<p>Okay, well, i attend a small private school in california, and i do have many extracurricular activities, such as sports and the school newspaper. I am taking an AP course next year (in my junior year), but what i am really sort-of concerned about is my GPA. It's not bad at all, but its not great either. My cumulative GPA for my freshman and sophomore years combined is about a 3.0-3.1. I am looking to get into one of the less prestigious UCs, such as UCSB or UCSC. I took the PSAT, but i forgot what I scored. I am also a white male. So, any help, insight, or advice would be great. Thanks</p>
<p>the UCs are really easy to get into for a CA resident. your GPA is fine for those schools, as long as you aren't shooting for Cal or UCLA. You'd make it in with an slightly above-average SAT score.</p>
<p>Oh, and I'd work on the GPA if I were you. Being public schools, the UCs tend to look more at numbers than at ECs and the like.</p>
<p>I disagree pea. The average GPA at UCSB is 3.9 and I think it's at least 3.6 at UCSC. It is not easy for CA kids to get into UCs, the system is designed to accept the top 12% of CA high school graduates.</p>
<p>Great SAT scores can help, particularly SATIIs. No UC, except perhaps Merced (havn't seen the numbers) has average SAT scores just above the national average.</p>
<p>UCs also want kids who have taken the hardest possible course load and there is a box on the application for the counselor to check comparing your honors/APs to your school as a whole. So if your school offers a full compliment of these classes and you've taken only a few, that hurts you at UCs.</p>
<p>Merced is the best chance if your stats are low, followed by UCR.</p>
<p>Also UCs count only soph and jr years. So if you have a great jr year that's half the battle.</p>
<p>Visit <a href="http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/ucnotes%5B/url%5D">www.ucop.edu/pathways/ucnotes</a> to look up the 2006 UC applicant "eligibility index." If your UC "A-G" GPA is 3.1, you'll need a minimum 2188 SATs (this doesn't guarantee admission -- it's what you need to be considered for admission to any UC).</p>