UC Santa Barbara

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1

<p>UC/CSU GPA: 3.61
ACT: 34
SAT: 1990
SAT Physics: 610
SAT Math 2: 670
In-state resident
EC's: varsity soccer, club soccer, work experience</p>

<p>I'm currently a high school senior and UCSB is my dream school, I'm applying there for Applied Mathematics. Do I have a reasonable chance of getting in? My GPA is so low because my sophomore year first semester I messed up badly, receiving these grades:</p>

<p>Calculus AB AP: A
Chemistry: C
English 10 Honors: D (i retook this over the summer and got an A)
Spanish 2 Honors: D
U.S. History: C</p>

<p>This was because for this first semester my dad was in Afghanistan so I was pretty much alone, which really messed me up. Should I write about this in one of my personal statements?</p>

<p>However since then I have taken 5 AP classes junior year and 5 AP classes this year, receiving A's and B's. I heard that if they see an upward trend your chances will be higher? Does anybody have any advice as to what I should do to increase my chances?<br>
Thanks for taking the time to read this.</p>

2

<p>If you have a “D” on an a-g required course, you cannot use the class to fulfill your minimum 2 year foreign language requirement. Are you taking Spanish 3? or retaking 2 to replace that D? If not, you will not meet UC’s a-g course requirements so you will not be accepted into a UC.
See link below:
<a href=“http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf”>http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Your ACT is great but your GPA is on the low side for UCSB (as you know) but they do like High test scores, so that may help you. You could have your GC address your low grades, since admissions really doesn’t want to hear excuses but writing an essay about your Dad’s departure would be appropriate. Make sure the focus of the essay is on you. </p>

<p>UCSB: High Match/Low Reach (will depend upon meeting requirements and how much admissions likes your high ACT and essays vs GPA).</p>

<p>Good Luck.</p>

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<p>Yes, I’ve taken Spanish 3 and passed. Thank you for the reply!</p>

4

<p>I’d say your stats are light for UCSB. Apply broadly - SDSU, CSULB would both be a good fit. </p>

5

<p>Yep, if I’m not accepted by UCSB then SDSU is my second choice sort of safety school</p>