<p>I've heard "miracle" stories about people who have been accepted to the greatest UCs, yet their GPA or SAT scores are well below average, or just not that great at all. Do you guys know of any examples? Why does this happen?</p>
<p>Thanks, any contribution will be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Well, even if one's academics aren't stellar, one can be admitted to a more prestigious university if one has another "hook", such as long-term distinctions in music, art, athletics, medicine, etc or even if one's parents are alumni or donate generously to the school. Though most if not all schools weigh grades/test scores heavily, ECs, volunteer/internship/work experience, legacy, essays, personal experiences, etc. are also important factors.</p>
<p>yeah peggy nailed it</p>
<p>My GPA is the only thing hurting my transcript, but it's also a huge thing.</p>
<p>I hope I'm one of those people who get accepted to a college I love. :)</p>
<p>^^^I'm actually curious too. Isn't the UC system very stats-based?</p>
<p>UC Schools are more numbers based especially because of the amount of students that apply--they need to weed out those who don't really have a chance, so numbers definitely gotta be up there.</p>