It has been bothering me but for schools like UCLA who has over 100,000 applicants, how do they manage to look through all the applications? Or are there cut offs and they just auto deny everyone below a certain gpa and such?
Assuming UCLA’s process is like UCB’s as described in the Hout report, UCLA hires lots of readers. Each application is scored by two readers (1 to 5, 1 = best, 5 = worst). If the two scores are too far apart, a third senior reader scores the application.
Then the scored applications are rank-ordered by reading scores (within division or major to the extent that admission is done by division or major) and the top ones are taken until the number to admit is reached. Where the cutoff is within a group with the same reading scores, tie-breaking procedures are used.
This may not necessarily resemble the process at non-UC schools.
Thus, if you have a 3.1 gpa they would still read and rank the application, same if it were 3.5 and so on ?
Generally, your application will be read, but, with a 3.1 or 3.5 GPA, it is unlikely to be given scores that will result in admission.
well from the hout report, im guessing if you have some rare internship and certificates and are low income with your essays explaining what happened to your grades then they wouldnt take you out immediatly.
Yup, you pay the application fee and someone reads your file.
If your GPA is 3.1, including UCM and UCR on your UC application (if you applied) would have been more realistic (though not guaranteed) than just UCLA. (This is assuming that you are a California resident; non-residents need at least a 3.4 GPA to be eligible for admission.)