Hey Guys
I am junior in high school.
UW GPA: 3.2188
W GPA: 3.333
NEW SAT SCORE: 1230
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
UC’s emphasize GPA but your test scores, essays, HS course rigor and EC’s will all contribute to your chances.
UC’s also only look at 10-11th grades and will give extra honors points for UC approved Honors/AP/IB and DE courses. If a personal problem was the cause for a lower GPA, then it can be addressed in one of your personal insight essays.
Intended major?
So have you taken any UC approved Honors/AP/IB or DE courses? Here is the UC GPA calculator link:
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Approved Honors/AP/IB HS courses. https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/details/2218/
I also suggest you do some test prep and get your SAT score up into the 1300+ range for better chances.
Just based on GPA, here are some admit rates for the UC’s (2016).
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.00-3.39
UCB/UCLA/UCSD: 1%
UCI/UCSB: 2%
UCD: 4%
UCSC: 18%
UCR: 38%
UCM: 67%
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.40-3.79:
UCB: 2%
UCLA: 3%
UCSD: 6%
UCD: 15%
UCSB: 14%
UCI: 13%
UCSC: 59%
UCR: 78%
UCM: 92%
If you are in-state CA resident, I also suggest you take a look at the Cal states. There are many highly respected Cal States and academic programs that may be more realistic depending upon what your UC GPA calculates out to by end of Junior year. Consider your local Cal state since you get priority.
@Gumbymom My intended major is either Human Biology or Psychological Sciences. My school does not offer any Honors or IB Courses.
So what is your calculated UC GPA? If your school does not offer these courses, you will not be at a disadvantage but maybe taking a community college course this summer could bump up your GPA before applications.
@Gumbymom My calculated UC GPA is 3.27.
I had a 2.8/2.9 GPA in high school (3.2 weighted) and I was accepted into UCSC freshman admission AND given a grant. My SAT was 1680 too. If your ECs are good, and your essay is strong they might accept you too. If not, just transfer!
@chicken2328 Did you do SAT preparation? If not then this seems like the best place to get a good improvement with a moderate effort. Clearly if you can pull up your GPA a bit this will also help.
Also, this is supposed to be a confidential web site, so you aren’t supposed to give your name. Hopefully a moderator will edit this out.
@DadTwoGirls I did SAT preparation and I am also doing some this summer.
@Caligirl2k14 Thank you so much for your input!
I would target UCR and UCM but UCSC is worth an application. UC grants are based on family income have nothing to do with stats.
I would also look into some Cal states such as SJSU, Sac State, SFSU, Chico State, Sonoma State, San Marcos, Channel Islands to name a few. Compelling essays and interesting EC’s can tip the scale in your favor but make sure you apply widely and have a couple of safety schools on your list.
UCSC and UCR could happen but,they are both becoming more selective by the day. You should apply but, don’t count on an admission with your stats. Look at the CSUs listed above and apply to several.
Good luck
Yes to CSU and perhaps other OOS public schools that are covered by the WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) tuition discount. Your local CSU will give you priority.
Another pathway, especially for late bloomers like me back in the day, is CCC to UC. You have to do well in GE and lower division courses, yet in the end it can be a way to get in to a UC campus that would have been out of reach straight out of HS.
And it’s worth repeating: UC and many CSU admissions are major-specific, so the selectivity varies a great deal. The overall admissions stats are misleading. Look up the stats by major and proceed accordingly. Good luck!
@PadreDeTres Okay! Thank You!
@NCalRent Okay! Thank You!