How can I get into UCI?

<p>Hey everyone! I’m new here; I just discovered CC this morning and found myself spending the majority of my Saturday browsing the forum :p.</p>

<p>Anywho, throughout my high school career I have never considered myself wanting to attend a UC. My eyes were fixed on enrolling into a Cal State because my grades are waaay below the requirements for a UC, I think. </p>

<p>But just recently have I realized that I would like to attend a UC, specifically UCI because it is closest to my home. I hope it isn’t too late, as I will become a Senior this upcoming fall who hasn’t taken the SAT II’s yet.</p>

<p>My question to you all is, do I even stand a chance? If I calculated it correctly, I think my UC GPA is 3.49 unweighted and 3.58 weighted. I heard that the average GPA for incoming Freshman of Fall 2009 was somewhere above 3.9. To add to that, I have minimal amounts of volunteer work (like less than 20 hours), and no extracurricular activities. </p>

<p>It seems as though my chances of getting in are terribly slim. I plan on retaking my SAT reasoning test and hopefully score 1900+. On top of that, I will be taking the SAT Subject tests for Biology and U.S. history this upcoming Fall. What else can I do to increase my chances of getting admitted into UCI? And if I have no chance whatsoever, please let me know, as I would hate to see all my effort gone to waste! :(</p>

<p>Much love,
RT</p>

<p>PS. Please forgive me if I posted this in the wrong forum! :)</p>

<p>Get ur GPA around 4
SAT’s if 1900 i think that should be fine.</p>

<p>EC/Volunteer Hours…You need ALOT more…</p>

<p>Absolutely zero EC? Thats not good.</p>

<p>UCI was pretty hard to get into this year… Know some people with 2200sats with like 4.3gpa and got rejected…</p>

<p>yea, you need alot of work</p>

<p>Thanks Lawcha! Do UC’s look at senior grades to determine whether they are admitted or not? I know that the deadline for UC applications is November 30, but will my senior classes influence/hinder my application? For example, if I’m taking AP Bio and some Honor courses for my senior year, would that improve my chances?</p>

<p>-RT</p>

<p>No, senior year isnt counted towards your UC gpa though it is rumored that UCs like to see that you remain consistant throughout your 4 years of hs. For example taking honors/ap classes all 3 years before taking a “break” senior year taking all regular classes leaves a bad taste in the admission officer’s mouth. I think for UCI, they want you to maintain a 3.0gpa weighted throughout senior year.</p>

<p>Oh ya, 1 more thing. There are obviously several cases of overqualified people getting rejected and people with really low scores getting in. Its a combination of personality, ec, grades, achievements, volunteer work, personal essays, economic situation, family background and other factors that make you stand out. Just do your best and hope for good things to happen.</p>

<p>Well I have a confession to make, I’ve only taken one honors course throughout highschool; during Junior year. The rest were all regular classes.</p>

<p>I really want to get into this university! What if, say I took AP Biology and something like Honors Psychology for senior year. Will this be looked upon in a positive way?</p>

<p>Thanks again Lawcha,
RT</p>

<p>It’s probably too late, although you could still apply. My suggestion would be to attend IVC or GWC for 2 years (maybe less) and then transfer to UCI.</p>