I’m looking at my transcript right now and I can see in one section it says (W) GPA 2.967, under it there is (UNW) GPA 2.917 with a school rank of 147/519.
Further under that there is UC (Capped) GPA 3.00, UC (W) GPA 3.00, UC ELC GPA 2.895, CSU GPA 3.00.
How should I interpret these numbers? With a SAT of 1600 what should I expect my chances to be for CSUs and UCs?
Little to none for any UCs.
CSU’s maybe…
The (W) means weighted and the (UNW) means unweighted. The UCs calculate GPA in a slightly different manner. There is a list of differences between your regular GPA and your UC GPA (along with a calculator) at http://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
The ELC GPA refers to the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program. You can find more information about it at http://www.ucop.edu/student-affairs/programs-and-initiatives/undergraduate-admissions/eligibility-local-context.html.
This page has more information regarding the UC GPA. http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/q-and-a/calculating-gpa/index.html
You can find out how the CSU GPA is calculated at http://www.csumentor.com/planning/high_school/gpa_calculator.asp
With that GPA I think your chances aren’t very good for some of the competitive UCs but you should have a decent chance at UC Riverside and UC Merced.
You need a minimum UC GPA of 3.0 to apply to a UC and even at the minimum your chances are low for all but UC Merced and UC Riverside which will be slight reach schools.
For the CSU’s, all except Cal Poly SLO will accept you based on your Eligibility Index (EI). To calculate, you need your CSU GPA and your SAT Math + CR scores. EI= (CSU GPA x800) + (SAT Math + CR).
The CSU’s will rank you based on your EI and major. They start accepting from the highest EI down until all the spots are filled.
What is your EI? What is your intended major? Do you have any preferences? What is your local CSU? Local applicants get priority to their CSU.
Using the EI formula on CSUMentor : (GPA) x 800 + SAT Total. I would have a 4,000.
Using the one you gave me I would have 3,450. I plan on taking a major in Computer Science.
The CSU Mentor EI calculation is incorrect. CSU’s only used SAT Math + CR in their admission decisions so that is actually what is meant by SAT total. So the EI of 3450 is correct not the 4000. My posted formula is correct. The CSU Mentor website has been notified of the so called typo but if you look at the explanation of the EI, the site does state::::: The CSU does not use the SAT Writing section or the ACT Writing score to calculate the CSU Eligibility Index::
Your CSU choices are many. SDSU/Cal Poly SLO/CSULB/CSU Fullerton/Cal Poly Pomona/Chico State will be Reaches but the other campuses are all possible. SJSU is the only CSU that publishes their EI cutoffs for each major, so you can use their numbers as a guideline.
http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/static/admission/frosh-f2015impact.html
Thank you very much for helping me understand the process and my chances a little more. I appreciate it.