<p>I understand they only take into consideration sophomore and junior GPA. Does this also apply to class rank?</p>
<p>They don’t consider class rank at all according to the common data set.</p>
<p>I looked at CB’s info on UC Berkeley. Class rank is listed as an important admission factor. And according to CB’s info, no one ranked below the top quarter of their school was accepted to Berkley. That worries me; My 9-current rank is horrible, but my 10-11 rank is about top 10%.</p>
<p>Check the UCB Common Data Set, the info supplied by Berkeley: they don’t consider rank.</p>
<p>Where can I find that?</p>
<p><a href=“http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2009-10.pdf[/url]”>http://cds.berkeley.edu/pdfs/PDF%20wBOOKMARKS%2009-10.pdf</a></p>
<p>Rank is very important in the UC Comprehensive Review. If you look at item #5 [University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/general_info/uc_reviews/freshman_app.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/general_info/uc_reviews/freshman_app.html) , preference for Fall 2011 will be given to students who rank in the top 4% of their class, and in 2012 to the top 9%. The UCs overall are designed so that only the top 12.5% of California’s graduating seniors (statewide, not in each high school - at top high schools the entire class may be eligible and at low-performing high schools, only the top 4% might be eligible) are eligible for admission. California students in the top 30% are eligible for the CSU system.</p>
<p>The 4% is referring to those who receive ELC letters, guaranteeing admission to all UC’s except Cal and UCLA. For the fall 2010 admission there were many students accepted who were in the bottom % of their classes. Examples are one private school where all who applied to Cal Berkeley were accepted, including 3 kids with 1700 SAT’s, gpa’s of 2.9-3.1, and no sports or EC’s. It was thought to be a mistake, but was not. Another local public school took several kids for Cal and UCLA with similar scores. It was a very different year, so advice is to do your best, but apply and make sure your application is correct and essay good. </p>
<p>Also, not all schools rank their students.</p>
<p>
This would be so unbelieveable, I am sure you would not present it as fact if you did not have a link to a newpaper article to support it. Could you please post that link? </p>
<p>As I mentioned in my post, the top 12.5% of students who are eligible for admission to the UC refers to the top 12.5% statewide, not at each high school. Instead of retyping it, I will quote myself:
<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/local_eligibility.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/local_eligibility.html</a></p>
<p>
All California schools that wish for their students to be eligible for the ELC program must rank the top 10% of students over the summer according to UC rules. If they do not, no students at that school will be designated ELC. [Welcome</a> to ELC](<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/sas/elc/]Welcome”>http://www.ucop.edu/sas/elc/)</p>
<p>To Alamemom, I don’t have newspaper article, as kids have to agree to have their schools and stats published. Our area has not posted any information about where kids are going, gpa’s, sat’s, etc. But, yes, this is true, as it is my s’s school and I know the parents very well, and this subject has been discussed at length. They were amazed and again, thought it was a mistake. Two friends at the local public high school were also admitted with similar stats. It was a very unusual year for the UC’s, with many families surprised and many baffled by the acceptances/non acceptances. As for the rankings, yes, the schools do submit their numbers, but each parent has to sign a form allowing this info to be given to the UC’s. Another change in ELC this year admitted those who received the letter automatic admission to all UC’s except Cal and UCLA. (We got one of these letters). But apparently for some ELC kids they were not guaranteed admission to UCSD either.</p>
<p>I am afriad then that your anecdote can not be taken seriously. It is my experience that every year families are baffled by UC admissions because they have been told things such as “rank is not important” at the UCs, when rank (top 12.5% statewide) is what determines if students are even eligible to apply. The Fall 2009 admit rate at Berkeley for ELC was 66%. So if you ranked in the top 4% (at each individual high school), you had a 66% chance of being admitted to Berkeley. That seems quite significant to me. <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles/camp_profiles_ucb.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles/camp_profiles_ucb.html</a></p>
<p>Yes, parents must sign a form. If they do not, the student will not be designated ELC. They still may achieve statewide eligiblitly. For Fall 2012, when the ELC % goes to 9%, having ELC will be even more important. That will make far more students at lower-performing high schools and with lower test scores (test scores are not considered in ELC eligiblity) eligible for the UC, and leave much less space for students with statewide eligibilty.</p>
<p>Have to agree with lanimer. We have quite a bit of experience with the ELC’s. </p>
<p>Alamemom, yes I can believe the acceptances mentioned. My best friend’s son’s top choice was USC. He didn’t get in. But he did get into Cal Berkeley and UCLA. He had 1810 SAT, 3.1 GPA, no extracurriculars, and only on jv sport, and is not a minority. Lives in NorCal, and chose Cal Berkeley.</p>
<p>Being a minority is not considered at any UC. With a 3.1 GPA he was UC eligible. A student with a 2.9 and a 1700 would not be UC eligible other than by “Eligibility by Exception.” <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/committees/boars/a.by.e.guidelines.1005.pdf[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/committees/boars/a.by.e.guidelines.1005.pdf</a></p>
<p>My guess is that the “I heard from a friend…” stories do not include important information - such as: is the quoted GPA a “UC GPA?” - which is why they are not useful in advising applicants.</p>
<p>To ryanxing,</p>
<p>My point to you was to do your best, apply and be positive! Even though it’s not great to have low stats, some are accepted. Try to get your grades up first semester senior year. Good friend’s son got in with 2.9 gpa. All the best to you.</p>
<p>*It is my experience that every year families are baffled by UC admissions because they have been told things such as “rank is not important” at the UCs, when rank (top 12.5% statewide) is what determines if students are even eligible to apply. *</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the minimum UC requirements are set so they capture approximately the top 12.5% of California high school graduates, not the other way around. If you meet the minimum UC requirements, you are theoretically in the top 12.5%.</p>
<p>^ yes, that is correct. The UC requirements are set so that the top 12.5% of high school graduates statewide are eligible to be considered for admission to the UC system.</p>
<p>Wow… This is an interesting thread. My son will be attending Berkeley in the fall. He is #1 in his class, designated ELC, had a weighted GPA of 4.8 (4.0 unweighted), National AP Scholar, nationally ranked tennis player, NHS, CSF, 34 on the ACT and three subject tests with scores over 750. Why am I telling you this? Because he received a supplemental questionnaire. His was the one regarding his special talent (tennis) but I have heard those went to students on the bubble. Granted he applied Engineering Undeclared which is extremely difficult to get into, but if he was considered borderline, how did all those kids with much lower stats get accepted??? Crazy… In his class, there are 6 kids going to Berkeley and everyone accepted had GPA’s over a 4.0.</p>
<p>momfirst3, as I understand, the supplemental questionnaire goes to 2 group of students - one is the borderline, needs positive reasons for admission; the other is just to verify special talent/activities/volunteer/awards or special circumstances. Your son is definitely NOT borderline for admission, but possible borderline for scholarship/regents … those type of things? :)</p>
<p>Oh, hahaha… I had no idea. He did not get the regents but he did get a $15,000 scholarship. This makes me feel better. I really thought only borderline students got those (that’s what everyone told me) so we were all stressing out big time around here before he got his acceptances. Berkeley was his first choice and we really thought he might not get in. haha Thanks for clarifying this for me. However, it still doesn’t answer how so many students got in with such low stats. There were many turned down at my son’s high school who had much higher stats…many over a 4.0 were turned down.</p>
<p>There you go. Actually, I want to take back the sentence of “possible borderline for scholarship/regents”. He is a very competitive student. I’m pretty sure they want to review in details your son’s awards/achievements in tennis for the purpose of scholarship consideration, since sports awards cannot be “sent” officially like ACT score. Congratulations to your son!</p>
<p>I am not that surprised there are some lower stats students admitted. Although Berkeley does not use/publish a formula, UCD/UCSD’s admission formula is circulated in this forum. If examine them closely, you can project some lower stat student be admitted if they rank higher in their HS, coming from low-income family, have special challenge, and so on. Each UC campus takes these factors into consideration, just the weight might be different.</p>