<p>I am attending Ohlone College majoring in Political Science and applying to UC Berkeley, UCDavis, and UCLA, and I have a 3.69 unweighted GPA. I might get a "C" in Statistics which would not look good since it is a 5-unit class. Anyway I included in my Admission essay that I do work 30hrs a week in order to support my family because my parents do not work.<br>
Do you think that hardships would have a greater chance of being admitted then just having a 3.69 gpa and a "normal" life?</p>
<p>At ohlone college nearly all math classes here are 5-units a semester. To what extent to personal circumstances play a role? My counselor said if you got a real obscure situation that it may factor in but first its your academics. The personal statement is only a supplement so you have to make the first cut which is the academic pool. Is that true?</p>
<p>Sort of. It is true the minimum GPA for the top-tier UC's is 3.2 with completed IGETC. Beyond that, it's all about you. Make sure you explain your circumstances and how they may have directly effected your academic performance. Stay away from cliches, and don't get too sappy. Demonstrate perseverence. I know people with 3.0's who were admitted to UCLA because of the strength of their personal statement.</p>
<p>There are two sides to the coin. On the one hand, the adcom knows that you are human and that your family is very important. It shouldn't be a big deal that you work to support them -- in fact, it's admirable that you can hold a 3.69 GPA as it is!</p>
<p>On the other hand, there are many other students applying from community college that work full time and still manage to get 4.0s. </p>
<p>It is certain that your work history will give some context to your academic achievements. But it won't excuse anything.</p>
<p>Well work history and personal hardships are two different issues. Working to support your family, especially your parents I think goes beyond the run-of-the-mill student worker. You are carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders, you might as well use it to your advantage.</p>
<p>Im practically done with my personal statement but how does one go about mentioning they did not do great in such and such class because of the situation they are in without actually mentioning the class or do mention the class? i.e. I got a C in statistics not keeping up to standards due to overcoming hardships. </p>
<p>I dont know something along that lines. but the point is like without whining.</p>
<p>Don't make excuses for specific grades. So you got a "C", big deal. Are you a stats major? 3.6 is very competitve, if you don't get in, it's because of your essay.</p>
<p>I am a political science major. But i am worried that C with a couple of W's on my transcript will not allow me to make the first cut. And the C is from a 5-unit class. So its a hefty C. Or am I wrong?</p>
<p>A "C" in a 5 unit course is hefty. The W's don't really matter. How detrimental the "C" is to your GPA depends on how many units you have right now. I'm guessing you have at least 60. If this is the case, I don't see your GPA dropping much below 3.5 if it is currently a 3.69, which means your still pretty competitive. Your essay is crucial.</p>
<p>Should i withdraw from the class and retake it. I mean I know i could have got an A but my circumstances did not allow me. And I do not want my GPA to drop. It is going to drop my unweighted GPA. </p>