<p>
</p>
<p>That’s probably high school GPA calculated for UC admissions purposes. Only 10th and 11th grade course grades in a-g subjects are counted and up to 8 semesters’ worth of honors / AP / college courses with C or higher grades are given +1.</p>
<p>It would be pretty hard to get more than about a 4.4 on UC GPA if one took a full load of academic courses with maximum possible honors / AP / college courses because of the 8 semester cap on honors +1 points.</p>
<p>Llama 231:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, you’re absolutely right. Spot on, lol… </p>
<p>I glossed over your ACTs and saw 33, and in my mind I converted to 1500-ish, two part SATI, to which I am more accustomed, along with my possibly missing that third SAT stab and because superscoring could amount to anything ascendant. But 33 converts to a lower three part score. Let me see if I can find it real quick…</p>
<p>33 ACT translates to 1460-1500 two-part, 2190 three, which of course is not a symmetric conversion: 1480 midpoint of two x 3/2 =2,220. I guess teh dynamic would be that the writing portion would logically be the hardest part of the three-part SAT, or the most harshly graded, and kids haven’t made the necessary adjustments yet, based on those who’ve taken both. (I think I intimated/stated this in my last post.)</p>
<p>No, by all means take it again for your elites. I don’t think SAT’s being harder has play in the elite-private admissions game, or at least I wouldn’t think.</p>
<p>UCSB a safe bet? I’d think so, and you might get notified of this early on to give you some comfort that at least you have a college seat when your top choices send out decisions in the spring.</p>
<p>Here’s that one [high school](<a href=“http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/penhi/collegeacceptance/collegeacceptance2010.pdf”>http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/penhi/collegeacceptance/collegeacceptance2010.pdf</a>)of which I was speaking. Two spreads, the first is by college, the second, by student.</p>
<p>UCBAlumnus:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Dead on, or at least how I understood things.</p>
<p>Just real quick before I sign off…</p>
<p>And wrt=with respect to. I think Prez Obama is big on this, not the abbreviation… and I know that James Brown whatever pre-NFL show he’s on is big on “with respect to.” With the prior two, it must be a Harvard thing.</p>
<p>About two-tiered admissions based on quality of high school:</p>
<p>I’m a critic of it also, because I think UC is a little too diversity conscious. But when I really think of it, I think it’s entirely noble that the u’s with the system do save spots for those who may not necessarily show forth the stats that kids as fortunate as yourself can because you attend an excellent hs. I think kids everywhere have essentially the same potential, so if UCLA and Cal and the rest of UC want to bring this out of them and they succeed, it’s a win-win for all of CA.</p>
<p>
This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from the TV serise “West Wing”</p>
<p>“Grading is based on past performance, but admission should be based on potential and how a candidate may thrive with this sort of opportunity. And studies show that affirmative action admits have a higher disposition to contribute to society.”</p>
<p>You’ve received a lot of good advice, so I apologize if I repeat.</p>
<p>First, sort out the finances. Ask your parents to use an on-line calculator to determine how much NEED based aid you would be eligible for. Then have a heart to heart with your parents to make sure that they’re comfortable with their expected contribution. </p>
<p>You don’t want to accumulate loans on the undergraduate level. If need based aid doesn’t work for you, you will have to look for MERIT based aid which would mean for the most part a different set of schools.</p>
<p>Second, Don’t take the SAT and ACT again. Your scores won’t keep you out (or get you in for that matter) and 3 and 2 times is enough. Your grades and rank are excellent. That’s enough.</p>
<p>Focus on the more subjective aspects of your application: your essays, resume, recommendations and how you’re going to explain your unique EC.</p>
<p>Third, as long as you have a reasonable safety, I think it’s okay that the rest of your list are reaches and high matches. I also think it’s okay that you have a long list. If you get an EA or REA acceptance then you can trim some of your lesser choices. If you are disappointed by your EA/REA results you can add some less selectives.</p>
<p>Because you note that you are “a native speaker of English” I need to ask: are you an American citizen? That will impact your list as well.</p>
<p>PS: You hardly need another reach, but I would add Williams. Better actually for math and science than Amherst or Swarthmore. I would also look at Grinnell, especially if you end up needing merit aid.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus
It is looking like my best chance for taking any more math before college is next summer. Is it worth getting ahead with speed over quality? I highly doubt that I will be able to take any classes at CC during the school year, the scheduling will not work out very well. How exactly does multivariable help with E+M?</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, I have already finished the cap by far, so that is not too much of a thing.</p>
<p>@drax12
Can I submit both the ACT and SAT to colleges?
How exactly does thsi table work? It is a list of reported sets of numbers that colleges accepted, with the first set said by the colleges and the second by assorted students? If so, how exactly do I use it?</p>
<p>Thank you for the clarification. I agree that the two-tiered admission is a good idea and I support it; I was just noting how it is not useful to myself, which is not too much of a problem as I am most likely not cutting the UC’s.</p>
<p>@momrath
I will see what I can accomplish in this finances feat. Loans are for graduates then? I will be sure to note that to them. With merit scholarships only for the lesser schools, I may wind up going to one of them even if I get in (I know a person who got into MIT but chose to go to UCLA due to money. However, he supposedly got a promise that he could go to MIT for graduate school.)</p>
<p>What about the subject tests? All of my peers take 2-3 and get 800’s on all of them, while I have quantity instead of quality. (At least I am “well-rounded” or something, not sure how good that is…)</p>
<p>I plan to explain my game, etc. in essays, I have done so before and my Englush teacher suggested it.</p>
<p>I am indeed an American citizen.</p>
<p>I will probably only apply to one liberal arts school and Amherst and Swarthmore already beat down Williams, despite how awesome it is… Alternatively, I could just not apply to any Liberal Arts colleges, as I am probably going to want to take graduate courses. </p>
<p>My college list with notes from what I have learned (still not much financial research though, I still need to talk to my family):
<p>Shortened List:
<p>Now if I combine all of the UC’s into one application and stretch the list out to 10 total:
<p>MIT~CMU
Yale/Princeton/Stanford~Chicago/Brown</p>
<p>So all I did was cut Reed and combine the UC System together and I have my list down to 10. I will probably try for 8 (with the UC’s as 1, so technically 10), so which two slots should I cut?</p>
<p>Also, calculating using the first 9 colleges there, as well as Berkeley and UCLA (but none of the safety UC’s) I have about a 97.5% chance of getting into at least one of them, which seems like good odds (Statistics knowledge says so).</p>
<p>Not counting the “match” UC’s and removing the Liberal Arts colleges so I only have the top 8, the chance lowers to about 86.1%.</p>
<p>I am using my best guess with CIT low at 10% and CMU high at 40%.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t think so, it’s one or the other. However, if you look at [Cal’s CDS](<a href=“http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2010-11.pdf”>http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2010-11.pdf</a>) for incoming frosh of 2010, Table C-9, you see this:</p>
<p>Percent submitting SAT scores 95% Number submitting SAT scores 4,138
Percent submitting ACT scores 36% Number submitting ACT scores 1,568</p>
<p>So there’s an overlap of %'s, so there were students who did submit both. I think what it is is someone finding he/she scored better on the other and submitting it later.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s just a table based on historical data of persons taking both tests, and thereby “converting” one score to the other, ACT to SAT, or SAT to ACT. Ask your counselor which score you should submit. I’m thinking SAT similar to you, but he/she might have a different idea.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That link I provided was just something I thought you might be interested in regard to Palos Verdes Peninsula HS’s database of student applications & decisions sorted by by college and by applicant number.</p>
<p>Pretty comprehensive… shows uwgpa, wgpa, scores in SAT1 and subjects, EC’s, and colleges the students were accepted & rejected at… and matriculated at, noted by an “X.”</p>
<p>Take a look at it if you have the time, under the various c’s and u’s in which you are interested… see what applicants the schools are accepting and rejecting.</p>
<p>@drax12
So I can take the tests again in, say, December too? That is helpful.</p>
<p>I was referring to this table, I am not sure how to use it: <a href=“http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/penhi/collegeacceptance/collegeacceptance2010.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/penhi/collegeacceptance/collegeacceptance2010.pdf</a>
Ah, it is a list of all the data fro a high school similar to mine. Is there a database that has more high schools, or is this the only one cool enough to make this?</p>
<p>As usual, it seems to be a bit random with the only trend towards higher scores. I will try to find some other patterns too. This list is over many years? Or is it more than just one high school?</p>
<p>One more question to toss out there: For the schools that take either the SAT or ACT, but with the subject tests only with the SAT (and none with the ACT) is there any reason to do the ACT instead of the SAT I and II? ACT without subject tests seems a bit pointless.</p>
<p>And if possible, could I direct the general public towards my list? I almost have it complete.</p>
<p>
Amherst and Swat have consortium access to U Mass and Penn, respectively.</p>
<p>Have you considered Harvey Mudd? It has great placement into top graduate programs. Many people who favor Caltech place Mudd high on their lists.
</p>
<p>How does Harvey Mudd compare to Carnegie Mellon?</p>
<p>Also , how do you edit posts?</p>
<p>The tech schools are: CIT, MIT, HM, and CMU
How do they compare? HM was the lowest on my list, enough to not make the final 15 cut.</p>
<p>Loans: To clarify, it’s easy – way too easy – to get loans for undergraduate school. It’s just not, in my opinion, a good idea. I believe PhDs are usually funded by grants, plus some loans.</p>
<p>Edit: After you post you have a finite amount of time (20 minutes?) to revise your comments. Key on “edit” under your message.</p>
<p>List: EA @ CIT sounds like a good plan. After you get the results, you can further finesse your list. I don’t see much difference between applying to 8 or 12. If I were you I’d be adding, not subtracting, especially since your financial situation is hazy.</p>
<p>Financial safeties: Less selective doesn’t necessarily mean lower academic standard. Asians are still URMs in parts of the country. Try going against the grain when looking for your safeties – Midwest, South, Rural schools all recruit high achieving Asians.</p>
<p>@momrath
From what I can tell with financial aide:
Need-Based
Merit-Based
Scholarships
Bargaining/Offers
Loans</p>
<p>Is this all to consider?</p>
<p>I have been unable to edit post as you have described, but I will try again directly after thsi post. In other forums I have been to, being a new member usually makes it impossible for you to edit, so that may be a likely reason too. </p>
<p>First Choice+Lowest Chance=Good choice for EA, I suppose. I will look into it and likely do it. If I am applying to more colleges, should I keep my list as is, or look for more match colleges instead of having all of these reach colleges? Or is the probability thing good enough that I will get into at least one? I am also considering adding Reed back on again too, so this could get interesting.</p>
<p>Ethnically, I am technically White if one thing because I am only 1/4th Asian, so I am not too sure how this will work out. I do not particularly wish to attend a rural and/or south/western city, as I am more of a liberalish person culturally (California, Internet, etc).</p>
<p>I still do not have capability to edit. To avoid this post being a point only because of an edit clarification, I will note my main semi-answered questions again:</p>
<p>Should I retake any tests, and if so, which one(s)?
Which, if any, colleges should I cut from my list?
What is the primary difference I should care about between each individual Tech and Liberal Arts schools?
Is it a bad idea to try for a Liberal Arts college if I might plan to take University courses as an undergraduate?
Should I do EA for Chicago and/or MIT too?</p>
<p>llama, If you need money you may have to overcome those regional prejudices. All academically rigorous colleges lean left. And yes, they use the internet in the Midwest South and even in the Berkshires!</p>
<p>I hope you get accepted at your top choices and I hope you find a way to fund your education without burying yourself in loans. HOWEVER, if I were you I’d be working out a financial Plan B. End of sermon. Good Luck and let us know how you do.</p>
<p>lol :)</p>
<p>But in seriousness, I actually considered many colleges in such regions. Rice, for example, made it to my top 20 and was cut for reasons other than being in Texas. I myself am not the most liberal person, I am idealistically neutral. I have just grown up in such an environment and am used to and like it. </p>
<p>I am going to do quite a bit of work on financial stuffs with my family some time in the short future, so do not worry too much about me. I came to this forum of CC to shorten my list and got tops of awesome helpful advice on all accounts, so it works out. After I finish my list, I may be posting threads throughout CC, likely including the Financial Aide forum. </p>
<p>Thank you all for all your help, though I have not officially finished my list. I am still wide open to suggestions, especially regarding me questions in my previous post, so please do not interpret thsi post as closure. </p>
<p>When (if) I return to tell you all my results, should I just bump the thread? Or is there an official way to go about this sort of thing? Assuming that you all actually want to know how it goes for me, there are tons of other people with similar stories throughout CC.</p>
<p>Should I retake any tests, and if so, which one(s)?
In my opinion, no. Your scores are fine. Additional attempts would make you look obsessive.</p>
<p>Which, if any, colleges should I cut from my list?
None, though you may want to tweak after you know the results of your early applications.</p>
<p>What is the primary difference I should care about between each individual Tech and Liberal Arts schools?
Do you mean liberal arts programs at large universities or small liberal arts colleges? Either way, in my opinion, the major difference is that at a tech school everyone is doing tech 24/7 and at a liberal arts school your colleagues will be involved in a wide range of academic disciplines. Neither is better than the other. Just a different focus.</p>
<p>Is it a bad idea to try for a Liberal Arts college if I might plan to take University courses as an undergraduate?
Depends on the LAC. They are not all equal in the sophistication of their math/science programs. Williams is not a bad idea for advanced undergraduate math. Other LACs may be.</p>
<p>Should I do EA for Chicago and/or MIT too?
I believe you can do EA at all three UofC, MIT and CIT. But you need to read the fine print as each college has different restrictions.</p>
<p>PS, I thought about Rice. . . also Emory.</p>
<p>In my opinion, no. Your scores are fine. Additional attempts would make you look obsessive.
But I AM obsessive, do not colleges want to know the real you…? XD</p>
<p>None, though you may want to tweak after you know the results of your early applications.
That is pretty reassuring. </p>
<p>Specifically:
Amherst vs. Swarthmore vs. Reed
CIT vs. MIT vs. CMU vs. Harvey Mudd</p>
<p>Depends on the LAC. They are not all equal in the sophistication of their math/science programs. Williams is not a bad idea for advanced undergraduate math. Other LACs may be.
How about Amherst/Swarthmore/etc?</p>
<p>Should I do EA for Chicago and/or MIT too?
I believe you can do EA at all three UofC, MIT and CIT. But you need to read the fine print as each college has different restrictions.
Really? I will look into it.</p>
<p>Edit!: I need 20 posts to be able to edit.</p>