Not sure if anyone here knows the story of juicymango on college confidential. I’m in a similar situation to him. He had great ec’s and near perfect sats but he got multiple b’s junior year when his rigor increased and 2 c’s in AP physics due to a nasty teacher. He still had a 3.74/4.1 gpa. However he got rejected everywhere except ucsd. Does this indicate that those blimp grades mean rejection at ucb/ucla despite everything else being perfect. My gut feeling is that there was something else wrong with his application that I don’t know about. He seemed very qualified to me. But then again I still have next semester to get straight A’s. Will an a next semester make a difference? TBH, I know people who’ve gotten into berkeley with 25 Act’s and I really do trust the holistic process. But is a single c an easy reason for them to weed me out without considering everything else just becausa of how competitive the applicant pool is?
3.78/4.5 is low for the universities you are applying for. In addition, 1540/1600 isn’t low, it’s just average compared to a lot of applicants (this isn’t your problem though!). Your SAT is probably the best part of your application. Your SAT IIs are great.
Your GPA could use some work (like everyone has said, your C WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT), but we just don’t know how much. At this point, there is no point worrying about it - focus on ECs and keeping GPA up.
The problem with your ECs is that they are all started in grade 11 and quality over quantity problem. They seem wide and diverse, to the point where it seems almost unfocused and “done for the resume”. Also, read the prepscholar article about the spike, you will understand better. You want to focus in one area that you’re passionate about and really go after that (whatever this means to you, it could be research, internship, or INTEL ISEF/likewise).
Engineering majors at UCB and UCLA are generally considered reach for everyone, including those with 4.0 high school GPA in hard courses. UCSD CSE should be considered similarly; less information is available about other engineering majors at UCSD.
The historical UCSD changing into CSE major after enrolling undeclared refers to a 3.9 or 4.0 college GPA as the cutoff. A 4.0 college GPA is generally harder to earn than a 4.0 high school GPA. Note that they are changing the CSE admission process so that only a 3.3 college GPA is needed, but then a lottery is used. Given the previous cutoff college GPAs of 3.9 or 4.0, chances of winning the lottery appear to be very low.
Probably L&S, and also UCs tend to emphasize test scores less relative to high school GPA in frosh admissions.
With all of the time you have spent on this site, professing your life skills, and obsessing over your grades, you could have spent that time better by focusing on your current classes and other ECs.
You are writing full paragraphs and essays on this site, arguing, cajoling, and giving yourself high fives on your intelligence.
This time could be spent doing something beneficial for your high school program.
Several posters have advised you to get off of this site, yet you keep obsessing about yourself.
Go look and review some of your work.
Stop blaming teachers even if they are unfair.
When you go to college, there will be professors that will appear to be very unfair to you; their class is their reign.
My son is at Caltech, a school which you profess to want to gain admission.
Letters of recommendation from his coaches, from Eagle Scout advisers, from his teachers, were very important for admission. If you rub a teacher the wrong way, . . . . you ain’t getting in.
I know I will receive an argumentative response from you because that appears to be your habit.
Let it go.
Get back to your high school work, focus on your relationships at your high school, focus on your present needs.
If you continue to elaborate on this thread, I will completely understand why you got a C in physics.
Mic drop.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
The OP has received plenty of advice. At this point, the OP seems interested in debating the advice. Since this is not a debate site, there is nothing more to add. The OP is free to accept/reject the guidance given, but at this point, I think his/her time will be well spent going back and rereading the comments and developing a plan of action. Closing thread.