the state, being about 80% asian
GPA (Unweighted): 3.05
GPA Weighted: 3.20
SAT Score: 1460
SAT Math level 2 score: 770
AP Classes: AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science A
Extracurriculars:
I recently designed an iPhone app that is an exercise planner for children with cerebral palsy. It tracks how much they exercise, informs them about their statistics daily, and sends a report to their physical therapist via email. I have strong connections with doctors at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, many doctors in my family, and Therapists at California Children’s Services. I will be marketing the app during the summer, and do not expect to have any issues.
I volunteer locally for the city I live in. I am the ‘Block Leader’ of my neighborhood, organizing block parties and teaching the community how to stay connected and just be a safer place in general.
I volunteer for the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). I advocate civil rights, and being a disabled asian male, I feel like my voice needs to be heard. I have spoken to congressmen and senators. I have gone to the ACLU lobby day in Sacramento for 2 years in a row and support Black Lives Matter in marches.
I am a student advocate for California Children’s Services. I spread the importance for the health and well being of children. I have publicly spoken to a group of therapists what it feels like to be disabled and plan on writing and publishing an article about my condition and struggles this summer.
Volunteering for a Congessman: I occasionally volunteer for a local Congressman, and make phone calls, go door to door, and attend his meetings.
I will be making a personal website this summer as well as keeping my linkedIn profile updated.
I am taking AP Statistics and AP Macroeconomics next year. My guidance counselor and 2 teachers of mine have already stated that they would love to write a letter of recommendation for me. I feel like I have screwed up my high school career incredibly and just want to be successful in life like everyone else in my family. I really feel like I have a passion for computer science but feel like I am bad at it compared to everyone else at my school. I have also considered Aerospace engineering and finance.
Thank you for taking your time to read this. What would my chances be for any of the UCs other than Merced and Riverside for Computer Science, Aerospace engineering, and finance? If you have any suggestions for me, please feel free to leave them!