What are my chances of getting into UCs? (details inside)?
-sigh- I’m seriously losing hope, and I need someone’s advice.
What UCs can I get into (if any…) with the following? What are my chances? And what do I have to do to attend my dream school? (one of the good UCs)
-3.43 unweighted gpa. 3.64 weighted.
-3 AP courses total (I’m going to be a senior) – all 2s…fail…-sigh-
-4 Cs on my transcript…
-1540 on my SAT II. Haven’t taken the subject tests yet, but based on my prep class tests, I would probably average a 540 on SATs math 2 (for sats bio, I don’t know. probably just as bad)
-Basketball for 3 years. Captain for 2 (JV) I have also achieved a "Coach’s Award" (which is second to MVP…not that colleges would know…)
-Public Relations officer in American Cancer Society Club (2 years)
-Secretary in O’Ambassadors (1 year)
-Key Club for 4 years
-Journalism Internship (June-present. ongoing for at least a year)
-LA Youth staff member
-Renaissance Committee member (subset of ASB)
-Will have 100+ hours when school starts.
-CSF (one year)
…I think that’s it.
God, I’m stupid… sorry If I’m being negative, but at this point, I feel like it’s really late to change anything. My GPA is pretty much set. By the way, I’m going to be a senior in September…
The schools I want to get into:
1. UC Berkeley
2. UCLA
3. UCI
4. all other UCs. oh, and USC
I’ve actually thought about Cornell…but fat chance now..
And, if you have any tips of answering the personal essay, I’d really appreciate it.
Sorry it’s so long >.< Best answer goes to the person who can answer all these truthfully…thanks a lot.
ALSO, what is the best community college to attend if I want to transfer after wards? I want to major in medicine (for now, at least) specifically dermatology.
2 Responses
achaminadefriend
12 Mar 2010
Longshanks
12 Mar 2010
I would say you should definitely take the SAT again. I had a huge improvement my second time. Went from a 1730 to a 1930. Had like a 4.2 weighted GPA.
I just graduated high school in june.
I got into UCSB, UCSD,
Rejected from UCD, UCI, UCLA
Its getting so tough these days to get into the college you want.
Senior year does matter so make sure to keep up good work.
You should be able to get into Merced, Santa Cruz definitely.
Maybe USCB, UCSD, UCD, UCI
Berkeley and LA might be a reach.
What you have to do is make sure that you declare a major. The schools i was rejected from I was undeclared to all of them which makes it harder to get in. Seriously, declare a major.
Also look into state schools. They are cheaper and often give more of a practical education. Try San Diego, Chico, Sonoma, there are a ton!
Good Luck!!!
I don’t mean to be glum, but your chances based on your given performance doesn’t look so good when it comes to Cal or UCLA.
Just throwing it out there but the subject tests are the SATIIs, which are out of 800. and the SAT I, the new one, is out of 2400. I would highly recommend retaking the SAT I to try for a higher score. I don’t know how representative I am of the rest of the student body, but as a current USC student, my SAT score was 2150 so you really might consider trying to jump up to around there if you’re really serious about Cal, UCLA or USC. As far as your plans for the Math IIC subject test, I would try and step it up a notch since I had earned a 710 on it and that plus my SAT, plus my ACT, plus my GPA still wasn’t good enough to get me accepted by Berkeley.
For your chances at the UCs, I’d say you probably got a fair shot at Irvine, SB, Davis, Riverside, Mercer, and Santa Cruz.
Your personal essay should never be ambiguous. Due to length limits, that doesn’t mean using a ton of names and background info, but it should have enough basic background so that the reader can get the gist of what you’re talking about. Most essays will generally inquire as to different situations or encounters you have been in and the actions or decisions you made. You’ll really want to use a strong and memorable experience that hopefully demonstrates desirable characteristics like integrity, fairness, decisiveness, strong interpersonal skills and strong ethical behavior. Use specific examples and be sure to proofread your essay before submission because spelling and grammar will count. Do your best to organize your personal statements such that they have an appropriate introduction which clearly states the main point or direction of your essay within the first 1 or 2 sentences. Provide just enough background but not too much so the reader knows what you are talking about, then your examples, and then finish up with a strong conclusion that can essentially summarize all the main points of your essay.
My writing professor at USC once told me that if the reader cannot identify what the thesis, purpose, and writer’s position is on the subject matter after reading ONLY the intro and conclusion paragraphs, then the essay needs to be revised. For your personal statement, I would say that your main point, purpose, and position better be crystal clear if a stranger were to read only the first 2-3 sentences and the last 2-3 sentences of your essay.
A great transfer community college would be Santa Monica Community College. It’s a two-faced loophole that allows people a second chance to a more prestigious university. By "two-faced" I mean that it’s good as a means for people who may not have done so well in high school, wised up and are really trying to make something of themselves, but also that it is bad in the sense that lazy slackers can gain admission into colleges that other more studious people weren’t able to when they first applied straight out of high school.