At our school, photography, drawing and ceramics count as VAPA.
If you take college courses while in high school, they and their grades still count for UC application purposes even if there is no dual enrollment arrangement with your high school.
@ucbalumnus @Gumbymom
Would a class taken online at my local community college titled “Basic Musicianship I” suffice? The curriculum is focused on teaching music-reading skills. This is also a semester class. Since the requirement for visual performing arts is 1 year, does this mean I need to take another class for the second semester?
@frgiven: 1 semester CC class= 1 year HS class so you would fulfill the VPA requirement. Basic Musicianship I is listed on the a-g course list for several CA schools so it looks like that course you be fine.
@Gumbymom you state “If you are OOS, then your CC course is not weighted so your UC GPA will be lower” Where do you see this on the application or any source materials. I realize that they only give a bump for AP and IB classes (not honors), but where is it stated that a CC or college course doesn’t count in the UC GPA of an OOS student. Thanks!
@NewPoster123: I should have clarified the above statement that DE courses or CC courses need to be UC transferable for them to be considered for the extra Honors points for in-state and OOS applicants. For many OOS applicants, the DE/CC courses are not UC transferable.
I have a question about the UC GPA: what if a student has taken more than the required one year of visual/performing arts? Do the subsequent years’ grades in VPA courses still get added in to the UC GPA too? i.e. if student had a year of two A’s in a VPA course then that gets put in the calculator as two A’s added to total number of A’s student received. But if student took two more years of VPA courses and got all A’s, do you add in those A’s to number of A’s received overall?
@CAtransplant if it is A-G and is taken from summer before 10th through summer after 11th, it is added.
@Gumbymom
Took the sat physics subject test and got much lower than expected - 710 (retaking in november). I’ve heard that an applicant should send a subject test score to elite colleges if the score is above 750. I wanted to know your opinions regarding subject tests and if sending a 750/760 (if I can attain that score) would make me more competitive within Berkeley’s application pool (especially since I am applying to CS within the school of engineering).
Would my chances be better if I applied to L&S as a CS major? Thanks in advance
From https://admissions.berkeley.edu/freshmen-requirements.
I would try again and send something rather than nothing. Did you already take Math 2? You can take up to 3 subject tests a day. Would you be able to do well in another science?
A 710 Physics score is a solid score and along with your 790 Math 2, you should be fine. If you feel you want to retake the Physics test or another science that is your prerogative, but your 1570 SAT I score speaks for itself and shows that you are a very competitive and capable applicant. I would concentrate on the personal insight essays and make them outstanding.
Best of luck.
@Gumbymom
I am just really anxious since most of the people I know personally who have gotten into Berkeley have gotten near 800s on their SAT Physics. Thank you for the advice, will attempt once more in November.
@lkg4answers
I took Math 2 and got a 790. I’m taking AP Bio/AP Chem this year so I am definitely not prepared to take the Chem/Bio subject tests, especially since I took the introductory courses over a year ago for those subjects. So is sending a 710 better than nothing at all?
Sending the 710 Physics is definitely better than nothing. One SAT subject test will not be the deciding factor, especially since they are recommended and not required.
@Gumbymom Knowing that alleviates a lot of stress I’ve had recently.
Also was wondering - do Silicon Valley companies target UCLA CS graduates also? I would like to work on the west coast in the future and was wondering if going to UCLA for CS would help facilitate that dream. Is it realistic to assume that UCLA CS is easier to get into than Berkeley CS? Do you think I have a better chance at getting into the L&S CS program than the EECS program at Berkeley? thanks in advance!!
UCLA CS is just as difficult admit than EECS at UCB. UCLA only offers CS in the Engineering school. CS in UCB L&S will be an easier admit but then you need to pass the next threshold and get a 3.3 in the pre-req courses to continue into the major.
Complete these prerequisites: CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 70
Regarding job opportunities, with a CS degree from UCLA, you should have plenty of options everywhere in California including Silicon Valley.
There is a CS/Linguistics option for L&S for UCLA which may be easier to get into. Don’t know much about it though.