PLEASE READ! APPLIED TO UC's, REALLY WORRIED. I WILL CHANCE YOU!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, so everyone knows that UCs will release their decisions in about a month & a half and I'm crazy anxious. I'm scared because I really don't have the best stats, but I'm still hoping.</p>

<p>I applied to: UCD, UCSB, UCSC, UCSD.</p>

<p>POSITIVES
~ I got an 1820 on my SAT (not spectacular, but not that bad either).
~ Upward trend in grades.
~ I wrote some really solid & persuasive essays (my teacher read it and even said I'll get accepted, and he's also a professor at the local CC).
~ Dedicated to community service.
~ Advanced piano player (I compose music as well)
~ One of my high school newspaper articles got published in the local magazine.
~ Received Certificate of Journalism.
~ I applied as an English/Sociology major, which I believe isn't as competitive.</p>

<p>NEGATIVES:
~ Didn't take any AP classes until this year due to my struggle with anxiety as a sophomore & junior (which I explained in my essays...also explained how I overcame it & the significant lessons I learned).
~ Low GPA.
~ Worst grades are from sophomore & junior year. :(
~ SAT score isn't a 2000+ to counterbalance my GPA completely.</p>

<p>TOTAL GPA: 3.4W, 3.3UW
UC GPA: 3.19W, 3.16UW</p>

<p>Here are all my courses with my grades per semester.</p>

<p>FRESHMAN
1st sem / 2nd sem GPA: 3.83 / 3.83
Geometry - A / B+
English 1 - A / A
Earth Science - B+ / B
PE - A / A
Journalism - A / A
Spanish 1 - A / A</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE
1st sem / 2nd sem GPA: 3.67 / 2.67
Biology - B / C+
Algebra 2 - B / D+
English 2 - A / B+
Spanish 2 - A / A
World History - A / B
PE - A / B</p>

<p>JUNIOR
1st sem / 2nd sem GPA: 2.83 / 3.33
Spanish 3 - B / B
Junior Lit/Advanced Comp - B / A
US History - B / B
Econ/Health - B / A
Chemistry - C+ / B+
Algebra 2 (had to retake) - B / B</p>

<p>SENIOR
1st sem GPA - 3.83W, 3.67UW
Government - A
Piano - A
Trig/Precal - B
AP Lit/Comp - A
Physics - B
Computer Graphics - A</p>

<p>Here's a description of all my ECs/community services:
~ Volunteer at a local food bank since freshman year.
~ Wrote for the school newspaper in Journalism Club (9th grade)
~ High school recycling team (9th grade)
~ Attended campus & coastal cleanup events for Key Club (10th grade)
~ Fundraiser for Future Business Leaders of America (11th, 12th grade)
~ Peer tutor for National Honor Society (12th grade)</p>

<p>Etc. (Hooks):
~ I attend a very competitive public high school (my school is actually known for having A LOT of seniors get accepted to UC's).
~ In-state.
~ Low income.
~ 1st generation applicant.
~ Asian/Pacific Islander.
~ My sibling got accepted to UCLA last year (which I mentioned in one of my essays)</p>

<p>MY QUESTIONS:
1. Will the UC's I applied to (UCD, UCSB, UCSC, and UCSD) overlook my essays, ECs, community services, and SAT scores if they see I have a bad GPA?
2. Will I still be penalized for not taking a bunch of AP/honors classes because my school offers quite a few, even if I explained I struggled with anxiety?
3. Will any of the UCs I applied to most likely give me a chance & have sympathy?</p>

2

<p>Minimum GPA for UC’s is 3.4? At least that’s what showed when I went through the Application Process. Good luck! </p>

3

<p>UCD: low reach
UCSB: low reach
UCSC: high match
UCSD: low reach</p>

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<p>Thanks, it would be nice if everyone read through the entire thread, chance me, gave me feedback on my last 3 questions at the bottom of my thread. (:</p>

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<p>1.) No, no college will overlook you just because you have below average stats. if you have Great ECs and a great essay then you have a shot at redemption.
2.) Class rigor is very important so you might be at a disadvantage when it comes to not taking and AP classes the last couple years.
3.) Your best shot is UCSC.</p>

<p>My thread (chance pls.): <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1610985-chances-for-vanderbilt-unc-nyu-uf-and-duke.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1610985-chances-for-vanderbilt-unc-nyu-uf-and-duke.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>@sloth83 I know AP/honors courses matter, but I still took some pretty difficult standard college-prep courses. So can that help? Plus 3 years of Spanish, 4 years of math & science, etc.</p>

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<p>I think some pretty hard college prep courses can still help, even though they’re not AP classes. Your UC GPA is pretty low, though. I applied to UC Berkeley and UC San Diego but don’t feel confident that I can get in. I’m scared right now. And I didn’t do any community services…</p>

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<p>@Knowledge10 I feel it. I hate this waiting :(</p>

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<p>Any more feedback would be much appreciated :)</p>

<p>P.S. READ ENTIRE THREAD BEFORE CHANCING ME</p>

10

<p>The UC System is very big on taking a rigorous course load. Also, they are not huge fans of failing grades or having to repeat a course. Did you explain why you failed and retook Alg 2? You still have a strong chance if your essays are effective. Good luck! </p>

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<p>@clong92 yeah it’s evident in my grades because I got a D in Alg. 2 second semester of sophomore year. Will my upward trend, choice of major, ECs, and SAT scores help compensate for the negatives?</p>

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<p>And I’m first gen & low income</p>

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<p>If you provided a legit reason within your Additional Comments section about the low grade, then they may grant you mercy. However, being first generation will not cover you. I am not familiar with the SAT, I took the ACT, but everything else is ok. Longevity and leadership is key to EC’s & Volunteering as well, which you don’t have a lot of but it shouldn’t penalize you. </p>

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<p>@clong92 I’ve been volunteering at the local food bank since freshman year, so that should count for something. And I’ve been a a fundraiser volunteer for FBLA since junior year. :slight_smile: Idk, I just hope they give me a chance. My grades definitely don’t reflect who I really am or my level of dedication. Maybe they’ll see that once they read my essays</p>

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<p>The UC’s put a great emphasis on GPA according to several admissions officers that have spoken to at UCD and UCSB. If you look at the common data sets from all the UC’s you applied to, students admitted with a GPA between 3.0-3.24 is at 1%. The UC’s do consider test scores and essays very important also in their admission acceptances but I do not think they will compensate for the low GPA. Also course rigor is considered very important and since there were many AP classes available to you and you did not take advantage of them, it will hurt you. I am going through the college admission process again with my second son (his brother applied last year) and I can tell you with my experience it is very difficult to predict the outcomes. I hope you have some other schools besides the UC’s listed that you have applied. I hate to see you not accepted to any. I wish you good luck and prove me wrong.
UCSD: Reach
UCSB: Reach
UCD: Reach
UCSC: Low Reach</p>

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<p>UCD: reach
UCSB: reach
UCSC: high match
UCSD: high reach</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input, hopefully I can be one of those miracle acceptance stories lol</p>

18

<p>Bump… </p>

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<p>3.2 UC gpa 27 ACT - all honors and Ap - full IB diploma candidate
hospital volunteer 99 hours and currently
job managing a website
50 hours library volunteer
10 hours homeless shelter volunteer
pretty good and unique essay </p>

<p>chance for UCI,UCSB and UCD</p>

20

<p>Bump anyone?</p>