<p>Hey, I recently got back from my junior year studying abroad in Australia. Before leaving I had somewhat alright marks, my freshman year of high school I kept a 3.8 GPA then dropped to a 3.33 sophomore year. I now realize that most of the schools I'm considering for college don't incorporate 9th grade marks within the GPA they look at for admissions, so I'm starting to get a bit worried I might not meet up to standard for admissions in most colleges I'm looking at (primarily UC's) due to the fact that I did not keep the best grades while studying abroad. I achieved mostly B's in the classes I took from my high school in Australia (transferring the grades may even make them drop due to the different grading system in Australia 75% = B). Which most likely leaves me with a 3.33 (10th-11th) GPA AT BEST, which is pretty weak considering the avg GPA's at most UC's is around the 4 mark. I considered taking a class at the local community college over the summer to bring my GPA up, but soon found out the classes are all full and I am much too late to register. I haven't taken my SAT's yet, for obvious reasons, and plan on taking them at the beginning of my senior year. Outside of academics I've been involved in varsity sports my entire high school career, participated in band my freshman year, and have been involved in organizations such as boy scouts, and others.. I guess my question is, do I still stand a fair chance in being admitted to the colleges I've always dreamed of going to? (UCSB, UCSD, SDSU) I plan on studying hard this summer in preparation for the SAT's to try and achieve the best score possible, if I get a high score on the SAT's will that cancel out my low GPA? Or should I prepare for a long two years at a community college? Thankyou in advance for your help and advice!
EDIT: Also, is taking an online class over the summer a viable option to bring my GPA up?</p>
<p>annikasorrenson (I hope I spelled that right) is one of our experts on California admissions issues. If you send her a PM, she might have ideas for you.</p>
<p>You also should discuss this with your own high school guidance counselor. That person will be able to advise you based on the experience of other students like you from your own school.</p>
<p>Lastly, it really is OK to pay visits to the admissions offices of some of the UCs on your list, show them your school records to date, and ask them whether you are a viable candidate for admissions. They will be able to tell you.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to have The Big Money Talk with your parents. You may find that CCC then transfer is all that your family can afford. For more ideas about paying for college, spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum.</p>
<p>This UCSC guide will give you a sense on how “points” are awarded in the Comprehensive Review process. I haven’t found an exact points guide for a SB or SD school, but this SC guide will give some insights on the process. UCSC - [University</a> of California (UC) : College and Career Center](<a href=“http://galileoweb.org/college/colleges/uc/]University”>University of California (UC) – College and Career Center)</p>
<p>As an overview of all the campuses (but not listing specific “points” per category) try this - Overview - [University</a> of California - Comprehensive review](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/freshman/comprehensive-review/index.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/counselors/freshman/comprehensive-review/index.html)</p>
<p>Your gpa seems low, so it will be difficult to gain enough “points” in other categories to overcome it. Be sure to look at private colleges which are (in my opinion) less prone to be forced to choose strictly by a points system if they see something in your application that they really want for their campus. </p>
<p>If I was a parent of a student with a 3.3 gpa, I would be exploring several options–whether that be CCC then transfer (a great option, btw–a second chance to get into a top UC), privates along with a few UC apps.</p>