Concerned about my UC decisions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1
  • Korean male, Bay Area, Biochem major
  • 4.0 UC UW (3.97 UW inc snr year)
  • 10 AP courses taken: AP Calc BC (5), APUSH (5), AP Lang (5), AP Chemistry (5), AP Stats (5), AP US Gov, AP Physics C, AP CS A, AP Spanish Lang, AP Literature
  • 2 extra AP tests: AP Physics 1 (5), AP Music Theory (4)
  • USNCO High Honors (Top 47/16000-ish?)
  • MathWorks M3 Challenge final 10%
  • GMTK Game Jam Finalist
  • 4x AIME/Distinction Qualifier
  • Officer of Artificial Intelligence Club and co-founder of Chemistry Club
  • Various solo piano, piano trio, and volunteering awards (from regional to national)
  • Internship at a small biotech startup in SF, full-time and paid
  • Research with a JHU adjunct prof into BNNs and their applications in bioinformatics
  • Research at a big Stanford lab (didn’t go very well though)

Rejected UCLA, UCI, waitlisted UCD, UCSD. Only thing I can think of is a D in my multivar dual enrollment class which happened during a difficult time in my life (working full time 1h30 min away + family death) when I forgot about my final, making my grade drop from a 93 to a 63. I emailed the professor, but no response. Explained all of this to the UCs. I guess they don’t care. One mistake killed my entire application.

I’m done. I’m actually done.

2

Sorry about the results so far, you have a stellar portfolio. I would think you still have a pretty good shot at Cal and UCSB if you applied to those schools.

If your UW GPA is 3.97, then I don’t see why that D will have any impact. Do you have the actual UC GPAs calculated. Use the link below if you need help

https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/

3

You’re going to get into Cal! I know it.

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4

Well 3.97 from my school, not including the D. But this is including snr year grades. My UC GPA is 4.0.

5

Please don’t give up hope. You sound like an extremely talented kid. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but things will turn around for you. Obstacles like this will only make you a stronger person in the future. I wish you the best of luck.

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6

I’m so, so sorry you find yourself in this position. Do you have any other apps out there? Do you have a backup plan at this point?

It might be the reason, it might not be. There’s really no way to tell.

I hope you still have some possibilities out there and one of them comes through for you. At the end of the day, you really only need ONE good option. Fingers crossed for you.

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7

When did you get the D? WHat year and semester?

8

Oh that’s right, you’re in the Cal discussion and applied there, too. I totally believe you have a shot. Don’t lose hope.

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9

On another thread, the OP said he was accepted to UCSC and waitlisted at UCD and MIT. So he has at least one acceptance.

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10

I’ve seen that the UCs are probably the most forgiving of grade slip-ups. As long as you do a good job explaining the situation/context, that’s not going to be why you’re kept out. Also, this is not a school class. You’re going above and beyond your high school and taking multivariable calculus – a college-level course. That has to mean something.

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11

You feel what you feel and it’s totally understandable to feel a bit beaten up by this process. But it’s not over yet, it really isn’t. Something will come through for you. You have so much to offer any college on your list - at least one is going to recognize that. And that’s all you need.

12

I still am not convinced of your UC GPA calculation. If you got the D the summer after 11th grade, then that should be considered in your calculation. Can you please accurately calculate using the link I provided and give us the following:

  • UW UC GPA
  • Weighted and Capped UC GPA (max 8 honors points)
  • Weighted and Uncapped UC GPA

I do think you have a good shot at Cal and UCSB.

13

It was a college course, so I don’t think that the D would count towards my UC GPA. However, fair, including the multi D my UC GPA would be 3.92. My school doesn’t do weighted, but I’ve taken 2 honors courses and 5 AP courses from freshman - jr year.

14

DE courses are included in your UC GPA and they are given a 1 point bump (like AP courses).

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15

Not true. Perhaps @gumbymom can confirm. I believe all college courses taken during the summer after 9th through the summer after 11th will count towards your UC GPA.

Assuming that the course counts, whats your fully weighted uncapped GPA.

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16

If a 1 pt bump is included into UW then my UC GPA is 3.95.
Again my school does not do weighted but if they did:
Unweighted GPA: 3.92
Weighted GPA: 4.21
Weighted and Capped GPA: 4.13
My school is strange and does not normally allow sophomores to take AP courses, but I skipped to AP Calc BC so I was able to sneak in that AP. We have 18 APs total, 4 of which are world languages…
I don’t know why this matters, to be honest. At worst my GPA is a 3.92 so it could not have been the limiting factor in my decision, only the D.

17

If the course is UC transferable and taken the summer after 9th through the summer before 12th it counts in the UC GPA calculation, it needs to be reported on the UC application and the college transcript send to the UC the student enrolls in. Also calculated into the UC GPA.

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18

If you have so many APs, then this # cannot be correct. Again, please correctly calculate the Uncapped Weighted GPA using the UC methodology. Not the weighted GPA from your HS transcript.

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19

Our school is very similar in terms of APs, so I understand that, and more importantly, the UCs will understand that. Your GPA looks within striking range for the UCs, even with that D. You still have as good a shot as anyone, perhaps even better given your impressive extracurricular accomplishments.

20

You’re right, I calculated incorrectly! My bad.
Weighted GPA: 4.31
Weighted and Capped GPA: 4.13
Also I’m taking 5 APs senior year, so those aren’t included in the UC calculation.