how do i look considering i'm out of state?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Female
Asian (Indian)
MA
Competitive public high school (sends many to top schools including Ivys)</p>

<p>Cumulative GPA: 93 unweighted (my school doesn't do it out of 4.0)</p>

<p>All Honors and/or AP classes...and this means 3 AP classes total. I know that's a shocker to some of you, but my school doesn't offer very many at all. This won't hurt me, right?</p>

<p>Rank: 16/300...Top 5%</p>

<p>SAT:
CR-540 (yea, i know...)
M- 660
W- 740 with a 12 on the essay
I working very hard to get that total score up to a 2050-2150. I understand that my CR needs a lot of work, but right now I'm getting in the 600's on practice test things. I'm retaking in Oct and hoping to reach my goal.</p>

<p>ECs <em>Please note that I moved and therefore switched schools after my freshman year. There many seem a slight inconsistency in some activities because of this</em>.</p>

<p>Speech& Debate Team (9th)
-Went to many competitions and won numerous awards even on the state level. Could not continue because it was not available at my new school.
Violin
-Have been playing for 8 years, and freshman year played in the Symphony Orchestra.
Model UN (10th-12th)
-Delegate
Yearbook (10th-12th)
-Will be Editor Senior year.
Science Club (11th-12th)
-Will be Vice President Senior year.
-Serve as a mentor for elementary school kids and help them conduct research at the vernal pool.
PEER Leaders (11th-12th)
-Community leaders from the school.
-We do various community service and help around the school.</p>

<p>Community Service (about 150+ hours)
-Elks Lodge (over 50 hours)
-Pediatric Doctors Office (about 30 hours)
-Local Hospital (about 30+ hours)
-Various other events including Special Olympics, Soup Kitchens, Church</p>

<p>Other Summer Stuff
-Did some research in a Genetics Lab at URI. Did everything from PCR to Extracting DNA to helping with a primer design. My professor said she would write me a strong letter of rec. Would this help?</p>

<p>-Will be Interning at InCube for a few weeks at the end of this summer. It's a biomedical research company in northern CA.</p>

<p>-In summer 2006, I went to India and for about 2 weeks and did some community service there. My grandfather lives in a small (rather poor) village, and he also works in a nearby clinic which treats patients from that area. I worked and helped in that clinic, and will be most likely receiving a letter from the government consulate for my services.</p>

<p>I will most likely pursue something in biology or the medical field. What are my chances for Berkely assuming I will bring up my SAT score to a 2050 or better?</p>

2

<p>If your SAT was a 2050, it’s still not a definite acceptance, but it can help.</p>

<p>If your SAT was a 2050, I think, with everything else, Berkeley would still be at least a low reach for you because you’re OOS.</p>

<p>Your critical reading and math scores should be higher. You could try taking the ACT.</p>

<p>Your GPA in the 4.0 scale would be a 3.72 unweighted, which should be ok/good, but a 3.8 would help.</p>

<p>You should raise your class rank.</p>

3

<p>thanks…anyone else?</p>

4

<p>Yeah, I actually had kind of similar stats to yours, and I got in OOS.
First, it really depends on what college in Berkeley you’re applying to. Some are very very difficult to get into for OOS/international because they’re so competitive, such as the college of chemistry or engineering. However, the college of letters and science is the largest, so if you would like to increase your chances, I’d try to apply to that college.</p>

<p>I’m assuming GPA 93 is pretty good at your school. Is it out of 100? Anyway, the UC system only calculates GPAs using A,B,C,D,F. So if you’ve got a bunch of A- in there, it will look just like an A. So, I’m guessing you’re in good shape GPA wise.</p>

<p>Your SAT is not so certain. My stats were 2110 (approx 700 in each section). Try to get it up if you can, but if you are not taking it again, don’t worry about that.</p>

<p>If you took as many honors classes as you possible could, it should help you. Having taken 3 AP’s is not too bad, and if you read their site, they take into account the opportunities available to the student. You can also tell them in the portion of your application that you can write relevant information (you can also say that you moved, so you didn’t have as much consistency in your Extra curricular activities). </p>

<p>Your volunteering is also something that makes you unique, so try to really sell this portion of your application.</p>

<p>My final advice to you, REALLY REALLY REALLY write an outstanding essay. Like, put a lot of time into it. Pour your heart into it. Because I feel personally that this made a difference in my apps (because my test scores were not as outstanding compared to some applicants). Be humble, genuine, unique. Show your personality etc. I would suggest you get some English teachers you have a good relationship with to look it over, have your family look it over, and give you advice.</p>

<p>Anyway, as for your chances I would say maybe match, or slight reach.</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

5

<p>thanks that did help a lot…bump</p>

6

<p>Hey, once again. Thanks for chancing me. As of now, I would see Brown and Berkeley mostly out there as super high reaches because of your SAT score. BC is still in.
If you do the following, you can probably make Berkeley a high match and Brown a slight reach, with BC as a safety and Tufts as a match.

  1. Raise SAT scores up. Preferably 2100+ (Your writing section is good. Keep it there. Just make SURE you bring math and reading up cause they tend to be weighed more. Idk why)
  2. If you switched school and that shows a slight inconsistency in your activities, be sure to mention it, if only briefly to the colleges.
  3. Make sure you make your essays really good and have them stand out. These are important
  4. Ask teachers that are close and good with you to give you recommendations. If you ask someone at your internship to give a positive, supplemental letter, it would definitely help too. </p>

<p>Besides that, I mean. It’s pretty good. Did you take any SAT II’s or Ap’s? AP’s are necessary, but sometimes Ivy Leagues have a big ??? if you take AP classes but no exams. SAT II’s on the other hand are required, so make sure you have them under your belt. </p>

<p>You have a pretty good resume. Just keep working, and I don’t see why you can’t get in your dream school. =D</p>

7

<p>I visited Berkeley the other day and really liked it. I want more feedback though, I’m not too confident about all of this.</p>

8

<p>You might as well just give it a try.</p>

9

<p>

</p>

<p>If I’m not mistaken, Berkeley does not accept teacher recommendations.</p>

10

<p>Mostly true, but in a sliver of cases, Berkeley will approach the applicant sometime during the decision process, requesting that they file a supplemental application. Most of the variants of the supplemental application include a request for one recommendation.</p>

<p>For the vast majority of applicants, all you can submit is defined by the UC standard application, which does not allow for recommendations. </p>

<p>Unless asked, you won’t be able to provide recommendations.</p>

11

<p>Yay for an Indian who recognizes they are Asian. (I am Indian too)</p>

<p>A lot of your ECs are great, though your CSs aren’t “special” in that a lot of people do similar things. Try to think of something that would separate you from the pack. That applies to both IS and OoS applicants.</p>

12

<p>My CSs aren’t that special? I don’t want to sound arrogant or anything, but I don’t think many applicants have gone to India and helped out at a medical clinic for a part of their summer. :/</p>

13

<p>OP, I think you’ve gotten a lot of great advice. I’ll just throw in a bit more: emphasize the regionality of any honors or activities (e.g. played for the Essex County Symphony; First Place Bay State North Speech Tournament, etc.).</p>

<p>UC’s do not weight honors classes for OOS students; use other parts of the application to demonstrate your quest for academic opportunities (e.g. use an essay to tell a story about a particularly memorable day at the peds office when you were able to learn a lot from one of the nurses and went home to spend hours on the web.).</p>

<p>My daughter is an OOS freshman whose stats were similar to yours with 2100+ SAT and 22 university/community college credits. Your EC’s are stronger. Good luck!</p>

14

<p>Since you’re OOS, it’s gonna be a lot tougher for you. Your 2050 might not cut it.</p>

<p>Your numerical stats don’t seem that strong, but your ECs might help you pull through. Definitely listen Schmoomcgoo and emphasize your strongest ECs.</p>

15

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<p>Oh I missed that part, I see it now, ok nvm then</p>

16

<p>Based on my experience, just get that CR score over 600 and write good essays then you will have a chance.</p>

<p>Don’t stress out too much by listening to other people (including me)</p>

<p>Just do your work and you will be fine,. no one knows exactly what the admission officers look at. It really depends on many other factors.</p>

<p>good luck.</p>

17

<p>What are my chances, please?
Female, Asian, OOS (TX)
Unweighted GPA - 3.98 out of 4
Weighted GPA - 5.755 out of 6
Rank 7 out of 575
SAT I : 2050 M:700 CR:730 W:620 (will retake in oct)
SAT II Scores: Bio-740 ML2-710 Chem-720 Spanish-680 (weak!)
APs: 5 - Bio, Chem, EngLang, Chinese
4 - WorldHist, USHist</p>

<p>10
English 2
Chem H
BioAP
WorldHist AP
Span 3
Algebra 2
Debate 2</p>

<p>11
English 3 AP
Chem AP
Phys H
Span 4
USHist AP
PreCal H
Music Hist H</p>

<p>12
English 4 AP
Calc BC AP
Gov/Eco AP
Computer Science AP</p>

<p>Which college are you applying to? (Letters and Science, Engineering, Chemistry, etc.) Letters and Science</p>

<p>Most important ECs
Debate 4 yrs (varsity 3 yrs)
DECA Marketing Club (3 yrs) - competed at national level
JETS Science Club (3 yrs) - will be officer
Science Bowl - 2nd place team in state
UIL (TX academic competition) - competed at highest level (state)
English Honor Society - Vice President
NHS, Science NHS, Spanish NHS
summer mentorship with surgeons</p>

<p>Community service 125+
local library, children’s hospital,
TzuChi Foundation (recycling and disaster relief) - 10 yrs</p>

18

<p>Oh and ACT 33</p>

19

<p>Uhmmm, this is my thread? Not to be mean or anything, but go make your own if you want chances.</p>

20

<p>Unfortunately, extracurriculars take a minor role in admission when in comparison to SAT scores and GPA.</p>

<p>So far, the best shot you have at Berkeley is though an amazing essay. This may sound mundane and typical, but that’s the only thing that can put you over the edge, especially since you are out of state.</p>

<p>Also, take the ACT. Many people who feel discouraged by the SAT find themselves faring better in this test, which is more straightforward than the trick-filled SAT.</p>

<p>Oh, Brown ED and Northwestern are reaches.</p>

<p>I’m not too sure about UMass and BU, sorry</p>