<p>Hello, I am currently a CCC student and gonna start my 3rd year in the coming fall. I am an average student and I am very worried about my chances of getting into the UC's.</p>
<p>Major: Sociology
Schools that I am going to apply: UCLA, Cal, UCSD, UCI, UCD, UCSB, UCR, + probably USC
GPA: 3.46 (Used to be above 3.5 but I just got a C in bio in last semester :( I hope it would not affect that much. I really do suck at science...)
EC: Member of Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society and gonna be an officer in fall. I was in the volleyball team when I was in secondary school in my hometown(does this count? because I have only spent one year in US high school. I graduated from it though). And I babysit for family friends for free occasionally. (uhh I don't know if this also counts...) And also I'm currently working as an non-paid intern for an election campaign.
TAG: Going to apply for UCI tag because UCSD raised the GPA to 3.5 (I was very mad about this. But you know, when life gives you lemon...)
Essay: should be okay I guess
-I will apply for UCLA TAP as well since I will finish the honors program during fall or the coming spring. </p>
<p>I know the chances of my getting into UCLA or Cal are realllly small but I still want to give it a try! Other than these two awesome schools, UCSD is my first choice because I really love this school and its environment. UCI is okay too I suppose. BUT I really hope I could get into the top two.</p>
<p>I would want to know what are my chances of getting into UCLA, Cal, UCSD, and UCI. Thank you so much! Please give me some comments. I'd really appreciate them.
Good day y'all! :)</p>
<p>Getting into UCLA and Berkeley is going to be pretty tough with your GPA. However, you look pretty good for all other schools. UCSD won’t be easy to get into either, but you have a great chance. Don’t be down on UCSD raising the TAG GPA. Ya, they didn’t really have to do it, but UCI, UCSB, and UCD are all really, really great schools.</p>
<p>UCSD gpa didn’t raise this year, it was last year. Its pretty simple as you mentioned in your post. For uSC, it depends on how many W or repeated courses do you have and you have to follow their requirements.</p>
<p>@Ferrari4XD Thank you. I forgot to mention that I do have a W unfortunately =( It was computer science. I thought I needed that for UCI but then I figured out I don’t need it so I dropped… I hope this would not affect much!</p>
<p>@LAforlife Thank you! I know my chances of getting into UCLA or Cal are very low but I’d like to be optimistic and hope that miracle will happen! haha :)</p>
<p>@Sunburst Thank you! haha okay then I guess I don’t need to write them on my application? Yeah I’m going to take some easy classes in Fall so I could hopefully get a higher GPA!</p>
<p>I was told that basically no one got into UCLA for an impacted major (sociology) with a 3.4 or below having TAP. But since you’re above that you may still have a chance, bring your GPA up significantly in the Fall and you should have an okayish chance. You’re chances of getting in at Cal are extremely low, when I talked to a university rep she said that the average GPA was 3.8 for the social sciences. If you have a rocking personal statement it should help you, but it’s the lowest chance out of all the schools. UCSD is a tricky, because of TAG a lot of students will end up getting in and cause the average GPA of those without it to increase, so you might have a chance at UCSD but it really all depends on how many people apply and what their GPA is. I heard that out of the non-TAG applicants last year the average GPA was something like 3.8. </p>
<p>Yeah stay positive, I don’t know your chances but some advice would be not to include volleyball unless you are still involved with it. They don’t want to know your HS extracurriculars, you’re applying to be a junior so stick with more recent activities. They are more relevant and putting HS stuff just tells them you didn’t have anything else to put down so be careful of that. </p>
<p>Also if it is significant enough I would absolutely put down your babysitting. If its free then put that down in the volunteering/community service section on your application. If you help with homework and whatnot you can put down tutoring too. It’s not bsing because that can take up a huge portion of your time. I put down taking care of my pop because he was going through cancer treatment and it really was a significant part of my duties through CC.</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck! You did what you could with gpa and the other stuff, just make sure you have a monster essay! Especially for Cal it could definitely be a huge boost.</p>
<p>@Discosteve,
I know my GPA is very weak:( AND my major is impacted so I think Im gonna apply an alternative major (linguistic & psychology) for TAP. Yeah I will try to get straight A’s in the fall! Hope I could actually achieve this goal haha. <em>finger crossed</em> So I guess my chance of getting into Cal is really low? Shall I still give it a shot? I will try my best to write an outstanding personal statement because I was told that Cal does care about that. For UCSD, luckily sociology is not an impacted major so I’m pretty positive about it but you know, since I couldn’t do TAG, it’s harder for me to get into SD with my not-so-appealing GPA, yeah? However I have seen those posts about how people got into UCSD’s social science majors with average GPA like 3.3 ~ 3.5. So yeah, I hope I could be like them! Thank you so much for your time! :)</p>
<p>@MeStudyStuff,
Okay! So basically they only want to know about my activities done in college? So babysitting and tutoring kids are counted in community services? Would they want me to prove it? Because I don’t think I have any proofs lol. Oh, sometimes I volunteer at church’s events too. Should I put this down as well? But somebody told me that only UCLA really does care about EC’s?
Thank you! I know boosting up my GPA is reallllly important and I will try my best to do it! And also the essays…<em>sigh</em> I don’t even know how should I write them. But I guess it would be fine! Hopefully I will at least make it to UCSD!</p>
<p>So basically they only want to know about my activities done in college? </p>
<p>Yes, unless the activities you did in HS is something you’re still involved with.</p>
<p>So babysitting and tutoring kids are counted in community services? </p>
<p>Yeah, unless you were paid, then it would go in the work experience section of your application.</p>
<p>Would they want me to prove it? Because I don’t think I have any proofs lol. </p>
<p>Generally you don’t need to have anything that will help “prove” you did it. The UCs do follow up with a small percentage of the applicants to see if they were honest but for things like volunteering its not that important to follow up on unless someone wrote something crazy. Basically, don’t lie and you won’t have anything to worry about!</p>
<p>Oh, sometimes I volunteer at church’s events too. Should I put this down as well? </p>
<p>Yeah</p>
<p>But somebody told me that only UCLA really does care about EC’s?</p>
<p>Not true, I’d say Cal cares just as much if not more. If you haven’t already, look into Cal’s “holistic” approach to their admissions.</p>
<p>Thank you! I know boosting up my GPA is reallllly important and I will try my best to do it! And also the essays…<em>sigh</em> I don’t even know how should I write them. But I guess it would be fine! Hopefully I will at least make it to UCSD!</p>
<p>I don’t like the sound of that! You’re worried about how the essay will turn out because you haven’t put much thought into it. Once you get it going you’ll feel much better. That might mean your 4th or so draft. At least that is how it was for me. I’m horrible at English in general and essays have always been a problem for me. I knew Cal really cares about the personal statements so I made sure to spend a lot of time on it. The key is to get as many people to go over it as possible. The people should be other students that got into a UC, university counselors, professors, English tutors, etc. In the beginning I had friends that were English majors or had really good skills for essays look it over and it just isn’t the same as people who actually got in and look over essays all the time.</p>
<p>As a lot of people had already mentioned…UCLA and UC Berkeley will be tough shots. I had 3.76 and I didn’t get into UCLA. I got into UC Berkeley though. As for UCSD, if you raise your GPA a bit by the time you transfer, I think you should be okay. And as for the rest, I think you’re fine. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>Your GPA isn’t <em>that</em> weak. I remember seeing a couple 3.3s get accepted to UCLA and UCB last year and I think at least one of them was sociology. 3.46 is not amazing but still pretty good for a major that’s not super competitive like business. If you took a full load this fall and got straight As, could it become a 3.5? I think if you got straight As this fall not only would it raise your GPA but it would also show an upward grade trend and then I would think your chances of UCSD and the other “lower tier” UCs would be extremely high and your chance of UCLA and UCB would be fairly high (like probably 75% that at least one accepts you). Dunno about USC though.</p>
<p>@MeStudyStuff Thank you so much for the detailed answers! I will try my bestttt to write a bomb essay! Hope that will go well :))</p>
<p>@nproudb Hello ex-AGS member Thanks! I will try to get straight A’s in the fall by taking some fairly easy classes like child development and music appreciation LOL hope they’re not too hard.</p>
<p>@Shannon13 Thank you! Now I feel better about myself LOL and I actually do have some hope about getting into the top two haha. Yes, I’m going to take 4/5 classes in the fall and if I get straight A’s, my GPA would be above 3.5! (yay!)</p>
<p>@Ferrari4XD Thank you! I will check them out! :]</p>
<p>Oh btw, does anyone know how the UCSD TAG thing works? I just saw that they say students have to have a 3.5 by the end of fall 2012. So now I’m having a 3.46 and probably will get straight A’s in the fall; I could take a chance to apply for their TAG right? Or should I just go with UCI which seems “safer”?</p>
<p>It’s up to you. Is possibly getting to TAG to UCSD more important than not TAGing to any other school? It’s totally fine if it is, but understand that if you aren’t able to get your GPA up to a 3.5 for whatever reason, you will not be guaranteed admission to UCI, UCSB, or UCD.</p>
<p>@LAforlife thanks for replying. I’m not sure. Becasue I feel like my situation is kinda awkward, right between 3.5 & 3.4. If I can get straight A’s in the fall i would definitely have a 3.5 but no one knows about the future right…? My school has not started yet so I don’t know about the difficulties of the classes… that’s why I am very worried right now. I know if I couldn’t make it to 3.5 I would lose the chance to be guaranteed to UCI or other good schools. But I prefer UCSD over UCI because of the location and environment. I’d be better studying in UCSD than UCI…I know both schools are really good so that’s why I’m having a dilemma right now</p>
<p>You won’t have to make a final decision until the end of September, so you may want to wait and see how your classes are going. But ultimately it’s just going to come down to whether or not you want guaranteed admission for sure to another UC, or a chance to TAG to UCSD. No one can make that decision but you.</p>
<p>^You can only apply to one school. You must indicate the school of your choice on the application. You don’t get to check off multiple campuses.</p>
<p>Oh that’s a bummer. I thought they were separate apps. </p>
<p>IMO the OP should TAG to UCSD. A 3.4-3.5 <em>might</em> get denied from UCI or one of the “other good schools” (I’m assuming he means UCD and UCSB? or possibly all the UCs?) but I really can’t see him getting denied from all of them.</p>
<p>True, but the OP seems to have a clear preference for UCI. I don’t see anything wrong with trying to TAG to SD, but the OP should understand the risk. He/she would be sacrificing a sure thing for a potential thing. There’s nothing wrong with that, but only if he really wants SD and is willing to cope with a denial letter from Irvine. I agree with you that’s it’s unlikely the OP will be denied with that GPA, but it’s all about that risk, however small, and if he/she is willing to take it.</p>
I hope this would not affect much!</p>
You’re worried about how the essay will turn out because you haven’t put much thought into it. Once you get it going you’ll feel much better. That might mean your 4th or so draft. At least that is how it was for me. I’m horrible at English in general and essays have always been a problem for me. I knew Cal really cares about the personal statements so I made sure to spend a lot of time on it. The key is to get as many people to go over it as possible. The people should be other students that got into a UC, university counselors, professors, English tutors, etc. In the beginning I had friends that were English majors or had really good skills for essays look it over and it just isn’t the same as people who actually got in and look over essays all the time.</p>
Thanks! I will try to get straight A’s in the fall by taking some fairly easy classes like child development and music appreciation LOL hope they’re not too hard.</p>