<p>So I wasn't accepted to any of the UC's I applied to. My stats were pretty decent (3.75 unweighted GPA, 1910 SAT) and I had a bunch of leadership roles, community service, and all that jazz my whole high school career, so I decided to appeal all my decisions in hopes that they made some sort of miscalculation. This is my letter to UCI:</p>
<p>To whom it may concern:</p>
<p>After months of anxiously anticipating a decision from UC Irvine, I was disappointed to read that I was rejected. This decision led me to carefully review my application, and I realized that my application left many of my personal circumstances unclear. It is for this reason, and a successful first semester of my senior year, that I find grounds for appeal.</p>
<p>• During my junior year, I lost my grandfather to cancer. It was a time of grief and deep heartache, and when I thought the situation could not get worse, I lost my best friend to cancer a few months after. I was in a state of shock and depression that had a severe impact on my academics. Through these tough times I was able to manage my responsibilities in my track team, my club, my family, as well as maintain a decent unweighted GPA of 3.59 (weighted 4.07). However, I received B’s in classes I had potential to earn A’s in had I not been in this terrible situation and were able to focus more on my schoolwork, thus lowering my GPA drastically.</p>
<p>• I failed to make clear in my application that I am the eldest of five siblings in my family. I have a five-year-old brother and a seven-year-old sister who are my responsibility until my parents come home late from work. When I get home from track practice at six, my attention turns to my brother and sister as I help them with their schoolwork, make them dinner, and get them ready for bed. After they are put to bed, I finally start my own schoolwork at around ten o’clock. During my high school career I was able to balance this extra responsibility while striving academically. </p>
<p>• So far my senior year has been well off. Last fall my volleyball team had a very successful season, and I was named Most Valuable Defensive Player at the season’s ending. Since the beginning of the school year, I have been working and conditioning with my track coaches as well, even through volleyball season. I am currently ranked 3rd in the Central Coast Section (made up of 145 high schools) for the triple jump, and am on track to compete on the state level for the first time this year. Also, I won first place in a school-wide science fair and went on to represent my school at the district science fair where I finished in fourth place out of forty other projects.</p>
<p>I greatly appreciate the time you are taking to re-evaluate my application. I can really think of no other university that fits me better than UCI. I assure you that I have so much to offer UCI, not only as a student but also as an active member of the UCI community. I hope I have succeeded in providing you with a clearer picture of who I am and how I can contribute to your university, and that I will be granted the opportunity to continue my studies at such a fine institute.</p>
<p>Any suggestions/recommendations? </p>