<p>I plan on applying to: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. My friends say I shouldn't do just UC's because they're hard to get into, but I feel like if I don't get Berkeley or LA I'll get the other two for sure? Here are my stats:
I just finished my junior year in high school and will be applying for the university class of 2015. (Major in either Business, Computer Engineering, or both)
Extracurriculars:
Three years of trading in the stock market
3 years as a referee for soccer games in my city (job)
4 years of tennis for my high school team.
Tutor
Child Care (Babysitting)
Academics:
Weighted GPA of 4.54, Unweighted 3.79, and UC GPA 4.125.
SAT 2050 (I plan on retaking and am confident I can do at least 2100)
ACT haven't taken it yet, expecting 31-34
SAT subjects: Math II 760, Chemistry 720.
AP Euro Exam: 3 (first time taking an AP test, was a bit surprised)
AP Chemistry: 3
AP Statistics: 5
AP Psychology: 5
AP Physics/Calc BC/Econ/Lit haven't taken yet.
In my freshman year I had 3 honors, in my sophomore year I had 3 honors and an AP, in my junior year I had 3 AP's and 2 honors, and next year I plan on having 4 AP's and another language (Chinese 1, after 3 years of French) (all years had a max of 6 classes). My grades started low and went upward from there, so I could include when applying that it was a general motivation for success that lifted my grades gradually.My school is relatively weak in academics so I'm in about the top 6%.
Community Service Hours: 45 out of a requirement of 40.
If I SHOULD apply for more than UC's, what other schools would you suggest? Are there any other UC's you guys recommend I apply to? THANKS!!!</p>
<p>I would definitely apply to more. Consider Irvine, SB, and Davis.</p>
<p>UCR would have been a sure thing if you signed up with those stats for its admission guarantee in July. But now the essay and holistic review will count. However, the chance of rejection at UCR is probably very low.</p>
<p>Biggest issue you have not mentioned is your cost constraint. Talk to your parents about how much they will contribute, and run net price calculators on each college web site.</p>
<p>Thanks for the answers so far; I should include that I’m a California resident and that cost isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>Cost is not an issue for in-state UCs, or in general (including expensive privates or out-of-state publics)?</p>
<p>Since adding UCs costs only the extra application fees (rather than extra essays), if you are uncertain on a given campus when applying, you may as well add it and decide later if you like it (if costs of college are not a problem, then application fees should not be a problem).</p>
<p>Regardless of whether you add more UCs, be sure that you have a safety plan. This can be one of:</p>
<ul>
<li>A 100% certain school for both admissions and affordability. This can mean a school with stated automatic admission or scholarship criteria that you meet.</li>
<li>Three or so near-safeties – perhaps not 100% certain due to subjective criteria, but 90+% chance based on Naviance reports or other published data about admissions selectivity (of course, they must be affordable).</li>
<li>Starting at community college if you do not get into any affordable four year schools.</li>
</ul>
<p>You will get into UCSB for sure, but you may not get into UCSD. You should also apply to UCD and UCI.</p>
<p>You don’t have to apply to other schools, although you could get merit scholarships at lower tier privates. Definitely add safer UCs to your list as per the other posters.</p>
<p>I agree with the others – add Davis and Irvine. You could also add Riverside, but you might prefer to look into Cal State schools like the two Cal Polys (SLO and Pomona), or a popular Cal State like SDSU or SJSU.</p>
<p>The UCs are definitely competitive and becoming more so all the time. Stories about people with high stats being rejected from this or that UC were rampant this past spring. That’s why you should include safer safeties than you think you need. It doesn’t hurt to include them, and you might save yourself a lot of grief if you don’t get in where you think you will.</p>
<p>Admission rates are getting worse and not better for the UCs. Stats that get you accepted 2 years ago might not get you in today.</p>
<p>The other thing is that some popular majors like business and computer science/engineering may have higher admission standards, if frosh are admitted directly to the major. So general admissions stats may give you a false sense of admission selectivity, with actual selectivity being higher.</p>
<p>Actually for UCSB Mechanical Engineering, the average GPA was 4.21. I think it was harder than Computer Science/Engineering.
<a href=“Admissions | Mechanical Engineering - UC Santa Barbara”>Admissions | Mechanical Engineering - UC Santa Barbara;
<p>Here is ECE, average GPA was 4.10
<a href=“http://www.ece.ucsb.edu/academics/undergrad/prospective-faq/#stats”>http://www.ece.ucsb.edu/academics/undergrad/prospective-faq/#stats</a></p>
<p>Given your state of California peers, a 2050 isn’t competitive for UCLA and Berkeley; add some CSU’s to your list. Last year, the counselor’s at my son’t high school had a line of angry parents whose children didn’t get into any UC’s other than Merced. GPA counts, but the SAT is important. </p>
<p>Re: #10</p>
<p>Note that both the ME and ECE majors had higher average admission stats than UCSB overall as listed at <a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/santa-barbara/freshman-profile/”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/santa-barbara/freshman-profile/</a> (e.g. 4.03 HS GPA, presumably UC weighted).</p>
<p>I know my post stated that ME is more competitive than ECE at UCSB.</p>
<p>Hmm I think GPA does beat test scores for the UC’s…I had a 2060 & got 3/4 for those same schools (including Berkeley, for chemical engineering), and no, I’m not 1st gen. Do include more UC’s & re-test, but don’t assume your current SATs kick you out of the race.</p>