LOW GPA, HIGH SAT, Please help on college choices!

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I’m a junior at an extremely competitive high school. Almost everyone tries really hard and there aren’t that many slackers here.
I took all honors freshman year and all honors and AP US history except for Algebra 2 sophomore year. Junior year, I kind of stepped it down and decided to take just one AP class in order to make time to study for the SAT and make time for extracurricular activities.
Although I took some rigorous courses, my current unweighted GPA is a 3.0. I can get it up to about a 3.1 or 3.2 at best by the end of first semester of senior year.
I had to take Alg II during the summer because I failed second semester. During junior year, I had to drop Pre-calc in order to keep up with basketball. I am planning on taking it this summer and taking AP Stats next year. Is this a big drawback? Or should I just not take pre-calc at all and take cp statistics and go to AP stats?
SAT score: 2050
SAT II’s: Korean:740, US History:700 and I’m planning on taking math. Or should I not? Because I suck at math..
I play competitive basketball and also own my own retail company on the internet. I have 275 hours of community service at the moment from volunteering as a teacher for church preschool. I think I will have about 320 by the time I apply for college. I have been a pre-school teacher at my church since 8th grade.
I am planning on applying to the following schools:
USC, U. of Washington (Seattle), UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, Seattle University, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, U. of Arizona, U. of Nevada, Las Vegas</p>

<p>I really want to go to USC, U. of Washington and all the UC’s. All the rest would be fine. And I was planning on putting U. of Arizona and U. of Nevada, Las Vegas as my backup schools. My sister goes to USC, so will that help at least a bit? Can you guys please advise me on what I should do to increase my chances of getting into these certain schools and give me your opinions on which ones I can make for sure, reach, slight reach etc. Thanks a lot. I’ll keep you guys updated on AP scores and such. </p>

<p>PS. I'm Asian, so will it be a bit tougher for me to get in to colleges or is it just a myth?</p>

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<p>I am planning on applying to the following schools:
USC, U. of Washington (Seattle), UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, Seattle University, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, U. of Arizona, U. of Nevada, Las Vegas</p>

<p>What is your weighted GPA?</p>

<p>I wonder why you are applying to so many Out of State (OOS) publics? Do you realize that they likely won’t help you financially? </p>

<p>Do you know how much your parents will pay each year for your college? if not, you need to find out.</p>

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<p>Weighted GPA is 3.1 because my school doesn’t give 5 credits to most honors classes. </p>

<p>I am from California, so a lot of my schools are in-state.
Well, most of the schools I want to go to in California are tough to get into. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some financial aid. My family has been going through some major financial issues since the recession hit, so hopefully they will understand.
My parents are willing to pay full tuition if I get into the UC’s, Cal Poly and UA.
What do you think my chances are of making the schools I listed on my post?</p>

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<p>I think some are tough… im instate for UW at one of the best schools in the state and people with 3.4 and tough schedules have been denied.</p>

<p>and others are tougher such as USC (i know a 3.7 all aps that got rejected)</p>

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<p>UW and USC are definitely reach schools. USC is going to be really tough to get into, but would a really good essay help out a lot?</p>

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<p>It’s funny - due to CC’s overachieving clientele, I was expecting someone with a 3.7 GPA and a 2350 SAT when I saw the title of this thread.</p>

<p>Anyway. With regards to your question: USC is pretty much out, UNLV is probably safe, the rest fall into the grey area. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your opinions. By the way, I have a couple of C’s here and there… Like in AP US history, I got a C first semester and then I dropped to CP and got an A second semester. I got a C in H.English and H.Coord Science in 10th grade.</p>

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<p>If you want some financial aid from OOS schools, don’t bother with those flagship state schools. Private schools will be much more likely to give aid, though admittedly with your stats the schools that will give you lots of money will probably not be particularly prestigious.</p>

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<p>U. of Washington (Seattle), U. of Arizona, U. of Nevada, Las Vegas</p>

<p>Don’t bother with any OOS publics unless you know that you’ll get assured merit aid. </p>

<p>*Hopefully I’ll be able to get some financial aid. My family has been going through some major financial issues since the recession hit, so hopefully they will understand. *</p>

<p>OOS publics will not “understand”. They can’t even help their own instate students. I would take those off my list.</p>

<p>If your “UC GPA” is a 3.0, you’ll have a hard time getting accepted to the better UCs, the Cal Polys, and the upper tier Cal States. </p>

<p>you need to find out what your UC GPA is…they only use grades 10 & 11 and certain classes.</p>

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<p>I see. Can you guys recommend some schools that I would probably get accepted to in the far west? I live in southern california, so I don’t really want to go east or anything. I know that there are the cal states, but could you give me a list of schools that are somewhat academically strong? I prefer large universities with diversity.
Thanks.</p>

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<p>My UC GPA may be low, but my SAT scores are above average and I also took AP’s. I am also planning on taking 2 or 3 more AP courses next year. I have a lot of community service hours and am also engaged out of school as a pre-school teacher (4th year on the job) and own my own internet retail company. I also play basketball. I am also planning on launching a blog website with details on relations between Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan as I am very into this stuff (ever since 4th grade.)
Will these things help balance out my GPA?
Once again, thanks for all the replies! I really appreciate the help.</p>

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<p>Those things might manage to get you into some decent schools. But I’d imagine there are plenty of people with better GPA and SAT scores vying for scholarship money. Unless you have AWESOME community service accomplishments (which might help you get private scholarships) or can be recruited for basketball, I’d aim low if you want substantial merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>My UC GPA may be low, but my SAT scores are above average and I also took AP’s. I am also planning on taking 2 or 3 more AP courses next year…
Will these things help balance out my GPA?</p>

<p>You have two issues… Your GPA and your financial situation. Because of this, you can’t just willy-nilly apply to schools that you like. You need to focus on schools that you can get into AND will be affordable. It sounds like your parents’ income and assets are too high to qualify for aid, even if they’re having a rough year.</p>

<p>Having a sister at USC is not going to help. I doubt you’d get in with your stats. </p>

<p>How much will your parents contribute each year? You say that they will pay for UCs, Cal Poly, or UA? That’s about $30k per year. Is that correct? Will they pay for - say - USF, if the give you money to bring it down to $30k? </p>

<p>LMU and Santa Clara aren’t likely going to be affordable. I don’t think your stats aren’t desirable for them to bring the cost down to $30k. </p>

<p>Your stats might keep you out of the UCs of your choice. You’ve included UCSC, which is fine, but you need to include the other lower tier UCs. You also need to include several Cal States - one or two high tiers, and the rest mid-tiers, and maybe one low tier Cal State. Make sure you apply to at least one Cal State that you can commute to - just in case. I’m concerned that you won’t get the FA you need.</p>

<p>The Calif publics are BIG on GPA.</p>

<p>Do you know what your UC GPA is? If not, find out. </p>

<p>Your ECs aren’t going to get you the FA you need, and I don’t think they are unique enough to overcome your GPA for selective schools.</p>

<p>You need to apply to some schools, like USF, St. Mary’s in Moraga, etc, for you to get some scholarship money. </p>

<p>You will get into Arizona, but expect to pay full freight or maybe get a small scholarship. (I’m curious…What’s the attraction to Arizona? Do they have a good program in your major?)</p>

<p>What is your likely major?</p>

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<p>I agree that UW and USC are not great prospects. If you got into UW, I don’t think you’d get money. Seattle U is a good idea, I think, but I have no idea how they are for financial aid. You might take a look at places like Redlands, U. of Pacific, and maybe some of the liberal arts colleges in Oregon: Willamette, Lewis and Clark. Your SAT scores might be enough to get into the merit aid pool there.</p>

<p>Another smart option would be to go to community college, and then try to transfer. USC takes a lot of transfers, so if you got to CC and performed really well, you’d increase your chances and you’d get a lot of credits out of the way at a really low cost.</p>

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<p>baketball, i think i go to the same HS as you! My school does HCS2 and APUSH soph. year.</p>

<p>“I see. Can you guys recommend some schools that I would probably get accepted to in the far west? I live in southern california, so I don’t really want to go east or anything. I know that there are the cal states, but could you give me a list of schools that are somewhat academically strong? I prefer large universities with diversity.”</p>

<p>Off the top of my head, CSULB, SLO, Cal Poly Pomona. There are a lot of good privates in soCal, but they are usually smaller colleges &LACs.</p>

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<p>Mom2college2Kids,
I live in California, so UC’s are going to cost me about $10,000/year or less, I believe…
UA will cost me about $20,000, but I will hopefully get financial aid.
I am not really attracted to UA, but I’d go there because it is close to home. Not sure, I may take it off my list… I was thinking about doing well here and transferring to USC or UW.
The community colleges in my area are all very rigorous too. They are one of the top CC’s in the state, so it is very competitive.
I will figure out my UC GPA and let you know ASAP.
But which schools do you think I have a good shot at? UA and which others that I listed?</p>

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<p>navyFIELD,
Which school do you go to?</p>