<p>So throughout 9th, 10th, and 11th grade I had an unweighted 4.0, but below are my senior grades so far:</p>
<p>AP Literature A/A
Civics A
Economics A
AP Physics C: Mech A/B
AP Calc BC: planned
AP Physics C: E&M planned
British Literature planned</p>
<p>Anyway, will that one B ruin my chances at UCI, UCLA, or UCSD?</p>
<p>I don’t think one B will make much of a difference in their consideration as long as the rest of your stats are in check.</p>
<p>A B in AP Physics will not hurt anything. I promise.</p>
<p>Okay cool, it was just freaking me out a bit.</p>
<p>Okay, so first off, congratulations on your 4.0:D
You should know that the UCs are not finished reviewing applications until as far as April! There are a few factors that contribute to the acceptance of a person from specifically the UC system (and this is coming from myself whom has visited MULTIPLE UC campuses and has spoken to the very offices and counselors that say “yes” or “no”):
-one factor can come from the area in which you live: meaning the closer you are, the more you have what I call “first priority” (this is not what they “solely” depend on, but it is partially true)
-another factor they look for DOES NOT JUST COME FROM GRADES. Those are considered the “top tier” UC schools and it is SO competitive, that they look for the students that have it all. They are looking for the grades, were you in a sport, as well as how much you were involved (clubs/leadership/community). Were you willing to go above and beyond? (For example, I myself went to community college while I was still in high school)… Another factor can be from the major you chose and if it was impacted (Bio majors are ESPECIALLY impacted). And another factor was your personal statement. For those schools especially, you had to describe yourself (remember, they know NOTHING about you other than the generic labels: 4.0, club leader, etc.). They wanted to know YOU. You must stand out.
Times are more competitive if you have looked at recent statistics. I researched the campuses from the year I applied (2011) and UC Davis had about 50,000 applicants and only 22,000 freshmen got through. UCLA had the highest applicants at over 60,000 and only 15,000 got accepted.
Besides, there is no use freaking out about this anymore unfortunately^^ whatever you sent, you sent. So, if you do not get accepted to your dream school, don’t fret. What is more important is answering if you feel a connection to the campus. For example, if you’ve never been to LA or have lived in a city, you may find that your “dream school” is perhaps the worst decision you’ve ever made… The worst part is that you can’t simply just “leave”, sorry buddy but you’re stuck there for at least two years if you decide to transfer. Pick a campus you are most comfortable with and can say “I can happily be here for four years”. There are so many factors to college acceptance and the right campus for you so just make sure that you do plenty of campus visiting and once you pick a campus this year, DO NOT miss any of the important dates and emails that come after clicking the “accept acceptance” button.
Best of luck to you and may the odds be ever in your favor</p>