My Strange Case For Admission, Help Anyone?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Good Afternoon everyone.</p>

<p>I'm a current applicant to UCB and UCLA
My case is a strange one.</p>

<p>I graduated in 2008 with honors, class rank in top 10% (I believe 20 out of 400 students)
In a small high school in the San Bernardino mountains
Last year I was unable to go to college for money problems.
I received an invitation from a medical organization in BAJA MEXICO to join a group of Rural-medicine volunteers that go into the community to research and provide health care,
The program includes medical classes, tons of clinical activities and hands-on community service totaling over 500 hours of community service since August in 2008.</p>

<p>My High School stats are:
Top 10% in class, graduated with honors.
My high school had a total of 6 AP classes: my GPA is 3.8 weighted
SAT I 1590, SAT II 770 Spanish language, 610 Molecular Biology ACT 26 (Highest Science 29)
AP Tests English Language: 3, English Literaure: 3 and Spanish Language:5 (Note, I DID NOT TAKE THE AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND AP ENGLISH LITERATURE CLASSES)
Mexican-Immigrant student since 2002.</p>

<p>Awards:
Rotary Award
American Legion Medical Award
Local Medical Award
AP Scholar Award
International Thespian Society Award
Music Awards</p>

<p>EC
4 years in marching band (Bass-clarinet section leader) and Pep Band
4 years in concert band and wind ensemble (bass-clarinet section leader)
3 Years in Orchestra
3 Years in Theatre and Drama
4 Years in Field Show (Bass-clarinet section leader)
1 Year in Jazz Band</p>

<p>Sports:
1 year In Swimming
1 year in Football</p>

<p>Community Service:
-Over 500 hours in Rural Medicine
-Over 200 hours of Hospital Volunteer
-Over 400 hours of Spanish Tutoring
-30 Hours in Canned Food Drives
-50 hours in Music Tutoring to Elementary Students</p>

<p>Work:
-Translator 8 hours a week
-Store Clerk 8 hours a week</p>

<p>I wrote 3 essays, asked for admissions by exception and received a supplemental questionnaire.</p>

<p>My essays were about:
1.) Personal Life Traveling In Mexico and the US. Aspiration in Hispanic cultures and Medicine with a great wish to unite American and Latino cultures.</p>

<p>2.) My medical program experience and how it's shaped my life.
3.) The value of perseverance and living as an immigrant in the US as well as being able to pass 2 AP tests without any preparatory work.</p>

<p>Supplemental included (because I noted on the original application that I'm diagnosed with Anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder)
I got the medical condition one:
I answered 7 essays on topics like "How it affected me" "Describe briefly" "Did it have an adverse effect on EC's?" "How do u learn a new subject"</p>

<p>I worked extensively on the responses and managed to keep all responses concrete and direct with proper resolutions, also they were edited by a friend who goes to UCB (and received a similar supplemental) and so I feel confident about them</p>

<p>My question to you guys is:
Based on this information do I have a shot to be admitted to UCLA?
I know academically my SAT has been a bit low but I know some people who have gotten into UCLA with lower scores.
Also I received a supplemental application for which I've emphasized my medical experiences.</p>

<p>What stands about me is my medical skills, I'm pretty knowledgeble in medicine and know basic manouvers since I've received all basic pre-med certifications while in Mexico.</p>

<p>What are my chances? I really want to go to UCB or UCLA, I just really want to go to college!</p>

2

<p>I have heard of people getting in with lower test scores. It’s a long shot, but you have a compelling story to tell and that may be enough. Regardless, I’m sure you “will go to college,” where else have you applied?</p>

3

<p>I applied to UCLA (where I also got supplemental) UCI, and UCR</p>

<p>my top two are UCLA and UCB.</p>

<p>UCI is a safety (If I can call it one)</p>

<p>I have a friend in UCB who is a junior and she got in with the supplemental, she had an 18000 on the SAT and same GPA as I.</p>

<p>She also knows many people who got in with low SATs, (like someone who got in with a 1,490) </p>

<p>I’ve also heard UCLA accepting people with as low as 1,400.</p>

<p>From what I’ve heard, the personal statements are super important and become the key to admission basically, is this correct?</p>

<p>My selected major in UCB is Hispanic Languages and Bilingual Issues by the way!</p>

4

<p>Based solely on academics, I would’ve said you were on the lower end of admission. But due to your essays (assuming they’re excellent/above the norm) and extracurrics (and lastly, your ethnicity), I’d say you have a pretty legit shot at UCB at least.
UCLA can be kind of random, in my opinion. A lot of kids in my high school had gotten in to UCB, but not UCLA during my year.
And of course there’s going to be a range of SATs score accepted. (Hell, I know a guy that got a 1590 and got into Stanford) Problem is, you don’t want to be on the way lower end of the scale.</p>

<p>Since you’ve already applied though, I think our opinions are useless really. You just have to wait it out. Good luck with everything… (And I’m surprised…no small LAC interested you? haha)</p>

5

<p>That´s what I believe, my Medical curriculum will work to my benefit.</p>

<p>What is LAC?</p>

6

<p>I think you have great shot at both state flagships. The fact that they asked for supplemental info means that they were looking for a reason to accept you – otherwise they wouldn’t waste your (or their) time.</p>

<p>LAC = liberal arts college</p>

7

<p>Oh, okay
Does La Verne count?
They’re kind of not liberal though</p>

<p>I was looking into Belhaven College in Mississippi</p>

8

<p>Looking at your unique status and your classification as an under-represented minority, you have a decent shot. However, don’t count on it.</p>

9

<p>I would say essays can really sway admissions, sooo i think with your unique experience and background, you have a strong chance of being admitted</p>

10

<p>Thank you hereicome09</p>

<p>My essays were outstanding, I had a current friend who’s at UCB proof read them also most of my friends read them and helped me edit them.</p>

<p>I just hope these writings get me in</p>

11

<p>@bluebayou</p>

<p>UCLA is not a flagship school</p>

<p>Only Cal is the flagship school.</p>

<p>[University</a> of California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“University of California - Wikipedia”>University of California - Wikipedia)</p>

<p>click on the box under Founded</p>

<p>UCLA was the fourth of ten UCs, no where near being the flagship.</p>

12

<p>Lefist:</p>

<p>May I kindly suggest you pull out those SAT vocab cards and look up the meaning of ‘flagship’. (hints: there doesn’t have to be just one, and it doesn’t have to be the oldest.)</p>

13

<p>Actually UCLA and Cal are both flagships of the UC system</p>

<p>So I do have to go with bluebayou</p>

14

<p>Flagship refers to the best, there are not two bests. Cal and UCLA are only somewhat comparable at the undergraduate level, at the graduate level the UCOP has a greater tendency to put all their eggs in one basket in order to better compete with private schools. As a result, Berkeley’s graduate school rankings tend to be significantly better than UCLAs (though there are some exceptions, e.g. UCLA has better graduate programs in education as they started as a normal school). To say something has flagship status you have to look at a greater picture.</p>

15

<p>What?!</p>

<p>UCB is a flagship (#21 on nation rank, #1 Public)
UCLA (#24 Nation Rank)</p>

<p>I know Stanford and USC are pretty big, but I do believe UCB and UCLA> USC</p>

16

<p>Your GPA and test scores are low for Cal and UCLA. I think you should aim for the 2nd tier schools like UCI and UCSB. Although your other stats like volunteering may be decent, GPA and SAT/ACT scores are the main focus for the UC’s.</p>