Tall Dark and Handsome, can i do it? (jk)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So what does everyone think?
UC Berk, UCLA, UCSD (reach: any ivies? heh.) (Urban!)
Major: most likely going in undecided
maybe some sort of pre-med or politcal science or something... not sure, so yes undecided.</p>

<p>Im from Bay Area, California, Junior, Chinese</p>

<p>SAT: 1920 (retaking June, expecting a low 2100)
PSAT: Chemistry 690
Physics: 670
Math 2 670 (retaking october, expecting mid-high 700)</p>

<p>AP Chem 3
Just took: Ap Calc A/B (4?), APUSH (3?), Ap Physics B (4?)</p>

<p>GPA 4.1 weighed, 3.8 unweighted
Top 100 out of a class of 1000</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars:
Water Polo starting 10th grade, Var since 11th grade, (Captain in 12th grade?)
Swimming JV since 9th grade
Choir since 9th grade (our group won two 1st place golds in 2 years, "Heritage Festivals")
Church 2-3 times a week
Going to volunteer at local hospital over summer, aiming for 100 hours
Link Crew 11th and expecting 12th grade (sheperd/play with freshmen for a few days before the school year starts)
Worked as a lifeguard for 2 years
Taking General Psych over summer at local community college</p>

2

<p>gotta bump this. 60 views and no replies. boo! respect my authoritay! (cuz this IS SPARTA!) jk.</p>

3

<p>lulz “Church 2-3 times a week”</p>

4

<p>Yes you will get into Julliard acting school and become the a “chinese” george clooney. No really you have a good shot. Being in state and the atypical chinese will help you a lot!</p>

5

<p>ahahahaha chinese george clooney! tell me why when i read that, i just imagined george clooney squinting.
squinting REALLY hard…
to thaprecepta, besides the personal enjoyment of church up to 3 times a week, it’s also a commitment sort of thing yeknow?
I’m really nervous, during my AP Physics test when i encountered a FRQ i had no idea how to do, i literally wrote something like “Wow… byebye berkeley…”</p>

6

<p>bump xD haha</p>

7

<p>i don’t know enough to help but i will say this.
why tall dark and handsome?
you’re asian!
try tall, light, possibly handsome.
…or maybe average height, light, possibly handsome.
actually, i’ve only ever met one tall asian, so if you are, that’s pretty awesome.</p>

<p>real talk: the uc’s are state, so i’m guessing they’re into the numbers game. try hard to up all those sat’s into 700s. ucsd is probably going to take you, and with work you could be in at the others, but if admission is anything like the texas admissions game under that top 10% auto admit thing (basically, it’s hard to get in if you’re not top 10%), then it’s going to be tough.
good luck. hang in there. go '09, go!</p>

8

<p>why tall dark and handsome?
well it DOES say swimming/waterpolo for about 2 or 3 years… its not an indoor sport haha :stuck_out_tongue:
im just 6’0 tho by the way. 6 feet and wishing to dunk… haha!</p>

<p>Well im hoping (maybe too early to be expecting) those higher SAT scores the next time i take the tests so that should give me the boost i need.
Oh really? top 10% in texas? I didnt know that :P.
Well im top 100 of 1000, so thats certainly 10% if my math is correct. </p>

<p>I’m hating my mediocrity in tests.
Update: expecting at least 2 more B’s the last semester of junior year :(</p>

9

<p>ouch.. the Bs will hurt unfortunately.. id say berkeley is a long shot considering your stats right now.. UCs focus on academics a lot so you gotta boost your scores.. id aim for 750+ on all to be safe (2250).. for UCLA if you have 2000+ you should be fine.. and maybe 700+ on subject tests…</p>

10

<p>Hmmm 2250, that sounds tough…
Ok
CR: 680
Math: 650
Writing: 590</p>

<p>When i took that test last year, i really expected math to be my highest score, so i was (somewhat)-pleasantly surprised to see my CR that high (I had not reviewed for CR at all!)
I’ve mastered the wonders of the Ti-89 (or enough so) where i feel comfortable saying a 750+. On second thought, i said the same thing for the Math 2 subject test and look what i got?! A 670! gosh so upsetting.
For writing, i’ve learned alot of stuff this year (both academically and also socially) that i can pull into my essay writing
Sadly, i think 2100 would be about the best i can do for the SAT’s…</p>

<p>So is that it? I suppose theres only two things left i can do: write an excellent Personal statement, or… save like 100 people’s lives over summer -_-
Hella kidding.</p>

<p>Stressing out here!</p>

11

<p>I think you’re probably a match for UCSD right now. Pull up the SAT to 2100+ and SAT II’s to 700+ and you’ll probably have a shot for Brekeley and UCLA.</p>

<p>@ swoop: I don’t think 2000 and 700+ is enough for UCLA and not for berkeley. Admission to UCLA (not engineering) i think is more difficult.</p>

12

<p>well, you’d be great in texas, but doesn’t cali need 4%?
ps-that makes you tan, darkish but not dark. i mean, you have to be at least south indian shade in myn book to earn the moniker of dark.
you are now upgraded to: genetically freakishly tall, tan, and handsome.
;-)</p>

13

<p>a match for UCSD? that is somewhat relieving.
In like… a 5 or 6 weeks ill post here again with my new SAT 1 scores and see if i can finally get into the race for UCLA and Berk.
Cuz man! Berk can be titled my dream school, but i’d just just as happy with UCLA. I also have friends in UCSD so that’d be good.
Man B’s really add up, 1 or 2 here and there each semester, before you know it, you’re GPA aint a weighted 4.4 or whatever anymore. </p>

<p>unshunreshun: 2000 and 700 + for UCLA? well i am totally at the bottom tier/lower brink of that with my current 1920 and 670/690’s. Dude college stuff is stressful</p>

<p>inconspic: 4%? no idea about that. Yes i have been crowned the title of “Tall TANNED and handsome”… in a joking manner i might add. I am not genetically (or freakishly) tall! My parents are short, im taller than them by…idk half a foot. Freakishly tall = yao ming.</p>

14

<p>Okay, let’s stop guessing at what it takes to get into UCLA and UC Berkeley and UCSD and look at the actual statistics, okay?</p>

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

<p>So, the average UC GPAs are:
UCB: 4.17, UCLA: 4.14, UCSD: 4.06</p>

<p>and the average SAT scores are:
UCB: 2029 UCLA: 2008, UCSD: 1945 </p>

<p>You say you expect to be around a 4.0 UC GPA (you said a 4.1, but then said you expected to get 2 "B"s this time around), and you said you thought you could get a 2100 (but currently have a 1920 on your only SAT attempt).</p>

<p>As you can see, this makes you around a Match for UCSD at the current time, but a slight reach for UCLA and UC Berkeley. </p>

<p>If you can get the single sitting score up to 2100, this would make you a Match for UCLA, and a Safe Match for UCSD, but still only about a 40% chance at UC Berkeley.</p>

<p>This, of course, is for a California resident, and for someone with good ECs. In my opinion your ECs are real good sports-wise and volunteer-wise, okay leadership wise (especially if you are elected captain of your water polo team), but not so hot academic-wise. The fact that you’ve worked as a lifeguard does help, however–so be sure to put that in when you apply.</p>

<p>I’m guessing you will get into UCSD for sure, possibly get in at UCLA (if you improve your SAT scores and do something academically significant (debate team, math contest, science contest) in your senior year, but will not get into UC Berkeley. I also think you should apply to USC, since your profile is a good fit for them, especially if you can improve any of your test scores by at least 40 points during your re-take in June.</p>

<p>You should also pick one of the other top UCs (UCSB, UCI, or UCD) as a backup just in case UCSD gets weird (they are known to be very unpredictable in who they pick–even more so than UCLA and UC Berkeley).</p>

<p>Best of luck to you.</p>

15

<p>Thanks Calcruzer for the very personal and thorough response :)</p>

<p>I just thought of two things to mention:
When colleges look at my GPA, is it going to be the GPA i have on my transcript? Or is it actually going to be a little lower because the GPA on my transcript includes freshmen year too?</p>

<p>Secondly, how would the fact that i’m from a low-income family influence college’s decision? Or is it just something to be mentioned on my personal statement?</p>

<p>Actually, a third: Right now im facing borderline grades in 3 classes in addition the confirmed 2 B’s im getting already (MANNN!!! NOT COOL!). I almost feel like i have to pick and choose between focusing on finals for my classes, or to study for the SAT. Maybe this isnt that much of a real problem, because i could simply be taking the time i’m using to type this up to study for the SAT instead, haha.</p>

16

<p>… link crew, any chance you go to monte vista?</p>

17

<p>no, but you’re guess is close hahaa</p>

18

<p>oh ahah, i go to mvhs. 2010 woohoo lol. srv? or cal?</p>

19

<p>srv? cal?
hahah the traditionally nice way of calling class years ended with my year.
OH-NINE!</p>

<p>oh-ten? </p>

<p>even worse: one-one?!?!? woot woot?! (for 2011 lol)</p>

20

<p>@ unshunreshun: look at calcruzer’s post… i rest my case</p>

<p>from my school no one has been rejected who had 2000+ and 4.0+ weighted.. but then again Saratoga High is top 10 in the state.. </p>

<p>don’t stress about college too much.. honestly, your job in the end is what matters.. the college will just be for boasting</p>

<p>and i think unshunreshun will agree with me that a great college is only good when you are visiting back when you are “a hundred years old” (Michael Scott) :)</p>

<p>and as for SATs there is no point in taking it in June.. i would predict that you will do worse but we shall see.. if you study over summer you should be able to hit the 2100 mark by october. good luck!</p>