hello guys i know this is quite late but i still don’t understand why i didn’t get into some schools
i applied to all of the UC’s with a 1450 SAT and 4.5 GPA. i had extracurriculars like martial arts, dancing, flute, and more. i was heavily involved in multiple clubs during HS. my essays were about my work experience, helping special need kids, my involvement in a charitable club, and my goals to become a psychologist and to get rid of the stigma of mental illnesses.
the only uc i got into was ucr, not even uci. i thought my stats were high enough for uci but im not sure why i didnt get in.
ik there’s no set formula for admissions and i’m not looking for a specific answer, just some insight/advice. i dont mean to offend or insult anyone w this post btw. i was very hopeful for ucla or ucsd so ucr was kind of disappointing for me.
any help would be great, thank you.
Hey @onefishbluefish - it’s hard. There’s no explaining rejection in any way that feels good. Looking at the UCLA and UCI common data set for last year your GPA is just above average and your SAT right at the or above the 75%-ile mark. So you were a good candidate.
https://www.apb.ucla.edu/Portals/90/Documents/Campus%20Stats/UGProfile16-17.pdf
http://www.oir.uci.edu/files/campus/CDS2017_18.pdf
Numbers go up each year… UCLA got 100K+ applications this year and UCI 85K+. UCLA turned down 5 out of 6 applicants, UCI 2 out of 3 … and chances are many of them are just as well qualified as you were. Neither of those schools were safeties - not for you or anyone else! I don’t know that anyone can tell you specifics because there is like no reason “why” you didn’t get in - you had good but not outstanding credentials and I’m sure your essays and ECs were fine. When the competition is fierce there’s an element of randomness you can’t control. Know that you didn’t do anything wrong… and let your disappointment go. Embrace wherever you are going next year.
You will never know the reason you didn’t get into a particular college. I suggest you stop looking backwards and instead look ahead an do everything possible over the next four years to make the most of the opportunity you do have.
There were just too many kids to too many schools and some students needed to get cut.
@CaMom13 thank you so much! i feel much better 
@happy1 thank you!! there’s nothing i can change now and i will look forward to my years at ucr!
@“aunt bea” i agree, competition this year was tough. thank you
UC Riverside has a very good Psychology program…not sure of undergraduate rank. However, is ranked #66 (2017 US News) in Graduate Psychology and moving up every year… Is the fastest growing UC of ANY location for a reason. I received an excellent education/college experience at UC Riverside back in the day. Great people and programs at UCR! Go Highlanders!!
I have a feeling, @onefishbluefish, that you are going to thrive at UCR.
I’m sorry that happened. My stats are actually really similar to yours, and I’m planning on applying to all of the UCs. Hopefully the same doesn’t happen to me…
@onefishbluefish , you are one of many with high stats who did not get in. Yesterday, I was talking to someone also with great stats and EC’s, including Eagle Scout. This person’s top choice was USC and was disappointed not getting in. The person also applied to U. Penn, Stanford, a few other privates and all the UC’s. He got rejected by all the private schools, wait listed at a 2 of the UC’s and got into UCR and UCB. It was a big relief getting into UCB, but if not for the UCB acceptance, he would have ended up at UCR. His doubt about UCB is that it is “super competitive” and the feeling is that students are less incline to help each other out. UCR might be a blessing in disguise. Get top grades and look forward to going on to a top graduate school.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread. There is really nothing else to say. But, even if there were, the OP created an additional account to ask this question, which is not allowed.