<p>bump to give anxious applicants something to do while waiting</p>
<p>I want UCSD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>rider730 r u guessing the 7700 cut off because the cutoff for 2006 was 7426 , it shouldn't go up 274 points in just 2 years right when it only went up 10-15 total points in the last 3 yrs?</p>
<p>amby262roy - </p>
<p>I have no special insights but noted the several large bumps in applications in 2007, 2008 and now in 2009. It seemed to track with a couple of applicants for whom I knew enough details to complete the assessment, in that they were not accepted and scored far closer to my estimate than to the 2006 cutoff. </p>
<p>The estimate is just that, an estimate, but perhaps someone who was accepted or rejected last year and was told the cutoff value for 2008 could jump in here and give a more current value?</p>
<p>It is one of the reasons that I caution folks that with all the accuracy of the spreadsheet, there are two things that are not precise. First, the cutoff value as it is just now being determined by UCSD as they determine what value will give them the right number of acceptances. Second, the points assigned for many of the categories require some judgement even with the attempt by UCSD to set a rigorous and common rubric. Thus, one reader might give half points where another would rate someone at full points or a third might not grant any, for some grey area detail in the application. </p>
<p>Still, one can be pretty confident that if well below the estimate, your odds are pretty low and if well above, your odds are sterling. If you are within 100 or so points, much harder to say.</p>
<p>Well, I estimated my points and I have ~8,538 points. Would that be enough for admission?</p>
<p>Well, the key to that answer is how well you judged the points you would be granted. For example, if you did 99 hours of volunteer work, you get zip. It takes 100 and not a minute less to get any points. If you did 199.9 hours, you still get only half the possible points. If you get to 200 hours or more, you get full points. Trinary system - 0, half or full points. If you are not VP or Pres of a club, you get zip for leadership. </p>
<p>The most common mistake people make is to over-credit themselves for those categories without looking at what the rubric tells the adcom reader to assign. </p>
<p>If you were careful, researched the points you should get and were fairly conservative, but still got as high as you did, then the stars look quite favorable indeed. </p>
<p>If you happen to not get an admissions offer, the admissions department will explain how THEY rated those categories and what points they assigned to you, along with the exact cutoff value they used for 2009.</p>
<p>:) I was as conservative as a liberal could be! Haha. So I'm hoping it's enough. Thanks, rider730!</p>
<p>If I'm VP for only ONE club but mentioned that I'm one of the FOUNDERS of another club, would I still get some points?</p>
<p>The way I read the rubric UCSD</a> Freshman Comprehensive Review Process (Dec 2004) you get no points. You would get half points - 150 - if you had pres or vp in two clubs. Founder is not listed.</p>
<p>If you are within 150 points of acceptance but didn't get in, I could see launching a reasonable appeal, if you can demonstrate that being a founder was not just being one of five or six or more people but instead had as much involvement as VP or Pres. If the sole person and you did a huge effort to collect signatures, build plans and lobby for the club, that might push you over. Not sure if it would work but it is at least arguable. </p>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, the rubric is pretty rigid and harsh, thus many people are overly generous with the points they think they will receive.</p>
<p>Haha. Well, if that's the case, I have ~8,388 points. Still good? =P</p>
<p>I wrote about how my mother attempted suicide a year ago and it's impact on me. Would that get me 500 points for "Special Challenges"?</p>
<p>Do you get points for being QOT instead of ELC? For achievements, I didn't mention whether I was 1st/2nd, I just stated that I won a scholarship for a contest. Does that qualify? I'm baffled. So, do they take into consideration of internships that I did over summer? </p>
<p>Adding points from objective categories that are pretty much straightforward... my points add up:
GPA (3840) + SAT (3024) + leadership (300) + volunteer hours (150) = 7314</p>
<p>This excludes any achievement and such. If my award does count, I'd have 7464 pts. </p>
<p>I actually took 2 A-G classes in 8th grade at my high school, but the UC system wouldn't let me add them, and our school limits the number of academic classes we can take, so that places me slightly under the extra A-G courses part. Isn't this a bit unfair? People who are first gen., come from low-income families, and faced trauma, get 1100 freebie pts.</p>
<p>Both my parents attended universities, I faced no trauma, and I don't come from a low-income family.</p>
<p>Is this for real?
What if I have an extremely high GPA, ELC, good test scores, a few but solid extra curriculars, no leaderships, very little community service (less than 20 hrs), really good essays? Does that mean I'm screwed? My college counselor said she would be surprised if I didn't get in, but now I'm really worried. I know someone with lower stats than me, yet a ton of community service who got in... do I have a bad chance?</p>
<p>Yummymango - </p>
<p>Points only for top 4% - ELC only</p>
<p>Talents must be 1st or 2nd place and in something of broad scale - league, region, state, national. I don't beleive scholarships are counted here either. </p>
<p>Just a reminder when you count full points for leadership that UCSD is very strict on how they award these points. Class President or class VP. Editor in chief of school paper. If you were a leader of a club or team, not the entire school, you can only get 150 points and only if you had TWO leadership spots that must be high level, president or VP. Anything less in a club, you get zip. Only one, you get zip. Secretary of whole school - that is same as pres of a club. Many people overaward credits here. </p>
<p>Same with volunteer work, where one second less than 100 hours gets zero and you don't get to full points until at 200 hours or above. </p>
<p>Almost all colleges apply social and public policy in their admissions decisions. This simply codifies it in hard numbers. Yes, there are huge points that will give an admissions advantage to low income or disadvantaged students. Yes, schools look to bump up applicants whose family had not previously attended college, and those bumps mean it is at the expense of someone who otherwise had 'higher stats' or achievements. </p>
<p>I am not agreeing with this, simply pointing it out. An applicant from a family with comfortable financial means and whose parents received college degrees, without significant personal disadvantages, from a decent school, is held to a higher standard. They must perform considerably higher than other applicants in order to prove they worked as hard. The assumption is that those with disadvantaged backgrounds had to work harder and overcome challenges to perform as they did. The points granted to them in college admissions is seen as leveling the playing field against those who 'had it easier'. You therefore must prove you worked as hard, which means considerably higher factual achievement in order to be considered equal. </p>
<p>Schools also look to add some diversity in experiences and backgrounds, to make the whole class more interesting. This is why they offer points for talents and achievements, for example. </p>
<p>Lastly, these are public schools, supported by the state, and thus implement public policy. However, each campus picks the mix of policies and the relative emphasis. Some UCs will give preferences to military veterans, as an example, although UCSD does not. UCD credits students who excelled in a particular academic area, by giving points for someone who received all As in at least one of the a-g categories from Freshman year onwards; UCSD does not. However, UCSD gives points in some ways that others don't. Each campus has its own mix of preferences.</p>
<p>konakai27 - </p>
<p>Excellent essays count for nothing at UCSD. The reader of your application can't pay any attention to how well it is written or how compelling the story. The only purpose of the essay is to look for these categories where points will be granted. If you mentioned that you survived cancer during HS, you will be given the life trauma points. If you talked about winning first place in a national event, you get the talent points. If you mentioned that you spent 400 hours helping the poor in Honduras, you get the volunteer points. Otherwise, nothing. However, the essay is huge for UCB admissions and UCLA is also a holistic reader that looks at the essay as an essay. </p>
<p>Well, ELC gives you 300 points extra. Are there other point categories like low income, life trauma, first in family to college, more than 32 total classes in a-g categories over your four years in HS (including planned senior courses), or a rating for your HS in the bottom rankings among California public schools? </p>
<p>This is long standing, public information yet most school counselors are completely clueless about how the UCs grant admissions. Thus, they offer advice based on GPA + SAT patterns when those patterns are swamped and massively distorted by these other factors. Each year, counselors are surprised by students that don't get in and by others that they thought had no chance who are offered a spot. UCSD is unusually transparent with their process, but in fact most colleges work something like this which is why the results can seem puzzling.</p>
<p>For the A-G classes, is that by semester or by year?
And for the cutoff, does it mean that people who have above are automatically in and below are automatically out?
Why is the GPA out of 4500? I thought the highest possible UC GPA is 4.4 since you only get 8 extra points. (I got straight A in soph/jr year with 3 approved honors and 2 AP classes so I have a 4.4, right?)</p>
<p>4 years of English
6 years of math (1 was during the summer so I don't know if it counts. another was algebra 1 in middle school if that counts)
4 years of science
3 years of social science/history (1 is econ/gov if that counts)
3 years of foreign lang
2 years of VPA</p>
<p>Does this give me points for the A-G category?</p>
<p>Nevermind about the A-G question.</p>
<p>Can someone check this:
GPA: 4.4 = 4400
SAT: 2080+790+730=3600*.8 = 2880
Classes: See above = 500
ELC = 300</p>
<p>Total = 8080
Is that good enough?</p>
<p>Also, does CSUN Academic Enrichment Program count for the Academic Prep? I took Algebra II to get ahead.</p>
<p>konakai27</p>
<p>The cutoff is an estimate of what value will be calculated for this year by UCSD, but yes what the cutoff means is that any applicant above the number is accepted and any below is rejected. </p>
<p>A score above 8000 looks good!</p>
<p>The cutoff for 2004 was 7,465 (7,586 for out-of-state). </p>
<p>In that year they had 41,000 applicants and 42% of those were admitted.</p>
<p>It has gotten more selective, which is where the 7700 estimate comes from.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering my questions! =) I'm just really anxious!</p>
<p>I'm still wondering about why the GPA is out of 4500, not 4400. And also if the CSUN Academic Enrichment Program counts for anything.</p>