<p>What exactly is the pont system? Do all UCs use the point system?</p>
<p>The point system is the system in which UCSD awards points based on an individual's application to judge whether or not an applicant can be admitted. It is scored out of a total of 11,100 points, of which 4,500 are potential from an applicant's GPA, and 3,200 are possible from SAT Is and IIs. The rest come from Extracurricular activities, or special circumstances.</p>
<p>Only UCSD uses the point system. Other UCs use similar processes, but all of this falls under the general UC doctrine of Comprehensive Review. While you could potentially use the point system to calibrate possible admittance to other schools like LA and Berkeley, it isn't exactly accurate in those cases, and there have been more than just one incident where an applicant is denied admission to SD, only to gain admission to LA or Berkeley.</p>
<p>How is it that the SAT is worth 3,200 points?</p>
<p>ffffff the point system! numbers are DEFENITELY not working in MY favor..</p>
<p>i agree! point system didn't work in my favor either</p>
<p>(SAT I's + 2 SAT II's) x 0.8 = (2400 + 800 + 800) x 0.8 = 4000 x 0.8 = 3200</p>
<p>Yes, dawn1029 and dratinisunny I agree, the point system does not work in many people's favor, which is why it's a bit unfair. Especially since people can easily cheat the new system.</p>
<p>I know people (and when I say I know them, I really do they're also not my brother's girlfrend's step-cousin's child etc. And when I say people I DO mean more than a few) whose family immigrated to America from xxx, Country. (I will not say the name of the country/countries either, in case college admissions reads this and somehow miraculously figures it out) therefore they automatically qualify for the 300 points of First generation college attendance.</p>
<p>Then to make it even better, they're family has low income in the US, YET back in xxx country, they have a huge-borderline-mansion size house and servants, live in a nice area, etc. And since they only have to put US income they automatically get the 300 points from Low family income. Plus they go to public schools, some of which qualify for the educational environment category, giving them another 300 points.</p>
<p>And then the wrote about their family immigrating and how hard it was trying to make it in America (or variations of this story) which is a possible 500 points added for the special circumstances/personal challenges. </p>
<p>So they have a range of a for sure solid extra 600 points to a possible 1400 points. </p>
<p>I know I sound like i'm just b*tching (and yeah, truthfully, I am a little bit irritated by it). But I also think this is why some of the catergories are not as fair as they should be. Also I know these circumstances DO NOT FIT EVERYONE. I'm just quoting back, how some people I know easily got in over me. But I would never rat them out, so no one ask me to state names in order to verify that I'm tell the truth or some bs like that.</p>
<p>point system is stupid! completely works against those in middle class neighborhoods, with normal families.</p>
<p>These extra points might seem unfair but they do not actually help significantly in getting a low income person with first generation status in with poor gpa and sat's and terrible profile overall. think about it.
Here is a hypothetical situation.
Say a guy who immigrated from some country and is very poor gets a
3.0 GPA
1700 SAT score
550, 560 SAT II's
does not have community service or leadership or honors because he/she has to work part-time. note how ucsd does not even give points for working part-time. </p>
<p>(1700+550+560)*0.8=2810
3.0 GPA=3000 points
low income + first generation + bad circumstances = 1100 points
6910 points < 7450 points or 7390 points for winter quarter
this person only gets 6910 points total even though this person meets all the low income criteria and gets all those extra points for this status.</p>
<p>but then again, if they got a 3.6, they would have made the cut...</p>
<p>and a 3.6 gpa with a 1700 sat getting over a 4.0+ gpa and 2000+ sat is kind of ridiculous</p>
<p>also if they were poor, they probably live in a poorer area, meaning they most likely go to a poorer school, meaning they get more points for going to a worse school</p>
<p>i technically immigrated... but i applied as an international student... and i didn't write another typical sad immigration essay (wanted to be different from other immigrants so the admissions people probably had no idea)
i worked really hard to get into my school (<- y can't i get some pts for that?), which is a private school(darn!) and since it is competitive, it was/is hard to get an A...
and i am not a first generation... (i asked... on the other forum)</p>
<p>those that actually get the high gpa's and sat's who are actually dirt poor should actually deserve to get extra points because they faced way more obstacles in their lives than a middle class person would have faced to achieve high gpa's and high sat's. if they went to a poorly funded and unsafe public school, they had to fear for their safety many times. they might have also not have had college counselors that helped guide them through the applying process and so their applications are more likely to be less impressive unless they took more initiative. they did not have access to the same amount of resources as a wealthier person or a middle class person( sat prep courses, tutoring for difficult ap classes, having a family that really knows the importance of an education, private college counselors for essays,etc.).</p>
<p>yes, i agree only the people who received high gpa's and sat scores who happen to be poor deserve the extra points...</p>
<p>even though urm's, low income, and poorly funded public schools are favored in the admissions process, ucsd is still not very diverse. Approximately half the school is asian. And like 40% is caucasian. the rest only compress 10% or possibly less.</p>
<p>well it is not fair to those of us who were blessed with a good life. honestly, they use the point system 'to be fair', but it is the furthest from fair there is. they offer points for the most stupid things, and discriminate against those of us who dont have cancer, who have two loving parents, who live in a middle-high class neighborhood. </p>
<p>and even 1 point is way too much. but they hand out what? 300 points , 500 points for certain things. its ridiculous</p>
<p>"and discriminate against those of us who dont have cancer,"</p>
<p>red flag</p>