What Should Rising High School Sophomore Do to Get Into UCLA/UCSD

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1

Hi!
My dream school would be UCLA/UCSD for biology majot (premed track). I will be a sophomore in high school in the fall. I currently volunteer at a hospital - that’s my only EC. My GPA freshman year: 1st semester - 3.9. 2nd semester - 4.0. What else should I look into and do (besides keeping up my grades)? I go to an all-girls school. Thank you!!

2

All the UC’s do not use Freshman year grades in their GPA calculation, only 10-11th grades for the a-g course requirements. Freshman grades and Senior year courses will be reviewed to verify completion of your a-g courses. Doing well Freshman year helps build a solid foundation for your 10-12th courses especially when your course rigor increases over the next few years.

  1. Keep doing well in your classes and take a rigorous course schedule which could include AP/IB or DE courses.
  2. Find some EC’s that you enjoy doing and want to continue participating throughout the next 3-4 years which includes clubs, community service and volunteering.
  3. Understand it is good to have target schools not “dream schools” , so research the many other options including Cal states and private schools in California and beyond.
  4. Starting the summer before Junior year, start prepping for the SAT/ACT.

Most importantly enjoy HS and do not make everything about college.

Some application review information for UCLA:
* LOS ANGELES
*

  •   Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores

  •   Important: Character/personal qualities, Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability, Volunteer work, Work experience

  •   Considered: First generation college student, Geographical residence, AP/IBHL exam scores

  •   Note: GPA, test scores, course work, number of and performance in honors and AP courses most important. Essay considered. Strong senior program important. Extracurricular activities, honors and awards also reviewed.
    For the College of Letters and Science, the applicant’s major is not considered during the review process. The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science admits students by declared major, with more emphasis on science and math programs. The School of Nursing also places more emphasis on science and math programs and requires the submission of an additional supplemental application. The School of the Arts and Architecture; Herb Alpert School of Music; and the School of Theater, Film and Television admit students by declared major (within the school), and put more emphasis on special talents through a review of portfolios and/or auditions, which are the most significant admission factors for these schools.
3

@Gumbymom what other long-term ECs would you recommend for someone interested in biology/medicine besides volunteering at a hospital that would impress UCs? Thanks!!

4

What impresses most schools is not the type of EC’s but showing your passion and commitment to that EC. Do what you enjoy and do not participate for the sake of trying to impress any college. Volunteering in a hospital is a great EC to help you determine if Medicine is a career worth pursuing. Volunteering at a Senior center, helping out at a Soup kitchen/homeless shelter, really anything that gives back to the community and it does not have to be Medically related. A regular after school paid job position is a great EC. Jobs help develop reliability/dependability, communication skills and promote teamwork, all characteristics essential to working in the Medical field.

5

Note that pre-meds in college are expected to do or continue pre-med extracurriculars that involve service to the underserved/disadvantaged. As a high school student, volunteering in this context could give you a preview of that aspect of pre-med and medicine to help you determine your interest.

Be aware that pre-med is a weed-out process everywhere; most frosh pre-meds do not apply to medical school (due to GPA or MCAT not high enough or loss of interest), and only about 40% who do get admitted anywhere. The medical school application process is expensive, but small compared to the cost of medical school. Before embarking on the pre-med path, you may want to investigate these aspects. Avoiding debt and saving money as an undergraduate can be important.

You can do any major in college as a pre-med, but must take the pre-med courses (as breadth or electives if not included in your major) if you want to apply to medical school.

6

@ucbalumnus I’ve heard a popular major for pre-med track is biology. What should I do outside of school to prep for this in college?