<p>So I am wondering how big of a portion school profile play into admission decisions of the UC adcoms, if any.</p>
<p>I'm going to say not much, if at all. You don't send a school report (or have it sent) when you submit the application. </p>
<p>Some students like to think that because their school is competitive and sends many students to a certain UC, they're in because of their school. That's highly flawed thinking, since these schools are competitive because they send many there, not the other way around.</p>
<p>Actually, as part of the UC comprehensive review process, the UC's do take the academic offerings and location of the student's high school into account. They look specifically at how the student has taken advantage of UC-approved A-G courses available at their high school. See: University</a> of California - Admissions</p>
<p>Of course, each UC weights the criteria a little differently. But, the high school you've attended does factor in.</p>
<p>@kyledavid80: Are you sure that a school profile isn't sent? Because I thought virtually all colleges get a school profile sent by the GC?</p>
<p>So the basic message is they do, but not enough to sway the decision in one direction</p>
<p>Yes, carolyn is right: UC does take into consideration the school's offerings. However, simply being from Monta Vista, Troy, etc. will NOT get you into the UCs (esp. not at Cal or UCLA).</p>
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@kyledavid80: Are you sure that a school profile isn't sent? Because I thought virtually all colleges get a school profile sent by the GC?
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</p>
<p>I don't think this is true for UCs, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Well, the thing is, how would they judge you then? Just GPA and SAT scores with no context? I really hope not because I'll applying to the UCs from a competitive school.</p>
<p>^^both carolyn and Kyle are correct. Since the UCs do not accept recs, they won't recieve a school profile. But, remember, all instate high schools submit their course offerings to UC for approval (college prep, honors, ap), so the big UC computer has a listing of the courses offered at your school.</p>
<p>And, yes, the competitiveness of your HS does matter, which is why 30+ kids maybe accepted from one HS and only the Val & Sal from another.</p>
<p>As kyledavid80 says, no school profile is sent (counselors LOVE the UCs because of this!), and though your secondary school program does "matter" a little, it is the 14th item in the UC's "Comprehensive Review" of 14 evaluated criteria in admissions: Comprehensive</a> Review - University of California Office of the President</p>
<p>(Hint: always listen to kyledavid80!)</p>
<p>By all instate schools, does that include private schools? What about homeschooling or OOS students?</p>
<p>
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And, yes, the competitiveness of your HS does matter, which is why 30+ kids maybe accepted from one HS and only the Val & Sal from another.
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<p>Is there any evidence that such is true? To me, it seems much more likely that the school is competitive because it has enough high-caliber students to send many off to top UCs, not that the school sends off lots of students to UCs because it's magically "competitive."</p>
<p>More than that, I've heard many times admissions officers deny that the school itself plays a role in admissions. If it were, that'd give an unfair advantage to other students.</p>
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By all instate schools, does that include private schools? What about homeschooling or OOS students?
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<p>It's going to vary by private school. Some do, some don't. As for OOS students, UCs do not receive school profiles for them, either. I'm not sure about homeschooling, but I don't think UCs receive some profile there either. Check the Home Schooling and College subforum for more info.</p>
<p>Agree with above. If anything, the UC actually gives extra consideration to disadvantaged schools in admissions.</p>
<p>Nearly all California private schools, especially the ones who send lots of students to the UCs, submit their courses for A - G approval. You can look for your school here: <a href="https://doorways.ucop.edu/list/servlet.jsf;jsessionid=084D25EF7FAD3D4295162702A75706BB?_flowExecutionKey=_c306356FC-9124-E222-3425-C41BD211BE62_k9AC454BA-9708-FB55-EE82-EC25A5EEBB06%5B/url%5D">https://doorways.ucop.edu/list/servlet.jsf;jsessionid=084D25EF7FAD3D4295162702A75706BB?_flowExecutionKey=_c306356FC-9124-E222-3425-C41BD211BE62_k9AC454BA-9708-FB55-EE82-EC25A5EEBB06</a> </p>
<p>Homeschooled students can become "Eligible by Examination" or apply for "Eligiblity by Exception." Click the "Homeschooling" tab on this webpage:University</a> of California - Admissions for information.</p>
<p>To help equalize the different schools, the UC re-calculates GPA according to their own rules. This helps to avoid the problem where some schools inflate GPAs by designating nearly all college prep classes as "honors." The UC GPA calculation is described near the bottom of the webpage here: <a href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html</a></p>
<p>In all discussions "UC", it is important to remember that any rule that pertains to the nine campus "system" as regards eligibility, only means that either Merced or Riverside are the likely recipients of such guaranteed students.</p>
<p>As regards admissions, each of the nine campuses has slightly different criteria. Berkeley and UCLA review a file much in the same way that any other top 30 university would... that is, qualitatively and quantitatively.</p>
<p>UC San Diego and one more (maybe UCSB) are formula UCs, which take each of their criteria, some of them subjective, and assign points. Extra points are given for 1st gen college, single parent home, crummy high school, etc.</p>
<p>So, really, there can never be a single answer that applies to all nine UCs.</p>
<p>Yes, each campus can use the comprehensive review in their own way, but it is important to remember, as you mention above, that #14 on the list - "Location of the applicant’s secondary school and residence, to provide for geographic diversity in the student population and to account for the wide variety of educational environments existing in California" is meant to give extra consideration to disadvantaged schools, not competitive ones.</p>
<p>In addition, the "Eligibility in the Local Context" path to UC eligibility was specifically aimed at giving an admissions advantage to students from economically and educationally disadvantaged high schools. It is granted (with specific criteria) to the top 4% of students at each high school, includes a multi-campus admissions guarantee (for 2008 it was UCD, UCSB, UCI, UCSC and UCM), and more than doubles the acceptance rate at the most competetive campuses. (For example, for 2008 the Berkeley overall acceptance rate was 21.4%, while the Berkeley "Eligible in the Local Context" admission rate was 56.2% University</a> of California - Admissions)</p>
<p>Though it applies to all (California) high schools, the students it is meant to help are those that would not otherwise have an admissions chance against the top 30 or 40% of students coming out of a "competetive private high school."</p>
<p>So, for example, a student in the top 4% of the lowest-performing high school in the state would indeed have an admissions advantage over a student in the 10th percentile from the most "competetive private high school" in the state. Systemwide.</p>