I am looking to get into any UC for Computer Science, but am leaning towards the schools considered to be “middle-of-the pack” - UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Cruz.
Anyway, here’s my record:
Current High School: Lynbrook High School at San Jose
Academics
-Overall UC GPA (unweighted) on Transcript: 3.54
-Four Cs - Spanish Semester 1(freshman year), Intro to Java (freshmen year) one in Chem Honors (sophmore year), and AP Calc BC(Junior Year)
Course Rigor:
-2 AP Classes & 4 Honors Classes: AP Comp. Sci, AP Calculus BC, Spanish 4H, Physics H, Chem H, Pre-Calc H
These are my current AP and Honors classes. I am projecting to have at least 3 more APs senior year.
-SAT Test Scores:
1st attempt: 1420 (New SAT) - 780 math, 640 english
2nd attempt: 1470 (New SAT) - 790 math, 680 english
3rd attempt: 1500 (New SAT) - 800 math, 700 english
-SAT Subject Test Scores: 780 (Math Level 2)
You will need to calculate your UC GPA capped weighted, unweighted and fully weighted using only your 10-11th grades for the a-g course requirements. UC’s will consider all 3 GPA’s but the majority of UC’s statistical data is based on the capped weighted UC GPA.
CS is one of the most competitive majors at the UC’s so below a 4.0 capped weighted UC GPA will be a tough admit. Your SAT scores look competitive, but the UC’s tend to very GPA focused. Your EC’s are solid and if you write some outstanding personal insight essays, it could help your chances.
Here is some statistical data based on the UC capped weighted and major specific. For CS, you will above average stats for the best chances. I would add UC Merced and Riverside along with some solid safety schools such as a few Cal states if you are a CA resident. Apply widely.
2018 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.40-3.79 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 1%
UCLA: 2%
UCSD: 7%
UCSB: 8%
UCI: 7%
UCD: 14%
UCSC: 33%
UCR: 49%
UCM: 82%
2018 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 10%
UCLA: 9%
UCSD: 34%
UCSB: 38%
UCD: 41%
UCI: 38%
UCSC: 70%
UCR: 84%
UCM: 95%
2018 UC capped weighted GPA averages:
UCB: 4.23
UCLA: 4.23
UCSD: 4.16
UCSB: 4.13
UCI: 4.13
UCD: 4.11
UCSC: 3.96
UCR: 3.81
UCM: 3.71
2018 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT:
UCB: 1360-1540
UCLA: 1340-1540
UCSD: 1300-1520
UCSB: 1270-1500
UCD: 1220-1480
UCI: 1230-1490
UCSC: 1210-1450
UCR: 1130-1380
UCM: 1020-1280
I just plugged everything into the calculator. My stats indicate a 3.79 UC capped weighted GPA.
So if your UC Capped weighted GPA is 3.79, you can figure that the Mid-tier UC’s will be tough admits. You do go to a competitive HS so your GPA will be taken into consideration based on this. Do you know how you compare to your HS classmates?
Definitely apply widely and include these schools on your list since the UC’s also tend to be very unpredictable but definitely have 2 safety schools that you are willing to attend no matter what. Since you are local to SJSU, you receive a 0.25 GPA bump which would put your eligibility index at 4732. (UC capped weighted GPA +0.25 x800) + (SAT Math + EBRW). Last years EI threshold for CS was 4675 so this would make a good Match school if the EI threshold remains the same.
This is great news! While I don’t know my class rank as our school doesn’t openly show it, I am glad to be a match with SJSU as that was one of the universities I was interested in attending. However, I do have 4 Cs, and the two most scary ones to me are the ones in Intro to Java and AP Calc BC. Will these Cs defer me from other good schools, including SJSU?
SJSU just calculates the eligibility index and sets a threshold to admit the desired number into each major, so specific grades are only important to the extent that they affect your GPA that gets into the eligibility index.
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/
The UCs do use human holistic reading, so specific course grades could affect the reader’s rating of your application.
For safeties, a non-impacted CSU where CS is not impacted (e.g. SFSU) will be a safety. For likelies, consider UCM and some of the less selective CSUs that may be impacted but not highly impacted for CS like SJSU or CPSLO are.