<p>I have about a 3.6-3.7 unweighted GPA, 1940 on the SATs, & an abundance of extra curriculars. My best friend has about the same GPA, 1700 on the SAT, & a few less extra curriculars.</p>
<p>So at first we thought it was weird that she got accepted to UC Davis, but rejected from UCSB.</p>
<p>Then, I was accepted to UCSB. I'm assuming that I was in the top half of the class, since I was invited to a Chancellor's Reception.</p>
<p>The catch is, my friend got into UCSD and I didn't.</p>
<p>I thought it was unusual that I had such high honors at one school where she didn't even get accepted, then she got into (what I'm assuming is) an even more competitive school, and I didn't.</p>
<p>The only explanation I can think of is that my major is impacted while hers isn't, but it is impacted at UCSB as well.</p>
<p>A lot of people at my school are getting rejected from UCSB, while, on the flip side, a lot are getting accepted into UCSD. Any other unusual UC admissions stories, or maybe stats on admissions for each of the schools this year?</p>
<p>And this is completely unrelated, but if I haven't received an acceptance letter from USC by now, can I pretty much assume that I didn't get in?</p>
<p>check the UCSD forum. there's some thread about the unique way SD calculates who gets in and who doesn't. it might help explain a little why the admits/rejections seem weird to some.</p>
<p>ya ucsd is pretty weird about admissions. i have around the same gpa as you and 1830 sat and i got rejected too. but i know some below average ppl who totally got in. i was like <strong><em>?? it's probably the major you picked. that's the only explanation. i asked my teacher and she said that each uc is probably looking for a certain group of ppl and are choosing that way aside from gpa and sat scores. i dont know but it *</em></strong>es me off. i'm going to appeal.</p>
<p>my friend got rejected from irvine, san diego, davis, and got accepted to los angeles. i think they throw all the applications in a giant hat and pull out random papers.</p>
<p>SD goes by a point system. Extracurriculars count for very little. If you don't hold a leadership position in them, they're pretty much worthless.</p>
<p>Perhaps your friend wrote about personal struggles (500 points!), has low-income (300 points) and/or has parents who didn't attend college (300 points). Either one (or two, or three) trounces the ~200 point increase on your SATs compared to hers.</p>
<p>The UC system is seriously skewed. My friend, top 5% in our class of 771 people, GPA of ~3.8, SATs ~2000, had amazing ECs. She's in a research program called Biomed, she's president of one of our most rigorous service clubs, she's played piano since she was 5 and won numerous awards, and she's worked in a lab at USC for four years under a world renowned professor.</p>
<p>And she got rejected. And they won't even GRANT her an appeal. She's so upset, and we're all left baffled as to why she didn't get it. </p>
<p>She called in today and asked why she didn't. And they said it was because her family was well off and COULD ACTUALLY PAY TUITION. Therefore, going by their stupid point system, she didn't get any points in the "Financial Aspect."</p>
<p>The way I see it, won't schools WANT semi-well-off (seriously, she doesn't even qualify as rich) kids so they can have more MONEY?!?!</p>
<p>USC is still sending out their letters of acceptance/decline & will get them all out by early April. Supposedly, they're mailed in batches. My niece's HS all got their initial letters, my son's HS haven't received their initial letters (other than not qualifying for the top merit award letter, for those who received that letter).</p>