UCs, CSUs; rising senior with a horrible freshman year, avg gpa.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I know UCs and CSUs don't count freshman year in their GPA, but my two top choices are UCB and UCLA. I'm afraid my freshman year is going to count against my already hurting GPA.</p>

<p>Computer Science and Engineering Major</p>

<p>Applying to:
UCB
UCLA
UCD
UCSB
UCSD
UCR
CSULB
Cal Poly SLO</p>

<p>3.42 UW
3.76 W
3.65 UC GPA</p>

<p>0 AP Courses Sophomore Year
2 AP Junior Year
5 AP Senior Year</p>

<p>Ranked 54/590 (9%)
Taken SAT Once So Far: 600 CR, 590 W, 570 M (1760)
SAT II Lit - 600
SAT II USH - 580</p>

<p>Junior Year APs: USH, Eng Lang
Senior Year APs: Gov, Microecon, Calc BC, Eng Lit, Environmental Science</p>

<p>ECs
-National Honor Society (President 08 - 10)
-California Scholarship Federation (President 08 - 10)
-Key Club (Member 07 - 10, President 09 - 10)
-Animal Protection Club (Member 08 - 10, Secretary 08 - 09)
-MESA (Member 09 - 10)
-Marketing Intern at an Insurance Agency (5 months, 100 hours)
-Paid Summer 2009 Computer Science Research Project, hopefully will be published in the Fall
-Summer 2009 Volunteering at Hospital (4 hours a week)
-14 years of ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop at a local studio and a community college
-Concurrent enrollment in community college courses (Public Speaking, Sociology, Statistics)</p>

<p>Awards
-Academic Excellence 2008 - 2010 (3.8 GPA or higher, no disciplinary record)</p>

<p>Essays
Have already started on them, going to have them edited by both of my AP English teachers.</p>

<p>Freshman Year
C- and D in Geometry; F in a hip hop class at a community college.</p>

2

<p>I think that your SAT scores and GPA are low for your top two choices. I thought that when they said that freshman year didn’t matter that they actually meant it, but maybe I’m wrong. If there’s a significant upward trend, then that’s a good sign. Just remember that the essay and recs need to be good to compensate for your “hurting GPA.” I wish you the best of luck! :)</p>

<p>Could you please chance me back!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/699897-am-i-track-ivies-duke-wake-vanderbilt.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/699897-am-i-track-ivies-duke-wake-vanderbilt.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>The UC’s only include soph and jr. years in their UC GPA calculation. Did you calculate correctly?</p>

<p>If the 3.65 is correct, I would also throw UCSC onto the list. I think you’ll get into Riverside but the others are reaches with average UC GPA averages above 3.9 and average SAT scores above 1850.</p>

<p>Also, you can retake those low grades in summer or night school. With that and another 100 or so SAT points you would have a shot at SB and D.</p>

4

<p>I visited UCSC and really did not like it actually, hmom5. With my GPA, I dunno how picky I should really be, but I know I would not be happy there. I did calculate correctly, I’m just afraid that they will see that C, D, and F and immediately rule me out, especially with my low GPA.</p>

<p>If most UCs are reaches, what should I be looking at? CSUs?
I feel as if I’ve dug myself into a hole. I really don’t want to go to a community college, but is that really the best choice for me? Should I go to Riverside and transfer to a more…prestigious UC?</p>

5

<p>Doesn’t Merced have a program that guarantees a transfer to Berkeley?</p>

<p>I agree the UCs other than R and M will probably not accept you with those grades, so why not retake them?</p>

6

<p>Will retaking those classes really matter that much?
And I have heard of that, but my parents have heard horrible things about Merced and don’t even want me applying. =/</p>

7

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<p>You must repeat the D to be eligable for any UC, not sure about the F since it was not a high school class and it would certainly help to get the C- off your transcript.</p>

8

<p>I have more than enough A - G math courses taken (Algebra II, Pre Calculus, this summer I’ll be taking Stats at a community college, Calc BC next year) so I’m okay in that area. And since Geometry was during 9th grade, it doesn’t count in my UC GPA anyway? The only way I can retake Geometry is doing it at a community college (our high school is too crowded). The C- and D will be on my transcript no matter what.</p>