I have a 3.4 unweighted GPA and a 3.9 weighted. By CSU calculations it’s a 3.77 and by UC calculations it’s a 3.5. I know my GPA is not as high as it should be! I got a 30 on the ACT (36 English, 34 RC, 24 science and 25 math) and will be taking it two more times. I’m out of state and attend a huge, inner city public high school in Denver, CO. I’m in the top 40% of my class. I have hundreds of hours of volunteer work and am active in school clubs such as Students for Gender Equality and Bridging Generations, a club where students sing oldies to nursing home residents. I am also vice president of my school’s A Capella Club. I plan on majoring in communications/journalism.
In California, I’m looking to apply to-
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Barbara
San Diego State University
University of San Diego
Santa Clara University
Chapman University
Please be honest 
I know UCSB especially is a looooong shot but I just want to see if it’s even worth applying to.
Your test scores are a little low. Try to get your ACT up to a 32. For the UC’s and an OOS student, your GPA is on the low side. Is cost a consideration? You will not get FA from CA schools so the UCs will cost $55000 per year.
UCSB and SCU are both getting pretty competitive… especially if you’re in state. Try to improve stuff as much as you can, and maybe you won’t get squeezed out.
Can you afford $40K to $60K per year?
You are OOS which means full fees. California taxpayers fund the UC’s and the Cal States, so the state is obligated to provide an education to the residents first.
The private schools that you’ve listed run about $60K and your grades/stats won’t get much in the way of FA at those schools. Your current GPA and SAT scores are not competitive for the California schools, but you could be admitted as full pay because the state really needs your money.
UC Santa Cruz - low match.
UC Santa Barbara - low reach.
San Diego State University - safety.
University of San Diego - match.
Santa Clara University - match.
Chapman University - match.
Some of these chanes might be off if you are applying for a competitive major! Good luck.
The UC and CSU calculators use the same criteria, so your CSU/UC GPA should be the same: http://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
You have a good chance at SDSU/Chapman/UCSC and Santa Clara. UCSB will be the most difficult and that could be 50/50 depending upon major. Also, as stated above, make sure you can afford to pay $55K/year for the UC’s and $30K for SDSU since you will receive little to no FA. Also be aware that if the UC budget passes, OOS students could see their tuition being raised 8% over the next few years. The private’s will also be costly since your Stats do no qualify you for much merit aid. Do you have any good match/safety schools in Colorado that you are considering? Good Luck.