With what I am guessing is around 85% waitlisted or rejected, I am surprised that we don’t see enough rejection/waitlist stats. Please post, your stats if you were rejected or waitlisted, so Future applicants can learn. I am really looking forward to reading your comments as well. Thanks!!!
Refer down below
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ul]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 2000
[ *] ACT: 29
[ *] SAT II: Really bad… still sent them in anyways
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.6 WEIGHTED
[ *] UC GPA: not sure
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 9%… school doesnt specify
[ *] ELC?: Yes
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Art History, AP US History, AP Music Theory, AP Lang, AP World History, AP Environmental Science
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics, AP Lit, AP Gov, AP Econ, AP Psych, AP Calc, AP French, AP Biology
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): lot and lots
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): lots and lots… too lazy to list out… prob the strongest part of my app
[ *] Job/Work Experience: shoot me a message if youre interested in my extracurricular activities! would be happy to share just really lazy to type it all out
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: 200-300+
[ *] Personal Statement: WORKED HARD ON THIS!!! IT PAID OFF
[/ul]Other[ul]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Pre-Business Economics
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[ *] Country (if international applicant): USA
[ *] School Type: Public, very competitive
[ *] Ethnicity: Asian
[ *] Gender: Female
[ *] Income Bracket: Not comfortable with sharing this
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): I guess I had a lot of personal difficulties in high school but I still managed to get somewhat decent grades
[/ul]Reflection[list]
[ *] Strengths: GPA, Extracurricular Activities, Essays
[ *] Weaknesses: Test Scores
[ *] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? UCI, UCSD, UC Davis, CSULB, Cal Poly SLO, UCLA, UT Austin
[ *] Schools you were rejected from? None
[ *] Schools you are waiting for? USC, UC Berkeley, UPenn, Cornell
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] IT REALLY ISNT ALL ABOUT THE TEST SCORES… Look at me! My test scores are super bad but i somehow managed to get into my dream school! Please message me for all you future hopefuls out there! Would be happy to read your college essays! So thankful for this… THANK YOU UCLA!
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ul]
[] ACT: 33 C: 35 R 35 E 30 M 33 S
[] SAT II: 770 Eng Lit, 800 French w/o Listening
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 95.4/100
[] UC GPA: No idea
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/14
[] ELC?: ??
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): French Language (5)
[] Senior Year Course Load: Honors Physics (grade 12 level), AP English (grade 12 level), two classes in advanced chem and advanced calculus at University of Toronto
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Won awards some random province and national math competitions for best school-wide performance, team leader in finalist team in city-wide statistics competition, nothing major[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars:
-11,12 ( 5hr/week): Research assistant at chem lab at the University of Toronto
-summer before 11: NFTY-EIE in Israel, took classes in Hebrew Language and Jewish History. About a week after I arrived in Israel the Gazan conflict broke out, I decided to stay, the war lasted until about a week after I left. Our group decided to dedicate a lot of time after classes volunteering to package donated food items to be shipped to IDF soldiers in Gaza.
-9,10,11,12 (3 hr/week): Singing (opera and musical theatre)
-9,10,11,12 (2 hr/week): Taekwondo (black belt)
-9,10,11,12 (3 hr/week): Acting (various roles both inside and outside of school, plays and musical theatre)
-9,10 (5 hr/week): Fencing (yellow badge)
-11: Team leader for finalist-placing team at math and statistics city-wide competition, first author on published paper detailing our group’s research for the competition
-9,10,11,12: Scuba diver, PADI certified, practiced diving on school breaks and during summer
[] Job/Work Experience:
-11,12 (4hr/week): Sunday school religious teacher for kindergarten students
[] Volunteer/Community service:
-summer before 12: Received full grant to volunteer for 4 weeks in Nepal as a medical assistant (helping doctors and nurses) after the earthquake
-various hours for a bunch of different organizations like Canadian Cancer Society, didn’t put on app
[] Personal Statement: 10/10. When I was younger, my family was filthy rich, but my dad was arrested for Ponzi schemes when I was ~10. My mom and I (I’m an only child) became poor overnight: it was an incredibly sh*tty situation and I had to grow up really quickly. I also used this essay to explain how I first got interested in my proposed major (physics/astronomy): I used to sit on the roof of our home and look up at the stars, it was like an escape for me. Possibly one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. (We’re doing ok now with help of friends and family, mother still unemployed tho, my grandparents have been paying for my schooling and stuff, we live in their house)
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[li]** Intended Major [ /b]: Astrophysics[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): Born and grew up in Texas, moved to Canada after middle school
[] Country (if international applicant): Canada
[] School Type: Private
[] Ethnicity: Native American (Choctaw) + Caucasian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: <$20K
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Semi-URM, low income, interesting life experiences, female in STEM
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays and uniqueness
[] Weaknesses: Maybe test scores and not super mega impressive ECs
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? Accepted to Columbia (LL), Johns Hopkins, UCI, UCSD, McGill, UBC, Queen’s, UVa (EA)
[] Schools you were rejected from? None so far
[li] Schools you are waiting for? Rest of Ivies, Stanford, Rice, UC Berkeley, NYU[/li][/ul]**General Comments: Super excited! **
Decision: Accepted
SAT I (breakdown): 2220
ACT: 35
SAT II: Didn’t take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
UC GPA: 4.4 or so?
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank/tell what percent you are
ELC?: nope
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP US Gov and Pol (5) AP Lang and Comp (5) APUSH (4) AP French (3) and taking AP Chem, AP Lit, and AP Psych
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Chem, AP Lit, AP Psych, Econ, Advanced Technical Co-op (kind of a work-study class)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, Presidential Scholar Candidate, AP Scholar with Honor, debate awards
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Debate, Cross-Country, NHS, Venture Scouts (VP then President), Girls State
Job/Work Experience: YCC for two summers, I’m now working at a national lab on an experiment in earth and environmental sciences
Volunteer/Community service: Alternative spring break building houses in Mexico for 4 years, tutoring, service work with the Venture Scouts, work at a battered women’s shelter from time to time
Personal Statement: Decent but overall pretty meh, I think
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yeah (but out of state so…)
Intended Major: Biochemistry
State (if domestic applicant): New Mexico
Country (if international applicant): n/a
School Type: High-performing public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 150k-200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Nope
Strengths: Grades, test scores, maybe extracurriculars
Weaknesses: Essays
Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to?: UCLA, Smith, honors at UT Austin and University of Maryland, UChicago
Schools you were rejected from?: None so far
Schools you are waiting for?: Rice, Barnard, Berkeley, UCSB
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2330 Superscore (CR 760 M 800 WS 700) 2290 One sitting (M 760)
[] ACT: NA
[] SAT II: Math2 800, Physics 800
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Not calculated (International applicant), but ICSE Class 10: 97.4%, Class 11: 94.4%, Class 12 97.2% Predicted
[] UC GPA: Not calculated
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/70
[] ELC?: ?
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): NA
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): NA
[] Senior Year Course Load: Most rigorous available to me
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National debate winner, Tennis awards, Academic and debate awards (No major awards though)
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Debating (Debate Club Founder and Debate Head), MUN, Soccer (School team captain), Tennis (School head), Harmonium, School Head Boy
[] Job/Work Experience: Founder CEO of a art startup, Co Owner at a web design company, Founder President of an independent MUN Conference, Assistant Director for an MUN (Largest in city), Internship at software company
[] Volunteer/Community service: Founder President of an NGO, taught underprivileged children soft skills
[] Personal Statement: Both my personal statements were really strong
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?:Yes
[]** Intended Major **: Pre Business Economics
[] State (if domestic applicant):NA
[] Country (if international applicant): India
[] School Type: Private
[] Ethnicity: Indian
[] Gender: Male
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Lol none at all
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Entrepreneurial focus, extremely strong academics, essays, rounded application
[] Weaknesses:Applicant from India so naturally super tough competition, nothing WOW in my application
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to?: Accepted to Berkeley, Michigan (Plus Ross), Northwestern, Babson, Fordham
[] Schools you were rejected from?: none yet
[] Schools you are waiting for?: Duke, Virginia, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Penn, Brown, Cornell
[/ul]General Comments: Don’t try to predict this process, it’s as unpredictable as it gets Good Luck!!
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I: N/A
[] ACT: 33 C 35 M 34 E 32 R 30 S
[] SAT II: Chem 800, Math II 760, Bio M 760
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] UC GPA: 4.22
[] Rank: 1/100
[] AP: Chem (4) Spanish (5) Physics 1 (3)
[] Senior Year Course Load: Most rigorous available. AP Bio, AP Calc AB, AP Physics C, AP Spanish Lit, English, bunch of other non honors humanity classes
[li] Major Awards: None, only minor math and science awards in region[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: tutoring club (president), support group for war veterans (president), dance 7 h/week (advanced group), varsity basketball (captain 11 12), school athletic council (treasurer), missionary trip, other minor volunteer projects (120h), French classes, Stanford summer camp
[] Job/Work Experience: Not possible in my country
[] Volunteer/Community service: 500h, see extracurriculars for major ones
[] Personal Statement: Strong. One talked about my life and goals in an unexpected and funny yet insightful way. The other talked about maturing through exploring my city. [/ul]
Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: no
[li]** Intended Major: ** Chemical Engineering[/li][] Country (if international applicant): South America
[] School Type: Private, International
[] Ethnicity: Latino
[] Gender: Female
[] Hooks: Female in engineering? [/ul]
Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Grades and rank, definitely essays, bunch of community service, maybe standarized scores for a latino?
[] Weaknesses: No pattern in extracurriculars, which seem all over the place. No experience in research or engineering. AP scores
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? Accepted to- U Mich, JHU, Georgia Tech, UVa, UC SD
[] Schools you were rejected from? MIT
[li] Schools you are waiting for? UC Berkeley, Stanford, Cornell, USC, Princeton[/li][/ul]General Comments: I’m only posting this because, after spending countless hours reading these forums, I promised myself I would share my own stats to help future applicants. Anyway, I am thrilled! Its been a stressful month, lets hang in there, the wait is almost over.
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2360 (CR: 760, M: 800, W: 800)
[] SAT II: Math II: 800; Chemistry: 800
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] UC GPA: I DON’T KNOW THIS
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
[] ELC?: (what is this?)
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Chemistry (5); AP Calculus BC (5); AP Language & Comp (5); AP Macroeconomics (5)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis – these are predicted scores): IB HL Spanish B (6); IB SL Mathematics (7); IB HL BM (7)
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 1; AP Statistics; AP Microecnomics; AP Literature & Comp
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NONE
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): leadership positions in 5 different service clubs at school, and that’s pretty much it
[] Job/Work Experience: Interned at my father’s business for 4 weeks
[] Volunteer/Community service: LOTS AND LOTS
[] Personal Statement: Wrote about moving around different countries (I’m an international applicant from an international school)
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid? nope
[li] ** Intended Major **: International Development Studies[/li][] State (if domestic applicant):
[] Country (if international applicant): Malaysia
[] School Type: International
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: >250k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): none
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: My grades?
[] Weaknesses: I don’t have any major awards
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to?: ACCEPTED: UCSD, UMich (EA); WAITLISTED: UChicago
[] Schools you were rejected from?: Penn (ED)
[li] Schools you are waiting for?: Princeton, Stanford, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, Duke, NYU, Columbia, and Cornell[/li]
[/ul]General Comments:
Congrats to those who also got accepted, good luck to those who were waitlisted, and stay strong for those who were rejected!
[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted[ /b][ /color][ /size]
[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 660 Math, 720 Critical Reading, 670 Writing
[ *] ACT: 29
[ *] SAT II: 710 Literature, 720 U.S. History
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[ *] UC GPA: 4.26
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/398
[ *] ELC?: Yes
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): Language & Composition (4)
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Government and Politics - United States Semester, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Calculus BC, Art Animation P, Newspaper Production/Journalism Studies P, Leadership (Associated Study Body, not UC approved)
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Rotary Interact Club (3-term President) - community service/ college bound, Friday Night Live (Leader) -solving social problems, like alcoholism, in community, School newspaper (Editor-in-Chief, past News Editor and Layout Editor), Varisty girls tennis team (Captain) - Rank 3 on team, League championship, Doubles CIF Area finalist, Associated Student Body (Student School Board Member, past Sophomore Class Senator and Political Affairs Commissiomer) - Vote on the School Board, representing all students in my district
[ *] Job/Work Experience: 40 hr/wk as a File Clerk at a car dealership (summer 2014), 20 hr/wk (school), 30 hr/wk (summer) Cashier at a frozen yogurt shop (summer 2015-present)
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Coordinate volunteers for my town’s festival (one of the largest of its kind in the state), Coordinate volunteers for an annual elementary school track meet, Help organize and coordinate volunteers for an annual community food drive, Tutor classmates in math and history, Organize volunteers for a Children’s Hospital fundraiser
[ *] Personal Statement: 1. The values my frugal, rural town has taught me. “My worth is valued by my actions to honor and support those I care for, not from what I do to bolster myself.” 2. About how fortunate I am to be me and the responsibility it’s give me. (My community is rural and largely Hispanic and low-income. I’m white and comfortably middle class, and my family is very much from my town and known for its commitment to bettering our community. I did this by creating the aforementioned ASB Board Member position.) – I’m known at my school for being an excellent writer, and I’m well-versed in the art of language, but if you’re not, it’s okay. Ask others for help. Write you statement and decide what you want to say and what you mean, and then, have them help you with communicating it. Just make sure it remains true to you. All the UC is looking for is sincerity.
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes. (Got $0)
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Pre-Politcal Science & Pre-Business Economics
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): California (Central Valley)
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public (Title 1)
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Female
[ *] Income Bracket: ~ $200,00
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Literally none.
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths: Extra-curriculars, Straight A’s, Sincere Personal Statements, Standarsized test scores, Some college credit
[ *] Weaknesses: Only a few AP’s
[ *] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? UC Davis, UC San Diego
[ *] Schools you were rejected from?
[ *] Schools you are waiting for? UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkely, Stanford, Brown, Harvard, University of Pensylvania
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] Don’t get caught up racing to be valedictorian. I actually wrote my additional comments essay about my decision to let being #1 go, in favor of doing activities that would give me important, applicable skills and that impact others. My advice to those of you who are just starting out on your journey is to find a few things you’re passionate about, and stick with them. The UC application only has five spots for extracurriculars, so make sure you’re doing ones you’re proud of, not getting as many as you can to look good on paper because in this context, you frankly won’t. Good luck, and congratulations to everyone who got in! Go Bruins!
[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted[ /b][ /color][ /size]
[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 660 Math, 720 Critical Reading, 670 Writing
[ *] ACT: 29
[ *] SAT II: 710 Literature, 720 U.S. History
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[ *] UC GPA: 4.26
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/398
[ *] ELC?: Yes
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): Language & Composition (4)
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Government and Politics - United States Semester, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Calculus BC, Art Animation P, Newspaper Production/Journalism Studies P, Leadership (Associated Study Body, not UC approved)
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Rotary Interact Club (3-term President) - community service/ college bound, Friday Night Live (Leader) -solving social problems, like alcoholism, in community, School newspaper (Editor-in-Chief, past News Editor and Layout Editor), Varisty girls tennis team (Captain) - Rank 3 on team, League championship, Doubles CIF Area finalist, Associated Student Body (Student School Board Member, past Sophomore Class Senator and Political Affairs Commissiomer) - Vote on the School Board, representing all students in my district
[ *] Job/Work Experience: 40 hr/wk as a File Clerk at a car dealership (summer 2014), 20 hr/wk (school), 30 hr/wk (summer) Cashier at a frozen yogurt shop (summer 2015-present)
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Coordinate volunteers for my town’s festival (one of the largest of its kind in the state), Coordinate volunteers for an annual elementary school track meet, Help organize and coordinate volunteers for an annual community food drive, Tutor classmates in math and history, Organize volunteers for a Children’s Hospital fundraiser
[ *] Personal Statement: 1. The values my frugal, rural town has taught me. “My worth is valued by my actions to honor and support those I care for, not from what I do to bolster myself.” 2. About how fortunate I am to be me and the responsibility it’s give me. (My community is rural and largely Hispanic and low-income. I’m white and comfortably middle class, and my family is very much from my town and known for its commitment to bettering our community. I did this by creating the aforementioned ASB Board Member position.) – I’m known at my school for being an excellent writer, and I’m well-versed in the art of language, but if you’re not, it’s okay. Ask others for help. Write you statement and decide what you want to say and what you mean, and then, have them help you with communicating it. Just make sure it remains true to you. All the UC is looking for is sincerity.
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes. (Got $0)
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Pre-Politcal Science & Pre-Business Economics
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): California (Central Valley)
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public (Title 1)
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Female
[ *] Income Bracket: ~ $200,00
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Literally none.
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths: Extra-curriculars, Straight A’s, Sincere Personal Statements, Standarsized test scores, Some college credit
[ *] Weaknesses: Only a few AP’s
[ *] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? UC Davis, UC San Diego
[ *] Schools you were rejected from?
[ *] Schools you are waiting for? UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkely, Stanford, Brown, Harvard, University of Pensylvania
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] Don’t get caught up racing to be valedictorian. I actually wrote my additional comments essay about my decision to let being #1 go, in favor of doing activities that would give me important, applicable skills and that impact others. My advice to those of you who are just starting out on your journey is to find a few things you’re passionate about, and stick with them. The UC application only has five spots for extracurriculars, so make sure you’re doing ones you’re proud of, not getting as many as you can to look good on paper because in this context, you frankly won’t. Good luck, and congratulations to everyone who got in! Go Bruins!
[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted[ /b][ /color][ /size]
[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 660 Math, 720 Critical Reading, 670 Writing
[ *] ACT: 29
[ *] SAT II: 710 Literature, 720 U.S. History
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[ *] UC GPA: 4.26
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/398
[ *] ELC?: Yes
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): Language & Composition (4)
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Government and Politics - United States Semester, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Calculus BC, Art Animation P, Newspaper Production/Journalism Studies P, Leadership (Associated Study Body, not UC approved)
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Rotary Interact Club (3-term President) - community service/ college bound, Friday Night Live (Leader) -solving social problems, like alcoholism, in community, School newspaper (Editor-in-Chief, past News Editor and Layout Editor), Varisty girls tennis team (Captain) - Rank 3 on team, League championship, Doubles CIF Area finalist, Associated Student Body (Student School Board Member, past Sophomore Class Senator and Political Affairs Commissiomer) - Vote on the School Board, representing all students in my district
[ *] Job/Work Experience: 40 hr/wk as a File Clerk at a car dealership (summer 2014), 20 hr/wk (school), 30 hr/wk (summer) Cashier at a frozen yogurt shop (summer 2015-present)
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Coordinate volunteers for my town’s festival (one of the largest of its kind in the state), Coordinate volunteers for an annual elementary school track meet, Help organize and coordinate volunteers for an annual community food drive, Tutor classmates in math and history, Organize volunteers for a Children’s Hospital fundraiser
[ *] Personal Statement: 1. The values my frugal, rural town has taught me. “My worth is valued by my actions to honor and support those I care for, not from what I do to bolster myself.” 2. About how fortunate I am to be me and the responsibility it’s give me. (My community is rural and largely Hispanic and low-income. I’m white and comfortably middle class, and my family is very much from my town and known for its commitment to bettering our community. I did this by creating the aforementioned ASB Board Member position.) – I’m known at my school for being an excellent writer, and I’m well-versed in the art of language, but if you’re not, it’s okay. Ask others for help. Write you statement and decide what you want to say and what you mean, and then, have them help you with communicating it. Just make sure it remains true to you. All the UC is looking for is sincerity.
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes. (Got $0)
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Pre-Politcal Science & Pre-Business Economics
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): California (Central Valley)
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public (Title 1)
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Female
[ *] Income Bracket: ~ $200,00
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Literally none.
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths: Extra-curriculars, Straight A’s, Sincere Personal Statements, Standarsized test scores, Some college credit
[ *] Weaknesses: Only a few AP’s
[ *] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? UC Davis, UC San Diego
[ *] Schools you were rejected from?
[ *] Schools you are waiting for? UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkely, Stanford, Brown, Harvard, University of Pensylvania
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] Don’t get caught up racing to be valedictorian. I actually wrote my additional comments essay about my decision to let being #1 go, in favor of doing activities that would give me important, applicable skills and that impact others. My advice to those of you who are just starting out on your journey is to find a few things you’re passionate about, and stick with them. The UC application only has five spots for extracurriculars, so make sure you’re doing ones you’re proud of, not getting as many as you can to look good on paper because in this context, you frankly won’t. Good luck, and congratulations to everyone who got in! Go Bruins!
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ list]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 660 Math, 720 Critical Reading, 670 Writing
[] ACT: 29
[] SAT II: 710 Literature, 720 U.S. History
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] UC GPA: 4.26
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/398
[] ELC?: Yes
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Language & Composition (4)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Government and Politics - United States Semester, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Calculus BC, Art Animation P, Newspaper Production/Journalism Studies P, Leadership (Associated Study Body, not UC approved)
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None[/li]
[/list][ b]Subjective:**[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Rotary Interact Club (3-term President) - community service/ college bound, Friday Night Live (Leader) -solving social problems, like alcoholism, in community, School newspaper (Editor-in-Chief, past News Editor and Layout Editor), Varisty girls tennis team (Captain) - Rank 3 on team, League championship, Doubles CIF Area finalist, Associated Student Body (Student School Board Member, past Sophomore Class Senator and Political Affairs Commissiomer) - Vote on the School Board, representing all students in my district
[] Job/Work Experience: 40 hr/wk as a File Clerk at a car dealership (summer 2014), 20 hr/wk (school), 30 hr/wk (summer) Cashier at a frozen yogurt shop (summer 2015-present)
[] Volunteer/Community service: Coordinate volunteers for my town’s festival (one of the largest of its kind in the state), Coordinate volunteers for an annual elementary school track meet, Help organize and coordinate volunteers for an annual community food drive, Tutor classmates in math and history, Organize volunteers for a Children’s Hospital fundraiser
[] Personal Statement: 1. The values my frugal, rural town has taught me. “My worth is valued by my actions to honor and support those I care for, not from what I do to bolster myself.” 2. About how fortunate I am to be me and the responsibility it’s give me. (My community is rural and largely Hispanic and low-income. I’m white and comfortably middle class, and my family is very much from my town and known for its commitment to bettering our community. I did this by creating the aforementioned ASB Board Member position.) – I’m known at my school for being an excellent writer, and I’m well-versed in the art of language, but if you’re not, it’s okay. Ask others for help. Write you statement and decide what you want to say and what you mean, and then, have them help you with communicating it. Just make sure it remains true to you. All the UC is looking for is sincerity.
[/ul][ b]Other**[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes. (Got $0)
[li][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Pre-Politcal Science & Pre-Business Economics[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): California (Central Valley)
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public (Title 1)
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: ~ $200,00
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Literally none.
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Extra-curriculars, Straight A’s, Sincere Personal Statements, Standarsized test scores, Some college credit
[] Weaknesses: Only a few AP’s
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? UC Davis, UC San Diego
[] Schools you were rejected from?
[li] Schools you are waiting for? UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkely, Stanford, Brown, Harvard, University of Pensylvania[/li][/ul]General Comments: Don’t get caught up racing to be valedictorian. I actually wrote my additional comments essay about my decision to let being #1 go, in favor of doing activities that would give me important, applicable skills and that impact others. My advice to those of you who are just starting out on your journey is to find a few things you’re passionate about, and stick with them. The UC application only has five spots for extracurriculars, so make sure you’re doing ones you’re proud of, not getting as many as you can to look good on paper because in this context, you frankly won’t. Good luck, and congratulations to everyone who got in! Go Bruins!
Rejected 
Decision: Accepted
Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (single sitting): 2220 (CR: 730 M: 710 W: 780)
[] ACT: 35
[] SAT II: Math II: 800 Chem: 710
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): ~3.65
[] UC GPA: ~4.5
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
[] ELC?: No
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Chemistry 3, English Language 4, Psychology 5, U.S. History 4, World History 3
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP US Gov, AP English Lit, AP Calc, IB Astronomy, AP Physics, AP Econ
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): n/a[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Band (Woodwind captain, All-city placement for 4 yrs, UIL solo and ensemble), UNICEF (Treasurer), Team HBV (Event Coordinator)
[] Job/Work Experience: n/a
[] Volunteer/Community service: ~100 hours at Hospital
[] Personal Statement: average
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[li]** Intended Major **: Pre-Business Econ[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): Texas
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Highly competitive public
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: 250,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): none
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Test scores, well rounded overall
[] Weaknesses: Unweighted GPA
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? UT Austin, Cornell (ED Waitlist)
[] Schools you were rejected from? University of Washington (Saint Louis)
[li] Schools you are waiting for? Cal, Rice[/li][/ul]General Comments:
** Decision: Rejected **
** Objective [ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): didn’t take
[] ACT: 31 C
[] SAT II: didn’t submit
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
[] UC GPA: 4.1
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
[] ELC?:
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): English Lang (4), Bio (3)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP English Lit, AP Calc, AP Environmental Sci, AP Physics C
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/li]
[/ul] Subjective **[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): competitive rowing 10-12, CSF 9-12, film club (secretary) 11-12, feminism club 11-12, theater tech 9 & 12, SNHS (chapter founder/officer) 12
[] Job/Work Experience 3 jobs total, 2 summer and 1 tutoring job during school year
[] Volunteer/Community service: peer tutor 9-12, rowing camp helper for 2 summers
[] Personal Statement: 9/10; first about being a woman in science and looking up to so many influential female scientists, the other about tutoring and helping with rowing camps; both were rewritten and revised over months with many teachers, counselors, and peers
[/ul]** Other [ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
[li] Intended Major **: microbiology, immunology, molecular genetics (pre)[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: public
[] Ethnicity: hispanic
[] Gender: female
[] Income Bracket: ~70k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): hispanic, woman in STEM (if that still counts)
[/ul]** Reflection [ul]
[] Strengths: ECs, essays, community service
[] Weaknesses: GPA, ACT score maybe
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? accepted: Northeastern, UC SC; waitlisted to UC Davis
[] Schools you were rejected from? Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, UC LA,
[li] Schools you are waiting for? UC B, Cornell, Dartmouth, UPenn, University of Washington[/li][/ul] General Comments: ** I didn’t really expect to get in, but having JHU, Northwestern, and UCLA reject me in like a day really makes me worried for Ivy Day and Cal decisions. I’m also a little worried because I put that I have over 600 hours of community service on my app, and that really doesn’t sound right. Maybe they thought I lied?
**Decision: REJECTED :(( **
Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): didn’t take it! Focused all my time and energy on studying for the ACT
[] ACT: 31
[] SAT II: math II (<700)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.3 lol
[] UC GPA: like a 3.75?
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): #44 out of 630 when I applied (#24 now)
[] ELC?: Yes, that is most correct and accurate!
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): World (3) Chem (2) U.S history (2) Environmental Science (3) Physics 1 (3)
[li] IB (place score in parenthesis): none[/li][li] Senior Year Course Load: ALL AP’s!!! Calculus AB, Art History, Psychology, English Literature, Microeconomics, Government, Computer Science[/li][li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): uh AP scholar? I didn’t mention any awards in my application though…[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Socially Together and Naturally Diverse Club (president), INTERACT Club (historian)
[] Job/Work Experience: nope
[] Volunteer/Community service: yes, like 24 hours?
[] Personal Statement: eh it was okay nothing special
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes, that is most correct and accurate
[li]** Intended Major: ART HISTORY ** I kinda chose it so it’d be easier for UCLA to accept me but apparently not lol :/[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): California
[] School Type: public
[] Ethnicity: southeast Asian
[] Gender: female
[] Income Bracket: <50,000
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): none[/li]
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: for UCLA, none haha
[] Weaknesses: everything! My gpa and act score
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to?: UCSD, UCI, CSULB, CSUF, CSUSM, CSUC
[] Schools you were rejected from?: UCLA
[li] Schools you are waiting for?: ** BERKELEY OMG PLS ACCEPT ME IAIQHSIDK **[/li][/ul]General Comments: I’m pretty mediocre now that I look at my stats. But CONGRATZ to all who got accepted! You deserve it! Not enough salt in the world to express how I’m feeling towards UCLA right now tho! I’m not as sad as I expected, but I’m okay with being rejected from UCLA if it means getting accepted to Cal! X_X
** Decision: Accepted **
** Objective: ** [ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): ~2350
[] ACT: -
[] SAT II: 800- Math L2, 800- Chemistry
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): ~3.8
[] UC GPA: Not sure.
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
[] ELC?:
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Not offered.
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): Predicted: 40/42
[] Senior Year Course Load: Physics, Math, Chemistry, Economics, Spanish, English
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None[/li]
[/ul]** Subjective: ** [ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Lots of Community Service, Entrepreneurship, Independent Organizational work, MUN, Internships, Research, Sports.
[] Job/Work Experience: Tech and Research internships.
[] Volunteer/Community service: >100 hours devoted to this.
[] Personal Statement: 8/10 and 7.5/10
[/ul] ** Other ** [ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[li] ** Intended Major **: Computer Science Engineering[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): International
[] Country (if international applicant): India
[] School Type: Private IB School
[] Ethnicity: Indian
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: >$75K
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Asian (Indian) male applying for CS = antihook.
[/list ]** Reflection ** [list]
[] Strengths: Grades, scores, decent ECs
[] Weaknesses: Lack of excellence in a single aspect
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? Accepted into some great Tech schools, a few other UCs.
[] Schools you were rejected from? A couple of reaches. Waiting for Ivy Day.
[li] Schools you are waiting for? A few Ivies, Stanford, Cal[/li][/ul] ** General Comments: ** None
Decision: Accepted
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2300 780 WR, 740 M, 780 CR
ACT (breakdown):n/a
SAT II: 750 E-Bio, 760 US History, 700 Math 2
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.81 (had some b’s) 4.36 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A, probably top ten
AP (place score in parenthesis): US history (5), Art History (5), Eng Lang (5), Bio (4), AP Enviro, AP Lit + Comp, AP Calc AB, AP Poli Sci, AP Econ
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: 4 APs and honors class
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar w/ honors, National novel writing award, national merit commended, people to people international award (not that important), online writing awards, sports awards
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Varsity soccer and track (4 years + sprints captain),
Gender-sexuality alliance (pres + founder),
National novel writing month(s) -( won an award for this) -
Editor and writer of student-run lit magazine,
People to People Student Ambassadors,
Junior classical league (just a member),
Published on juke pop novels website + articles in Diverse Voices Quarterly, Blue Pencil and Teen Ink -
I also did a lot of club sports and got state/regional recognition. Not recruited though.
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: LGBT Center OC, Heifer International, Hands for Africa, Food Bank, Gay for Good
Summer Activities: Stanford Summer College (took writing and sociology classes) - As in both, People to People Student International Trip to Italy Spain and France, travelled to Tanzania one year and track-trained for one.
Essays: common app/UC essay is 10/10 - I wrote about how my afro helped me come out of the closet
2nd UC essay: Talked about how my names and biracial identity shaped my aspirations in writing.
Teacher Recommendation: (n/a for UCs)
Art History teacher: 10/10 I participated a lot in her class and she really liked me + Art history was my favorite subjects last year
Bio teacher: probably 7-8/10 because I did well in his class but I wasn’t his favorite student or anything, but I stand out a lot in general.
Counselor Rec: Ehh… I would say 8-9/10 because I stand out a lot among my class and I had a really good interview with her but she has so many students so I’m not really sure.
Additional Rec: Fiction writing professor from stanford: 10/10 - I talked to her a lot over the summer and she helped me edit/polish a lot of my creative writing work. She knows me very well.
Interview: N/A
Other
I submitted a resume because common app didn’t let me put everything down. (n/a for UCs)
Applied for Financial Aid?: marked yes but ended up not applying.
Intended Major: English
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: SUPER competitive public school probably will work against me.
Ethnicity: I’m mixed - half Nigerian and half American (so I put down African-American)
Gender: XX
Income Bracket: ~200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, I’m not sure being queer counts but I emphasized that too in my app.
Reflection
Strengths: ESSAYS ESSAYS ESSAYS - if the rest of my app wasn’t strong enough, my essays got me a second chance. SAT scores and unique extracurriculars - but honestly i think my essays played the biggest part.
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: QWOC who wants to be a writer? Idk.
Weaknesses: GPA probably, not a lot of super prestigious awards, super competitive class, and probably the common app activities section. My resume probably gave me a boost on that, and I have a lack of work experience.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Essays, unique ECS, prevalent academic focus
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted into Cornell (likely letter), UCSB (top applicant), UC santa cruz scholars program, Boston University honors college, Emory (early acceptance letter), University of San Francisco w/ big merit scholarship, Sarah Lawrence College. Still waiting on some of the ivies, stanford, tufts, barnard college, NYU, UC berkley, etc. not rejected anywhere yet.
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: … Probably just getting a second look because my essays are pretty good, but I don’t know. College admissions are part crapshoot.
Decision: Accepted
[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 2160 (710R-770M-680W) Single sitting
[ *] ACT: N/A
[ *] SAT II:N/A
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 92/100
[ *] UC GPA:N/A
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):N/A
[ *] ELC?:N/A
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis):N/A
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):N/A
[ *] Senior Year Course Load:
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student charity club founder and president, Non-profit Vice President, MUN Vice President, Mock Trial Team member
[ *] Job/Work Experience: N/A
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Minor ones here and there
[ *] Personal Statement: 9/10? (most likely it was what got me in)
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Philosophy L&S
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant): Ontario, Canada
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: Asian
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: Enough to afford international tuition lol
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): N/A
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths: Personal Statements
[ *] Weaknesses: No APs or SATIIs, SAT wasn’t anything special either
[ *] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? University College London, Mcgill University, Case Western, Grinell, WUSTL(wl), Middlebury (wl)
[ *] Schools you were rejected from? Northwestern, NYU Stern, Bowdoin
[ *] Schools you are waiting for? Swarthmore, Cal, Vanderbilt, Wesleyan, CMC, Colby
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] I guess focus on your essays a lot, and just accept the fact that sometimes its really a crapshoot! Never thought I would get into UCLA at all, but I guess the best things come when you least expect it! 
Decision: Rejected
Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2230 (750 CR / 700 M / 780 W)
[] ACT: 32 (35 E / 29 M / 35 R / 28 S)
[] SAT II: 770 Lit, 720 US History
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.55
[] UC GPA: 4.15
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 42/750
[] ELC?: Yes
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Human Geo (4), Bio (4), Calc AB (5), US History (4), Macroecon (3), Microecon (4), Physics 1 (3)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Euro, AP Spanish Lang, H Gov/H Econ, H Art History, Advertising Design
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, QuestBridge NCM Finalist, 10 years of same highest-level national piano certificate, etc[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): GSA 11th-12th (President 12th), feminist club 11th-12th (President 12th), leadership club 9th-12th (VP 12th), class council 9th-11th (Director of Fundraising 10th-11th)
[] Job/Work Experience: babysitting lol
[] Volunteer/Community service: 100+ hours at LGBT center, 40+ hours at food pantry
[] Personal Statement: Probably both 8/10. “World you come from” about being a generic low-income child of divorce, but how I’ve done unique things and have unique passions and how that makes me not generic. “Personal accomplishment” about being shy and self-hating in middle school, then gaining confidence and eventually becoming GSA President. Also, additional info section about having a chronic illness (as explanation for relatively low GPA).
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[li]** Intended Major **: English[/li][] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Large Public Magnet
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket: <30,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): nah
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Personal statements, ECs, obvious passion? I don’t even know
[] Weaknesses: GPA
[] Schools were you accepted/waitlisted to? Brandeis, Mt. Holyoke, UCSC, and UCSD, among others
[] Schools you were rejected from? Pomona College
[li] Schools you are waiting for? tons…[/li][/ul]General Comments: I got a supplemental questionnaire, I assume because I mentioned my chronic illness. It clearly didn’t help me get in - I guess a documented major disability isn’t sufficient to explain low grades? Unsympathetic BS in my opinion! Oh well. I also wasn’t a great fit for UCLA in any way so that probably contributed.
I normally don’t like doing these things, but I want to give a word of encouragement to anyone with special circumstances. We’re not automatically seen as amazing despite everything we’ve been through. I was very disillusioned with UCLA when I heard the supplemental questionnaire was for “borderline” applicants, because I assumed my additional info and personal statements would be enough to explain why I was “borderline”. You will do great things no matter what happens.