<p>haha yeah probably just test scores really. but even then I’m sure that maybe your essays should demonstrate a strong passion for ChemE. Can’t be ALL numbers because @clausius is a beast and still didnt get in :(. </p>
<p>Ya I agree. I felt as if my EC’s were very good but they were not science based at all? Do you think this could’ve had an impact? @coolkat123</p>
<p>If you’re GPA is UC GPA, then it’s good for SB but not that impressive (not good enough to make you a shoo-in in the least), and the ACT score is acceptable.
“Excellent EC’s” is a big problem right there-the way you worded it. Anyone can assume their EC’s or essays or any subjective factors are superior when a college admissions official would not share that viewpoint. But SB is not a school that would likely take into too much consideration your EC’s, so we can likely ignore that…and hey, I thought my essays are AMAZING, but I keep in mind that just about everyone else thinks their essays are just as good, because why would you send it in if it wasn’t?
I would say that the academics are above average for SB but nothing special; a bad essay could easily make for a rejection. The thing to do now is to move on and not dwell over it. Finally, a line and a half of text describing a difficult problem makes it difficult to get an actual reason. You could include classes taken, essay samples…etc</p>
<p>@gman333 Did you select an alternate major?</p>
<p>@lilliana330 No since i am not going to a school if I did not get into Chemical Engineering</p>
<p>I am 27 out of 689 in my class. I will have taken AP Euro, AP Lang/Comp, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, and AP Lit/Comp.
I play three sports (football, basketball, and baseball) and have been varsity in all three for the past two years (this is a huge time commitment which I noted in my apps). I have been a team captain on all of these teams. Class Senator 10th and 11th grade. Club officer all four years for my class club. I have been on various committees at my school including Homecoming, Cultural Awareness Day, Sadie Hawkins Dance, 9/11 Assembly and our blood drive. I volunteer at my Church. I have over 125 hours there. I also coach a youth basketball league from February to March every year. I also donate blood regularly. My Junior year I had to take care of my very sick grandmother for a year which is why my GPA is not as high as it could be. I also wrote about this in my essays.
My ACT scores were better than SAT Scores. I got a 29 on the ACT both times. and super scored I got a 32. I am in NHS and CSF. I also was a California Boys State Delegate and received the most outstanding municipal officer award when there.
@crtexxx</p>
<p>@gman333 hell yeah dude. For me at least, I did have decent ec’s from school (varsity sports, charity, a few clubs, nhs and csf), but those are relatively generic. To set yourself apart you need some crazy ecs that directly show your goals for the future. We’re only 17 but internships are possible. I got kinda lucky with my dad being pretty well connected in the biomaterials field, so he got me an internship at Stanford (with actual hands on work, explained in my chances posts) and at UofA (mainly cell counting…boring af but its still kinda unique). In the future years, I doubt that even internships will be able to set hs students apart, considering the fact that kids are getting smarter and smarter. </p>
<p>credentials:</p>
<p><a href=“Chance at UCLA!! will chance back - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1612012-chance-at-ucla-will-chance-back-p1.html</a></p>
<p>@gman333 Ohh cause you could’ve gotten in w/a different major, but never mind then.</p>
<p>ChemE is super competitive at SB. Had no idea when I applied. I also had a 29 ACT but better SATs + a 4.54 UC GPA + a #1 class rank & still didn’t make it. It’s pretty tough so don’t kick yourself over it.</p>
<p>I think it was probably your test scores, to the extent it was any one thing. They have so many applications to sift through, I am sure they are somewhat overwhelmed during the process. You have Michigan, though, and if it is that strong in your field, that sounds like a terrific option for you.</p>
<p>Someone posted stats on ChemE rankings today and at least according to that ranking UCSB was #9 in the nation, Berkeley was #2 and all the other UCs were substantially lower. (I’m thinking #20 but I don’t specifically remember them all.) Obviously Berkeley for ChemE is also difficult, and out of all the colleges in the nation the distance between 2 and 9 is not that great. </p>
<p>EDIT - I found the post, quoted below:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>However, even not ChemE, while the odds would have seemed on your side, there are always the minority of top stats who DON’T get admitted. My son (not an impacted major) had stats right on the bubble, and I was sweating for him. His gpa was lower if you don’t count senior grades, but he had 2230 SATs. UCSB accepts something like 67-80% of those with the test scores he had, but I was still sweating it, because that means they turn away 20%-33%, and he really likes UCSB.</p>
<p>It isn’t Princeton, which takes under 10% of those who apply, but 80,000 did apply this year, and I’m sure they had to make a ton of difficult choices. I don’t know how many applications Michigan had to field. ChemE is where UCSB gets a lot of their strongest applicants, it seems, and I’m sure they admitted some with your stats but couldn’t admit everyone. I totally understand how you feel, I was pissed when my (other) son was waitlisted at UCSD, even though I know some with those stats are turned away every year. I don’t know what system would be perfect, though.</p>
<p>@coolkat123 uhhh… thanks for the compliments.</p>
<p>I already for accepted into UIUC for Electrical engineering, so I’m by no means backed to a wall… </p>
<p>However, Berkeley’s my top choice US university, so this REALLY doesn’t bode well for that…</p>
<p>In an attempt help students figure out why they might not have been admitted to ChemE, I’d like to pose a few question that “might” help figure out a reason for not being accepted. Were SAT MATH scores over 700? (If so, how many SATs were taken to get that score?) Were AP classes in Physics, Chemistry, and Calc taken if offered at your school? Were A’s obtained in those classes? Did ECs reflect passion for science? Did essays offer UCSB a glimpse of who you are as a person? Also, is your high school a large feeder school for the UCs? If not, I heard or read that UCSB accepts the top 6 or 8% students from each school. (If you would like to see how many people have attended the different UCs, take a look at the Freshman Pathways website. Although it’s from 2010 and earlier, you can get a good idea.) With that said, don’t quote me on anything; I have a freshman at UCSB and these are a few of things I heard/learned. Good luck to everyone and hang in there and it will all turn out fine in the long run. </p>
<p>The thing I notice about these “Why was I rejected threads” is that people always seem to give their weighted GPA, not their unweighted GPA. If you have an unweighted GPA of 3.8, you may not be competitive for the toughest majors, even if you have a weighted GPA well above 4.0 and a SAT of 2200+.</p>
<p>I’d also like to reiterate what has been said here a few times. </p>
<p>UCSB’s College of Engineering is truly top notch. Honestly, you probably could have gotten into the College of Letters and Science with those stats. Always when applying to UCSB’s College of Engineering (ie applying for EE, CE, CS, ME or ChemE), you want to pick a non-Engineering major as a back up. </p>
<p>It’s much more difficult to get into the College of Engineering than into the College of Letters and Science. When you applied to UCSB ChemE, you not only applied to UCSB but also to the College of Engineering. </p>
<p>What was your math/science experience in high school? Did you have any leadership positions? Were your letters of rec helpful? How were your essays compared to other applicants?</p>
<p>Honestly, none of us can tell you why you didn’t get in. My guess, though, is that you maybe could have had you also put down a non-engineering back up major. </p>
<p>^^ I agree with both @SoCalDad2 and @CSmeow. My son applied to Chem E and had physics (in Letters and Science) as his alternate major. He was declined from Chem E but accepted to physics. His unweighted GPA was 3.71 but had a 4.45 weighted and all the test scores and math/science AP courses to make him competitive. I think the UCs really look at the UW GPA.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to the ChemE program specifically, but I do know that last year the acceptance for ME was</p>
<p>Freshman 16%
transfers : 13%
<a href=“Admissions | Mechanical Engineering - UC Santa Barbara”>Admissions | Mechanical Engineering - UC Santa Barbara;
<p>Engineering is extremely competitive.</p>
<p>^^^ Interesting statistics. The average SAT for freshmen ME at UCSB was above the average SAT for freshmen at UCLA as a whole.</p>
<p>Figured I might as well ask here for a general idea on all of your opinions of why I did not get accepted. My best guess is SAT scores as well as my major. I was accepted into Cal Poly SLO as well, so that is probably where I will end up.</p>
<p>Decision: Rejected</p>
<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1950 (710 math, 610 CR, 630 Writing)
ACT: 30 Math- 34, Science- 31
SAT II: 710 Math, 630 Biology
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
UC GPA: 4.35
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 4%
ELC?: No
AP (place score in parenthesis): Psychology (4), Biology (4)
College Courses: Physics with Calculus (A), Calc 2 (A)
Senior Year Course Load: Calculus III at Loyola Marymount University, AP Literature, Political Behavior, Physics, Student Government
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): ~ ASB for 2 years (Treasurer), AYSO Soccer Coach and Referee, Friendship Circle (Secretary), Mu Alpha Theta (Secretary)
Job/Work Experience: Work at Recreation Center, Tutor, Babysit
Volunteer/Community service: Temple counselor stuff, Assistant Teaching, AYSO Soccer Coach and Ref, Friendship Circle Club (4 years), Lots of stuff through ASB (organizing a blood drive, senior citizen’s tea, etc)
Personal Statement: First one was good, second was decent
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Computer Science
State (if domestic applicant): CA
School Type: Top California School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: High
Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): None
Reflection
Strengths: GPA, High rigorous courses (Many College courses)
Weaknesses: SAT</p>
<p>@sarah2116, did you list a back up major on your application? If so, what was it?</p>
<p>@sarah2116 – 3.87 unweighted GPA may be marginal for CS unless you have really good SAT/ACT scores.</p>
<p>@CSmeow my back up was computer engineering </p>