Chances for UCs, CSU, Private?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, I am wondering "What are my chances" considering this:</p>

<p>I want to do an Engineering Major.</p>

<p>College List:
UCB?
UCLA?
UCSD?
UCD?
Cal Poly SLO?
Stanford?
SJ State (My Super Duper Safety School...I have no idea what I'll get into but I am SURE I will at least get here.)
CalTech Or MIT (x.x DREAM SCHOOLS -- I wish...)</p>

<p>Male
Asian
Low-Income Family
1st Generation to go to college</p>

<p>UC/CSU Admission GPA*: 3.88 (3.58 UW)
*10th/11th grade stuff</p>

<p>SAT II:
Math Level 2 = 750 (will retake)
Physics = 760 (will try Chemistry and see if I do better on that)</p>

<p>ACT: 29 (retook.. waiting)</p>

<p>SAT I: 1820 (530R/730M/560W) -- I took act, and figured I did better so I retook ACT. I won't bother with SAT I anymore.</p>

<p>APs:
Chemistry 4
Physics B 4
US History 3</p>

<p>Senior Year:
AP US Government + Economics Honors
AP Statistics
European Literature Honors
Film as Lit/Science Fiction and Fantasy
AP Biology
AP Calculus BC
[City College] Musical Appreciation</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP US History [A/A]
Spanish 5/6 Honors [A/A]
American Literature Honors [C/B] -- >.<
AP Chemistry [B/B]
AP Physics [B/B]
Precalculus Honors [A/A]
[City College] Intro to C++ (A)
[City College] Japanese 1B (C) -- (Overload x.x -- 1st time for everything...)
[City College] Beginning Piano (A)</p>

<p>Sophomore:
Advanced Algebra Honors [A/A]
10th Grade English [A/B]
Chemistry Honors [A/B]
Modern World Honors [A/A]
Spanish 3/4 [A/A]
[City College] Japanese 1A (A)</p>

<p>Freshman Year (I won't bother listing...they were all A's, not that it matters since the colleges do not use this year for admission purposes.)</p>

<p>ECs (I dont have much.. >.<):
Red Cross Club (~20 hours total...)
Community Service Leadership Club 2006
Science Club (~8 hours total...)</p>

<p>Job Experience:
Intern at the Public Health Dept. (2 years now ~ 650+ hours worked)
Pollworker in Election (15 hours.. another election is coming up so I will be doing another 15 hours.)</p>

<p>Honors:
Honor Roll</p>

<p>I really want to get into UCSD. Cal Poly SLO I think would be my second. Think I have a chance at the colleges I listed?</p>

2

<p>UCB?-Big Reach
UCLA?-Big Reach
UCSD?-Reach/Slight Reach
UCD?-High Match
Cal Poly SLO?-High Match/Match
Stanford?-No
SJ State (My Super Duper Safety School...I have no idea what I'll get into but I am SURE I will at least get here.)-Match
CalTech Or MIT (x.x DREAM SCHOOLS -- I wish...)-No</p>

<p>UCSD can get easier to get into if you can do well on the ACT/SAT. 1900 cannot compensate for your GPA AND your lack of ECs. Your ECs are what are hurting you the most. You only have CS, which is going to, in all honesty, kill you for the private schools and put you in roughly the same category for the top 2 UCs. Suggestions really aren't much of a point now since the only thing you can feasibly do is raise your SAT scores. You really need to raise all of them, although your SAT IIs are very good. </p>

<p>For CP SLO, I think you still look good, although with stats like those and with the way the school was rejecting people last year, its not nearly a guaranteed thing. Also consider CP P as a low match if you want some more security.</p>

3

<p>Weak GPA/SAT, applying for a competitive major.</p>

<p>Berkeley: big reach
UCLA: reach
UCSD: reach - slight reach
UCD: match
Cal Poly SLO: match
Stanford: big reach
SJ State: safety
Caltech: big reach
MIT: big reach</p>

4

<p>Thank you for your responses. Hmm. I am wondering where else I should apply to if I should...</p>

<p>I heard University of the Pacific has an excellent engineering program as well, but I never heard of them until someone told me o.O</p>

<p>and how is CalPoly's engineering program? what was the highest degree they offer? I heard they have one of the best engineering programs. Is that true? Of course, I have been told UCB's program is more widely known. </p>

<p>I am wondering whether to rely on CalPoly as my backup or rely on the "mid to lower tier" UCs. (SJ State is just a worse case scenario thing.. I don't really plan on going there..)</p>

<p>PS. I knew I would never get into MIT, but my theory is, since it's on the common app, a little paperwork shouldn't be that bad to get a 1 in a million chance right? or shud i just not consider it? i duno... (Everyone can dream, cant they? >.>)</p>

<p>I Hope I get at least a 30 or higher on my re-act >< . It felt harder this sept, but then again, I practiced more.
For the SAT II's: I plan on getting around 780-800 on Retest-MathL2, and 760-800 on chem if that helps..</p>

5

<p>Cal Poly is SUPERB for engineering/CS. A really good undergrad program--don't overlook it! You've got a great chance, too.</p>

6

<p>CP SLO is ranked #4 for engineering schools whose highest degree is a masters. That's pretty darned good for a CSU. The 3 ahead of it are Rose-Hulman, Harvey Mudd, and Claremont McKenna (or was it Pomona...), all private schools, and all very selective.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
and how is CalPoly's engineering program?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>As others have said, it's very good. It's also Cal Poly's most competitive program.</p>

<p>
[quote]
what was the highest degree they offer?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Master's, though mainly Bachelor's.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Of course, I have been told UCB's program is more widely known.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>True.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I am wondering whether to rely on CalPoly as my backup or rely on the "mid to lower tier" UCs.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You can treat it as a backup, though it wouldn't be a safety for you. (It seems closer to a match.)</p>

<p>
[quote]
or shud i just not consider it? i duno... (Everyone can dream, cant they? >.>)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Go for it, if you want. You never know. =)</p>

8

<p>I keep hearing a lot of good things about Cal Poly SLO regarding engineering. Does anyone know if they have good music opportunities? Not to major in music or anything but the exposure and involvement both on campus and the city.</p>