Hello, I am currently a junior in high school. Im a bit worried that I won’t get into college. Here why: I was doing Salvation Army kids cafe at the beginning of the year until covid happened and I am currently in girls inc I am planning on being a youth leader next year. I am a A-B student I am planning on starting a save the kids club next year I was going to start it this year but after asking a few teachers I realized it was very stressful with this online learning for them to look after a club any ideas on what I can do for the remaining of the school year I want to go into medicine I feel like my ec are all over the place I am taking Ap classes how can I stand out more I have anxiety i am trying to overcome it but it is difficult at times because I want to do many things but my anxiety doesn’t let me this year I am starting to realize that I am more into science and psychology freshman year I didn’t do anything at all I guess this year of quarantine has allowed me to know myself more I really enjoy girls inc and really want to start a save the kids program because I really want to be apart of making the world a better place do you think colleges will see it as a bad thing that I just starting doing things my junior year because I honestly didn’t do anything to help my anxiety my mental health is not super bad but it is definitely not ok Out of all my family so far it’s looking like only me and my cousin are the only ones so far who are determined to go to college most of my family are Mexican immigrants . any advice THANK YOU sorry it’s all over the place thank you for taking time to read it lol!!! Also my dream would be to get accepted into a UC, a state school is fine as well. I also don’t know if I should go into a community college because it has more benefits . How likely am I to get scholarships ? THANL YOU AGAINNN! -From California and I would like to stay in state
That was a doozy to read! As a senior now with As and Bs and one C with some great ECs and essays, I can tell you I have already been excepted into 2 of my top schools both with low acceptance rates. The most important thing for your ECs is to pick something and stick with it. Colleges understand that school related ECs have been hit hard due to Covid so in the next years applicants they will really be looking for people who took advantage of the time they had away from school and created something of their own. Whether it be a interest group for Class of 22 interested in medical careers or exploring deeper into psychology, the most important thing with extra circulars is that you show that you had a few things that you stuck with. They want people who have shown continued interest in a field, that way they know who really cares and who is just doing stuff to get into college. As a California resident, I can confidently say there is a UC for everyone both grade wise and lifestyle wise. You said you were an all A and B student with AP classes so grade wise you should be good enough to get into at least UC Merced, UC Riverside, and maybe UC Santa Cruz. For the more competitive UCs its going to be important that you are really keeping those grades up and that you make good use of this time and create something that interests you. As a minority women interested in STEM you have a leg up on many but thats not what is going to get you into college. They don’t really care about your mental health or what you have gone through with it. They care more about how you overcame it and how you used it to your advantage. They want to see that you are resourceful with what you’ve been given. Everyone has challenges, its how you tackle them that counts. As far as scholarships go, the UC system is very stingy and only top applicants receive them, normally out of state students. However with the FAFSA filed, if your families income is low enough you could be paying almost nothing for your UC education. To me it sounds like you will have at least one UC as an option but you may have many more with good essays, Extra cirriculars, and effort to keep those grades up
@HL2020 has given you great advice. If you are a CA resident, low income then the CA public schools can be generous with need-based financial aid. You could be eligible for Cal grants along with some Federal aid which could cover part to all of your college tuition and possibly housing. Each school has a net price calculator on their website to help you determine possible costs. Merit scholarships are few for the UC’s and Cal states and based on GPA and/or test scores. You will find more merit aid at Private universities.
You mention your anxiety and mental health. You should take care of yourself first so I would suggest you consider community college as a more gentle introduction to college vs a large university like the UC’s and Cal states. Medicine/Medical school is a long hard road so your mental health should be your #1 priority.
California has a great CC system which gives you many options to transfer into a choice UC or CSU.
UC’s offer TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) which guarantees admission at one of the participating UC’s if you meet course and GPA requirements.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/transfer-requirements/transfer-admission-guarantee-tag.html
Cal states offer ADT which is a degree with a guarantee and many times a GPA bump for transfer. http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/ADT_mentor_applicant_next_steps/
The UC’s and Cal states also calculate your GPA differently than your HS. They use 10-11th grades from the a-g courses with extra points for UC approved Honors,AP/IB or DE courses. Calculator below:
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
A-G course list here: University of California A-G Course List
Once you complete Junior year, calculate your 3 UC GPA’s. Capped weighted UC GPA = Cal state capped weighted GPA.
ACT or SAT scores may or may not be considered but worth taking until final decisions are made.
Cal states do not consider EC’s with the exception of Cal poly SLO but the EC’s for the UC’s can make you stand out. Consistency and passion are important vs a laundry list of activities.
All you can do is your best at this point and come back this summer with updates so CC posters can help with a balanced college list that will be affordable.
Just more information and stats for the UC’s and Cal states to help you better understand and target schools that would fit you.
For the Cal states, this link gives a GPA and test score summary for admitted students along with links for each campus to explain impaction and Freshman requirements:
The CSU GPA is the UC capped weighted GPA. Cal poly SLO is the only CSU that includes 9-11th grades in their GPA calculation.
All Cal states admit by major so major choice can impact your chances.
Here is the link for transfers: https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/counselor-resources/Documents/transfer-2019-admission-impaction-chart.pdf
For the UC’s, this data can be found on the UC website but I have listed in a more readable form.
2020 UC capped weighted GPA averages along with 25th-75th percentile range:
UCB: 4.22 (4.13-4.30)
UCLA: 4.25 (4.18-4.31)
UCSD: 4.16 (4.04-4.28)
UCSB: 4.15 (4.03-4.27)
UCI: 4.11 (3.96-4.26)
UCD: 4.11 (3.97-4.25)
UCSC: 3.94 (3.71-4.16)
UCR: 3.88 (3.65-4.11)
UCM: 3.68 (3.40-3.96)
2020 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT totals:
UCB: 1320-1560
UCLA: 1350-1550
UCSD: 1310-1520
UCSB: 1290-1510
UCD: 1230-1490
UCI: 1280-1510
UCSC: 1170-1440
UCR: 1110-1380
UCM: 980-1260
25th - 75th percentiles for ACT composite + language arts
UCB: 29-35
UCLA: 31-35
UCSD: 29-34
UCSB: 28-34
UCD: 26-33
UCI: 27-34
UCSC: 24-32
UCR: 21-31
UCM: 18-27
Again major can impact your chances with the UC’s but it depends on each campus and type of major. Some majors are direct admit, some you will be admitted by college and some UC’s admit into the University first and then into the major. Several campuses consider alternate majors also.
UC transfer information: Transfers by major | University of California