<p>AP US History: 4
AP Spanish Language: 4
AP English Language and Composition: 4</p>
<p>This years classes: AP World History, AP Spanish Literature, AP Calculus AB, AP Art History, AP English Literature, French I, Advanced Video Art II </p>
<p>GPA: 3.8 Weighted (obviously senior year way higher, 4.2W currently). I'm coming from an extremely challenging private school in L.A. that is well known among admissions officers so we are told that private schools expect a lower GPA coming from our school. Anyone know if this is true for UCs as well?</p>
<p>Awards etc.:</p>
<p>Honor Roll all grades thus far
National Merit Commendation
AP Scholar</p>
<p>ECs:</p>
<p>Varsity Tennis (3yrs) - CIF-SS Championship winning team, manager 12th
Young Leftists Club - Founder/President/Editor of its weekly newsletter
Admissions Committee - 3yr member
Movie Making - directed a number of short films/music videos
School Newspaper - occasional political column writer
JV Soccer (9th, 10th)</p>
<p>Summer/Job exp:</p>
<p>Month-long intern for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's election campaign
Day Camp co-counselor
Parish Thrift Shop regular volunteer</p>
<p>Only other relevant piece of info is that I moved from England to L.A. when i was 12 so i'm pretty much as American as i am English. Given that I want to major in poly sci i've made a big deal about how it gives me a unique perspective on politics etc. Anyhoo, all thoughts (please be candid) are welcome,</p>
<p>Hey TimR, You're from Harvard-Westlake,right? Your school is kind of famous, I even heard my friends talked about it,which left some impression in me. So what do you have to worry? The admission people, with their experience, surely know that your school is challenging and would expect a reasonable GPA. UCs are the same, you think they are ...? I heard (you know,dont you?) that Berkeley has their own method to calculate the GPAs, not just chew whatever GPAs given by schools.Even more,Didn't they make up standardized tests to overcome the discrepancy in grading between different schools. They obsolutely know that grading differs greatly,not only by schools but by teachers as well.
About other criteria, you have excellent stats and ECs, that is what they are looking for. Take Berkeley for example,this is the range for SAT of accepted students:Verbal: 570 - 700 Math: 620 - 740
Now,look at your SAT1, you belong to the top 25% for both, right?Which means you belong to,lets just say, the top 10% of all accepted,remember,accepted students.For UCLA,it is a little lower:Verbal: 550 - 670 Math: 590 - 720
SAT2, they say, to be more important,and you have good scores to.
You are no doubt a wonderful candidate,be optimistic,man.Stay clinging to the facts a little.
I have a friend last year,4.0 WGPA he got 1310 on SAT,650,650,800 SAT2,and some 5s on 2 or 3 APs.For EC, he volunteered for a school for handicappeds in one and a half year.Essay about some sad things. He was accepted.To be compared with him, I think you are similar(or better?).
I would say,for Berkeley,you have 85% of being accepted.</p>
<p>do you go there sweetdreams? it's truly so hard. i consider myself to be a a smart guy, and a particularly good writer, but it's a matter of principle for the teachers there not to give As. I havn't gotten an end of year grade in English higher than a B+ since 9th grade.</p>