Honestly Im Ashamed But I'll Give It A Try

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
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<p>Before you continue and further I am FAR from being the best student. So please do not berate me more than I have already done to myself.</p>

<p>I want to know my chances to getting into UCB mostly. As far as I can tell for myself I have a slim chance to none into getting in, but hell we only live once so I might as well give it a try.</p>

<p>Right now Im sitting on a 2.9 GPA, I know its bad! From Freshman to Sophmore year I was generally around the 3.5 GPA area again not the best, but better than now. I messed up my Junior year due to a year of personal growth I became negligible of my studies and I instead learned lessons that would not be reflected on over all GPA or grades. </p>

<p>I failed one class US History my first F in my whole life. The worst part about it was that it really was not my fault! Get this, I came to school more than the teacher did who was constantly absent! He was new to the school and his teaching skills were absolutely horrific with no semblance of organization. I did all my work in that class, except one book report which for some reason was the anchor for our grades in that class. More than 80 percent of his class failed this was in the last half of first semester, I had an A first quarter. We tried to go to the counselor trying to voice our distress on how unfair the class was, but we were ridiculed instead being told it was our fault that we failed. Second semester comes along and he passes my two friends who are far from academic over achievers. THEY PASSED WITH 75+ absences from that class. They were heavy skippers. I beleive he got in trouble for failing more than half of my class, but the school did NOTHING to remedy those who got screwed over. So I got stuck with an F!</p>

<p>Now I had one AP class that year and yes I will take the blame for this one I got a D for that class, but out of all the students within that class which was about 35 I was one of 5 students who got a 3 or above. I know a 3 is only qulalifying, but its something! I also got a C for Honors Algebra II but that was my fault and math isn’t really my strong point but Im willing to work that out!</p>

<p>So as you can see I did pretty well in my Freshman and Sophmore year did bad on my junior year. </p>

<p>Did I mention I did my freshman year in a private school? They screwed me over as well making me take PE all over again in my present school because their PE credit was apparently only worth an elective.</p>

<p>I come from a military family and moving is generally a frequent thing for me. With my dad being often gone I was always in charge of keeping my household together. I cooked and cleaned took care of my baby brother made sure my other brother understood his homework and basically did everything throughout the house. My mom is a registered nurse she is rarely is home and My father in the Navy often drifting at sea 8 months at a time. </p>

<p>I held a job at blockbuster recently this summer, but that proved to be to much for my mom and me to keep up with while taking care of my brothers. My family is the first generation of our family immigrated to America. We have no other family to help us with baby sitting. My family is also very traditional stressing the importance of family above all things even education. They care about education to but that did not give me enough time to go all out on any extra curricular activities.</p>

<p>As for extra curriculars and awards and things that make me “me”</p>

<p>managed the Dance Squad At My school
Worked in Newspaper in Freshman Year Attended a leadership conference for it that same year
I have been awarded for exceeding the reading standards on the HSA (Hawaii State Assesment) exam.
I have been on the honor roll many times
And From time to time been on the principals list
I love to play the guitar
and am an avid break dancer (tried to make a club but with my schools anal system that didnt work out)
I also participated in our schools interact club
I have done community service for public events and I have also done community service to my local catholic church
I took confirmation classes for the catholic church and have participated in retreats and such (I really dont know if that counts for anything but spiritual growth)
As for any ACADEMICALLY focused extra curriculars I cant think of anymore right now.</p>

<p>By the way I live in Hawaii. Oppurtunity is present but not easily accesible to everyonce since everyone is basically so condensed there isnt enough to go around. I am from the largest public school in the state but at the same time I do not beleive it can even begin to compete with the high schools in California. Im hoping that Geography plays a role in the selection process. </p>

<p>While I wish I could tell you all my whole story I beleive that I have typed enough to keep you all reading for a while. If there is anything else you guys would like me to clarify to better help discern my chances into getting into berekely please feel free to ask.</p>

<p>By the way I got a 1480 on my SAT yea I know really bad! I was ****ed off when I took the test for personal reasons and I barely read the questions I tried to just mark them off as fast as I can to go to sleep. HOWEVER I am going to retake the SATs again with a clear mind because I know for a fact I CAN DO BETTER. Im planning to take it twice over along with the required subject tests.</p>

<p>I also take most Honors Classes, College Prepatory Classes, and AP Classes.</p>

<p>Please help me out here! Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Mahalo!</p>

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<p>Yes, geography plays a role, but not in a way that will help you. OOS applicants have somewhat higher stats than instate. But, the key is 'UC gpa' which excludes Frosh grades, but is weighted (+1 bonus point for UC-approved honors and AP semester courses). For admission eligibility, there is a cap of 8 bonus points. </p>

<p>The Univ of Cal requires a minimum 3.0 UC gpa for eligibility, so you'll need to recalculate it.</p>

<p>The mean UC gpa for Cal is about a 4.1, but Cal is holistic and essays count, a lot. Also, the UCs give a plus factor to first generation kids, and those that need to help the family. The odds are not good.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>I forgot to add my current course schedule!</p>

<p>Right now Im taking Japanese 1</p>

<p>Honors Trignometry/ Pre-Caluclus</p>

<p>AP Psychology</p>

<p>AP English Lit Com</p>

<p>AP Physics</p>

<p>My AP classes are a full year while the math and Japanese classes are one semester. I am planning to take Japanese 2 and a fine art as well. overall this year I can get a 5.0 if I do absolutely well. Any suggestions and comments are greatly appreciated! I want to hear more than one perspective!</p>

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<p>Also I have no idea if this holds any power over the admission process, but I was born in California, Fresno respectively. I have only lived my first year of life in California apart from that I know very little about the state of my birth. I lived in Japan for 7 years of my early life, counting all the time spent in the Phillipines I can say i've lived there for about 2 years and now im here in hawaii for about 6 years. I've moved a lot in my life haha.</p>

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<p>In your application essay you should really talk about all your moving or how you have to take care of your brothers.
berkeley is gonna be a HUGE, and i MEAN HUGE reach.</p>

<p>and next time you take your sat try to stay awake :) lol.
why do you like berkeley, in particular?</p>

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<p>I'm not gonna lie there is a certain attracting factor to prestige, but among other things I intend to be a pharmacist one day. I'm not the type to make back ups and such I set a goal and I intend to reach it. I know I didn't do exactly well in preparing for the high school to college transfer, but if the situation had been different in my life I would've worked harder in looking like the start student they intend to find. I want to go to UCSF and they require a two year prerequisite for their pharmacy program.They are as well are very competitive, but at a college level, they don't take your high school into consideration as far as I know. I just feel like I'd have a better chance going there if I get into a good school such as Berkeley and work hard in there. Not to mention the excellent programs they offer. I also generally wanted to stay within the San Francisco area for personal reasons as well. I see no other good college worth trying to go to in or around San Francisco besides Berkeley. Of course I'm not going to try for UCB alone I will try other colleges, I just want to focus my attention on this particular university alone and try to formulate a plan on improving my chances. </p>

<p>I'm not familiar with the forum terms such as reach. What does a reach mean? Sounds bad since your considering it a huge reach for me haha. Thanks for your help =)</p>

<p>And the SAT thing hahaha, was going through probably the biggest problem in my life in a personal perspective, but I wont go there. I know I can do better. Do you think if I score over 2000 it would help out rule my short comings?</p>

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<p>Berkeley's going to be a reach, if you are allowed to apply.</p>

<p>Have you considered going to community college, getting close to a 4.0, then transferring to Berkeley?</p>

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<p>Im pretty sure I'll be able to apply, I just have to tie up some loose ends. What exactly is a reach by the way? I have considered the idea of going to community college, but I don't intend on staying in Hawaii for two more years, I want to leave as quickly as possible. Free from responsibilities and instead faced with the power to determine what I want and create something of myself haha. I really want to go somewhere within the San Francisco area or somewhere close by if anyone has some good recommendations. Also another thought, the prerequisites required by UCSF only take two years to complete, if I go to a community college thats two years already there I don't want to spend another two doing the same thing. Yea I know I can go for a major, but I want to try and shorten my time trying to become a pharmacist. Save time save money. And no I do not wish to consider another pharmacy school haha. Im trying to be strict on myself so I can aim high in the face of adversity hah.</p>

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<p>Does major affect my chances of getting in? Do I have to declare a major? Will it affect anything if I do no declare? I generally want to stay within UCB for two years and move on to UCSF IF THEY ACCEPT ME. If not I will continue two more years to major in something probably chemistry or something in relation to Pharmacy before trying to apply at UCSF again. Any suggestions would help.</p>

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<p>have you considered the university of san francisco? nice,private school in san francisco. i don't know anything about their pharmacy program, though.</p>

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<p>I have thought about it, they have no pharmacy program, but they require all freshman and sophmores to live on campus. For family and personal reasons I am only considering it as a safety in case I have no where else to go. If i do go i probably will only stay to finish prerequisites if I can get into UCSF if not then ill stay another two for perhaps chemistry. Other then that not so sure hah.</p>

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<p>o you don't want to live on campus?</p>

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<p>A reach means that admission is unlikely. Berkeley is a reach for you because you're stats are far below the median for admits.</p>

<p>You won't have to spend another two years on the prerequisites on pharmacy school since you can just satisfy them at community college and transfer the credits. Some community colleges in California have articulation agreements with the public universities there, meaning guaranteed transfer if the requirements in the articulation are met. You don't necessarily have to stay in Hawaii.</p>

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<p>I see, wow hah. And yeah I don't want to live on campus. Mainly because I don't want them telling me when I have to be in my dorm, when my friends have to leave, things like that. I want to be able to do what I want to do without somebody getting on my back about it.</p>

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<p>Ummmm ........... as far as i know most colleges don't do that ?</p>

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<p>UC Berkeley is probably the toughest school to get into within the UC system. You are out of state, which means you have to have BETTER stats than a typical California student to get in. </p>

<p>You need to work on improving your stats, your grades and test scores. I don't know why you would go into the SAT and "mark them off as fast as I can." This is a serious test, and quite honestly, Berkeley is a serious school. Are you sure you have the passion to pursue this school, which is clearly not the best match?</p>

<p>For private schools, being an out of state school doesn't present a challenge, but in CA right now, with the budget cutbacks, you have to as good as - at the minimum - as the top 10% of students in our state. This last year I know many students that were turned away with a 3.8 gpa with SAT scores substantially higher than yours. They give preference to California students because it is a taxpayer funded school. </p>

<p>I don't want to discourage you. Anything is possible. What concerns me most is the poor grades, most especially getting a C in a math class. Pharmacy major = loads of math classes and science class . You say math is not your strong suit - yet, you are planning for a career in pharmacy. You cannot apply to a UC school with any grade lower than C. You will have to retake those classes in which you got a D or F - they will not give you credit for those classes if they are to fulfill the UC a-g requirement. </p>

<p>But beyond that, you sound like you are blaming everyone for your missteps. High school is a time for learning, both in the classroom and out of it. Take the time and learn how to achieve academically. Work as hard in the classroom as you do in dance, clubs and those extracurriculars. </p>

<p>You failed the history class - blame the teacher and yet admit to not turning in the book report which was critical to your grade. He may have been a terrible teacher, and it sounds like there is more to the story - but listen to what you are saying - which is YOU DIDN'T DO THE WORK.</p>

<p>You would be better off focusing on schools that will match your academic matches - not on the most difficult school in the UC system, especially considering your lack of academic readiness. </p>

<p>If you are deadset on going to UC Berkeley, go to a community college in California for two years, get a transfer in and that way you have a shot. With your grades, this is an unlikely college possibility for you at this time. </p>

<p>This is not about making you feel worse - you have to get it together before you apply to this school. What if you got in? You think it will be an easy school? You have to be academically ready to handle the pressure of this institution - no whining about teachers, no excuses, and you better be ready for these classes. Give yourself some time. It is always possible to apply for graduate school.</p>

<p>Just my opinion. I do wish you the best...</p>

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<p>Goes to show you how much I know about colleges haha. I always thought there was some enforcement to the fact they want you to live on Campus. So I'll still be free to do what I want anytime of the day right? haha</p>

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<p>yes you can do pretty much whatever you want. Dorms typically have curfew hours, which vary by campus. You can check this information out at the residence life section of most campus websites.</p>

<p>Students who live on campus typically have higher GPA's. Wherever you go to college, you might want to consider living on campus. It is easier to get to class, which means you won't blow them off. It is easier to visit professors and go to study groups, and most employers on campus understand students schedules if you choose to work.</p>

<p>You will need to maintain high grades in college to get a serious shot at a grad program, especially in classes in your major.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your input it was very realistic and that was what I was looking for. To clarify on the bad teacher who gave me an F. He did not tell us that the book report would hold the key to pass or fail. He simply told us turn it in like all the other asignments he gave us. I was not the only one to fail that class like I said at least 3/4s of that class failed due to that particular teachers inability to teach. We spent most our time watching movies that had NOTHING to do with history which we then were given work that had NOTHING to do with the text book by SUBSTITUTE teachers. It does not matter anymore though because we the students of nearly every period of his class has tried to say something about the travesty played out by this obviously incapable "teacher", but in our school we are merely students, we hold no power. I'm not complaining or whining about anything I am merely justifying something I believe is truly justifiable. I am not one to cut corners and blame it on the next guy if I know it is truly my fault I would have not taken the time to explain that whole situation. I find it funny how I can get a A the first quarter to only get an F the next quarter over ONE BOOK REPORT. And how can I stand quietly to being failed on a class I attended and did most of the work for while my other friends skipped out on that class so many time the following semester and are still able to pass. Their report cards strictly say 75+ absences and they got an A. I know it sounds absurd, but I believe that is the reason why he got fired this year and is no longer teaching. haha. The SAT thing, I knew clearly in my mind that it was a serious test, but it was a serious problem that I am not willing to discuss due to its personal nature. Trust me if you were in my situation you would probably be hard pressed to focus on the test with a clear head. It wasn't hormones or anything, it was a real problem, that I'm sad to say had some real world affects on my life. Now to address the math is not my strong suit, yes it isn't but when I do get it I get it. The math is manageable and I can do it I just take a little longer than others to fully grasp some concepts. With 45 students on average with a math class in a portable it gets pretty hard to get specific attention. Going after class is pretty hard as well seeing that most teachers seemingly disappear into an endless slew of meetings. As for science, I love science period and for some reason I grasp the concepts of math within science far more easier then with just understanding math. I have no problem with science.</p>

<p>I've come to accept that Berkeley is next to impossible and I'll probably just try for USF if anything hah. Thanks for the input though.</p>

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<p>not to be a downer, but i read earlier you were working to help support the family. USF is private which means extremely pricey to attend .. and housing is definitely going to be expensive in san fran</p>