Hello all,
I just received a UCSD supplemental questionnaire and I am worried if I am a borderline applicant. I have always felt good about my academics and here are my stats. Weighted GPA: 4.43, Unweighted Highschool GPA: 4.0,Unweighted College GPA: 4.0 (I have 57 transferable semester units), New SAT score (730 Math and 670 English/Reading). Am I a borderline applicant?
Below is the question
Are there any personal circumstances such as employment, family responsibilities or illness that have significantly hampered your ability to achieve academically thus far? How do you feel these circumstances have prepared you to overcome any personal challenges that might occur while at UCSD.
Thank you,
KWN
First off, congrats on that beautiful GPA!
Which major did you apply to?
It could just be that your SAT score might be a little lower than what they might expect from someone with your GPA? Your SAT score is by no means a “bad score”!
Regardless, answer their question to the best of your ability, and try not to read into the email too much. For all we know, it’s completely random.
I can see why you would be confused by the question. Here you are with super terrific academic achievements, and they are asking if there was anything that stood in the way of achieving academically? What, perfect wasn’t good enough? Sounds like they have a “one size fits all” supplemental questionnaire that doesn’t fit you. On the other hand, maybe they think illness or family responsibilities could have affected your SAT scores. I do know of students who took the test while they were ill and didn’t do as well as expected. Anyway, I hope you can provide them with some sort of information that will add to your great record (like how you had to learn time management to get all those college credits?)
It means that they probably want additional information before a final decision. A couple of years ago, my son got got a supplemental request from UCSD with a few questions in addition to requesting his expected fall senior grades. He had slack off in his senior year and was getting a C in AP Physics. I believe that C caused him not to get in.
Was your supplemental request from an email or from the portal?
you are likely to receive a questionnaire if you mentioned any special talent, disability, and/or if your demonstrated significant educational and/or socioeconomic disadvantage (the number and type of questions on the questionnaire will vary depending on the situation that applies to you). Information submitted in the supplemental questionnaire becomes a part of your application packet.
@Kameronwni Ms Sun doesn’t know much besides what ucla’s website can already tell you.
@Gumbymom that per ms sun stuff you wrote is literally what UCLA/UCSD tells you on their website and in the supplemental information request itself.
@Kameronwni what I do know because i have a lot of experience with people who received these and also have talked to people who worked reading ucla applications, is that basically you’re on the borderline. That DOES NOT mean you have borderline stats, it means your overall holistic review left the readers on the fence of whether you should be accepted or not. Thats what people mean when they say borderline, your decision is on the borderline or on the fence. This could be for a variety of reasons, I’ve seen people who clearly received it due to bad SAT/ACT scores, or bad grades (on last years thread a girl stated she received one from UCLA and she used it to explain why she had 5 C’s and a D) and was subsequently admitted to UCLA but she did not receive one from UCSD and was rejected at UCSD) , I’ve also seen people get it for lack of extracurriculars. So you need to IDENTIFY where the weak spot on your application is and this is your chance to explain why its that way and also to introduce NEW DETAILED information about how you have worked to reinforce those issues since november.
if you mentioned a special skill or talent then that means they want more detail on those accomplishments and how it has made you a better student/person.
there are two questions and if you read the email and instructions they sent you, you are only to do the one that applies to you ! HOWEVER, there are some people were both questions apply to them and they should do both questions.
btw the supplemental info request questions are the same for all the UC’s. does not mean if you get it for one you’ll get it for the others
