UCSD Chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - San Diego
1

<p>I'm currently a junior, and will be applying to UCSD next year as an OOS applicant (Minnesota). I went over the freshman comprehensive review process as posted at UCSD</a> Freshman Comprehensive Review Process (Dec 2004), and I'm just posting here to confirm that I could get points for all the things I gave myself points for, and to see if there are any opportunities to get additional points. So...</p>

<p>UC GPA: Going to be 3.8 at the end of the year, maybe a few hundredths above or below, but I'll stick to 3.8 for the calculations.</p>

<p>Test Scores: 33 on ACT would translate to a 2190 SAT on the UCSD conversion chart. I am taking SAT IIs in June. </p>

<p>Courses Taken: 40 or more A-G courses.</p>

<p>Leadership: President/Founder of FIRST Robotics team, VP of Mock Trial.</p>

<p>Community Service: 200+ hours helping disadvantaged children in Kansas City and as an intern for the Obama campaign.</p>

<p>Pre-Collegiate Programs: 2 years of Michigan Tech Pre-College Youth Programs, 1 year at the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (Macalester-sponsored program). I've also taken an ACT prep class this year, and will sign up for another next year to get points if you guys don't think that the programs I have completed will get me these points.</p>

<p>Special Circumstances: One of my cousins whom I was very close to committed suicide during my sophomore year, another cousin died of a cocaine overdose, and my aunt is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, requiring me to travel to and from Detroit frequently. Not sure if I can get points for this as a less serious event or situation. </p>

<p>So the point total would be:
3800 for GPA.
2792 for test scores, assuming a 650 on SAT IIs (I've taken practice tests, and scored at or above this score consistently.<br>
500 for courses taken.
150 for leadership.
300 for community service.
300 for college prep programs.
And possibly 250 for a less serious event.</p>

<p>For a total of 7842 (no special circumstance points) or 8092 (awarded special circumstance points). I am pretty much on the edge, as the cutoff scores for fall admission last year was 7738, and the cutoff score for winter admission was 7702, and OOS cutoffs tend to be about 100-140 points higher than instate cutoffs. Is there any possibility that the cutoff could decrease, as I've heard that the HS class of 2010 is going to be smaller than the class of 2009?</p>

<p>Does anyone see any other opportunities for points in my situation? I'm going to study very hard for the SAT IIs. There really aren't any other points available that I can think of besides finishing 3rd in our Mock Trial region (Twin Cities), which is a pretty major accomplishment, but is not an individual award (the website said sports teams, so I don't know if the award needs to be individual). I can get a job during the next school year, and work 20+ hours one week, and give the money earned to my parents, which would, in theory, award me an additional 250 points if I mentioned it on my application. Also, does anyone know of any easy skills that I could list in order to get some points in the awards/skills/achievements category. The site lists creative entrepreneurship as a example of a skill, and I've done some web design for money for several small computer consulting companies. Could this be considered creative entrepreneurship?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>Neal</p>

2

<p>From the looks of your stats, I’d say you most likely would get accepted. (I too, was an out-of-state applicant).</p>

<p>As for the special circumstance points–those are REALLY hard to earn. I don’t think working & giving the money to your parents unless you live in poverty or something of the sort would earn you those extra 250 points.</p>

<p>Perhaps you could try to up your SAT II scores. Try to get them above 700?</p>

3

<p>Thanks, I was wondering about that, as working 20+ hours per week and giving the earnings to my parents would technically satisfy the criteria, even though both of my parents make 100k+. Would the admissions officers see that I was clearly trying to get the points? And even if they saw that, would they still need to award them, as I would satisfy the exact criteria?</p>

<p>Another question: The a-g requirements state that you need to take a “single, yearlong” art course. If my school does not offer any art courses that are a year long, could I take 2 semester-long classes and still meet this requirement? I’ve already taken beginning photography. Could I earn the second half of the requirement by taking an independent study course in advanced photography (appearing, with a letter grade, on my transcript) in place of a normal course?</p>

4

<p>As for your chances. I think you are a match. </p>

<p>Does an ACT prep class really count as a pre-collegiate program?</p>

5

<p>I wouldn’t have thought so, but the website pretty clearly stares that “commercial and school test preparation courses” would be counted as pre-collegiate programs.</p>

6

<p>Why are you trying to get these special circumstances points so badly? I don’t know how to state it bluntly without sounding rude, but if your parents are making 100k+ how would your earnings even help contribute/why would your parents need your earnings? In the end, aren’t the earnings just going back to you? You giving your paycheck to your parents isn’t an act of selflessness or devotion to a specific cause that helps benefit those in need (such as an org that helps low-income families). Its not like you’re working because your parents lost their job/you’re in poverty. </p>

<p>I don’t see how you’d even think that giving your earnings to your parents who make well over the average income would earn you points from the “special circumstances” category.</p>

7

<p>I am trying to get the special circumstances points because I am going to be right around the points cutoff, and I’m trying to get any points that I can earn. I know I would not help my parents at all by giving them my paycheck, but the website clearly says “Working to contribute to family income AND a minimum of 20 hours per week during a school year.” This makes no mention of family income.</p>

8

<p>I think it can be inferred from that statement that “contributing to family income” only pertains to SPECIAL circumstances such as helping to support the family by working, etc, etc. </p>

<p>On the other hand, getting a job and working 20+ hours a week will help your application & in getting points as well. </p>

<p>Why don’t you donate your earnings to the org you’ve devoted 200+ hours to?</p>

9

<p>“On the other hand, getting a job and working 20+ hours a week will help your application & in getting points as well.”</p>

<p>Where on the website does it say that you get points for working? It says that you need to work 20+ hours per week AND contribute to family income.</p>

<p>“Why don’t you donate your earnings to the org you’ve devoted 200+ hours to?”</p>

<p>I don’t think that you can get points for this.</p>

<p>Does anyone know whether or not an award earned as part of a small team (Mock Trial) would earn me the award/special talent points?</p>