Low GPA - chances?

pokypig · 07-23-2009, 12:11 AM

So I just visited the UCSC campus, and absolutely fell in love with it. It's my number one choice, but I'm worried about my chances. I got into a bit of a lazy spell in the 10th and 11th grades, and that seriously damaged my GPA. My test scores are pretty good, but I don't know if they're good enough to make up for the grades. Do you think I have a chance?

Weighted GPA: 3.1

SAT I: 2090 (800 c.r., 690 writing, 600 math)
-haven't taken my SAT II's yet, but I'm pretty confident I'll get at least 700 in both

Class rank: top 25%

2 APs (scores 4 and 5), plus 3 more in senior year
-4 honors classes

-volunteered 50 hours at an animal shelter
-3 years of mentoring young kids at a marine biology weekend camp

-member of academic club 2 years
-member of world awareness and relief club for 2 years
-member of invisible children club for 1 year

-black belt in Tae Kwon Do, but became less active 2 years ago (but do they really have to know that since it's not through school?)

So, any opinions would be awesome. I'm just kind of lost right now, and don't know where I stand. How much does my GPA hurt me?

Thanks!

Skadforlife · 07-23-2009, 02:17 AM

Your GPA is pretty low, but your SAT score is great. The 800 in CR will definitely help you out. I would recommend doing between 50-150 additional community service hours. UCSC does admissions on a point system, and in the community service department, you get half the available points in the category for having 100 hours and full points for having 200 hours...

I'd say you've got a decent chance though. However, if you've gotten any D's in the past, it GREATLY decreases your chances. This year, any applicant that had a D anywhere on their transcripts was automatically rejected...apparently.

Miserlou57 · 08-21-2009, 04:54 AM

If you don't get in, submit an appeal. I got in on one, and I knew others who did too. If you're desperate... try submitting two appeals. I'm not sure if it really makes any difference, but I sent my appeal in on the deadline (lacking a transcript thanks to my school), and over-nighted a revised one with the transcript the day after the deadline. I received a second rejection via mail, but online I got all the acceptance stuff. I think it could be possible two different appeals could be seen by two different people. Ya never know...

Skadforlife · 08-21-2009, 04:21 PM

^^ Normally appeals aren't very successful unless you messed something up on your application. UCSC just seriously under enrolled this year, which is why they started granting appeals.

Obviously, it doesn't hurt to appeal though! Congrats to you, Miserlou.

aleiram51 · 08-21-2009, 09:00 PM

Skadforlife, I don't think that whole having a D thing is too big of a deal. I had one in honors chem (granted I got an A in a college chem class after) and I think as long as you show that you made up for that, you should be good.

You have the same overall SAT score as I did, and I had a little less community service and extracurriculars than you, and I got in.
I did have work experience and quite a few sporty things though, I don't know.

Also, top 25% with a 3.1?! I wish I had gone to your high school!

Skadforlife · 08-23-2009, 04:42 AM

Did you apply this year? If so, then I'm mistaken...but I'm almost positive that any incoming freshman with a D anywhere on their transcripts was rejected, regardless if they re-took the class or not....In fact, from UCSC's website

"How did you make your admissions decisions?
We employed a faculty-approved comprehensive review of the freshman applicants. Our selection guide is on the web if you'd like to review the different factors that we take into consideration. The guide is available as a link through the my.ucsc.edu web site, or on UCSC Admissions - Freshman Admission.

In addition to the selection criteria noted above, if an applicant had notified our campus of receiving a grade of D or F in any 'a-g' course, that student would not have been selected for admission by UC Santa Cruz."

Here's the link to the page.
UCSC Admissions - Information for First-Year Applicants Not Offered Admission - Fall 2009

SaveTheManatees · 08-23-2009, 09:48 AM

If you repeated the exact same course for credit, then you still have a chance at admission.

I was admitted to UCSC with a merit scholarship this year and I did have one D on my transcript but it wasn't factored into my GPA because I repeated the same course and got an A.

aleiram51 · 08-24-2009, 02:30 AM

Yeah I applied this year. And I was in the same situation as savethemanatees