Hi. I’m a HS Freshman, and I’ve taken a few CC classes and really enjoyed them. I’d like to keep taking them to offset the cost of college (the CC offered 11.5 units a semester for free to our HS). My concern is, I want to apply to Cal Poly, Davis, etc. - and they all have GPA caps. If I take even one class a semester, the cap would actually bring my capped gpa down. How do early college/ middle colleges get students into choice colleges with this issue? I Have run the numbers through Roger’s, and I’d have to not take HS AP’s, or dump my elective to not take the GPA hit.
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This is more of an issue for more selective CSUs (CPSLO) or more selective majors at CSUs (e.g. CS at SJSU and CPP), where the weighted capped GPA gets plugged into an admission index formula, and the threshold is likely to be high enough that, among students with all A grades, the number of total courses effect on weighted capped GPA matters.
UCs have holistic reviews considering unweighted, weighted capped, and fully weighted GPAs and other factors like opportunities taken versus foregone. An applicant trying to game the weighted capped GPA by taking the minimum possible number of courses may end up with a less impressive academic record in a holistic review compared to one who took additional academic courses and did well in them.
As mentioned the Cal States only use the Capped weighted GPA, but the UC’s consider all three UC GPA’s in their comprehensive review.
The CC classes may decrease you Capped weighted GPA, but the schools will also consider HS course rigor and the # of a-g courses taken above and beyond the minimum requirements so you can still be competitive. Your 9-11th grades/courses along with 12th grade planned and in-progress courses will be listed on both the CSU and UC applications so your overall academics will be considered not just your GPA.
Thank you for this info. My HS also has a STEM program that is 2 classes a semester. I got in, and it was competitive to get in, but the Science classes are not AP’s - and I wouldn’t be able to take any AP STEM classes. If I decide not to go into the special STEM program, I could take AP Chem, etc. instead of STEM science classes, but I wouldn’t be in the cool program that’s treated like a school within a school. I don’t know what to do. Only a small handful of STEM students out of over 60 grads got into a UC STEM program this year - but everyone applied. (I went to STEM grad night, and talk to some people, and there were a lot of bummed out people). A few paid for AP classes so their GPA didn’t take “the STEM hit”. Do you have any advice on this?
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My daughter was in a similar situation. She did a special (not STEM but another field) two year program at her high school. Because that program - which was competitive to get into - has certain required courses attached to it, it makes taking certain AP classes impossible. So because she chose to do this program, she had very few APs (only 4 total - her school only offers about 15 so not a lot to begin with, but doing this program limited her even further).
She took 8 or 9 dual enrollment classes to make up for the lack of AP rigor.
The result: She only applied to one UC and got in. She applied to 3 CSUs and got into all 3 (although Cal Poly was not one of them).
Are the STEM program classes weighted based on the UCOP A-G website?
I would do the program if you ate interested regardless of the impact of your GPA since it would another dimension to your application and make for interesting essay.
Do what is best for you not just for a college application.
Wow - thank you. This is cool to hear. So many kids from the STEM program told me that they were shocked that they didn’t get in. I think a lot of them thought getting into the STEM program and getting good grades was all they needed. I actually thought that too. Lots of 4.2+ GPA’s getting rejected from UC STEMS, which is a super high GPA when you can’t take many AP’s. Most of the grad class either switched their major to a non-competitive, non-STEM major to get into a 4 year, or decide to go to CC because they they didn’t get in.
No, they aren’t weighted at all - and their really hard classes from what I hear. Some told me that the classes are harder than the AP’s.
Keep in mind that the UCs have holistic review - and this isn’t just a marketing gimmick, they take it pretty seriously. So, sure, someone with a 4.2+ GPA and little else to offer will have a hard time getting into a a top UC (especially for an impacted major), whereas someone with a lower GPA but some cool experiences, clear passions, and a story to tell will often have a better chance. It is definitely NOT all about GPA for the UCs.
Yes, this is very similar to the program my daughter did. They are considered honors/AP level in terms of rigor, but get ZERO weighting as they are not officially honors courses. It was pretty frustrating - she often felt like she was doing honors work without honors credit, but nevertheless she enjoyed the program and doesn’t regret doing it.
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I’ll be paying for my own college, so I’m really trying to plan ahead. With CC classes and summer jobs (and a job in college), I could probably keep the loans at a minimum if I get into a local state. I wish they took essays.
I got that feeling from a lot of the students I spoke with. STEM was a real pride point. Seems weird that the STEM HS program might have prevented some students from getting into College STEM programs though.
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