Decision: Admitted
Merit scholarships awarded (if any): Not that I saw.
Major (and division if applicable) applied to: Literature
Academic stats:
UC Unweighted GPA: 3.95
UC Capped Weighted GPA: 4.29
ELC (top 9%): Yes
Comments about course load (including senior year): Took no APs/Honors sophomore year, bad grades freshman year (B’s and C’s, one A). Heavy course load junior and senior year (for my rural school with not many AP classes), 3 AP’s and one Honors class Jr. year, 4 AP’s senior year.
SAT (total and sections): 1340 (only took once) - 590 M, 750 EBRW
ACT (total and sections): N/A
SAT Subject Tests (if any): N/A
AP exams (scores in parentheses): Lang and Comp (5), APUSH (5), APES (5)
Subjective:
For the following, indicate level of recognition or award (e.g. local, state, national, international) and/or leadership roles:
Extracurriculars: Interact, German Honors Society, NHS, very involved in peer tutoring program for 3 years, leadership position in Teen Court for 3 years, organized multiple school and community wide assemblies/protests (if that counts)
Job/Work Experience: Employed at McDonald’s all of Jr. year
Volunteer/Community service: 300+ hours between Interact, NHS, Teen Court, and the food bank
Summer Activities: Camp counselor for 2 summers
Personal Insight essays (details): I wrote about the traumatic event freshman year that caused my grades to drop and how I bounced back from it, my work in leading student protest for fair teacher wages, pursuing passion over practicality and my love for English, and how expression through creative writing has helped me grow personally and academically.
Letters of recommendation/Augmented Review: N/A, but did receive augmented review for reach schools (UCLA and UCSD)
Demographics
State (if domestic applicant): California
High school type: Rural
Gender: Female
Applied for need-based financial aid?: Yes (EFC is 0)
Highest level of parent education: Bachelor’s Degree
Living with both, one, or no parents?: One
Reflection
Strengths: Major upward grade trend (from 2.85 9th grade to 4.6 11th), PIQ’s, English section score on SAT, AP scores, community service involvement, UC GPA
Weaknesses: 9th grade grades, course rigor in 10th grade, math section SAT score
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think that my application presented a well-rounded amount of insight into who I am as an applicant, triumphs and struggles alike. Made sure to highlight my passions in relation to my major in my PIQ’s, and use them to try to paint a broader picture about anything in my app that may look like a red flag to admissions officers. My stats are fairly on par for SC, but I think the essay pushed me over the edge to acceptance!
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted HSU, CSU Monterey, SJSU, CSULB. Waiting on other UC’s, but most likely am committing to SC.