Do I have a chance???

I will be a senior next month, and I have a short list of schools I’m interested in. I have zero desire of transferring for in. I want to attend schools in California and nearby states only. My goal is to go to law school, and become a corporate attorney.

My college list so far is:
UCSB (Dream School)
SDSU
UCI
Chico

Should I expand my search and for what schools? Thanks

Senior Year Schedule

  1. AP stats
  2. CP English
  3. Student Government
  4. AP Photography (2d art)
  5. cp government/ cp economics (semester each) [Student Gov’t takes my room away to making one of these AP)
  6. cp physics

overall gpa of 3.4 (UC GPA 3.3)
4 on AP World History test
4 on AP US History test
3 on AP Language and Composition
1600 on SAT (retaking in october)
23 on ACT (retaking in september)
200 community service hours
-member of community service club (interact/rotary) (4years)

  • officer in red cross club (2years)
    -officer of french club (3years)
    -part of Freshman Transition Program
    -California resident

Okay Thanks!!!

What is your SAT score breakdown?

560 math
550 cr
490 writing

25 math
23 reading
22 science
20 writing

the 23 is english in act

For the UC’s, both UCSB and UCI will be Reaches based on GPA and SAT/ACT scores.
Average UC GPA/SAT/ACT for each school last year was as follows:
UCSB: 4.03/1925/29
UCI: 4.05/1867/27
I expect this year’s stats to be higher. Do you have a good explanation for your low grades? Personal adversity? Economic adversity? etc… This could be addressed in your essays and give you a slight bump. Right now your best chances would be UC Merced and UC Riverside. If you can get your SAT/ACT score up to the 1800/27 range, maybe UCSC.

Chico State is a Match and SDSU is a High Match/Low Reach (depending upon major).

Work on getting your scores up, but unless you can get your SAT score to a 2000+ and ACT to a 31+, your dream school will remain a dream.

I would suggest to look at Sac State (good political environment), SFSU and SJSU.

Your Cal State eligibility index for your SAT is 3750 and ACT is 890.

For SDSU, you want an EI of 4000+ SAT or 1000+ ACT to be a competitive applicant.
For Chico State, an EI of 3700+ is competitive, so that school should be a Match.

I wouldn’t want to go to Sac State, I’m from the area. But thank you so much with the rest!

You are a good match for Chico - it is a good school and a great college town. (my son goes there and loves it) Take a look at Sonoma too, it a small and very residential campus (unlike most CSUs). . Fullerton is more of a commuter campus but, worth a look.

UCI, SDSU and UCSB are unlikely as your GPA and SAT are below average. A couple hundred SAT points would open up CSU LB, UCR and possibly UCSC with a strong essay.

I would look at the CSU’s that have open enrollments like Bakersfield, Chico, Channel Islands, etc.
Sorry to repeat that your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are too low for the schools you’ve picked. Santa Barbara, Irvine, SDSU are all too high a reach. You need to study and up your test scores.

Have you looked into job forecasts for law?

It is a saturated market with too many law schools graduating too many lawyers.

My sister’s corporate practice is huge and has several markets across the country, but they are limited in hiring and will only consider in-house referrals. They get lots of faxed resumes that they have to reject; so unless you currently have a family member with a law practice, it will be difficult.

25 on the ACT