<p>Good or bad ?
Please explain your thoughts.</p>
<p>It is totally unfair. Which is why many switch to grade inflating schools and abuse the system. So, in essence, the ones who are abusing the system are the smart ones.</p>
<p>From the ELC website</p>
<p>Submission</a> Information</p>
<p>"In the competitive environment for college admissions, it might occur to some families to choose a less rigorous school for their children to attend so that their children would end up in the top 4 percent of the graduating class and thus obtain ELC eligibility. Has UC considered such a public response in developing the ELC program?"</p>
<p>"UC is very careful when developing and implementing changes in admissions policies, and has taken into consideration whether negative incentives would be created. The best preparation for college, including UC, comes from a student taking a challenging curriculum and working hard in high school. The ELC program is designed to reward exactly such preparation, and we do not anticipate the type of behavior described. Additionally, and more importantly, eligibility does not guarantee admission to a particular campus or to the major of choice. Doing work above the minimum required and completing a challenging program are important items taken into consideration in campus admission decisions."</p>
<p>For most CC students, it's irrelevant. They are guaranteed admission to a UC based on state wide eligibility anyway, and tend to be shooting for the non-guaranteed campuses. IMHO though, UC Davis though, is a GREAT deal!</p>
<p>"The ELC program is designed to reward exactly such preparation, and we do not anticipate the type of behavior described. "</p>
<p>But the behavior described above DOES INDEED HAPPEN</p>
<p>Tell me about an example, and give the API's of the involved schools.</p>
<p>Academic</a> Performance Index (API) (CA Dept of Education)</p>
<p>I don't think you'll find a CC student who could give up a school say, with AP classes, for ELC.</p>
<p>I can believe someone would do it for a higher GPA, but not because you want to go to Guaranteed admission to a random UC.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Which is why many switch to grade inflating schools and abuse the system.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Statistically, that is illogical. A grade inflating school will still only have 4% ELC, even if everyone of those students has a 5.0 w.</p>
<p>Now, if you mean students transfer to low API schools so they can maximize their chances...that would be a bad move. Run UCStatfinder and look at the admission chances for kids at API schools with 8+ vs. API 1-2. Cal and UCLA go much deeper into the class from those top API, i.e., competitive, schools, but may only accept the Val & Sal from an API-1 school. Our local HS, which is extremely competitive typically sends the top ~8% to Cal and UCLA every year.</p>
<p>deleted dup post</p>
<p>"but may only accept the Val & Sal from an API-1 school."</p>
<p>UCs have to accept 12.5 % from each school</p>
<p>I don't think you'll find a CC student who could give up a school say, with AP classes, for ELC.</p>
<p>well schools don't factor in what you get on the APs
a 5-5-5 is the same as a 3-3-3 to a UC but the person who got that 3-3-3 could have a higher gpa because he went to an easier school</p>
<p>But for the really competitive student, its access to AP classes that makes a difference. Where I live, there are not many AP classes offered, and kids transfer to the schools that have them, and to the one IB school in the county, because that counts more them ELC at "top schools"(including UCS D, UCLA, and UCB). They also need to do okay on SAT2's, and "good schools" do a better job of that. They will also need extra curricular options, and it just doesn't happen everywhere. Now if all you want is a UC, and any one will do, that strategy will work.And some into on CC suggest this year ELC might mean just one offer, might might be Merced! Not that there's anything wrong with that!</p>
<p>Actually, the statewide eligibility criteria seek to capture the top 12.5% of HS graduates <em>statewide</em> by establishing subject, scholarship, and examination requirements.</p>
<p>Historically, far more than 12.5% of the students at top high schools meet those criteria. </p>
<p>The ELC pathway is there to ensure that at least the top 4% of graduates at low-performing schools are eligible.</p>
<p>ELC is a well-intentioned program to take the top 4% from EACH participating high school. That amounts to somewhere between 14,000 to 17,000 students statewide. Consider that the top 6 UCs admit 30,000 students annually. So roughly 50 to 60 percent of all admits to the top 6 UCs are reserved for the ELCs. Now, Berkeley and UCLA are the prime destinations for the ELCs. So, roughly 70 to 80 % of the admits at UCB and UCLA could be ELCs. I say could be, because not everyone accepts UCB and UCLA. Yet, few seem to be aware of the impact of ELCs on available seats at the top UCs.</p>
<p>"So roughly 50 to 60 percent of all admits to the top 6 UCs are reserved for the ELCs. Now, Berkeley and UCLA are the prime destinations for the ELCs. So, roughly 70 to 80 % of the admits at UCB and UCLA could be ELCs."</p>
<p>I don't follow this reasoning. Berkeley and UCLA are not among the schools that guarantee ELC admission. The don't "reserve" for ELC.If I'm not mistaken, ELC admit rate to them is about 50%. Granted this is better the the usual 25%, but that is not causal. It's because kids getting into these schools tend to be "at the top of their class.</p>
<p>I think ELC might be overated, at least for typical CC students. It doesn't matter HOW your eligible, just that yoy are. Do a search for user UCD Admissions regarding this.</p>
<p>But students "at the top of their class" could be at the bottom of another school's class</p>
<p>students at Tustin HS could be a 4.0uw which could be = 3.0 at troy HS or 3.4 at University high school</p>
<p>amby262roy: The UCs do not - as you stated - "have to accept the top 12.5% from each school." They accept the top 12.5% statewide. Using the statewide eligibility system there are many top schools where 100% of students achieve statewide eligibility, and there are many low-performing schools where NONE of the students can achieve statewide eligibility. The ELC program addresses that situation.</p>
<p>There has to be a reason for the kids at the lowest-performing schools in the most economically disadvantaged areas to get up and go to school each day - the possibility of college if they exceed all expectations under circumstances that you clearly cannot comprehend, is that reason. </p>
<p>And pinkfeather, NO admissions to UC Berkeley, UCLA or UC San Diego are "reserved" for ELC candidates. None. This year the ELC campuses are UCD, UCI, UCSB, UCR and UCM.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Statistically, that is illogical. A grade inflating school will still only have 4% ELC, even if everyone of those students has a 5.0 w.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No.
I'll give a real example, let's call him R.</p>
<p>R went to a private school and averaged a 4.0. He transferred to an inner city public school which offered the same amount of AP's. These classes are very easy, so naturally, R get's a 4.5 and straight A's. But, since the kids in the AP class aren't even AP quality students, they receive B's and C's even though in a true class it would be a surefire F. The kids in the regular classes are even stupider, which is why these "AP students" are in the AP class.</p>
<p>ELC does not give admission to berkley, ucla, or ucsd. YOu are right. But use the stat finder. Not only will you get way over a 4.0 gpa, but you will qualify as ELC. With a 2k sat, and an excellent (yet easily attainable) transcript, it is very easy to get into UCLA or UCB. ELC boosts chances, regardless.</p>
<p>It is unfair, but what would be even more unfair is to penalize us students who can't afford to go to competitive private schools. So, we do the best that we can in the circumstances that have been given to us.</p>
<p>
[quote]
UCs have to accept 12.5 % from each school...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nope, absolutely incorrect. The UCs goal is to accept the top 12.5% of high school students STATEWIDE, and that include home schoolers. Note, however, that UC is currently accepting the top 13+%....</p>
<p>And, I can assure you that UC accepts a LOT more kids from Uni than they do from Tustin High (or Santa Ana high)....ditto Cal and UCLA.</p>
<p>King: no, it is not ELC that gets your hypothetical kid into Cal, but all of those hypothetically 'easier' A's.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is unfair, but what would be even more unfair is to penalize us students who can't afford to go to competitive private schools.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The above statement is even more illogical....if Uni is too competitive, transfer to Irvine High or Woodbridge.</p>
<p>Transferring in senior year seems a bit illogical</p>
<p>My D did not get into UCLA with a better than 2k SAT's and better than 4.0 GPA. Good EC's with leadership ( and urm if you still believe that mmeans anything). I believe it was because she did not have enough AP's, and her school did not offer many (maybe 4 by the time she was a senior), nor did they prepare her well with those they had. Private school, BTW. I believe this was reflected in her SAT 2's. Several students left her school because of that. She was ELC reviewed, but not ELC. She did get into 5 of 6 UC's she applied to. I believe ELC is an associated finding, and not the cause of the ELC admission rates. I also believe a better school will prepare you for better things, not just a way into mid tier UC's ( not that there's anything wrong with that!). Switching schools ( or NOT swithcing, for that matter) to "game" the UC ELC process is at the very least, short sighted.</p>
<p>Shrinkrap and alamemom:</p>
<p>You may want to study empirical data before coming to conclusions. You are right that technically ELCs do not have a guaranteed admission to UCLA, UCberkely or UCSD. Yet, they are admitted at a rate of nearly 60% (compared to 20 % for non-ELCs) at the two top UCs, at a rate of 89% at UCSD and over 95 to 99 % at the other six UCs. The yield rate at UCB and UCLA for ELCs is 39% and 35 % respectively. The yield rate at UCSD (that is % of those admitted actually enrolling) declines to 15 % and falls to single digits at the other UCs. All thiese are numbers from 2007 UC Stat finder for each campus.
University</a> of California: StatFinder</p>
<p>Another way of looking at the data: Fully 55% of all offered admission at Berkeley were ELC and they comprised 50 % of the actual class enrolled. For UCLA, 50 % of all admits were ELC and ELCs were 46 % of all enrolled in the 2007 freshman class. At UCSD, by contrast, ELCs were 41 % of admits, but only 29 % of those enrolled. For the other UCs, the example of UCSB is representative. Although 99 % of all ELC were admitted, as a group, ELCs were 25 % of the entire group admitted. Only 550 of the nearly 5100 ELCs admitted by UCSB actually enrolled.(for a 10 % yield rate.)</p>
<p>What does this tell you. That while the policy says that ELCs are guaranteed admission only at one UC campus, the vast majority apply to the top 3 UCs, are admitted in much greater proportion (60 % rate to the overall average of 22%) and disproportionately fill up freshman classes at UCB and UCLA. That is to be expected. Hello, the ELCs all want to attend the top 2 UCs. The number then drops sharply for San Diego and falls off the cliff for the other UCs.</p>
<p>Let's hope we all use empirical evidence to inform our judgments and opinions.</p>