The Official Chances Thread!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
221

<p>Asian Male
OOS (Massachusetts): 1-2 from my school will apply to UC-Berkeley per year</p>

<p>*Will apply as undeclared (Pre-Haas)</p>

<p>Regular Weighted GPA: 4.73/5.00
“UC” GPA: 4.58 (I think)
Rank: ~25/360 (Second 5%, so not in the top 5% but in the top 10%)</p>

<p>SAT: 2350 (800M, 800CR, 750W) – Taken Once
SAT II: 800 Math IIC, 760 US His, 750 Physics, 780 Math IC, 730 Bio</p>

<p>APs: Taking BC Calculus, Physics C, US Gov, Self-Studying for Econ (School doesn’t offer)
Took: AP US History (5)
*Note: My school doesn’t offer AP’s to underclassmen and only AP History to Juniors.</p>

<p>ECs:
1) Mock Trial: 11-12, Case Team Leader
2) Hospital Volunteering (200+ Hours)
3) Boy Scouts: Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader
4) Investing Club: Founder & President
5) Math Team: Captain
6) Science Team: Captain
7) Club Soccer</p>

<p>Other:
-Invested Work Savings into a stock account
-Worked as a legal assistant at a law firm through sophomore and junior years</p>

<p>Recs: A decent one from a Chem Teacher, an excellent one from an English teacher, and another excellent one from the GC.</p>

<p>Essays: Assume they are average/good (Very business focused).</p>

<p>Alright that's it, any thoughts? Will my OOS and "Asianness" hurt me?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

222

<p>[Personal Info]</p>

<p>Pennsylvania
Competitive public
Rank: like top 12% because of crappy freshman year grades</p>

<p>[GPA]</p>

<p>UC GPA: 4.25
Unweighted GPA: 3.65
Weighted GPA: 4.1</p>

<p>[SAT Reasoning Scores]</p>

<p>CR 680/ M 750/ W 800 (2230)
10 Essay</p>

<p>[SAT II Scores]</p>

<p>Math IIC 750
Physics 700</p>

<p>Which college are you applying to? Letters and Science - Undeclared/ Pre- Bus Admin</p>

<p>[ECs]</p>

<p>Varsity Track 10-12
Varsity Cross Country 11-12
Computer Club 10-12
FBLA 11-12
Key Club 11-12
NHS 12
Mathleague 11-12</p>

<p>[Leadership]</p>

<p>Computer Club Secretary
FBLA Secretary</p>

<p>[Volunteering/Service Work]</p>

<p>31 hours from key club stuff
78 hours volunteering at a baseball league for handicapped children
109 hours total</p>

<p>[Awards]
8th in state for FBLA multimedia competition
2nd in region for a web design competition</p>

<p>[other stuff]
I made my high school's website
Did a week long stock market program at Penn State over the summer
Did this other week long program at my school over the summer
I make web cartoons and have a website
took a trig course over the summer at a local community college</p>

<p>[Essays]
Both pretty good</p>

223

<p>@iPhone: UC's don't count freshman year. If your UW GPA for soph/junior is 3.65, then reach only because you're OOS.</p>

224

<p>my UW GPA for soph/junior year is actually 4.0, My UW for freshman through senior year is 3.65.</p>

225

<p>male, OOS, white, Math Major, competitive public in Mass.</p>

<p>GPA-3.703 UW, 4.135W</p>

<p>SAT-2200 (780M, 660R, 760W)
SAT II- 790 Math II, 770 Math I, 750 Biology M
ACT- 33 composite (34M, 34E, 32R, 32S)</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
World Hist H- A
English H- B+
Biology H- A
Alg II H- A
Health/Phys Ed- A
Spanish 2- B+
Orchestra- A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
Precalc H- A
Chemistry H- B+
Soph English H- B
AP World History- B(3)
Spanish 3- B+
Gym- A
Orchestra- A+</p>

<p>Junior Year:
Junior Englsih H- B+
Spanish 4 H- B
US History H- A
AP Calculus AB- B+ (5)
AP Biology- A (5)</p>

<p>Senior Year Courses:
Senior English H
Spanish 5 H
AP Govt/Politics
AP Statistics
AP Physics</p>

<p>(6 total APs)</p>

<p>ECs:
-National Honor Society grades 11/12</p>

<p>-9 seasons Varsity sports (3 cross country, 3 indoor track, 3 outdoor track)</p>

<p>-Cross Country Captain</p>

<p>-Eagle Scout, Senior Patrol Leader of Boy Scout Troop</p>

<p>-200+ hours of community service</p>

<p>-Set up program where i interview veterans and submit their war stories to museums and national archives for later reference. wrote a really good essay explaining how the stories of veterans have defined my attitude and personality.</p>

<p>what do you think my chances are RD?</p>

226

<p>vc08: great GPA, okay scores, good ECs and honors/awards. I'd say slight reach to high match.</p>

<p>Zaid: Given that you're OOS and your scores are below average, Berkeley's probably a reach. The rest of your application is good, though.</p>

<p>tekkniq: though your GPA is strong and your ECs are okay, your scores are a bit low for EECS. As such, I'd say it's a reach.</p>

<p>Lucaskhan: you have a strong GPA (though I think you're miscalculating your UC GPA), great scores, and good ECs. However, being OOS, not to mention from a competitive area/state, will make it a bit more difficult for you (not sure whether being Asian would hinder your chances in this case, as an OOSer). In your case, I'd say it's dependent on your essays -- don't make them "average," but great. If you can do that, I'd say you'd have a pretty good shot at Berkeley OOS.</p>

<p>iPhone: good GPA (minus freshman year), strong scores, slightly weak ECs for an OOSer, great awards. I would say that not being in the top 10% would hurt you as an OOSer, though being from a competitive public will help. I'd say slight reach to reach.</p>

<p>hopeful5: I'd say reach. Though your scores are strong, your ECs are weak for an OOSer and your GPA is somewhat below average.</p>

227

<p>OOS
School Type: Public
Location: Texas
Race/Gender: Hispanic female - darn you berkeley for not having affirmative action and giving me an unfair advantage
Major: EECS
UC gpa: 4.3 ish. maybe. i'm not good at the UC system
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
Weighted GPA: 4.1
Class rank: 13 of 332 top 5%</p>

<p>SAT I Scores (first try. retook and planning on 2250+)
SAT I Math: 730
SAT I Critical Reading: 730
SAT I Writing: 690</p>

<p>SAT II Scores
Math 2C: 760
Lit: 750
Physics: 710</p>

<p>Senior classes:
Calculus BC AP
Physics C AP
English Lit AP
Govt/Eco AP
taking psychology at the community college.</p>

<p>Extracurricular Info
two years of choir (section LEADER), two years of dance team. NHS. Went to NASA over the summer as part of the high school aerospace scholars program. Uil academics - lit crit, junior and senior year</p>

<p>Work Experience!
20-30 hours a week all junior and senior year.</p>

<p>Awards:
National hispanic scholar finalist
Cum Laude on National Latin Examination</p>

<p>I'm not really involved in school. I work alot. I make A+ in math and science and B's in english and history. always. i used to think i had a shot at berkeley but then i realized i really don't. i'll get into MIT and Stanford before i get into berkeley solely because of affirmative action. but i'm trying anyway. i think my essays are pretty decent though...</p>

228

<p>Mixed race (1/2 white, 1/2 Mexican) female from middle-income family
First-generation college student
Currently attending a California public high school</p>

<p>Rank: 1/746 [ELC candidate]
GPA W: 4.53
GPA UW: 4.0</p>

<p>SAT I:
2060 (610M/760CR/680W)
[I don't think it's my best at all...I'm going to retake Dec 1 and get hopefully end up around 2100-2200]</p>

<p>SAT II:
Lit: 780
U.S. History: 720</p>

<p>ACT Composite: 32 (Eng 34/Math 29/Science 28/Reading 32)</p>

<p>APs:
World History: 3
AB Calc: 3
U.S. History: 4
English Lang & Comp: 5
Psychology: 5</p>

<p>[This year I'll be taking AP tests for English Lang & Lit, Statistics, Government, and Biology. I'd say I've taken the most challenging courses available at my school]</p>

<p>EC:
Varsity cross country and track, 9th - 12th grade
-I wasn't in a leadership position per se, but the CC/track teams at our school are VERY new (this is the fourth year) so all the original runners have had a big part in shaping the program. I'm planning to write about the whole experience in one of my essays...
No other major EC's, except for a few random community service oppurtunities, but I do have hobbies (photography and writing) I devote a lot of time to. I wasn't able to take the AP Photo course at our school due to scheduling conflicts, but I got a hold of a camera and set up my own little lab for developing. I don't know if colleges are interested in out-of-school personal hobbies, though...?</p>

<p>Awards
Nothing major, but
-AP scholar with distinction
-National Merit Commended
-And a few local awards for academics and athletics</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure my essays will be strong..</p>

<p>So what do you think?</p>

229

<p>So guys, what are my chances of getting into UC Berkeley (number one choice)?!
Female
"caucasian"
Public High school in MN so OOS
Intended Major: chemistry
~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>ACT: 30 (W:34 M:28 R: 34 S:25)
SAT: 2110 (R: 690 M:720 W:700)
AP Exams:
Calc I: 5 Am. Lit: 5 Psychology: 4 US History: 5
(intended stats, and calc II)
SAT II:
Lit: 700 USH: 720 Math:750</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>GPA: 3.98
Class rank: 7 unweighted, 1 weighted
Course work: tons of accelerated/honors/ap classes, taken whatever possible</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>Extra Curricular/Awards:
played the violin for 9 yrs, 1st chair in school orchestra
math team: have won state like...twice I think
science Olympiad (also, captain this yr): 1st place in state for experimental design, 2nd place for health science, 2nd place in regionals for health science, 2nd place in regionals for "technical writing"
NHS: also did tutoring
Chess Team: 1st place in grade level, twice?
Synergy: environmental group at my school
Chinese School
Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>Volunteering (all done for several years):
Tsu Chi Foundation: Ronald McDonald House, nursing homes, homeless shelter
Local Library: Helped librarians, helped run summer reading program
"Candy Striper" at a hospital</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>Work Experience:
Cashier at Target during one summer
Private tutoring</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>Final things to consider
Essays should be pretty good
no "senior slide" classes
Brother enrolled at Berkeley (not sure if that matters tho)</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>Be honest--and thanks!</p>

230

<p>kcb452: it's difficult to say for you. You have a strong SAT score, a slightly weak GPA (UW), and slightly weak ECs. But you're a URM. Then again, you're an OOSer and you're applying to a competitive major. But you're female. Your honors/awards don't particularly distinguish you. So I'd be inclined to say a reach, but it's going to be even more dependent on your essays than usual.</p>

<p>emtheros: great GPA and rank, okay SAT score, good SAT II scores, good ACT score, but weak ECs. Being a first-gen URM will help. I'd say slight reach.</p>

<p>sheltieviolin: good GPA and SAT, okay ECs. For OOS, I'd say reach, though with great essays, you just might get in. I don't think having a sibling at Berkeley helps.</p>

231

<p>but doesn't berkeley not practice any kind of affirmative action at all? maybe i should apply for mechanical engineering cuz it's not as competitive.. i'm not sure what i want to do yet anyway.</p>

232

<p>
[quote]
maybe i should apply for mechanical engineering cuz it's not as competitive.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>It's almost, if not just, as competitive. Any engineering is going to be competitive.</p>

233

<p>lol, I wish I was going to apply to Berkeley... :( too bad I'm not from Cal...</p>

234

<p>i know right.. my parents lived in cali for awhile but they wanted to come to texas to raise their family. =[
oh well. i love texas anyway.</p>

235

<p>Both my parents are from Argentina and I am from Madison, WI</p>

<p>Go to a very competitive public school, no grade weighting</p>

<p>GPA 4.0 Unweighted
Taken the most rigorous curriculum</p>

<p>SAT I
760 CR 780 M 760 W</p>

<p>SAT II
800 Math 800 Spanish</p>

<p>AP's
Spanish 5
Calc AB 5
Calc BC 5
Chemistry (this spring)</p>

<p>Perfect Score on MAA exam</p>

<p>So far have taken two courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. An introductory genetics and an Honors Calculus II (quite high level). I am now enrolled in two more courses Honors Multivariable Calculus (quite high level) and Mathematical Statistics. By the end of high school I will have taken 6 courses at UW-Madison.</p>

<p>Did a summer research internship this summer with a professor from the UW-Madison (am sending in my abstract)</p>

<p>I expect to get a great rec from my math professor since I got 100%, 96%, 97%, 98% on his exams.</p>

<p>EC's. I am on a very competitive club soccer team that travels almost every weekend in the spring. 3 years of varsity soccer. Play the violin, an avid sailor/windsurfer. I am going to try to walk on to the Harvard soccer team.</p>

<p>what are your thoughts?</p>

236

<p>I just got my Nov SAT scores and thought of doing another chance post.</p>

<p>Class Rank: 3/335 (our school is not very academically competitive, though)
Unweighted GPA: ~3.97
Weighted GPA 10-12: ~4.39 (hnrs classes count as unweighted at my school)
Family Income: <25k (hoping for generous financial aid)</p>

<p>10th Grade:
Eng 2 Hnrs : A A
Span 2 : A A
Alg2/Trig : A B
AP Euro : A A
Chemistry : A A
P.E. : A A</p>

<p>11th Grade:
AP Eng Lang : A- A-
Span 3 : A A
PreCal Hnrs : A- A
AP US Hist : A- A-
AP Bio : A A
Expl. Art : A A</p>

<p>12th Grade (schedule):
AP Lit:
AP Span:
AP Stats:
AP Civics and Econ:
AP Environmental Sci:</p>

<p>AP Exams:
AP Euro: 4
AP BIO: 5
AP US: 5
AP Lang:4</p>

<p>SAT Reasoning: March 2007-1990 cumulative (CR: 640, M: 680 W: 670)
November 2007- 2160 (CR:650, M:750 W:760) </p>

<p>SAT Subjects: Biology: 690, U.S. Hist: 700 Math IIC: 660.
Bad scores. Taken before AP exams.</p>

<p>EC's:
Eagle Scout from Venture Troop (300+ community service hrs.)
VP of Venture Troop
Senior Patrol Leader of Boy Scout Troop
TA for Bible Study (60+ hours)
Club membership in: Kiwin's, American Heart Association, Interact (though I have few hours).</p>

<p>Any help would be great. Thanks.</p>

237

<p>knguyen142: you have a strong GPA, good scores, average ECs. I'd say slight reach - high match. Being a low-income student will help.</p>

238

<p>California
Male</p>

<p>Academic </p>

<p>4.11 9-12 Weighted GPA
4.30 10-12 Weighted GPA
3.86 9-12 Unweighted GPA
1 class shy of IB Full Diploma
7 AP/IB classes as Senior
“A” in Macro Economics at Community College
Ranked 3rd in class
UC ELC</p>

<p>SAT I- 2110
SAT II’s- Biology-710 Literature-710 US History-680
IB Math Score- 5 AP European History-3 (Not Enrolled in class) </p>

<p>Leadership Camps </p>

<p>Northern California Youth Leadership Camp
Northern California Rotary Leadership Camp
California Boy’s State Leadership Camp
California Youth Forum on Defense, Intelligence, and Diplomacy
Academic Extra Curricular Activities
Academic Decathlon: Team ranked 2nd in state.
Personal medals in Economics, Speech, and Team Super Quiz
Leadership role in Environmental Research in Yosemite National Park
State representative for school at History Day </p>

<p>Extra Curricular Activities </p>

<p>Lifetime CSF member
Vice President of Key Club
President of Key Club
Active leader in Interact
Co-Founder of History Club
Freshman, JV Starting Quarterback
Starting member of JV basketball team as freshman
In cast of 6 plays since freshman year
Spent Spring break of sophomore year in Mexico building houses for homeless
Spent 65 hours working in Badger Connection Program
Member of Badger Crew program Junior and Senior year
Work as Private Academic Tutor in</p>

239

<p>Rank: 17/675</p>

<p>California Public School
Asian Male</p>

<p>SAT I: 2230 (800M/690CR/740W)</p>

<p>Math IIC: 800
Physics: 740
Chemistry: 720</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.86 (85/22)
UC GPA: 4.23 (93/22)
W GPA: 4.46 (107/24)</p>

<p>Only received 3 B’s Sophomore/Junior year; the rest are A’s.</p>

<p>Taken:
AP World History (3)
AP Calculus AB (4)
AP Calculus BC (5) (5)
AP Chemistry (5)
AP US History (2)
Honors Chemistry
Honors English</p>

<p>Taking:
AP English, AP Stats, AP Biology, AP Physics</p>

<p>Hardest possible schedule (excluding AP Gov and AP Studio Art)</p>

<p>Freshman summer: Pre-Calculus: A
Sophomore summer: Physics: A
Junior summer: C++ Programming: A</p>

<p>EC:
Varsity Swimming
300 Slave Labor hours
National Honor Society (’04-‘08)
California Scholarship Federation (’04-‘08)
Math Club (’04-‘08)</p>

<p>FBLA (‘06-‘08) President
Chess Club (‘06-‘08) President
Environmental Club (’07-‘08) President</p>

<p>Chinese school (12 years)
Piano (10 years, no awards)
Internship at my local dentist (’04-’06)
Youth Advisory Commission (’07-’08)</p>

<p>Self-studied programming language (big part of essay)</p>

<p>No competition awards.</p>

240

<p>White_Rabbit: your GPA and scores are strong, and your ECs/awards are too. I'd say Berkeley's a match.</p>

<p>Castel: strong GPA and SAT, with good ECs and leadership positions. Do you have any honors/awards (you say "No competition awards," but what about other kinds)? I'd say high match to match. If you're applying to EECS, I'd say slight reach - high match.</p>