I got a C- in Chemistry second semester of Sophomore year. Does a C- mean I have to retake Chemistry to have a chance at a UC? I am a junior in high school right now and I am in-state.
UC’s do not consider + or - for the Grades, so your C- will be just a C. That said, how are your other grades? All A’s or a mix of A’s and B’s? One C will not ruin your chances of getting into a UC. Although UC’s tend to be GPA focused, your test scores, HS course rigor, personal insight essays and EC’s will all be taken into consideration when you apply. Just work on improving your grade in Chemistry and if you need extra help ask your teacher or look for a tutor.
At the end of Junior year, calculate your UW UC GPA, Capped weighted UC GPA and Fully weighted UC GPA so you will have a better idea of where you stand.
in a word … NO.
The average unweighted GPA at Berkeley is probably a bit over 3.9, which pretty means you’re allowed only 2 B’s before you start going below the average. A C is equivalent to 2 Bs. So no, one C by itself won’t ruin your chances, but it leaves you potentially little to no wiggle room on all your other classes.
At the other UCs you have more leeway, but not that much more, considering that the second tier UCs generally average 3.8+ unweighted. 3.80 is around 5 semester Bs.