More than 94% at UC's in top 10% of HS class???

[underthesun]

<p>I purchased the premium access from US News & WR for their statistics on admissions. One of the highest admission rate UC campuses, UCR, is listed as having 94% of its freshman class in the top 10% of high school class. Other campuses are much higher, with UCSB listed as having 100% in the top 10%. </p>

<p>My daughter is "only" in the top 15%, but has a 3.7 UC gpa and 2260 on the SAT. Is it possible her chances are nil at UCSB? I am also surprised that UCR has 94% from the top 10%, but have heard that it is getting more selective. Am I missing something with the USNWR information, or is it possible they made a mistake?</p>

<p>So little time, wondering if she should be adding more Cal States and out of state applications to the mix.</p>

<p>Thank you for any advice</p>

[Waverly]

<p>She has a chance at SB because her scores are so much above their average. Far from a guarantee though.</p>

<p>I would add some schools other. Than UCs if you can afford them. No one knows how many OOS students all these schools will admit this year but given their desperate need for money, probably a lot more than last year. It will get increasingly hard to get into a popular UC without both high GPA and SAT.</p>

[drusba]

<p>I guess it is a question of how they compile their figures. For example, your D won’t get into any UC unless her admisisons score, combined GPA and UC score applied to SAT sections, places her in the top 9% of high school students in California but her current grades and SAT score make that a certainty based on the charts provided by the UCs. See [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html]University”&gt;http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html]University</a> of California - Statewide path<a href=“Before%20this%20year%20the%20deemed%20ranking%20was%20top%2012%.”>/url</a></p>

<p>Thus, if she is admitted to any UC, the UC could claim she is ranked in top 9% much less top 10% if they use those conversion tables to report rank.</p>

[underthesun]

<p>Thank you for the useful replies! It hadn’t occurred to me that they may be using the state ranking to determine the percentage, but that makes sense. A bit misleading as presented in the USNWR stats since the state ranking incorporates the SAT scores while HS rank is strictly based on GPA. We toured UCSB last week and D loved it, but she plans to apply to most of the campuses.</p>

[mikemac]

<p>

but has a 3.7 UC gpa and 2260 on the SAT.

The SAT is well above the accepted & enrolled average, but the average admit GPA is 4.08 and the average enrolled GPA is 3.91 so she’d be somewhere into the lower half based on even enrolled GPA. </p>

<p>Unfortunately the UCs don’t give too much info on how they weigh each component of GPA and SAT or if they just look at the composite eligibility index. The “UC score total” is one tool, but it sounds like they make a different version for admission at UCSB since they say

As part of the academic preparation review, an academic index score is computed that comprises the official GPA and the required test scores (SAT Reasoning test or converted ACT Assessment plus Writing). The grade point average is most heavily weighted in the academic index, accounting for about 60% of the total. For applicants to engineering majors, the math test scores are more heavily weighted, whereas for applicants to Letters and Science and Creative Studies, verbal and writing test scores are more heavily weighted. Eligible applicants are then ranked based on their academic index score and awarded points based on their standing within the entire pool of applicants.

</p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>Current class rank is not considered for UC admission, although UC GPA versus a benchmark GPA set by the historic top 9% of the high school is used to determine eligibility in local context.</p>

<p>The California Master Plan for Higher Education does target the top 12.5% of the high school class statewide for UC and the top 33% statewide for CSU, and systemwide eligibility minimums attempt to target those thresholds. So it is not surprising that most UC students are within the top 10% of their class, especially with the use of eligibility in local context these days.</p>

<p>That said, if the student’s GPA and test scores are will within range of the various UC campuses, it is well worth applying if the student wishes to attend and can afford it.</p>

[underthesun]

<p>The high average GPA’s at the UC’s have been a real shocker for us. I guess we’ve had our heads in the sand, not realizing how competitive things have become. I was a B student and have done quite well in college and career. We’ve toured all campuses except UCB, UCLA, UCI and Merced and have confidence that instructional quality has not suffered significantly due to budget cuts. The admission process also seems very fair and comprehensive so we’re confident she will end up where she belongs. It sure would be nice to have an excuse to visit Santa Barbara for 4 years though…</p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>Make sure to figure out what the safeties are. If you are not confident in any UC as a safety, include some CSUs (be careful, some have gotten very selective also) and perhaps out of state schools like UAB (Blazer Elite Scholarship) and Alabama (Presidential Scholarship – December 1 deadline).</p>

[mikemac]

<p>

It sure would be nice to have an excuse to visit Santa Barbara for 4 years though…

Your D sounds like a bright kid and I sure hope she gets in. Once the crush of getting apps is done, though, it might be worth thinking about alternative plans just in case. If UCSB is the top choice, I have a posting on a backdoor way to get the UCSB experience at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-santa-barbara/468098-backdoor-way-get-into-ucsb.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-santa-barbara/468098-backdoor-way-get-into-ucsb.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;