Chances for Stanford, USC, UC's -- weak EC's

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I attend a nationally ranked high school, the #1 school in the state of Illinois. I have weak EC's but pretty good stats. </p>

<p>After lots of thinking, I've decided I want to go to a UC school. In order, UCLA, Cal, UCSD, UCI/UCD, and UCSB. I am applying all the aforementioned UC schools. </p>

<p>I am also applying to Stanford, Princeton, UChicago, Ponoma, Pepperdine, Northwestern, USC, CMU, Michigan, UIUC, and Mizzou. I don't want to be paying $1k in application fees so I'll definitely shave that list down soon. I know the first four are incredibly unlikely but I still want to try. </p>

<p>A lot of these schools including the UC's, CMU, and I've heard Stanford, do not put nearly as much weight on freshman year and some throw it out entirely. Though it does affect class rank, I think I have a much better chance of getting into these schools. </p>

<p>So here's the gist of my resume: </p>

<ul>
<li>Not a URM -- Asian Male</li>
<li>3.5 UW/4.8 W (atrocious freshman year): 4.0/5.5 minus freshman year)</li>
<li>4.0 UC GPA (the one that counts most?) </li>
<li>Ten AP's. Of the five (one freshman, zero sophomore, four junior) I've taken I've gotten four 5 scores and one 4 score. </li>
<li>36 ACT </li>
<li>2320 SAT</li>
<li>School does not rank - But using school info I easily crack top 10%, not sure how much more.
EC's </li>
<li>Sophomore year JV baseball</li>
<li>Junior/Senior Varsity baseball </li>
<li>Theater tech sophomore-senior</li>
<li>Business professionals of America: city wide competitions all four years, made it to state and national competitions sophomore and junior year. 1st place awards in accounting, extemporaneous speech, legal office procedures, medical office procedures, and advanced keyboarding.</li>
<li>Joined like five other clubs but did nothing</li>
<li>did NOT do NJHS/NHS</li>
<li>Started a fantasy football/baseball/basketball year-round club - about 20 loyal members</li>
<li>Volunteer at soup kitchen monthly</li>
<li>Freshman mentor</li>
<li>Traveled to Panama junior year on a mission trip to rebuild schools and churches</li>
<li>Bike 12 miles to and from school every day. executive position in Eco club. </li>
<li>Work experience at Target -- 2 years at 15-20 hrs per week</li>
<li>Everything accumulates to >150 SLH</li>
<li>Sold over $1000 on ebay, I'd say 1/4 was donated to charity, with receipts to prove it</li>
</ul>

2

<p>I’m not familiar with the UC GPA system, is it just your sophomore and junior year grades? As for your regular gpa, I think that the major upward trend will help you, and you really need to write strong, convincing essays. Also, your ECs are a bit weak for the ivies/public ivies, but they should be fine for the UC’s.</p>

<p>UCLA - High Match
Cal - High Match/Low Reach
UCSD - Low Match
UCD/I - Low Match
UCSB - Low Match
Stanford, Princeton, and UChicago are naturally reaches.
Northwestern - Low Reach
USC - High Match
CMU - High Match
Michigan - High Match
UIUC - Match</p>

<p>I think you have a good shot at getting into a majority of these schools. If colleges look past the 3.5 and notice the amazing things about your app, you’re a shoe-in at the UC’s and UIUC, and you’re extremely competitive at all the other schools.</p>

3

<p>I live in SoCal, and I’ve known many people who have gotten into the best UCs. You look like you’d have an excellent chance getting into all UCs. The only one that might (and that’s a big MIGHT) be a problem is Berkeley. They love scholars, but also love URMs a lot. You should succeed in all UCs with those stats though.</p>

4

<p>All top schools for the most part will look at your freshman year grades. It might pose a problem for you, unless you were hospitalized or had some extenuating circumstance.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-general/522326-ucla-berkeley-do-consider-freshman-year-grades-admissions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-general/522326-ucla-berkeley-do-consider-freshman-year-grades-admissions.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>UCLA: low reach
Cal: low reach
UCSD: mid match
UCD/I: mid match
UCSB: low match
Stanford: high reach
Princeton: high reach
UChicago: high reach
Northwestern: mid reach
USC: low reach
CMU: low reach
UMich: high match
UIUC: low match</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

5

<p>UCLA: low reach
Cal: low reach
UCSD: high match
UCD: match
UCSB: match
UCI: match
Stanford: reach
Princeton: reach
Uchicago: reach
NWU: reach
USC: low reach
CMU: low reach
UMich: high match
UIUC: low match</p>

6

<p>You might want to try McGill as well, since it doesn’t care about ECs and it only looks at your grade 10,11 and 12 marks. Therefore your poor grade 9 marks wont be held against you in anyway. Seeing as in those years you were a straight A student and your SAT and ACT scores are high McGill is a complete safety since admission is purely numeric (No ECs, essay, ect.)</p>

<p>McGill certainly is not a bad school to have as a safety, if the Ivies and Stanford don’t work out, and its applications process seems to be tailor made to your profile.</p>

7

<p>Considering you write a very good essay, </p>

<p>UCLA: match
UCB: high match
UCSD: low match
UCD/UCI: lower match than UCSD
UCSB: lower match, possibly safety
USC: match
Pepperdine: low match</p>

<p>All the other schools I’m not too familiar with to chance you on or they’re naturally reaches for everyone, such as Stanford.</p>