UCs and questions for OOS

Chance me please! Also list questions for OOS applicants!

@UCB UCLA (heard about their holistic views)
UCSD UCSB

Out of state-Kentucky

Guatemalan (Hispanic) female
Public School and Biomedical Sciences Academy

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Here I talked about how I was undocumented along with my family, I live with 3 family members (brother, sister and mother) and how my mother struggled to find jobs but we she did I would work along her side and at some points I worked 60 hours a week (yes during a school week). Meaning, I was able to get only 2 hours of sleep daily and still go to school. I talked about skipping lunch for naps and other struggles that were detrimental to my grades.

Describe how you have worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
I talked about how I did not receive any help at home from my mother because she is illiterate and I was the first in my family to obtain any education higher than elementary school (first to go to middle and high school). I mentioned that I also never received much help from my school when I brought up my problems, I talked about how my principle told me she didn’t even know what it meant to be undocumented and so she couldn’t help me. Also English was not my first language.

What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?
I talked about how I have been shaped into a different person because of my circumstances and how I attended a public school with a low minority percentage and many students at my school come from high income families witch was not who I was and so I have had to face being the different one at my school.

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
Here I talked about how I have been extremely involved in helping my small hispanic neighborhood because we are all undocumented and we live in the middle of high class american citizens. I talked about how when I received a drivers license I would drive people around because many in my area do not have one, also I translated at doctor appointments and tutored children because their parents did not know the English Language.

Stats:
GPA: 3.6(weighted) 3.4(unweighted)
Senior year: 4.1(weighted)
ACT: 23
Math:26
English:25

AP Classes:
AP Biology
AP Statistics
AP Litrature
AP U.S. History
AP Spanish Language

Dual Credit:
Psychology
World History

Honors:
Chemistry
Pre-Cal

Accelerated:
Algebra 2

Extracurriculars:
-Cross Country Running (Varsity)
-Track and Field (Varsity)
-Spanish National Honor Society
-Senior Internship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (ranked 3rd children’s hospital in the nation)
-Latino Mentors Program at local University
-Blood donations
-All-state Track-and-Field Team
-PhDreamer

Awards:
-Honorary Cord of life (blood donations and blood drive)
-Gifted and talented at Mathematics and Leadership
-Academic Athletic Association Award
-Dean’s List
-Academic Excellence Award
-Posters-at-the-capital finalist (presented scientific research to state gov. and legs.)

Any thoughts?.. Thank you!

Senior year grades are not considered in UC admissions so doing well will maintain your provisional admission but not help your chances unless you are requested to send in Senior grades.

Your GPA and test scores are very low for the UC’s on your list and being OOS will be even more difficult admit.

UC’s are very GPA focused and your GPA is below the 25th percentile for UCB/UCLA/UCSB/UCSD. Also test scores are below the 25th percentile.

Are you being recruited for Xcountry or Track?

Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.40-3.79:

UCB: 2%
UCLA: 3%
UCSD: 6%
UCD: 11%
UCSB: 13%
UCI: 16%
UCSC: 47%
UCR: 64%
UCM: 80%

All the schools on your list are Reaches. Your target UC’s should have been UCR and UCM.

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/profiles/

Holistic review is important but you still need to be in the ball park with your stats to even have a chance.

You have accomplished much under difficult circumstances but you are applying to California schools where applicants with similar circumstances are many so your situation is not unique. How do you plan to pay for the UC’s since you will receive little to no financial aid at $55K/year?

I wish you Good Luck and hope you have some in-state financial safeties on your list.

@Gumbymom I do not receive state financial help from KY because I am undocumented so money would be a problem anywhere. I have applied to safety schools around my area. The UCs are my reach. Thank you!

Regardless if the UC’s are your Reach schools, how do you plan to pay for college if you are not eligible for state or federal aid?

Work. I don’t believe you read were I mentioned that I have worked to one point where I only obtained 2 hours of sleep during a school week. I have always over worked myself in order to help my family and save money for college and you are right to the fact that is a great quantity of money I need, but I am not seeing my lack of income as a barrier towards any college I have applied to. Though yes I do understand my chances at these UC schools are slim to none. I am one of the first in my family to learn to read so I plan to take advantage of any opportunity if it is brought up. Your knowledge about undocumented students seeking admissions seams very limited perhaps. @Gumbymom

I am only familiar with undocumented students and financial aid in California. I am aware that only a few states give in-state tuition to undocumented workers so just trying extract more information in regards to your current situation. All the power to you to be able to fund your college education. I am sure you will succeed wherever you end up and Good Luck.

GL making 55k+ per year while attending a UC to pay

I think you need a reality check. UC schools are ~$55,000 per year for OOS students. I do not know you personally, but I do not think you can make enough to pay that. In my opinion, it would be in your best interest to attend you local community college then transfer to a state school.

She got in!!

Congratulations on your acceptance. Now you will have to figure out how to pay $60K/year to attend. Did you get an FA package from UCLA yet?