I’m currently looking at applying to UCs for Microbiology and I’m wondering what my chances would by of getting into UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and UC Davis. My stats are below (I’ve added a year to some extracurriculars that I know I will be in next year):
-GPA
Unweighted: 4.0
Weighted Academic: 4.46
Weighted Total: 4.42
-SAT
1420 (confident I can get this to a 1520 tho, this was a first attempt)
-APs
Taken: Euro(5), APUSH(?), Spanish(?), Lang(?), Calc BC(?)
Will Take: Lit, Human Geo, Psych, Physics, stats, Enviro Sci
-Class Rank: 1/437
-ECs
Stu Govt [4 y], Spirit Commissioner 2 y
CS Club [4 y], Co-pres[2 y]
Boy Scouts [9 y], Eagle Scout Award
NHS[4 y], Co-pres[1 y]
-Job Experience
Job as server at local retirement home1 y
-Volunteering
Key Club [2 yr], 4 hr/mo
Tutor for my high school [3 yr], 8 hr/mo
Bingo Calling and misc events at local retirement home[1 y], 100 hrs (had to stop when I got hired as server)
Your stats look like a match at all of those schools. UCB and UCLA applicant pools will be tough, but I think you have good odds of making it. A 4.0 UC GPA is awesome!
You look competitive for all the schools on your list. As always UCB/UCLA can be tough admits. For UCSD, Microbiology is a capped major in the Biological sciences so make sure you select an alternate non-capped major for backup.
I see no safety schools on your list, so make sure you have at least 1-2.
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA (capped weighted) of 4.20 or above:
UCB: 42%
UCLA: 54%
UCSD: 87%
UCSB: 85%
UCD: 91%
UCI: 94%
UCR/UCM: 98%
Best of luck.
@Gumbymom Can you recommend any safety schools for me that have good Biology programs? I was looking at maybe UC Irvine but I’d like to know about any non-UC schools that are good too.
UCI would not be a safety school for Biology. I would look at UCSC and UCR along with Cal states such as SDSU/CSULB/CPP and/or your local CSU.
Depending upon how much your parents can pay, Univ of San Diego or San Francisco could be safety schools. Biology is a common major at the majority of colleges, so you cannot go wrong with any colleges in California.
Also look at Arizona State Barrett’s Honor college.
Among the CSUs, Cal Poly SLO would likely be worth considering for microbiology, but not as a safety.