I am a freshman in high school (school ends next month). I have messed up this year in terms of grades…I had a 3.58 UW (I ‘m taking 3 honors courses, the max for freshmen), and this semester I’m doing worse. However, I really plan to do much better sophomore and junior year, and I’ve learned a lot this year. I did marching band this year, as well as concert band. Next year I’m taking AP European History (the only AP offered for sophomores), and I’m planning on taking the AP chemistry test next year, as well as chemistry honors and either algebra 2 honors or non-honors. At our school, I’m considered one grade ahead in math, but several kids are. I want to major in biology, (although on my app I can write a different major and change it later), and I have an A+ in my honors biology class. I’m also taking the Bio M-SAT this summer. I’m co-founding a club that helps veterans at my school, and I may get leadership positions in other clubs. I’m also in Science Olympiad and I’m planning on joining HOSA next year (I did in 8th grade). I’m south asian, born in Chicago, and raised in California (I still live here). I am also part of the Tri-M music honor society at my high school, and I will probably join science bowl next year. I’m also a "gifted’ student if that helps at all.
This year I was very distracted and only learned my lesson later on when it was too late, but I want to be excellent academically next year. Any tips? I REALLY want to go to UC Davis, what do I need?
Study tips, as well as tips to get into Davis and other selective schools please
I still have hope, since freshman year isn’t weighted too strongly in the admissions process, and doesn’t count in UC gpa.
Allow me to clarify: I’m planning on taking the AP chem test although I’ll be in honors chem at school (AP euro is the only AP offered to sophomores at my school)
89% for 4.20 and higher
52% for 3.80-4.19
11% for 3.40-3.79
Obviously, essays count. So do test scores, but probably a lot less than most people think at UCs (there were lots of disappointed “test score heavy” applicants to UCD posting their disappointment this year). Also, selectivity can vary by major, since some are at full capacity.
Anyway, the biggest thing for now is to as well as you can in a rigorous selection of courses in 10th-11th grade. Also, sometime before you make your college application list, you need to talk to your parents about college financing, and run the net price calculators on the web sites of colleges of interest to get financial aid estimates, so that you are not surprised in April of 12th grade to get a bunch of unaffordable admission offers.
I do not understand the rational of taking the AP Chem test as a self study project during sophomore intro chem. That will have little to no impact on admissions. Take honours math and chem, and AP Europe and get As in those. It matters more.
First off, calm down. You’re a rising sophomore and have plenty of time to get college stuff sorted out. The UCs don’t factor freshman grades into UC GPA either; it’s only sophomore and junior grades.
Secondly, I agree with @VickiSoCal that the AP Chem test is completely unnecessary. If you want to take the exam, I would wait until you’ve actually taken an AP Chem class. UCs don’t particularly care about AP exam scores until you’re actually admitted anyway, so focus on getting good grades in your classes rather than trying to “impress” with excessive AP tests.
Also remember that if a UC is your goal they will only weight 8 (semester) grades in 10 and 11 grade. So loading up on more than 4 AP/weighted classes to the detriment of your grades is not advised. Your UC GPA is higher if you takes 4 unweighted/2 weighted classes in 10 and 11 grade and get all A’s than if you take more weighted classes but get B’s.
Davis is not a very selective school. Maintain a decent grade point average and above-average SAT scores and you’re pretty much in as long as you meet the a-g requirements.
Don’t stress about AP exams either as they’re not really considered in the admissions process. You’ll be fine as long as you’re taking the most rigorous courseload your school offers - whether it’s 1 AP course or 15.
For instance, I took regular (non-Honors) Pre-Calc freshman year of high school and then AP Calc during sophomore year, but I wasn’t penalized admissions-wise since my school didn’t offer any Honors courses for lower-level maths. If AP Euro is all your school offers, the admissions office won’t expect you to self-study AP Chemistry just because your school doesn’t offer it.
All in all, just enjoy high school and don’t spend too much time stressing about your grades. I’m fairly sure I spent more time partying during my first couple years of high school than I did studying, and I still got into Davis w/Regents, a bunch of top 20 USNews schools, and an ivy.
@yinuos: Not sure by the statement “Davis is not a selective school”. Any school with below a 35% acceptance rate is considered selective. UCD had a lower acceptance rate last year than UCSB and UCI. Overall acceptance rate does not take into account the selectivity of specific majors, so although a 33% acceptance is not low, some majors such as CS/Engineering could have much lower. If OP continues doing well, they will have a good chance at an acceptance, but since OP is just starting Sophomore year in HS there is no way to knowing how competitive they will be by end of Junior year. You have given the information needed to help them understand what is needed to succeed, but you cannot give any applicant guarantees that they will be accepted. Stats do not always tell the whole story. Take a look at some of the rejected/waitlisted stats from this year:
Rejected
4.1 Weighted, 3.5 unweighted.
2240 SAT, 34 ACT
800 SAT 2 Match
740 SAT 2 Chem
7 APs with 4 or higher.
EC 1: Programming intern @UC Berkeley
EC 2: Asian literature translation startup founder
Pretty strong writer, disappointed I didn’t get in
Applied to Engineering
I got waitlisted with a 33ACT, 800 math 2, 3.95UW/4.31UC/4.41 uncapped?? Captain of two varsity sports team and player on a third, standard medley of clubs, work experience, low income, white, male, and what I thought were great essays. Accepted to UCSB through Chancellor’s Reception, Cal Poly Engineering, UCSD, UCI Campuswide Honors, etc.
People underestimate how selective Davis actually is. Sure, if you’re applying for some non-impacted major it’s usually pretty predictable on who will get in. But if you’re applying for an impacted major, Davis has been pretty unpredictable the past couple years. And well, by definition an impacted major has a lot of people applying to it, so a lot more people are affected by this than they may think.
Besides high GPA and high test scores:
Please use a spell-checker! I do not kid you.
Some readers do not like to see the same errors over and over again. It affects the flow of the language.
receive/believe
their/they’re/there, your, you’re
to/too
apart/ a part
effect/ affect
It does impact your application.
