Does my high school really matter?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1

Yo, I’m a junior in California this year. By my predictions, my academics and extracurricular are strong enough to get me into UC Merced, Riverside, and Santa Cruz, with LA and Berkely being really low, and all the others being average. But what I wanted to know was whether the high school I go to really changes college admissions. I go to University high school in Irvine(UC Irvine is literally a 20 minute walk from my school) and the other high schools(including mine) often churn out extremely high ranking students. Many seniors from the class of 2017 got into high ranking schools both in and out of state. For this reason, Is it true that I would have a lower chance of acceptance into UCSD than other high schools in California that don’t rank as high or are not as well known?

2

You will be evaluated within the context of your HS. Comparing yourself to other students at other HS’s is a fruitless endeavor and if you are competitive applicant, regardless of HS, you will have a decent chance at an acceptance.

3

kinda for UCs and not at all for CSUs. Theoretically, for example, if your HS has few AP classes, they will give you some slack for a lower GPA. I don’t think much grace is given for being in a super competitive school. If you have access, your schools Naviance scattergram will tell you what you need to get in.

This tool will allow you to see what the admit rate and GPA of your HS vs others.

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/admissions-source-school

4

@Gumbymom How do UCs compare you to the students of your high school? Do they have the statistics of said high school in hand?

5

Each school will send a school report. The Report includes your senior year class schedule, information about your school (grading system, class size, etc.). This how you are compared to your fellow classmates. Use the link provided by @NCalRent in the above post for GPA comparisons between HS’s.

6

@Gumbymom @NCalRent Are the GPAs in the link you sent me all capped. I’m talking about the “Frosh GPA by HS” section btw.

7

Yes they are capped weighted.