| My son got into UCLA, Berkeley and UCSD. He got turned down by UCSC, which is one of the least selective UCs.
To get consideration at a UC, you have to fulfil the A-G requirements. This is pretty tricky, and basically impossible for HSers. There is another, rarely used approach - Admission by Exam. Here they look at your SAT scores (including 2 SAT IIs).
I think it is easier for HSers to get into the more selective schools, because they actually look at your application, instead of just applying formulas.
My son has a very impressive academic record - he has high SAT scores, 7 AP scores of 5 (plus was planning to take for more his senior year, but did not because the school he ended up at does not give credit). He also does extremely well in math competitions. By any one's standards he is a top student.
The UC experience was interesting. By the time we got results, he had been accepted EA to his two top choices - Caltech and MIT. UCLA did the best job - they sent him a letter saying he was in the top 1% of the applicant pool and asked him to apply for a regents scholarship. He didn't apply, but they accepted him with honors (whatever that means). UCSD has something they do for their top applicants, and my son was not included, but after he was accepted he got a letter from the math department saying he was one of their top applicants and they hoped he would accept. Berkeley accepted him without anything extra. UCSC was the oddest - like UCLA, he received the Top 1% letter, but then turned him down.
My son was also going to apply to Stanford, Princeton, U of Chicago, Harvey Mudd and WashU. When he got his EA decision, he dropped these plans. I have no reason to think he would not have been taken seriously.
To get into a top school, you need to be top student. Even kids who are going to top prep schools need a lot more than just a good report card. The same is true of HSers. I think HSers need better standardized test scores, but everyone needs other interests and areas of expertise. I think many HSers find this last part easier than school kids. |