Doing this for a friend who is applying for Berkeley and UCLA this year. She is international student who can pay full tuition for both schools.
Country of education: Canada (Gr 9-12)
US Legal status: perm. resident (would she be considered International or Out of State when applying??)
GPA: 91/100 (grade 10-11) (We were told for Stanford this is 4.0 GPA)
Class size: 700+
Rank: Top 11%
SAT Scores:
SAT 1: 2160 Composite (710Math/730CR/720WR(10 Essay))
IB Scores: 6 Physics/6 Math SL/Taking 1 HL/1 SL exam May 2016
Extracurriculars:
Volunteer at Leisure Center (day camp leader), old-age homes, homeless shelters, zoo (100+ hours/ grades 10-12)
Model UN member/volunteer staff&coordinator (grades 11-12)
Youth Advisory Council member Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (grades 11-12)
Founder/exec of charity non-profit for regional charity (raised more than $8000) (grades 10-12)
Yearbook designer (grades 11-12)
Poetry club cofounder (grades 11-12)
Awards:
Winner national/citywide category art contest (1 of 10 chosen from more than 450 entries);
3rd place in painting category in citywide art contest;
Verbal commendation (3rd place) citywide model UN conference (1 of 3 in conference of 50+ people);
Top 25% national contestants math contest (twice);
2nd place in citywide speech contest
My friend is not feeling good about her stats, but would like some realistic input from others. Thanks for any help!
@“aunt bea” Thanks for your input! It appears that her SAT scores are above average for both in-state and international, but not out-of-state. Do her extracurricular activities in any way make up for her mediocre test scores?
@joki867, What people don’t understand about the UCs is their stat averages, which include recruited athletes and the contracted schools. The universities make “deals” with area schools’ students who are low socio-economic status to admit those students who stick to a local contract. (Typically, these students have lower test scores).
If you are not a recruited athlete nor from the low SES schools, your stats have to be equal to, or greater than the average UCB/LA applicant which has been averaging over 2250 on the SAT. That’s what we are seeing in the high schools. If your major is impacted and you are OOS, you are a reach.
The political pressure on the State of California is to admit more Californians, and that is increasing.
Being from OOS, decreases her chances in the current political climate.
@“aunt bea” I see, that appeared an informed answer. I have seen, however, on some occasions, people on CC being admitted to these top-tier UCs without those circumstances, who have about the same quality of extracurriculars and ~1900-2150 scores - what sets them apart from the other applicants? Also, she is, as I mentioned above, planning on applying to UCB’s less competitive College of Letters and Science for art practice.
You sound as though this is your chance?
Every applicant is different. Some high schools in California are known to produce successful alumni at the UCs.
The point is, she is not a resident AND she is not in the top 5% of her class; students, from our high school, who now attend Berkeley and LA had SATs over 2250 and the ECs typically included team sports (especially for LA).
There is currently a LOT of political pressure to admit more California tax-paying residents, so she has to deal with that issue as well.
I think your friend has a decent chance at UCLA. Her 2,160 SAT is above the top 25% of applicants, in the middle of admitted students and above the top 25% of students who enrolled, according to the latest (2014) Admitted Student Profile (25/75 percentiles):
^ Yes, her chances would be better at UCD, for example, but they are not “slim” at UCLA. I would “believe” UCLA’s published data, not a CC post that says “the average UCB/LA applicant … has been averaging over 2250 on the SAT.”
