<p>I have already submitted my applications to UCs (UC San diego, UCLA, UC Berkeley) but I did not include in my applications the fact that my school offers only 2 APs. I am currently taking one AP rite now. Because UCs do not ask for recommendations and transcripts, they won't know that my school does not offer many APs unless I report it right? This will misrepresent my actual performance at my school as it might seem as if I have chosen not to take as many AP courses as possible. I have tried my best to take all the possible courses available at my school. I know that UCs do not want applicants to report anything new. UC websites indicate that applicants may fax a written statement about a change in their academic courses. However, they emphasize the "change" not "new" information. However, I think that this information is not exactly new; it's just unreported. Do you think this will affect anything if the fact that my school doesn't offer many APs goes unreported? If I should report this fact, how should I do it? I emailed them, but they did not answer my questions. I am afraid that they won't be able to add this information to my profile as my application is "in review" and as they have received tons of applications. I think that this information is quite important as other parts of my application may not reflect this at all.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. Last year, a student from my school did apply to UCs. Do UCs really keep records of high schools that way? I would be so relieved if they do.</p>
<p>Cal assigns readers who follow groups of high schools and areas. Unless it is a school that rarely sends students to UCB, they are aware of the school, the number of APs and other options available, as well as the history of every student accepted to Cal from your school. If they all took 0, 1 or 2 APs, it is very clear. If those that took 1 AP with similar stats to you did well in their time at Cal, they know that as well.</p>
<p>In addition, the UC system does not consider new information either as part of the admission decision or as the basis for an appeal. Even if you won the Nobel prize now, it would not be taken into consideration if you contested a rejection (well, maybe a Nobel prize but not lesser stuff). The only exception is if THEY request more information from YOU - the supplemental request that a small percentage of applicants will receive.</p>
<p>My school rarely sends students to UCB. I think there has been only one student from my school. I think they won’t really know the number of APs offered at my school. Thank you for your response. I see what you mean. But it’s just so sad that I can’t even report this information. Even if my counselor reports it on my behalf, it won’t still count right?</p>
<p>correct. however, if you get a supplemental request, there will be several free form entries where you can introduce anything that you believe will matter, plus you will get a link to have one reference submitted. Typically, the references ask questions about the extent to which you have taken advantage of all the opportunities available, which is true for you. </p>
<p>It is actually an advantage for you with both UCB and UCLA, because the other UCs use a more formulaic admissions approach that, if they give ‘points’ for AP or honor classes will favor those who took more, even though they were not available to you. Cal and UCLA do a holistic admissions which looks at the totality and the context. If nobody who ever applied from your school has listed more than 2 APs, it will be obvious to them that lack of access is a factor. </p>
<p>Each year we have Intel semifinalists and others who are equally frustrated that they can’t push in new information, but the UC system blocks this out of practicality. With the sheer numbers of applicants they have to process, allowing that ‘door’ to be open even a crack would produce a huge swell in extra material to process. Notice that they use an electronic application, allow no references or transcripts, thus don’t have to handle paper at all? Even when they ask for a reference in 1-2% of applications, it is done by providing a special URL customized for each such student, which is a one-time submission of an online form by the person giving you the reference. No paper.</p>
<p>Transcripts are only handled for those who are going to attend, after acceptances and all, as a validation of the self-reported grades. That is why you had to enter your grades for UC but don’t with most university applications.</p>
<p>Thank you, rider730, for your reply. So it means … there is nothing I can really do to report that my school offers only 2 APs right? How about if my guidance counselor reports it on my behalf? But I see what you mean… UCB already has tons of applications and materials … Thanks again.</p>
<p>Wait… if the UCs don’t have information about your school to know how many APs it offers, how will they know about how competitive a school is? My school is super-competitive and has grade deflation, but how will the UCs know that? It seems a little unfair how GPAs earned in schools that give out As like candy are seen the same as GPAs earned in schools that prepare its students very well for college.</p>
<p>AsianfaiI, normally, the applicants are allowed to report any information on an additional section. But… I didn’t report it bcos I didn’t know that it was necessary. It is my mistake… But as for others, I think that UCs will also look at their weighted and unweighted grades so a person who has a high GPA with no challenging classes will not be at advantage. If i am wrong, please correct me… And so… now I can’t do anything to report about my school right? …</p>
<p>Everyone is jumping to the conclusion that Cal does not know anything about the high school. Every HS in California files extensive paperwork with the UC system in order to have their courses listed under the a-g categories and approved as honors level. That includes plenty of information about the school. Every AP course is listed by the high school so that they can be credited as a-g coursework by applicants, thus the UC system knows EXACTLY how many AP courses a California high school offers. </p>
<p>Secondly, they have been receiving applications from the high school for as long as the high school has been graduating seniors (unless the high school began before 1868). Thus, they have staggering amounts of statistical information about the range of GPAs, courseloads and other factors about applicants from the school. They know all the students that attended UCB from that high school and how they fared while in college. </p>
<p>If you are from an out of state or international high school that has not had more than 1 or 2 applicants during the entire history of the school, then the reader knows little of your school. Over decades, lots of out-of-state applications have been received. If in California, it strains the imagination to think that they don’t know the school.</p>
<p>How do the UCs get info for OOS high schools though? My school usually sends a “school profile” with % of graduating seniors attending 4 year universities, # of AP courses offered, AP score distributions, etc., but I’m not sure if the UCs accept those since they don’t ask for transcripts. Do the UCs just use the stats from previous applicants or something?</p>
<p>I think my school falls under the last category in rider730’s post. My school has never sent a student to UCB or UCLA before. I thinks UCs know very little about my school since it is an international school in my home country. However, one of my high school seniors last year was accepted to UC San diego, but he didn’t attend because of financial problems. Does this imply that all other UCs automatically have a record of my high school? Should I still attempt to do something about this??</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry. The readers for applications are assigned territories based on having a background in the education environment there. Some reading applications from parts of Asia or Europe, for example, would know about that region and many schools. Even if only a few have gone to a UC, if they have had applications filed over the years, they may have lots of data anyway. </p>
<p>Finally, if the school appears to be an unknown, all the reader needs to do is contact the school to get the information, enter it and it is then shared among the UCs for all future applicants. </p>
<p>I think you are really worrying about this far too much, particularly as it is only one of a large number of factors they would look at. The likelihood is that they know enough to evaluate your AP record in the context of what is available in your school, but even if they don’t and they don’t find out, if that were truly the fact that made your application teeter between reject and accept, they would send a supplemental request to you and you could resolve this yourself.</p>
<p>The thing is, my school’s insanely competitive and practices grade deflation, so my GPA is a lot lower than it could be if I went to an average HS. How will the UCs know about this if they don’t have a school profile? UCLA and UCB are usually “safety” schools (although I personally think that top schools like those 2 aren’t safeties for anyone) for Harvard-hopefuls in my HS, so the average accepted GPA is still pretty high. Kinda unfortunate for a not-as-stellar student who really wants to go to the UCs =/</p>
<p>Like rider730 I really do think you (all) are worrying too much. I am an international student from an extremely selective and rigorous high school in my home country. My GPA, when converted to the UC system, was really terrible (3.52). I only took AP calculus AB, AP chemistry, AP biology, AP stats (the only other APs offered were calculus BC and the physics APs). To add to that my high school was also very new and I was in the second class of graduates. Talk about them not having a history of my school! However, I still got into Berkeley and UCLA, the two campuses that I applied for. This tells me that: 1. there are readers for international schools, and 2. they bother to find out about the school’s situation, regarding academic opportunities and rigor.</p>
<p>If the UCs have little to no record of your school, they <em>will</em> go and find out. So you can be assured that the UCs know about your circumstances.</p>