Really bad sophomore year.. do I still have a chance at some of these colleges?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi guys, I was wondering if you could chance me based off of this:</p>

<p>Gender: F
School: Public, good school, 2000+ students
State: CA</p>

<p>GPA:</p>

<p>10th 1st semester: 2.8 UW/3.33 W/3.16 UC weighted?
10th 2nd semester: 3.3 UW/3.71 W/3.57 UC weighted?
11th 1st semester: 3.85 UW/4.29 W
11th 2nd semester: 4.0 UW/4.5 W</p>

<p>Overall: 3.46 UW/3.96 W/3.88 UC weighted? </p>

<p>10th - 3 honors courses
11th - 3 AP courses</p>

<p>I took really hard courses in 10th grade (out of a class of 500-600, I was probably in the top 5 for hardest courseload), and I struggled a lot there. I took a pretty challenging courseload in 11th grade but stepped it up a lot more. I'm not completely sure how the UC weighted works but I took 3 honors courses in 10th grade, but I think UCs only count 2 in 10th grade. Nevertheless, my GPA is still quite low =/</p>

<p>AP courses taken, 11th and 12th grade (aren't really any AP courses to take before 11th grade):</p>

<p>AP US History - 5
AP Chemistry - 4
AP Physics - 5
AP Gov/Econ - 5
AP Calculus BC - 5
AP Statistics - 5</p>

<p>SAT: 2200
SAT II Math: 750
SAT II Physics: 750
(Thinking about taking another SAT II)</p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<ul>
<li>member of small club for 4 years </li>
<li>editor of a non-profit magazine 2-3 years</li>
<li>varsity cross country/track (if I worked pretty hard this winter etc. I could have a shot at running for some of these schools but we'll see) </li>
<li>member of math and science club 2 years</li>
</ul>

<p>Basically, I feel like my worst problem is the low GPA... I know essays do play a role and I've been working pretty hard on those (anyone have any stories of people with low GPAs still getting into colleges like these :D?)</p>

<p>These are some colleges I was considering applying to:</p>

<p>UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC San Diego
Cal Poly SLO
Santa Clara University
University of Illinois
University of Virginia</p>

<p>I'm not sure if I should take a shot at applying to some of these colleges.. would it be worth it (these are some top colleges)?:</p>

<p>Stanford
Duke
MIT
Columbia
Dartmouth </p>

<p>Thanks a lot for any replies.</p>

2

<p>Your tippy tops... extreme reaches.</p>

<p>Your first list: UCB and UCLA are big reaches... they are very GPA oriented, and though they throw out 9th grade, they can't throw out 10th.
UVA- big reach too, though I don't know they're exact procedures.</p>

<p>UCSD- slight reach
UCI, UCD, UCSB, Cal Poly SLO - match
Illinois -- don't know
Santa Clara... BIG SAFETY.</p>

<p>congrats to you for getting it together 11th grade. It has made UCD, UCSB, UCI real possibilities for you. Otherwise you'd be at UCR.</p>

3

<p>So basically my only real chance of going to a place like Berkeley/UCLA would most likely have to be for something athletics related? (Thanks for the chancing though)</p>

4

<p>You've got a consistent upward trend, and excellent test scores, so I would not rule out UCB and UCLA if you are in state.</p>

5

<p>I am in state.. I think a lot of this will depend on how good my essays are then.</p>

6

<p>You have a good SAT score,</p>

<p>You still have a shot at UCLA/UCB and UCSD</p>

7

<p>You have a huge upward trend, so I think your sophomore year will be mostly forgiven, you have a shot at most of those schools.</p>

8

<p>Hmm.. I would have to disagree with DunninLA and say that you could get into ALL of the UC's, but none on the other list. Maybe... Stanford bc your in state.</p>

<p>Oh and btw, UVirginia is probably not.</p>

9

<p>fantastic chances. You're at least highly competent at all these schools, including Berkeley. I think your sophomore year will be at least partially disregarded due to your junior grades and SAT score.</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/636935-chance-me-my-favorite-schools-i-will-chance-back.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/636935-chance-me-my-favorite-schools-i-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

10

<p>There is just crazy misinformation on this thread!</p>

<p>Stanford because you're in state? It's actually harder for an unhooked applicant from CA to get into Stanford. They are trying hard to cut back the percent of students from CA.</p>

<p>Upward trend at UC's? UC's use a formula for admission along with their 'holistic' approach. They only count soph and junior years in that formula. Unless you have a hook like being low income or first generation, an athlete, etc., you need to be darn close to their 4.2 GPA averages. The good SAT score does bring up the OP's chances.</p>

11

<p>I beg to differ hmom.
UC's will still look at your first semester senior year transcript. This is a CONSTANT upward trend and the UC's will love to see this.
Stanford also prefers students from CA, why?; because students parents from CA PAY TAXES to the STATE. The colleges in the state get partial support from our tax money; even private colleges. Im not trying to be mean or anything, Im just telling the truth.</p>

<p>I would say UCB is a great match for you.</p>

<p>chance me:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/640928-what-do-you-think-course-load-will-chance-you.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/640928-what-do-you-think-course-load-will-chance-you.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

12

<p>Good upward trend is good but your UC GPA has to be closed to 4.25 to get into some of the top UCs. UCs do not care about the quality of your high school. So your high SAT does not help.
Stanford is a super reach unless you have a hook. It does not like even tippy top students with perfect GPA/SAT from CA.</p>

13

<p>Vickrim, Stanford is a private college. You are totally and completely incorrect that Stanford gives preference to kids from CA. They are open and honest about that. Stanford was long a regional school. It has a lot of alum in CA and has long had intense interest from CA students. Their percent of CA students hovered about 50% for a long time. But they are working to lower that now as interest from around the Country and the world keeps increasing.</p>

<p>And while UC's will look at senior year grades to make sure there has not been a drop as all colleges do, the calculated UC GPA used for admissions purposes only includes Soph and jr. years.</p>

<p>I don't think you're being mean, I just know you are incorrect.</p>

<p>And actually Columbia, at UC's, the high SAT will help. Their formula incorporates GPA and SAT and the OP's score is about 150 points above the average at the 2 in question.</p>

14

<p>Well, the average SAT scores for UCLA/Berk were around 2050 last year.. So in terms of averages, you have an above average score.</p>

<p>Are you ELC? most likely.</p>

<p>Your UC GPA may be a bit low, but I still think you have a shot at the higher UC's. Even though the UC's are accepting way less students this year...GREAT.</p>

15

<p>I live in Los Angeles, and know quite a few UCLA kids. It's virtually impossible to get in (unless you have a great hook (athlete, URM)) if you don't have a 4.0, and I know Berkeley is just as competitive. The UCs get so many applicants that they DO make the first cut holistically: your SATs are good, but I don't think anything to put you over the top for UCLA and UCB--but definitely still apply: they're reaches but not impossible. I do think you have a great shot at the other UCs you put up there, as well as Virginia and Illinois, and then Santa Clara and Cal Poly as safeties. As for your tippy tops, I don't know, I would still consider Duke.</p>

16

<p>Hi i was wondering if you guys can help me out too…
im currently a sophomore in high school and am getting b’s in first semester. My courses are:
honors precalculus-B+
honors english-A possibly A+
ap chem-B
spanish 2-B (third language and english wasnt my first so it was a challenge for me)
ap euro-B+ or A-
pe-A+</p>

<p>will i still have a chance with the upper uc schools? or is it the end? because i also have many extra curricular stuff and clubs and etc.</p>

17

<p>…bbbbuuummmpppp…</p>

18

<p>Jenny message me I have a question about getting into Stanford.</p>

19

<p>You totally have a chance keep working hard!</p>