SO i really dont know what to do with myself. I have been part of numerous programs in highschool which are focused for medicine. I have participated in many clubs and been held in leadership positions. I have been accepted and completed a paid internship for a hospital where i developed alot of contacts and worked with emergency physicians. My college GPA is shot… its a 2.09 (college gpa). I have tons and tons of experiences with my community which i am passionate about and I talk about alot through my high school health care program projects.
I really want to go to UC Davis or AT LEAST A UC! My odds are terribly low right now since my SAT score all together is 1190 and my ACT composite score is 17. I am looking into some privates as well but I really cant stand the fact that my college GPA is SO LOW!! I mean since i am a senior, the grades for this semester wont probably count since the apps are due november 15th and our semester ends in December.
What else can i do to make myself in a position to be better to be accepted by UC’s and privates in California. How is my likenesses for admission looking now?
I need serious help and guidence.~ Going to a CC and transferring is absolutely not an option for me.
HELLLLLLP
Maybe not a CC, but maybe Nebraska or Michigan State or something, and that’s if you get good grades this year and improve your ACT by a few points. Consider UC Davis a reach. You can transfer if you do well enough in college; by then, colleges won’t care about your high school GPA.
Why are the applications due in November? Are you going to apply early decision? I wouldn’t recommend applying early since it’d be better to have the extra time to bring your credentials up. It is good that you’ve worked in a hospital and had a bunch of leadership; however, grades cannot be overlooked unless you can provide a very good reason.
I think that you can do a lot better than community college (shoot, on College Confidential people act like you’re destined for a CC if you have below, like, a 3.3 and a 26 on the ACT). However, you will have to work at it and portray yourself in the best light possible.
I would recommend structuring your application portfolio like this:
-1 CC (just in case you don’t get in anywhere else)
-2 or 3 noncompetitive state schools
-as many reaches as you want, like UC Davis, but don’t bank on getting into them
At this point, I think that applying to UCLA or UC Berkeley would be a waste of time and money, since so many people applying there have 3.8+ GPAs and 33+ ACT scores. However, if you work hard enough wherever you do go, you may be able to transfer to one of them or even to somewhere more competitive.
Meet the 11/15 deadline for applying for first round consideration (that demonstrates interest). Include a letter saying you are really working hard and will provide your 1st semester grades by <date>. Also, talk with your Admissions rep about the same thing. That way, if your grades could make a difference, they won’t reject you outright, and may defer a decision until they see the grades.</date>