I am to be a high school senior when i start school in august, and to my understanding, you have to apply to colleges in like November. First question, i just received my ap scores (6 tests, two 1s, two 2s, and two 3s.)(i took advantage of the 5$ tests and took more than i could study for. There was only 4 tests that i actually had a chance in, two of which i passed (apush and lang) and two that i received 2s on (self studied psych, chem). Now college board states that 2s mean possibly qualified, what exactly does that mean? Is there any school that would give me credit for the 2s? Also, i know that some schools do not give you credit for 3s only 4s, is it better to go to a better school without getting credit for aps or a lower school that does give credit? Now how about sending your scores, do you do that after you get accepted to a college or with your application? Also, how do i apply to colleges? Do i just log on to their website or is there a place that would just send out my application to all the colleges i am interested in? How do I write an application? is there outlines i can print out or do i just fill in questions on the website? Now my gpa is not the best but i am shooting for a uc; however, i do not know how my gpa works. when i was given my transcripts late junior year my weighted gpa (if i remember correctly was a 3.3). My last report card junior year (not seen in my transcript was a 4.0, my first 4.0). Now is my cumulative gpa, everything sense freshman year to the end of junior year the gpa that i sent to colleges? I hearrd that only sophomore and junior gpa counts? is that literal, like do i have to manually calculate my gpa from the two semesters of sophomore and junior year? or is my gpa just a combination of only a-g classes? that gpa, i have no idea so lets just say around a 3.3 for future questions. all i know is that my two gpas junior year were 4.0 and like a 3.1 and that my sophmore gpa is slightley higher then my freshman gpa (i think). I took the sat is june so i still havnt recieved my scores however i just winged the test so i probaly did not do so good but i am planning on retaking it my senior year. Now can a good sat score outweigh a poor gpa? like by alot, if so what are some tips to achieving a near perfect on the new sat in the fall? I understand that i am giving you little to work with, but what are my chances at getting into a good uc knowing that i have little extra curricular all i can think of is that i have some service hours from 1 or 2 clubs. That leads to my next question, is a uc really the best option? I am planning on becoming a surgeon, so what exactly is the best route? What is the difference between a uc, state and private? what looks the best? If you can answer that question and provide a list of schools that would be a huge bonus. Now with that said, I live in california but i do not wish to limit my options to only california schools; however, i am not rich so i can not afford a dorm or to live off campus. at the same time i am afraid that my dad makes to much to qualify for financial aid and stuff. What exactly is financial aid? What does it do and ho do i qualify? now if all else fails (or it is simply the best option) how does transferring work? I do it is easier to get into a good school this way but is it the best ption, and how long does it take? Like can i just excel at a community college and then get into like Stanford easy? I do not want to go to a community and be paired with those whom did not give a shit in highschool while i worked my ass off ( the last year at least). But at the same time is it better to go to whichever uc i can right out of highschool which would make it easier to transfer to a top tier or does it make more financial sense to just go to (if any) the best uc i can and then apply to med school? I can not recal if i allready asked this, but what is the best route to med school in my position. As you might have been able to tell, my ignorance on the topic has stressed me the hell out so i apologize for my grammar and redundancy. Just please anyone, help me answer these questions. Thank you for your time.
I know this site won’t let you edit your post after 15 minutes which is frustrating but go back and list questions with numbers and spaces. Look at other posts to get an idea. What you wrote is hard to digest. Organization and the enter key are your friend.
^^^. You might want to read some of the information that is already available on these boards and then come back with a more concise and clearly formatted list of questions. Take a deep breath, focus, and also a few additional things to think about:
1 - have you spoken with your parents about how much they can afford to pay for college
2 - make a plan to study for the SAT (or try an ACT sample test and see if that’s more to your liking). You don’t have much time so you need to study and practice - quick tips alone will not get you a high score
3 - If you truly want to go to medical school, look to keep your undergraduate costs to a minimum as medical school is extremely expensive
4 - Pick a couple of schools and go to their web sites and read about their admissions processes
5 - Visit the Common App web site: http://www.commonapp.org/ and learn about applying via the common app
6 - Introduce your parents to the “Net Price Calculators” on school’s web sites. These allow you to input family income information and get some idea of what the school might cost you
7 - Look at what your options are if you can’t afford to live away from home - what schools are within reasonable commuting distance
Most of these would be excellent questions for your guidance counselor. Your school has provided you zero resources like college fairs or “how to” seminars?
Google for fafsa4caster to calculate a very rough estimate of how much you’d be expected to pay for college (therefore how much financial aid you may get).
You don’t want to limit to CA schools but you don’t plan to pay for housing <-- this makes no sense.
Figure out what you can afford, then start looking for where you can get accepted. Take specific questions (like how to master the SAT) to those specific boards. You will probably find the advice you need already on those boards.
Terrible advice. You need to use the Net Price Calculator on each school’s web site to get an good idea of FA available. Some schools are able to give a lot (Harvard, etc), others not so much (usually your public Us).
I couldn’t get through the wall of text but if the OP is actually from CA they have great FA for low income families. Not for others. You have to pay your fair share. Once again, use the Net Price Calculators.
Alright I broke the wall of text up a bit
I am to be a high school senior when i start school in august, and to my understanding, you have to apply to colleges in like November.
- First question, i just received my ap scores (6 tests, two 1s, two 2s, and two 3s.)(i took advantage of the 5$ tests and took more than i could study for. There was only 4 tests that i actually had a chance in, two of which i passed (apush and lang) and two that i received 2s on (self studied psych, chem). Now college board states that 2s mean possibly qualified, what exactly does that mean? Is there any school that would give me credit for the 2s?
I don’t know of any colleges that give you credit for 2s. Some may exist, but considering a 2 is technically a failing grade I wouldn’t count on it.
- Also, i know that some schools do not give you credit for 3s only 4s, is it better to go to a better school without getting credit for aps or a lower school that does give credit?
That’s a pretty subjective decision. If you want to go to med school you generally want to minimize your undergrad costs (since med school is really expensive).
- Now how about sending your scores, do you do that after you get accepted to a college or with your application?
You generally send your AP scores after you’ve been accepted, but your SAT, ACT, and SAT subject scores with your application.
- Also, how do i apply to colleges? Do i just log on to their website or is there a place that would just send out my application to all the colleges i am interested in? How do I write an application? is there outlines i can print out or do i just fill in questions on the website?
Most colleges use the common application system.
http://www.commonapp.org/
You basically create an account, choose your schools, fill out the general application, fill out the college specific supplements, and submit the application. You’ll also need to send your SAT, ACT, SAT2 scores and rec letters (if required).
The UCs and CSUs use a different system. Just google “UC application” and you should find it. It’s a similar process as the common app.
- Now my gpa is not the best but i am shooting for a uc; however, i do not know how my gpa works. when i was given my transcripts late junior year my weighted gpa (if i remember correctly was a 3.3). My last report card junior year (not seen in my transcript was a 4.0, my first 4.0). Now is my cumulative gpa, everything sense freshman year to the end of junior year the gpa that i sent to colleges?
Your cumulative GPA is your GPA throughout high school, which you will list on your common app - that’s the one you’ll list on the common app.
The UC (and I think the CSU) application has you manually enter your grades for each subject so they can calculate the GPA themselves.
- I hearrd that only sophomore and junior gpa counts? is that literal, like do i have to manually calculate my gpa from the two semesters of sophomore and junior year? or is my gpa just a combination of only a-g classes? that gpa, i have no idea so lets just say around a 3.3 for future questions. all i know is that my two gpas junior year were 4.0 and like a 3.1 and that my sophmore gpa is slightley higher then my freshman gpa (i think).
See #5
- I took the sat is june so i still haven't received my scores however i just winged the test so i probaly did not do so good but i am planning on retaking it my senior year. Now can a good sat score outweigh a poor gpa? like by alot, if so what are some tips to achieving a near perfect on the new sat in the fall?
A good SAT score can offset a poor GPA, though no one outside the admissions office can tell you by how much - I feel like it’ll vary case-by-case. Check out the SAT/ACT preparation board for study tips.
- I understand that i am giving you little to work with, but what are my chances at getting into a good uc knowing that i have little extra curricular all i can think of is that i have some service hours from 1 or 2 clubs.
Define “good”.
The “big 3” UCs (Berkeley, LA, San Diego) have average admit GPAs of around 4.15 which is a pretty big reach for you.
You can check out the exact values here: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/profiles/
- That leads to my next question, is a uc really the best option? I am planning on becoming a surgeon, so what exactly is the best route?
If you’re planning on going to med school, the best option (realistically) is the school at which you can get the best GPA while participating in extracurricular activities like research, shadowing, volunteering, etc.
- What is the difference between a uc, state and private? what looks the best? If you can answer that question and provide a list of schools that would be a huge bonus.
Both the UC and CSUs are public schools funded by the State of California. Here’s a paragraph detailing the differences.
“The California State University (CSU) began as a system of teacher’s colleges and evolved into a
broader system of higher education. It is one of the three segments of California public higher
education, the others being the University of California (UC) and the California Community
Colleges. The CSU grants bachelors and master’s degrees that have a practical, career
orientation. The assumption is that most CSU graduates will want to enter work based on their
bachelor’s degree training. There are now 23 CSU campuses. The UC was established as the
focal point for academic and scientific research within the higher education system. In addition
to bachelors and master’s degrees, the UC grants doctorates and professional degrees. The
emphasis at the bachelor’s level is on theoretical learning, the assumption being that most UC
graduates will pursue a higher degree before entering their career. There are nine UC campuses
(though one is a professional school only), with a tenth scheduled to open in Fall 2005.”
(https://www.imperial.edu/ivc/files/WHAT_IS_THE_DIFFERENCE_BETWEEN_THE_CALIFORNIA_STATE_UNIVERSITY_AND_THE_UNIVERSITY_OF_CALIFORNIA.pdf)
Private schools are not funded by the government. Thus the tuition for private schools tends to be higher than that of public school - though OOS tuition can be about as high as private school tuition.
If you want a list of schools, you can use the “find a college” tab to search for colleges that match your stats and interests.
(part 1)
- Now with that said, I live in california but i do not wish to limit my options to only california schools; however, i am not rich so i can not afford a dorm or to live off campus. at the same time i am afraid that my dad makes to much to qualify for financial aid and stuff. What exactly is financial aid? What does it do and ho do i qualify?
Financial aid is money a school, private trust, the government, etc gives you to pay for school. You can apply by submitting a CSS profile on the collegeboard website and applying for FAFSA.
- now if all else fails (or it is simply the best option) how does transferring work? I do it is easier to get into a good school this way but is it the best ption, and how long does it take? Like can i just excel at a community college and then get into like Stanford easy? I do not want to go to a community and be paired with those whom did not give a **** in highschool while i worked my ass off ( the last year at least).
Stanford rarely admits transfer applicants - most of the top 20 schools are like that with transfer applicants. There are counselors at Community Colleges that can help you with these kind of things.
Also don’t look down on Community College students. Sure some people go there because, they didn’t work particularly hard in college, but many people are there because they either couldn’t get into the schools they liked, couldn’t afford other schools, or a plethora of other reasons.
- But at the same time is it better to go to whichever uc i can right out of highschool which would make it easier to transfer to a top tier or does it make more financial sense to just go to (if any) the best uc i can and then apply to med school?
That’s a bit subjective and really depends on your financial situation.
Not to be mean, but one thing you should keep in mind is that med schools care A LOT about your undergraduate GPA. Your GPA and MCAT scores are, arguably, the most important aspects of your med school application. You need at least a 3.5 to realistically be considered, and given that your high school GPA is a 3.3 and premed is much harder than high school, you’ll need to to work a lot harder in undergrad if you want to make it into med school.
(part 2)
I didn’t realize there was a character limit on these responses…first time for everything i guess.
(part 3)
- No schools give credit for less than a 3. AP scores are only sent after your Senior year and only to the school you plan to attend.
- Since you are a CA resident, Cal States are very generous with AP credit. You will also get credit the UC's and many of the private schools.
- SAT/ACT and SAT 2 subject tests scores need to be sent before or with your application.
- Cal States and UC's have their own application. Many private schools use the Common application and the rest have their own applications on their websites.
5/6. UC’s and CSU’s use 10-11th grades for the a-g courses for their GPA calculation. They will give you up to 8 extra honors points (8 semesters) for UC approved Honors/AP/IB or DE courses. See link and type in name of HS for your approved honors classes; https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/institution
Cumulative GPA for the common app would be your academic GPA for 9-11th grades. Do not include classes like PE/Health. Only Science/social studies/foreign language/math/art/English classes.
Other schools will use 9-11th and even 1st semester 12 grade in the admissions review and GPA.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
- High test scores do not always out weigh a low GPA, especially for the UC's where GPA is king.
8/9. If you plan to go to Medical school, you want to find a college where you have a chance for a high GPA, access to medically related volunteer/internships and at a low cost. UC’s are a good place for Pre-med students, but the competition is fierce. Top Cal states and private schools can give you the same chances as pretty much any of the UC’s as long as you have an excellent GPA, high MCAT score and your medically related EC’s, along with affordability. You want to keep your undergrad costs as low as possible.
10/11. Regarding which is better, it will depend upon how much you and your parents can pay for college and if your have the stats to get into many of these colleges. FASFA will determine if you are eligible for Federal aid. If your parents have a low enough income, you could also qualify for Cal Grants and Blue and Gold opportunity scholarship if you are a California resident. What you need to find out is how much can your parents pay and what is their EFC (estimated family contribution).
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/paying-your-share/expected-family-contribution-calculator
Also each college website has a NPC (Net price calculator) that can use to estimate how much financial aid you may get. Some times privates universities can cost less than a public.
- Since you are a CA resident, the community colleges have a very good transfer pathway to the CSU's and UC's.
You take your general Ed's major pre-requisite and some major classes at the community college and then apply for transfer within in 2 years (Junior level status). Very cost effective along with TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) for the UC's or AS-T for the CSU's.
You can use assist.org to determine which classes are transferable.
http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/degrees/AAAS-TDegreeRequirements.shtml
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/
Now just based on your posted GPA of 3.3, the only UC’s where you might have a chance would be UC Merced and Riverside. UCSC average UC/CSU GPA is 3.88, while the rest of the UC’s have 4.0+ UC GPA’s average. No SAT test scores so really can only say these seem to be the only realistic options for the UC’s.
For the CSU’s however, there are 23 campuses and a 3.3 GPA along with a solid SAT score could get you into the majority of the CSU’s except for Cal Poly SLO, San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach, Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona.
The CSU’s admit by major and eligiblity index: (CSU GPA x800) + (SAT Math + CR).
You get priority at your local in-service area CSU, so if you get a decent SAT score, you should have at least one CSU acceptance guaranteed. See link for local in-service area CSU.
http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/CSULocalAdmission-ServiceAreas.pdf
1 priority: Find out how much your parents can pay/year in a $$ amount and determine your EFC.
2 Figure out what your CSU/UC GPA along with your Cummulative academic GPA for common app
3 Intended major?
4 SAT scores? If not happy, you need to finish testing by the November or December sitting depending upon which schools you are applying. Start doing some prep for the next SAT.
On to the CSU and UC websites to familiarize yourself with the application process. Start thinking about ideas of the short question prompts for the UC application and common application.
PM me or post more questions as needed.