I’m posting a generic “where can I get in” post. I am really hoping for UC Berkeley, in part because of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and in part because of the faculty’s eminence in algebraic geometry. A good friend of mine is also going there after their gap year, and I’d like to go with them.
Here’s a CV to give an idea of my academics:
GPA: 2.9
I’ve gotten bad grades in some my in-person classes (besides the music ones, in which I always have As), in part because I despised doing assignments, and I hated the lack of freedom. Thus, I have moved to taking online classes mostly.
SAT (not taken yet, but I can get consistent perfect scores on practice exams)
PSAT 1510
I can ace the Math GRE subject exam, as well as the general GRE.
I have 12 AP tests with 5s.
I can play certain difficult Liszt and Chopin etudes on the piano.
I have made first division in solo and ensemble.
I am the lead baritone/tenor in an acapella group.
I have a list of completed and planned books and coursework for before I start my freshman year of college.
Completed
Calculus - Stewart
Topology - Munkres
Undergraduate Analysis - Serge Lang
Heidegger: an Introduction - RIchard Polt
Undergraduate Algebra - Serge Lang
Algebra (Part 1 and some of 2) - Serge Lang
Being and Time (Division 1 [not quite all of it]) - Martin Heidegger
Planned
Ordinary Differential Equations - Adkins
Algebra (the remainder of it) -Serge Lang
Commutative Algebra I - Zariski and Samuel
Complex Analysis - Serge Lang
Algebraic Geometry - Robin Hartshorne
Introduction to Smooth Manifolds - Lee
Either / Or - Kierkegaard
Being and Time - Heidegger
In addition, I have a good letter of recommendation from a mathematics professor and personal mentor at the university of minnesota.
Unfortunately for you, UC Berkeley is test-blind so they will not be able to consider your potential high SAT score, and a 2.9 GPA alone is lower than what they typically accept. Are you a junior? If you want to be in California, you should look at CSU campuses because they are considering test scores for Fall 2023. I would also talk to your counselor about elaborating in their recommendation letter about your self-studying and an explanation for your GPA.
Since you mention the GRE, are you asking about graduate school or Undergrad? PSAT will not be considered at all even if the UC’s accepted test scores.
I am confused?? Is this really a legit post?
The minimum UC capped weighted GPA to even apply to any of the UC’s is 3.0 for in-state and a 3.4 for OOS. Even if you make that threshold, here is what your chances would look like:
2020 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.00-3.39 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 1%
UCLA: 1%
UCSD: 1%
UCSB: 2%
UCI: 1%
UCD: 7%
UCSC: 26%
UCR: 30%
UCM: 88%
Here is the UC GPA calculator: GPA Calculator for the University of California – RogerHub
As stated above, the UC’s are permanently test blind and the CSU’s may follow their lead.
For the CSU’s, you need a minimum 2.5 CSU GPA to apply. You also need for both the CSU’s and UC’s completion of the minimum 15 a-g course requirements.
UCB only accepts LOR’s from a small percentage of applicants and they must be invited for the submission.
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In the event your post is legit…
Here is your post from Oct. 2020, when you were a sophomore. Can I get into MIT with a 3.2 GPA and math experience?
You had a 3.2 then. Your GPA has gone down. This sends a message to colleges that you might not be prepared for the rigor of a school like UCB or MIT.
I don’t see UCB as a realistic choice for you. Your GPA is well below their 25th percentile and they won’t take your GRE scores. Focus on finding colleges where your grades are above the 75th percentile and/or colleges with high acceptances rates.
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My friend got in by exception, despite their GPA being lower than even mine. My GPA went down due to me being gone for 2 months, hospitalized. Because my friend got in, I thought I could too.
I was hoping to get in by exception. I have a large number of AP Tests with 5s, and I can ace the math subject GRE, despite being a high school student. It’s obviously a large reach, but I think I could succeed there mainly because of these factors.
Also, what is a LOR?
LOR is a letter of rec.
If you were hospitalized it’s best to have your guidance counselor mention this in his or her letter of rec. In your case, I would also provide additional information in that section of the app to explain that you were hospitalized. If you can, submit additional materials, maybe a brief doctor’s letter to confirm your time in hospital.
Your friend might have totally different circumstances to you. You don’t know what was in that person’s app or why they were admitted. You might think you can succeed, but the school would need to be convinced beyond a shadow of doubt. They would need to see something exceptional in you and the application that would make them certain you are a good fit for them over applicants with much better stats. As I mentioned, your GRE score isn’t going to help you. They clearly state they do holistic review and they don’t ask for the GRE. Test scores are clearly not a focus for them. Submit your AP scores, by all means.
Focus on other colleges. If you get into Cal, it will be a bonus.
My main non-test evidence for me being able to succeed is my completing their graduate course in abstract algebra while hospitalized, along with half of munkres’ topology.
I was more productive than I’d ever been in my life in the hospital, and I hope that that would be mirrored in college.
With all that being said, where else do you think would be a good fit? I’m looking for a place with a good math graduate program, having completed most required undergraduate math classes.
Perhaps someone familiar with universities in the UK (maybe @Twoin18 @Tigerle @HazeGrey ) may be able to comment on how realistic they are for you, if you are interested in them. UK universities admit to major with the expectation of immediate specialization (as opposed to frosh/soph exploration and general education in US universities) with a heavy focus on achievement testing (A-levels there, AP scores for US applicants; plus major-specific more advanced tests in some cases).
Many US universities with math departments suitable for your advanced level in math are unlikely to be admission-accessible to you with a 2.9 HS GPA. However, UCB and other UCs (and probably other states’ universities) do leave open the transfer pathway: attend a community college and complete general education with a high college GPA (you would also need to complete major prep for math, which should not be a problem for you) and then apply for junior transfer. But you would have to grin and bear it for two years of mostly general education courses (outside of math and music) before getting to a university.
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I’m not an adcom, but with a 2.9 GPA, I think Cal is more than a huge reach.
Where do you live? Are you a CA resident?
Do you have a college budget?
This is for graduate school…not undergrad…so that doesn’t matter at all.
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Here is the link to the UC admission by exception: University of California Counselors
What strikes me about your original post is this:
I’ve gotten bad grades in some my in-person classes (besides the music ones, in which I always have As), in part because I despised doing assignments, and I hated the lack of freedom>
This does not bode well for succeeding at any of the UC’s since there are general education requirements that need to be completed for your Bachelor’s degree. As stated by @ucbalumnus, are you willing to “grin and bear it” through these courses? Your HS transcript would be an indication you will not.
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You previously posted…
“I just hate high school. It’s so boring, and the more I learn about a subject, the more distorted and evil the high school interpretation of it seems. I hope that college will be better.”
Regardless of the challenges you face getting accepted into an institution of higher learning why do you think you would enjoy it, benefit from it and contribute given your prior distaste for a classroom experience?
I am not being judgmental or critical it just occurs to me (given very limited and inadequate info) that you present yourself as a very smart person for who doesn’t thrive in a structured academic environment. Why college?
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You may have a chance at colleges where your application is read by professors in your field. Assuming your essays show a passion and aptitude for Mathematics.
One example, and there may be others:
https://ccs.ucsb.edu/majors/mathematics
College WILL be better for you than high school, because you’ll be able to study what you love. You sound as if you have extraordinary ability in math, will zoom through undergrad and head straight into a PhD program.
If you were recently hospitalized for two months, I suspect that you need to stay close to home for undergrad, assuming you have a supportive family. Do well, and you can probably go anywhere for your PhD, maybe after only three years of college.
I’m assuming that you are in Minnesota, because of the personal mentor at U MN. That’s where you should probably go. They have a math PhD program, so you’d be able to take advanced courses, and continue with the mentor.
If you’re in another state, your flagship state U is probably the right place for you, as long as it has a math PhD program.
With that GPA, I doubt you’re going to get into any school by exception, although you might, if the letter from the mentor at Minnesota says that you’re a once in a generation math genius. But I really think that you need to stay close to home, for family support, because of the recent hospitalization.
However, most colleges in the US do have general education requirements, so the OP will have to take some courses outside of math and music.
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Clearly, Columbia with its core curriculum is not for the OP. But a state school would probably allow him to CLEP out of some of the gen eds, and probably give him credit for some of those 12 AP exams. My kid received so much CLEP/AP credit that kid wound up being awarded two bachelor’s degrees in 7 semesters. Had maybe three classes at the U to complete gen eds.
All the more reason to stick with the state U. The public universities would almost certainly give significantly more credit for ‘12 AP tests with 5s’ and any dual enrollment classes taken for actual credit through a community college or university.
My S21 did 8 semester of Community college courses and self studied 3 AP tests. At UT Austin (UC’s were similar), he will only take 3 or 4 classes outside of major requirements. All of which he selected from a wide variety of options.
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Neither would MIT’s GIR be a good match, even though the OP has expressed interest in MIT.
Regarding UCB that the OP is interested in for this thread, the L&S seven course breadth requirement cannot be fulfilled by AP or other exam credit.
Responding to the call - take a look at the material on the Oxford Mathematical Institute website around their program. From an admissions perspective, a 1500 SAT and 3 AP 5s (Calc BC and likely both Physics C tests) gets you over the hurdle. Will then boil down to how well you do on the MAT to get shortlisted for interview.
Take a look at the past MAT papers on the Mathematical Institute website to see how comfortable you are with the material.
https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate-study
If you despise doing assignments, I’m not sure how you will like the Oxford diet of weekly problem sheets to be completed, turned in and reviewed with your tutors.
One tid bit for you - the head of undergraduate studies at the Mathematical Institute at Oxford just published a book on Topology. Might be worth a look.
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