My GPA is pretty high, around 4.3 weighted
I am a terrible test taker and received only slightly above average scores on ACT and SAT, 27 on ACT and cumulative score of 1280 on SAT (however my reading/writing score is 720, 98th percentile. Just did not do well on Math)
Very good extracurriculars, however, over 1000 hours of volunteer work at science facilities plus awards from community for volunteerwork, sports, drum major of band, president of many clubs including national honors society, lots of full time job experiences during summer and part time during school year
I am an IB Diploma Candidate, taking 8 classes this year, seven are IB/college level and one fine art
Also, I am a first generation student (don’t know if that makes big difference?) and am applying as an Undergrad Biology Major
Felt confident in my essays
Do I have a chance at getting into these schools, for anyone who may know: UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, UCSD, UCSB, UCI, Chapman
Our stats are similar: 3.9/4.3, 10 AP classes (5 4’s and 5 5’s), 2150 SAT, and 400 hours volunteering in a hospital laboratory. I applied last year and got into UC Berkeley, USC, UCSD, UCSB, and UCI. I was rejected by UCLA. Being a first generation student to college (congratulations) should definitely increase your chance. UC’s (especially Berkeley) pride themselves in being extremely friendly towards 1st in family to go to college.
You should feel confident about getting into Chapman, UCSB, and UCI. You are certainly competitive for UCSD, UCLA, USC, and UC Berkeley. I’m fairly confident that you should get into at least one or two of the aforementioned schools. If not for the low standardized test scores, you’d have a good shot at all of these schools. Again, congratulations and good luck.
Congratulations on getting into Chapman; hopefully it’s the first of many. At Berkeley, you don’t declare until the end of sophomore year, that being said, I’m intended Business Administration or Economics.
@BingBong284 I was accepted to UCI and UCSB, was waitlisted at Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD, and rejected from USC! I received very generous academic scholarships from Chapman eliminating the cost of my tuition, leaving only housing/living expenses for me to pay for! Thus, I am leaning in that direction. However, I am a little disappointed because I love UCSB but because I am not a California resident and I did not receive any scholarships or financial aid, financing a UC education is nearly impossible.
Did you apply not knowing that the California public schools do not fund non-residents?
OOS students pay full fees.
Chapman sounds like a great option!!
Congratulations on those acceptances, all are great options! Unfortunately, making the decision based on what makes the most sense fiscally is an extremely difficult decision. Berkeley generally lets lots of people off of their waitlist: last year at least five kids from my school got in. No one from my school got off of the UCLA waitlist. I don’t know if this changes how you prioritize, but hopefully it’s helpful information. Chapman has a very different vibe than a large UC school, but considering you earned such a generous scholarship, it is a very viable option. Chapman is in a great location. Not knowing anything about your financial situation, it may be worth it in the long run to pay more for nationally ranked universities. The Chapman network is relegated semi-locally to the SoCal area, whereas UC’s have a reach over all of California with some deflated influence all over the country. At the end of the day, try not to make a decision solely based off of rankings or money. If you regret your decision, four years is a long time to ponder whether you made the wrong choice. Congratulations!