Lowest Accepted GPA/SAT Stories to UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCD, UCI and UCSB

<p>I am a Jamaican track and field athlete.I was just wondering if anybody knows any community college or university that i could get into with a GPA of 2.98 and a SAT score of 1140(410 writing,410 reading and 320 math).I seriously need a scholarship for next year to go to school in august…please inbox me on facebook @ lashana kimoya dennis or reply to my post on here…thank you</p>

<p>California State University Sacramento has a good track program, has sponsored the Olympic trials, and accepts people with average GPAs and SATs.</p>

<p>Here’s a hint to people from out-of-state and overseas - Most colleges and UCs are looking for you. They are cash-strapped and recruiting big time for those who will pay the out-of-state fees (tuition). So, I would apply to them anyway, even if you think you might not get in.</p>

<p>I am a UC Davis graduate, and even though they tell you that the major you choose does not matter, it does. For instance, if you have decent (over 3.5), but perhaps not a 4.0+ GPA, and you want to be an Animal Science major, have taken chemistry, physiology, and animal science-oriented extra-curricular programs (volunteer at a local vet hospital, join FFA or 4H), then you are more likely to be accepted to UC Davis. Likewise, if you’ve always been fascinated by Marine Biology, learned to scuba dive, you would probably be a better fit at UCSD or UCSC, perhaps CSU Monterey. </p>

<p>If you want to get into engineering or a biological or physical science (pre-med, perhaps) at any UC, you had better have over a 3.8 GPA and really descent SAT scores. It helps if you take seminars for future engineers or bio-sci majors at community colleges or through a local university. If your high school has programs, like a robotics competition, volunteer to participate. If you can get a summer internship at a research university, apply for it. Also, I’ve known many people who went to a junior college for two years for their basic pre-req’s, then transferred to a UC for the rest of their undergrad years - all went on to graduate schools. </p>

<p>Perhaps you like Studio Art - start taking all the art classes you can in high school, including AP Studio Art, participate in gallery shows, either as a volunteer or as an artist with work to display - and choose a college with a Studio Art program that you know (or suspect) you will love. For instance, UC Davis has a reputation for really great ceramics and painting programs, but UC Berkeley does not. Choose your high school classes carefully, and which universities you apply to as well, with your future goals in mind.</p>

<p>Do not go into a field of study that you have no real feeling for - deep down. Don’t try for something just because your parents want you to. Be true to yourself, pick something you love doing…and you will succeed and be the best at it. If you have difficulties in a field of study, such as math, try to do your best to improve. You may never be a trigonometry whiz if you are into the liberal arts, but if you demonstrate that you have made efforts to improve, that is taken into account with admissions. </p>

<p>Also, if you demonstrate a real talent for something special, such as music or art, that is also taken into account. Colleges appreciate someone who has learned to play an instrument or sung in performance choirs - perhaps you will use those talents in their band or choir? Colleges also want to know that you will be a good “fit” for not only their academic programs, but that you will enjoy and participate positively being in the greater community - The way the admissions get a feel for how you will do in the community is through what volunteer work you’ve done, what types of things you do for fun, if you will enjoy being around people who already live at the area of the university, and your essays - in which you should really tell a story about what motivates you and what made you decide what you want to do for a future career. </p>

<p>You should really consider all this when you choose which colleges you apply to, because all universities have different things that are special from the others. Most universities do not want to have people enter their programs, only to want to transfer a year later because they “hate” the school or town.</p>

<p>Hurry - If you haven’t applied yet…all applications must be in by tomorrow (Nov. 30th) at midnight!</p>

<p>High School stats:
GPA: 3.3
SAT: 1960</p>

<p>College Stats:
UCMerced GPA: 2.0
Community College GPA: 3.85
Overall GPA: 3.03</p>

<p>As far as my essays go, I just dug up an old post I made when I got accepted and tried to edit it at bit (some parts may be past tense).</p>

<hr>

<p>I was a transfer student and was accepted to UCBerkeley. My major is now political economy. </p>

<p>My journey into college started at the newest UC campus, UCMerced. It was the only UC I was accepted to. I didn’t have any clear idea of what I wanted to do or even what I myself liked, but I figured I liked going on the internet a lot, so I must like computer, therefor I should do computer science…and that was before I knew there was math envolved (I failed pre-calc in high school). Needless to say, I did very poorly my first year. I ended up with 2 Fs, 2 Ds and a slew of Cs and only one A, which was in my writing class. At that same time, I started studying Japanese randomly for no real particular reason on my free time (I will go into that later). By the end of my time at UCMerced, I had a 2.0GPA and was teetering on academic probation, so I withdrew from the campus while I was in good-standing.</p>

<p>As I said, I started studying Japanese in my free time. The community college near UCMerced happened to have one of the largest outreach programs for Japanese students studying abroad. I was able to make a lot of friends and instead of going home, I remained in Merced and attended the community college. With the large number of Japanese students, I was able to be constantly surrounded by not just Japanese students, but also businessmen and educators from Japan. I made sure to talk with these people on a daily basis and get to know them.</p>

<p>By the time I had one semester at the college under my belt, I had actually gotten to the point where I was reading Japanese newspapers and watching the news and pretty much enjoying Japanese the same way I would enjoy anything in English (while looking up words in the dictionary of course). So I figured I should plan a trip to Japan. And while I was at it, I thought I may as well apply to some Japanese universities. I figured I had a horrible chance of getting into any respectable American school, so it might actually be a good idea to try some over there. So in the summer of 2010, I went to Tokyo and took university tests. I paid for the trip by being stingy and finding odd jobs to do with the Japanese businessmen, thus reinforcing my Japanese.</p>

<p>So after I came back from Japan, I started my 3rd semester in my college back at Merced. The tests I took in Japan in the summer were only a first set of tests and I actually needed to go back to Japan, right before finals week, to take more tests and sit for interviews. I made sure from the start of the semester to work hard and get to know my professors, that way they would be fine with letting me go to Japan for 2 weeks right before finals.</p>

<p>While all of that was going on, I was of course in the process of writing my UC applications. My testing in Japan went from Nov 20-Dec 3. So, I actually turned my UC essays in while I was in Tokyo (weird). But this also meant that I would be applying to the UC schools with no real knowledge of if I was accepted to the universities in Japan or not, so that information was never able to make it to my essays. All I could hope for was that they saw improvement in my grades and that I took an interesting summer trip.</p>

<p>So, I got back to Merced from my winter Japan trip and took my finals then waited for the results from the Japanese schools. I ended up being accepted (for anyone interested, the schools were Keio and Waseda). </p>

<p>Japanese schools don’t take transfer units, so going there would have meant starting back from square one and of course it would mean going into a large debt. These are all things I knew before squandering thousands of dollars just to take tests and they were things I thought I wouldn’t mind. But when faced with the very real decision of less secure schools and more debt and more time, I opted to stay in America. This meant throwing away my acceptance to Japanese universities and waiting until May-ish for the results from the UC campuses.</p>

<p>Long story shorter, I wrote my essays about most of everything above and was accepted to UCBerkeley. I also made another trip to Japan this past summer, interning at a big company downtown. My general advice is to find something you’re passionate about and try to make it an integral part of your daily life.</p>

<p>@thelonghalloween</p>

<p>what was your gpa?</p>

<p>I am a US citizen applying from India. I have really good EC’s (basketball captain and prefect) and my grades improved this year. But my ACT score is a 27, would I have a chance for Berkeley?</p>

<p>Your SAT, is that CR+M+W or just CR+M?</p>

<p>How was your friend’s EC’s?</p>

<p>@HCOdude how was your friend’s ECs?</p>

<p>~Random side note: Getting into non-college of engineering majors at UC Berkeley isn’t the most difficult thing to do. Plenty of people at my high school got into Berkeley, some with 17-18xx SAT’s. Some I feel had an affirmative action boost looking at unlikely stats GPA and SAT wise. Someone was ranked 1xx out of 660 and got in and I know there is someone that ranked likely much higher than 1xx that got in. (The 25th percentile is actually rather high though, around a 4.0 weighted GPA)</p>

<p>And I apply to Berkeley with comparatively superior stats 4.63, tons of AP, EC and leadership positions, to some that got accepted (okay about the same on SAT because I’m not reading/writing oriented, just extremely math, science, and engineering oriented) and get rejected. Just that it’s college of engineering (EECS) and maybe my essays?</p>

<p>If you search for UC XX Common Data Set, you’ll find most of the schools post a PDF that</p>

<p>C9, 10 and 11 will show you what % of applicants had a band of scores/GPA. UCSC for example notes 1% of their acceptances were below 3.0GPA. It is safe to assume those people submitted great test scores.</p>

<p>Search around a bit, i think you’ll find what you are looking for.</p>

<p>My brother got into UCSD (as a biology major I think?) with a 3.4 Unweighted GPA, 1930 SAT and barely any extracurriculars. He’s also out of state, and actually got some financial aid too. He had really good essays though, I mean I suppose his stats weren’t absolutely terrible but he had absolutely no hope he would get into the UC system…you never know in college admissions</p>

<p>Holy poop thats what I’m relying on ^^^</p>

<p>I thought OOS didn’t get FA?</p>

<p>got into UCSB and UCSC with an UW 3.46 and a 31 ACT, strong EC’s though</p>

<p>Got into UC Riverside (Chancellor’s Scholarship and Honors Program Invite), Merced, Irvine, Santa Cruz (Hononrs Program Invite), Santa Barbara, and Davis (Provost Award), but waitlisted at San Diego. I’m out-of-state (GA) and my scores were an 1820 and a 26. Granted, I did have a 4.0 UW GPA and 4.31 UC GPA (8 APs), pretty interesting ECs, and decent personal statements. So it’s possible! Waiting on Berkeley and UCLA!</p>

<p>Got into UCSB with UW 3.6, W 3.73 and 2050 SAT, didn’t have that many ECs and my essays were only so-so, major is Pre-economics</p>

<p>I’ve still got a year ahead of me, but i ultimately want to go to UCLA and you guys seem to know your stuff.
UW GPA: 3.7
W GPA: 4.3
APs; 8
SAT: 1850
extra-curricular: decent, have some leadership positions
and i’m from the east coast</p>

<p>I got into UCD, UCSB, UCSC, and UCR with a 3.42 unweighted GPA and a 34 ACT score.
I got rejected by UCSD and UCI.
ECs and essays were alright.</p>