My reach schools include UCI and UCSB but i really want to be admitted as a biochem major!
My UC gpa is relatively low with a 3.86 including community college courses that I plan on aceing but I haven’t finished my junior year yet so hopefully I’ll be able to boost my grades up with the finals and AP exams. I just took the ACT but i think I got around a 27-29. I am a board member of Red Cross and interact club, lead 3 Blood drive events at my school, volunteered over 200+ hours, volunteer at a hospital, apart of the Biomed Academy, Link crew leader, and have danced for 4 years. I was involved in a serious car crash that impacted my grades this year so hopefully colleges will take this into consideration?
- UC’s are very GPA focused so definitely address your accident and the repercussions on your school work in one the UC personal insight essays.
- Your intended major can make a huge difference on your chances
- Definitely aim for an ACT at 30+ for the best chances.
Below are 2017 Freshman statistics which is based on the UC GPA capped weighted and not major specific. You want to be at or above the 50th percentile for a good chance at the UC’s.
Apply widely and if you are a CA resident include several Cal States also to your college list. Start from the bottom up and identify 1-2 safety schools that are affordable and you are willing to attend.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19:
UCB: 12.6%
UCLA: 11.7%
UCSD: 38.7%
UCSB: 53.6%
UCD: 56.5%
UCI: 52.1%
UCSC: 75.7%
UCR: 90.1%
UCM: 96.1%
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 4.20 or above:
UCB: 42.7%
UCLA: 47.2%
UCSD: 84.2%
UCSB: 82.0%
UCD: 90.3%
UCI: 94.1%
UCSC: 92.7%
UCR: 97.5
UCM: 98.1%
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT:
UCB: 1280-1490
UCLA: 1280-1500
UCSD: 1250-1470
UCSB: 1210- 1450
UCD: 1190-1430
UCI: 1190-1420
UCSC: 1170-1380
UCR: 1090-1310
UCM: 1020-1230
25th - 75th percentiles for ACT:
UCB: 30-34
UCLA: 30-34
UCSD: 29-34
UCSB: 28-33
UCD: 26-32
UCI: 26-32
UCSC: 26-31
UCR: 23-30
UCM: 20-27
Best of luck.
@Gumbymom I have a question regarding the 3.80 - 4.19 vs. 4.20+ UC GPA acceptances. If someone were to have a 4.15 - 4.19, would their acceptance rates by GPA be closer to the 30-40% mark of the 4.20+ UC GPA acceptance rates?
@mundyt; Since these admit rates are averages and do not take into account specific majors, Engineering/CS most likely would be below the average while a Spanish or English major may be above the average posted regardless of how close their GPA is to the next scale level. These are just guidelines to help determine if you are even in the ballpark. These % admit averages do change from year to year and as the competition increases, they will decrease. Having a higher GPA will increase your chances but UC’s consider test scores, essays and EC’s also so your whole application is evaluated.