Should I bother?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Santa Barbara
1

<p>I'm a Junior from Virginia.
UC GPA:3.85-3.95(depends on my last semester of this year)
SAT:1800(CR 680,w 560,m 560) (I'll be retaking it later on this year, hopefully with a much higher score)
I know it looks bad but I'v shown some REAL improvement( I had a 2.5 GPA first semester of freshman year)</p>

<p>ECs: nothing to special, but I'm bilingual, and have been playing Guitar and Piano for over five years(lessons/self taught)</p>

<p>By the time I graduate I will have taken 7 APs, but only 2 honors courses.
I have not taken the sat subject tests yet because the UCs are the only schools that I'm looking at the require it.So if I won't get in I'd rather not waste me time/ effort for a test no one will look at.</p>

<p>I'm confident in my ability to write an essay that will convey my desire to attend UCSB, as well as much of who I am.</p>

<p>I would like to study physics( I know my scores are low, but I really am good at math I don't know what happened that day. But I haven't taken and advanced physics or calculus course, my interest springs from my self study and family)</p>

<p>Are there any other UCs that I should consider? Or colleges in california for that matter?</p>

<p>Thank
-John</p>

2

<p>Def. apply man I’d just try and get your math section up another 40 or so points on your SAT. You have a legit shot. SAT II scores don’t really matter.</p>

3

<p>Definitely apply. Prepare for and then retake the SAT and aim for a 1900 or better. Keep in mind as an out of state applicant that if you want to apply to a UC you have to take 2 SATIIs in TWO DIFFERENT AREAS. So you couldn’t do two difference sciences or foreign languages, for example</p>

<p>If I were you I would also consider UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine and UC Davis.There are several good, small private schools around there too. Check out collegeboard.com to get a good list of California schools that fit you academically.</p>

4

<p>definitely apply to santa barbara if you want to go, </p>

<p>likewise with all the UCs (except LA and Berkeley, unless you improve your SAT score siginifcantly) </p>

<p>they love improvement, or at least i assume so (i had 2.something freshman year, and now have 4.0 UCGPA and got into LA)</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much for the positive advise guys! I just registered for my subject tests (lit, and US history).</p>

6

<p>Dude good luck on the Lit test, i got a 490 and the avg. score last yr was 580…it’s pretty brutal.</p>

7

<p>From what I know UCs only look at your soph-jun grades, which will increase your GPA dramatically. Work hard on SAT during the summer and you should be able to get into LA and Cal without a problem.</p>