I am a junior getting ready to fill out college apps. I would like to know what others think about my list.
I am looking to major in something business related.
GPA: UW: 3.92 W: 4.06 (my school only weights APs)
List of AP classes taken/taking/will take
AP US History 5
AP Macroeconomics
AP Microeconomics
AP Stats
AP Calc AB (senior year)
AP Spanish (senior year)
ACT: 33 (E 34, S 34, M 33, R 31)
SAT US HISTORY subject test: 740
ECs:
Student Congress fresh-senior years (Chair of school improvements and co-chair of student fundraising for Make A Wish, conference Rep)
Key Club fresh-junior years
Unified Sports (help disabled kids play sports) fresh-sophomore year
Tennis (varsity starting sophomore year)
Golf (varsity starting sophomore year) Voted most improved sophomore year (hopefully captain senior year)
National Honors society junior and senior year
300+ hours of community service
Attended the state leadership conference 3 years and attended the summer leadership camp this past year
I was a counselor at a camp for kids with Muscular Dystrophy for a week last summer. (7 days/overnight camp)
Please let me know what you think my chances are! Thanks!
Check their Common Data Set.
Also, as a junior, aren’t you a little early for college apps? I can see wanting to spend some time on your essays, but don’t start that wheel of death until you absolutely have to.
Well I do not mean physically starting them, but thinking about where to apply.
Yeah you have a really good shot! Also keep in mind UCB won’t see your gpa as a 4.06, they’ll only see it in the UC gpa form, as someone said above is a 4.17. My advice is for your UC essays is just answer the questions, you don’t need to write a legitimate “essay”. Berkeley loves volunteering and seeing that you’re passionate about learning. I wrote my essays on just everyday things: my love for biology/how it came about, volunteering, an “educational opportunity” I took, and my 4th essay was on how I pay for all my things myself. Nothing was extraordinary, it was just very me and very honest. Another big thing Berkeley loves are scores, like AP scores and subject test scores. I would take 1-2 more subject tests, even if you only do meh on them. I didn’t do great on mine, but when a Berkeley advisor came to my school she said the score you get doesn’t matter, all that matters is you took the extra initiative to take a non-mandatory test. However if you are applying under EECS, then yes your subject scores do matter greatly. In the UC application really elaborate on the “extra details” portion of each activity of specific things you did while doing the volunteer work/activity. I would start thinking now of even small awards you’ve received throughout high school.
tbh you have A shot, idk about a good or bad one. Leadership conferences don’t mean anything they are just a money thing for anyone with a good score on testing so don’t put it on your app
I will be taking the Math 2 and Spanish subject tests!
You look like a qualified and competitive applicant, but UCB is always a tough admit.
You posted on another thread that you are Michigan resident so are you aware that the UC’s give little to no financial aid to OOS students? If your parents can afford to pay $240K/4 years then great.
Best of Luck.
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.80-4.19:
UCB: 14%
UCLA: 14%
UCSD: 44%
UCSB: 54%
UCD: 58%
UCI: 65%
UCSC: 85%
UCR: 94%
UCM: 96%
“You posted that you a Michigan resident so are you aware that the UC’s give little to no financial aid to OOS students? If your parents can afford to pay $240K/4 years then great.”
At the risk of saying the obvious: UCB is a really great university and OP has great stats. However, for someone from Michigan who is looking for a really great large university, if $$s matter at all, is U.Michigan also on the list of universities that you intend to apply to?
@DadTwoGirls
Yes, Michigan is on my list. Financially, that would make sense if I were to get in, but Berkeley has always been my dream school. I am planning on applying there. That said, I would much rather go out of state considering Michigan is 20 minutes from my house, and many of my family members have gone there. I have been looking at oos schools that I could possibly get scholarships at like the University of South Carolina or Florida State.
“Michigan is 20 minutes from my house, and many of my family members have gone there.”
20 minutes is far enough that you will need to live on campus. This means that when you wake up you will be in student housing (initially a dorm) surrounded by other students. You will keep your own schedule, get up when you want, get yourself to class, eat when you want, study when you want, and so on. You will basically be in a different world compared to living at home.
I can see the attraction in considering other universities. As long as you also apply to Michigan you can compare schools head to head when you know what they are going to cost. Michigan is however a really great school.
@DadTwoGirls I know. My sister is there now and she said the same things I am saying now. She loves it. I will be applying.