Hi everyone!
I’m a junior and I’m hoping to attend UCLA or UCB in the fall of 2017. I’m a fairly strong student but am looking for insight from others on my chances.
Scores:
Weighted GPA- 4.29
Unweighted GPA- 4.04
Would someone help me understand how to calculate UC GPAs?
First SAT test- 560 CR, 610 Math, 610 Writing= 1760
Second SAT test- 530 CR, 640 Math, 710 Writing= 1880
(I know the SAT is my weakness… working hard to increase all aspects.)
Taking the SAT for a third and final time in January and will take the ACT once in the spring
Sophomore Year Classes:
Precalculus- A
Honors Biology- A
Photojournalism 1 (Yearbook)- A+
Physical Education- A+
AP World History- A (and a 4 on the AP exam)
French 4 Honors- A
Honors English- A
Junior Year Classes:
AP Calculus AB
Chemistry
Photojournalism 2 (Yearbook)
AP Economics
AP United States History
French 5 Honors
AP Language and Composition
Extra Curricular Activities:
Travel softball team- 9th and 10th grade
JV Softball- 9th grade
Varsity Softball- 10th grade
Key Club member- 9th, 10th, 11th grade (and will be a member in 12th grade)
Key Club committee chair- 11th grade
Managing editor of the yearbook- 11th grade
Advisory Panel member- 11th grade
Member of:
National Honor Society
French National Honor Society
Quill and Scroll Publications National Honor Society
Science National Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society
Attended:
Barnard College week long pre-college program on Philosophy- Summer 2015
Yearbook NV (week long yearbook seminar)- Summer 2015
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Conference- Spring 2016
Washington Journalism and Media Conference- Summer 2016
Recognition:
Visual Arts 3rd Quarter Award- 9th grade
Husky Heart (softball team award)- 9th grade
Academic Letter- 9th grade
Academic Pin- 10th grade
Editor in chief award- 10th grade
Varsity Letter- 10th grade
I would really like to major in Communications/Media studies and minor in Music/Music Industry.
Thanks for taking a look and giving me feedback 
Your unweighted GPA can’t be 4.04.
@silverstag88 My school system’s gpa scale counts A+'s as 4.3 so I think that helps make my unweighted GPA a 4.04
@claire32 I’m assuming the UC’s will count that as a 4.0 then. This might help you calculate your GPA: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/q-and-a/calculating-gpa/
I like to use the Roger hub UC GPA calculator: http://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
UC’s use only a-g courses from 10-11th grade and you can get up to 8 semesters of Honors points for UC approved Honors classes, AP/IB or DE classes. This will be your capped UC GPA. If you are a California HS student, you can look up your HS a-g courses on this link: https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/all
Your grades look good, so keep up the good work. Your SAT needs to be in the 2100+ range for the best chances at UCLA and UCB, so work on your test prep.
You cannot use your school’s GPA since each school weights classes differently.
Good Luck.
@Gumbymom I just used the Roger hub UC GPA calculator. I have 27 semesters of a 4.0 and 2 semesters of a 3.0. I’m not a California resident so the only UC approved honors courses I’ll have will be my 5 AP classes. With entering all of that in, it says that my UC GPA will be a 4.1? Is that possible or am I doing it wrong?
You can only use 4 AP classes (8 Semesters worth) for the capped UC GPA. You enter in your individual grades from the a-g course list: http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/
Are you saying you have 27 A’s and 2 B’s for 10-11th grade? PE doesn’t count.
@Gumbymom It says to enter the number of semesters I have completed of A’s and B’s. My sophomore and junior year consist of 14 full year classes and 1 semester class. I will have an A in 13 of the full year classes, a B in 1 of the full year classes, and an A in the half year class. Does this mean I enter 27 semesters of A’s and 2 semesters of B’s?
@Gumbymom I guess I’m a little confused on the a-g courses. Would my yearbook class that I took in 10th and 11th grade count for 4 semesters of an a-g course?
PE is not an a-g course. Yearbook is considered an English course (College prep elective) so it would be considered an a-g course. I gave you a link to the a-g courses: Math/History/Visual and Performing Arts/English/Science/Foreign Language are considered a-g courses. As an OOS applicant, it is important that you take a Visual or Performing art class (1 year required for the UC’s) which I do not see listed for 10 or 11th on your course list. You need to take this type of class by end of Senior year or your application will not be considered.
@Gumbymom I took an Art class in 9th grade. Is it still okay that it’s not part of my 10th and 11th grade classes?
@claire32: In looking at your intended major, and 10th and 11th grade activities, then your SAT writing and reading scores, I have some concerns. As you are in 11th grade and have time to address some of the concern, I will mention them here.
First, for you to retake the SAT without a concerted effort at preparing differently than you have before would be a mistake. Can you hold off on taking the SAT until first semester of your senior year, and use the summer to do some serious prepping? (Are you seeking to work within the soon-to-be relinquished format, and do not care to study for the new format?)
Your interest in a writing heavy major, with just as heavy a dependence on strong writing skills for your minor, would require that you have the strongest skills in those areas of interest/areas of testing.
Joining so many clubs in 11th grade make your efforts at participating in such groups seem a bit transparent, a bit thin of full commitment , and may actually be taking away time from your ability to study or commit to the things which are most important to you. You want to show that have a full commitment to something(s) more than a wingspan across a multitude of different clubs and activities.
Have you looked at your high school’s statistics in Naviance for information on how many students your school has been able to successfully place at your desired universities? Even at places like (lower-tiered but excellent) Syracuse and Northwestern, both of which would have extremely strong programs for communications/English. My concern is that your school may have a reputation for grade inflation if many students with your gpa cannot crack the upper levels of the SAT and be accepted into those schools.
You would not be able to change a university’s perception of your high school’s grading practices if that were the case.
As you know, it is extremely difficult to gain entry into the UCs, though there is debate about that route being less difficult for full-pay, out of state students.
I wish you luck in your educational choices.
@Waiting2exhale Thank you for your feedback!
I am looking to take the SAT before it changes to the 1600 scale. I am content with my math and writing scores and my essay score of 10, but am working hard to fix my critical reading score as I know it’s a problem.
I have heard that joining several clubs can become a problem on applications, but the clubs I have joined are mainly volunteer tutoring before school and during free periods at school, which still gives me time to study and do important things. I am mostly committed to yearbook because I am a managing editor and will be applying for editor in chief for my senior year, and I am still able to spend several hours after school getting things done when necessary. I am looking for something else, another extra curricular, that will show my love for writing and reporting but am unsure of what I could do.
My school system does have a bit of grade inflation since A+'s are seen as 4.3’s, but several students apply and get into ivy league schools each year so I am not too concerned about that. There was a student last year who is now attending UCB. I live on the east coast so most students apply to east coast universities. I am more or less alone on my quest to be accepted to a UC school.
Thanks again for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
First question:
Can your parents afford the UC’s? The cost to OOS students is $55K per year, for a total of $220K over 4 years. This is a lot of money for an undergraduate education at a public university.
@“aunt bea” Both my parents and I have been saving for my whole life. My parents have expressed that if I get into the school of my dreams/a good university that they would be sure that I could attend.
You have an essay score of 10? That is rather awesome. That fits in,and reflects well, your preparedness for your goals in terms of intended major. Yes, I see the critical reading score is much lower than the writing score. Then that is your work.
There are some pretty great conversations here on CC about study practices and strategies. If you search I am sure you can find some.
Good luck to you.
@Waiting2exhale Thank you so much!
Yes, we told our kids the same thing, but the price of a university education went up significantly since they were born.
You need to find out if they have the money to pay these costs. Are they aware that you will not receive a penny of financial aid from the UC’s? You’re OOS so California residents have priority.
Your test scores on the SAT are lower than the average admitted student profile for UCLA http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/ucla/freshman-profile/
and UCB
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/berkeley/freshman-profile/
Talk to your parents; they may not realize how much it costs to pay for the UC’s, especially without scholarships, grants or anything else.