Sophomore in High School - Questions Regarding Junior Year and College

Applying to College
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<p>Hey Everyone,
SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR THE LONG READ, but I really need your help!
I'm 15 1/5, a sophomore in high school and I'm starting to get pretty nervous for the upcoming years! I have an older sister who went through the system so I've heard how daunting the process is! (She's considerably older than me, so I want to ask questions here about the most recent system, if there were any changes).</p>

<p>I go to a very, very tough private school - Crystal Springs Uplands School (CSUS) and I'm an average(?) student, but I don't think colleges look at the rigor of the applicant's high school. I took the PSATs this year and I'm waiting for my results (so obviously I haven't taken the SATs yet). I'm getting a B+ in every class (I'm so close to A-'s so hopefully I can push myself up there!) I'm not outstanding in any classes (I grew up in a public school environment and was at the top of my class, but I can't manage that in my private school, some people are just way too smart...) but I did receive an award in math, basically a "most improved student". "Most Improved ____" has actually been the story of my life and the only thing I'm good at doing. I'm an upward-tend kind of girl..slowly but surely! I have determination, even if I don't have the (most? lol) brains.
I've been on gymnastics, dance, volleyball, badminton, swimming, tennis, basket ball and soccer teams as well as numerous other sports as I was growing up. I've received two-three (I forget) awards in volleyball for being the "most improved player".
However, despite my love for sports, I wasn't able to receive any REAL awards because I experienced a severe injury in my ankle and am sadly no longer able to do anything sports-related. [It is kind of bittersweet, however, because even if I wasn't injured I wouldn't be able to be teams outside of school because of financial issues, which is another reason I quit all sports]
As well as my (hopefully) colorful sports history, I also play the piano (11 years), the guitar (7 years), the trumpet (5-6 years), the flute (?), and the drums (?). I also sing, I wouldn't say I'm a good singer but I've made it into select chorus groups at my school, so I guess I am? haha. However, I stopped lessons for piano, guitar, trumpet, and voice lessons outside of school because of the rigor of my middle and high school (CSUS).
I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting some things about me because otherwise I'm pretty darn useless, huh? haha.
Anyway, my parents grew up and were schooled in India and they have NO IDEA about anything over here in the US so I cannot ask them for help in any aspect! Pretty much 3rd grade math homework was their extent.</p>

<p>I have dreams of going to a great college that would be a perfect fit for me and give me an amazing experience, because I feel the torture of my middle school and high school life at Crystal Springs have to amount for something, am I right?
I kind of really want to go to UC Berkeley (what's the entrance GPA, what do the SAT scores need to be, how is that college, campus life, Greek life, academics, ETC). My hopes are getting into Berkeley's Engineering Program - I don't know which one yet, maybe computer sciences? I've researched colleges and pretty much everything to do with college(s), but I know I'll need the help of people who have already gone through it all.
PLEASE, put me out of my misery and somewhat time-wasting habits of researching colleges when I should be doing homework! Also, comment as MUCH as you can about everything I said and your thoughts about the outcome of my high school and college life.
Do you think I have a chance of getting into UCB? If not, where do you think I will/can go? My parents don't want me to leave state (California) because my sister did and they don't like it one bit.
Also, any tips for getting ready for college and organization preparations would be so amazing! I basically need you to parent me on the next three years of my life...through this thread or like a mini how-to life guide book.
Please don't just tell me to go ask my school counselors because I'm doing that currently and every time I'm notified about a response for this thread I don't want you to tell me the only thing I know how to do. LOL, if you got my gist there.
P.S. Also please try to talk about/give advice about college essays/college apps and what they look like and all that. I don't know what to ask for so please tell all!
P.P.S. Any and all info on sororities and their recruitment techniques/methods etc. is definitely wanted! Is rushing a good idea? What happens and what IS rushing, hazing, sisterhoods etc? What happens in a sorority life - also that differs from a non-Greek life? Please tell(:
P.P.P.S. I LOVE to volunteer, I do it all the time at libraries, church, schools, etc. but I didn't really keep very good track of it because I never thought I could use it for college..dang.
P.P.P.P.S. (sorry...) I hope to find good people at the college I attend. I have had devastating encounters all my life and I have also never had a boyfriend. LOL. Pathetic, I know. Will I find good friends at college (in a sorority) and perhaps even a boyfriend? Hopefully that will last for a long time, dare I say forever?</p>

<p>THANK YOU SO MUCH. I tend to rant so if you survived through to the end of this, I'm currently giving you a hug and a Ghirardelli chocolate.</p>

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<p>I was going to reply to all of your other threads but then I noticed you had a bigger one. </p>

<p>Berkeley Stats
[University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles/camp_profiles_ucb.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles/camp_profiles_ucb.html)</p>

<p>UVA has a good guide on essay writing
[Essays</a>, Admission Information, Undergraduate Admission, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html]Essays”>http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html)</p>

<p>Your Extracurriculars are fine, GPA needs to go over 4.00 weighted to be considered for Berkeley admissions. Talk to your counselors about these things. Oh… wait. You want to get into Berkeley Engineering. Well… they have a tougher standard of admission, and you have to apply separately. </p>

<p>About Sororities- If you’ve never had a boyfriend yet, and if you don’t get a boyfriend by college, I’d highly, highly reconsider rushing a sorority. All those terms can be Googled. And if you do try, I do hope you can hold a lot of vodka. </p>

<p>High school volunteering is nothing like volunteering in college. As adults, you’ll have a whole lot of opportunities, maybe in outside the country too. </p>

<p>Remember. College is Tabula Rasa. Use it well. The slate only gets wiped clean a very few times in life. Learn from from previous mistakes, what you have done well and apply them to your future. You’ll do fine.</p>

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<p>thanks a ton for the links!</p>

<p>since you said my ECs are “fine” is there any way i can make them better than fine? haha
is Berkeley Engineering tougher to get into? if so, what’s the GPA needed for that?</p>

<p>how funny, i actually just googled them. also, why is it you say i should reconsider the sorority rushing?</p>

<p>uh oh, why should i be able to hold a lot of vodka? i actually submitted an article last night to my school’s magazine why you shouldn’t drink in college and that i’m never going to drink alcohol in my life.</p>

<p>that’s good, i love volunteering. i read about sororities that they have many volunteering opportunities.</p>

<p>thanks for that piece of advice - i cannot agree more.</p>

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<p>Crystal Springs is a great school, and tough to get into. That means you probably scored very well on your high school admission exam, and your SAT will also likely be somewhat high. Going to Crystal Sprigns also means that getting a high GPA is harder than in a school in the ghetto where the average person drops out and if you can count to 10, they put you in Calc BC. That does not mean to stop trying. </p>

<p>To get into Berkeley, you need approximately 1500 on your SAT-II combined and 2060 on your SAT-I. That said, plenty of people get in with less, and a higher score in one can make up for a lower score in the other. More important that scores, though, is GPA. You need roughly a 4.1 GPA over the course of your sophomore and junior years. A B+ average won’t cut it (UCs also count A- as 4.0 and B+s as 3, so it’s a big difference). That said, if you’re applying to engineering, it is significantly harder. There is an option to do CS at Berkeley outside the engineering school–consequently, much easier to get in.</p>

<p>Volunteering is great for your application, but you don’t want to just list what you did at every place. You want to find one or two community service activities and focus on them. Make sure you can explain what they mean to you and how they relate to who you are. Having a ton of hours may help at Davis or San Diego. For UCLA and Cal and other top schools, it’s more important that you can explain why you do community service in the way that you do and what it means to you.</p>

<p>Also, you’re way too worried about this whole thing. At the end of the day, the school you go to is determined overwhelmingly by your test scores and GPA. The former, contrary to popular opinion, can be improved only slightly. The latter–just do your best in school. It seems like you try hard.</p>

<p>Sorority girls generally drink a lot. Greek life consists of an endless series of functions–date parties, invitationals, and three parties a weekend. Of course, drinking is not required. I know people in the top sororities at Berkeley–the ones that party hardest–who don’t drink. Drinking isn’t required, by any means; it’s just what most Greeks do. An attitude where you tell others not to drink might be a problem. And I’m pretty sure your attitude will change by the time you’ve gone through your first month of college. Some of the people I drink most now with were either teetotalers or would sip a single beer. Sororities can be a great way to meet people, but if you don’t fit in, it may be less than fulfilling. Most girls who do it love it, though. If you put time into your relationships with your sisters, you probably will too. Hazing is more of a fraternity thing–with sororities, it depends more on the school and the house, but it’s nowhere nearly as bad as fraternities.</p>

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<p>In terms of worring about average scores and grades, you need to check out collegeboard’s college finder. It’ll also help you find other schools that will meet your interests.</p>

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<p>They absolutely do! They understand that some schools are harder than others, and they will notice and take that into consideration. Good luck :)</p>

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<p>DS143. Some do, many don’t–the UCs don’t really. The ones that do only do so when the situation is exceptional (i.e. an elite private school like Phillips-Andover or something like that.) Further, almost all schools worthy of mention give points for going to some crappy ghetto high school because that’s ‘overcoming hardship’ or whatever.</p>

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<p>They may take rigor into account, but rigor is a double edged sword. </p>

<p>I’d much rather go to an average school and do well for UC’s (especially for ELC status) then go to a needlessly competitive school and get an undistinguished GPA.</p>

<p>Or… on the other side of the spectrum, go to a really bad high school (bottom 10 percent API) and they’ll give you special consideration for admissions at much lower standards. Trust me… I’ve seen people that didn’t break 3.8 Weighted and 1700 on the SAT go to top UCs such as SD.</p>