<p>I am a high school junior with a 3.9 GPA, taking 3 APs and one honors class (definitely planning on going into an Ivy League). Very little extracurriculars thus far, but planning on joining 3 clubs, taking up a job, and volunteering at a hospital & a clinic. I'm definitely not a stellar student, but my goal is to get admitted into at least SOME of the UCs (since Berkeley & LA is out of reach). My eye is mostly on UC Santa Barbara, also looking at UCD, UCSC, UCSD, and UCR.</p>
<p>I know that I have to start participating in extracurriculars more than ever, and that I have to study for the SAT and get stellar scores in order to partially make up for the 2 years of almost no ECs. Does anyone have advice as to what to do for the next two years to increase my chances of getting accepted, or can predict how good my chances are for getting into my choice UCs?</p>
<p>As for CSUs... I'm pretty confident I can get into any CSU I want, for the exception of the Cal Polys. Do extracurriculars matter as much here?</p>
<p>But with Berkeley & LA, you need crazy extracurriculars to get in. I have a connection at Berkeley however, who also has connections at the Admissions office. How funny would it be if I got accepted, and the valedictorian of our school didn’t…</p>
<p>You have an interesting mindset - you’re definitely going to an Ivy, but you’re disregarding UCLA as out of your reach? You could get into UCLA, as well as UCSD, UCSB, UCI, and UCD. Cal would be up in the air; you’re right about the RCs.</p>
<p>Ohh haha wow I’m on my A game today. Have pity on me; I was hit in the nose with a soccer ball and I’m a little disoriented.
Anyways, my UC statements still stand. You’ve got a good shot at most of them. Don’t even worry!</p>
<p>Ooh aren’t we sanctimonious. Half the kids at Harvard and Yale are only there because they’re legacies, yet they’re unintelligent and uninteresting. That’s how this country works. Deal with it.</p>
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<p>You said you’re going to start a couple of ECs. Your grades are solid and the planned ECs look nice. I’m not saying you’re a shoe-in, but you’d definitely be considered.</p>
<p>^ They are quite selective and are becoming even more selective year after year after year. Even UC Merced’s stats have gone up, according to what was published on their website. [UC</a> Merced - UC Merced Begins Sixth Academic Year with High Hopes](<a href=“http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/08242010_uc_merced_begins_sixth.asp]UC”>http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/08242010_uc_merced_begins_sixth.asp)
However, you have a high GPA and UCs love students with high GPA rather than students with very high SATs but average GPA. I know a lot of students have been accepted to some Ivies but not to Berkeley. (I’m one of them.) But I also know a lot of students who have experienced the complete reverse. I’m not saying you are a shoo-in at Berkeley. All I’m saying is you do have a shot (because of your high GPA, which Berkeley loves) albeit not very promising. </p>
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I admit I’m a bit clueless as to how UCLA admissions work, but I know for a fact that Berkeley is just as EC crazy as some of the Ivies. Remember that Berkeley does not rank their applicants according to the highest GPAs and test scores, and make a cut-off based primarily on that, that is why you’ll see many Berkeley rejects but are successful at some Ivies or top privates. I know several students with near-perfect to perfect SATs but were rejected at Berkeley. If Berkeley would just rank the applicants based on GPAs and Test scores, those students would have gotten in easily. But they didn’t and so they all ended up at schools like Duke, Chicago, Brown, Northwestern, JHU and Cornell. As for me, I ended up at Cambridge, which was a good thing that happened to me though. :D</p>
<p>I never said that I am mad about the system. In fact, I agree with what you said. I merely said it’s not funny. Please read my post thorougly (might be difficult, seeing as it was 2 whole sentences) before replying.</p>