<p>I'm a high school senior in the state of Georgia. I've applied to eight schools so far; UGA, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Alabama, LSU, and Kennesaw State (Safety School). I have money left to apply for one more college. I am not applying based on how much money each university will cost. Both UCLA and USC are reaches. Which school will I have a better chance at. </p>
<p>GPA: 3.38 weighted/ 3.15 unweighted
UC GPA: Only a 3.0
Rigor: 6 honors classes and advanced math classes all throughout high school.
ACT: 25 Composite
SAT: Waiting for my results. Hoping for a 1800-1900</p>
<p>Strong Extracurriculars:
Varsity Baseball
Varsity Track
Key Club
DECA
Senior Cabinet
School News Show</p>
<p>Community Service:
Camp Counselor at numerous summer camps for children
Head Camp Counselor at two of those camps
Volunteer Private Baseball Instructor</p>
<p>Work Experience:
Facility Operations Assistant at a sports training facility</p>
<p>I have written a really strong essay, one of which my college counselor has decided to show off to all of the other counselors in the school.</p>
<p>Which university will view me more as a whole as opposed to just my grades. Which school will I have a better chance of being admitted to and which one will be more affordable coming from out of state? All advice and information will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.</p>
<p>I don’t believe UCLA is generous with financial aid, especially to out-of-staters. I believe out of-staters have to pay the full tuition, which is quite a bit larger than the tuition you would pay as a California resident. I can’t say much about USC.</p>
<p>USC tends to look at admissions more holistically than UCLA simply because of the minimum cutoffs with the UC system. however your stats are very very low for either school. and 1800-1900 would place you in the bottom 10% of students, and same with your GPA.</p>
<p>if you would really like to attend either school i say go for it, but don’t get your hopes up too much.</p>
<p>And, your “UC GPA” is probably too low for an OOS student. There is a set UC GPA that an OOS student must have to even be considered. Your UC GPA may be too low to be considered…</p>
<p>What type of aid will I recieve from USC? What would the total cost look like? And What are my chances at the colleges I have already applied to?</p>
<p>USC is need blind and they guarantee to meet demonstrated need based on BOTH the FAFSA and CSS Profile. however the hard part is getting in lol. </p>
<p>as for your other schools, UF and Miami are major reaches (although not as extreme as USC/UCLA) and FSU is a reach. not sure about the other schools.</p>
<p>Realistically you have no chance for UCLA. Your possibilities for USC aren’t much better but worth a shot because USC will on occasions admit an interesting candidate that doesn’t otherwise have stellar credentials. Coming from Georgia might be very helpful. USC does have spring admits. Maybe they’ll offer you that if you raise your SATs up to 1900 or higher.</p>
<p>If you decide to apply to USC find out who your regional rep is and contact that person to express your interest. You could develop this person into an advocate for you with the admission’s office.</p>
<p>Jakecern, the link below shows that you’re well below the 25th%-tile for USC. I think you have effectively no chance at either UCLA or USC. If you want to take a chance and have the time to put together a great application, then go ahead and apply to 'SC. On the off chance you get accepted they’re more likely to come up with aid money.</p>
<p>The UCs have a minimum gpa for all campuses. I believe that it is 3.1. Some campuses accept kids in that area, UCLA probably not unless you have something extraordinary to show for it. I do know that one of my daughter’s friends was accepted with a lower gpa there and is struggling academically and in her major. </p>
<p>USC has a different, yes more holistic, method of acceptance. I do not know what major you’re going for but again, both schools are filled with varsity four year athletes, lots of community service, and lots of leadership positions. For your ecs to be really compelling they have to be different and individual. </p>
<p>If you want to come to California you could consider a Cal State school. But it would seem to me that you have excellent more local schools to choose between.</p>
<p>Jakecern, the OP, is an out-of-state student wrt UCLA. As alamemom pointed out there’s a 3.4 minimum for non-residents to apply according to the UC index. Being his UC gpa is 3.0, he’s not going to qual to minimum standards.</p>
<p>HOWEVAAAH (my best Stephen A Smith impression)… since he’s an athlete, I’m not sure if these minimums apply. I’m sure they do, but he could approach, say, the baseball coach at UCLA, say, as a preferred walkon, if he’s representative in that sport. In this instance, say, really good in that sport, the school would probably find a way.</p>
<p>Drax: Since my kids were nationally ranked athletes I am aware of the preferred and/or recruited status. A four year varsity player doesn’t mean much (in all schools there are kids who are four year varsity athletes in one or more sports) in college admissions UNLESS they are nationally ranked, an integral part of a championship team, and/or a combination of both, and in a case like…Stanford for instance…have other very importent qualifications. I am aware that the OP didn’t meet the out of state minimum. I was trying to be kind. </p>
<p>And the OP does not mention recruitment, contact from coaches, college NCAA visits or the like. …</p>
<p>And, just for the record (since you know we’re an SC family) my kids didn’'t/don’t play varsity at SC in their sport(s). They play their sport to this day…but not varsity. But they were offered spots at other universities on their teams but…the major(s) that they were interested in wasn’t there.</p>
<p>Ellebud: I have had numerous contact with coaches at smaller D1 schools but have decided that I would prefer to walk on at a bigger school and take my chances.</p>
<p>the only part I don’t agree with is this part:</p>
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</p>
<p>Being nationally ranked would be important in individual sports like golf and tennis, agreed, which of course, are under the team umbrella, which compete for NCAA team championships. NCAA individual championships can be won by the players also in these sports.</p>
<p>Wrt team sports, baseball, football, volleyball, water polo, etc, it isn’t important to be part of a championship hs team, though I’m sure it helps. There are even players who’ve walked on who are part of the university team for the first year and quit the team to concentrate on their studies. And manyt of these weren’t really all that great in hs but were part of a team, used the “ins” to gain admission, facilitated by the coach, who may have known the players or of them. Most of these types of players have to go through the admissions procedure, and are usually highly qualified. Men’s and women’s full volleyball rosters have a good proportion of these types </p>
<p>Unless Jakecern has a modicum proportion of skills related to Jason Heyward - from GA, signed LOI w/UCLA, I would recommend community college, even out here in CA, if he wants to attend school on the left coast.</p>
<p>Jakecern:</p>
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<p>Go to UCLA’s (and USC’) sports website, uclabruins.com, and find the section called, “recruited athletes.”</p>
<p>To be noticed in a team sport you have to have the stats, against very strong competition, to pull you through with certain gpas. (Stanford, when my youngest was going through applications had a 3.6 minimum for example.) You must be a strong part of a travelling team. But having a coach call you or return your call doesn’t get you into a university unless you are a superstar. It is called a notation on your application. The applicant MIGHT be a walk on. Will it help? Sure, if the AdCom is on the fence about you. But it absolutely won’t get you in if that possibility of a walk on is your strongest point.</p>
<p>The CC option is a good one if you must be in Los Angeles because, for instance you want to be an actor. But unless the OP has his heart set on Los Angeles, this is not a “college experience” for an out of stater. I imagine, since our CCs are commuter schools, it might be a lonely experience as there are no dorms to fall back on, the kids have friends from high school and most kids just go to class and go home or to a job.</p>
<p>I think you need to research the cutoff gpa for the UCs. It might be higher for out of state, but I think your gpa now is around the minimum cutoff for the UCs instate. If that’s the case it would be pointless to apply to UCLA as you will automatically be rejected.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in a Los Angeles school, look at Occidental College. I think because Oxy has a higher acceptance rate, and looks at an applicant holistically, you’d have a better shot there than applying to USC as a private.
Also what is your major?</p>