A theory about seeming anomalies in Davis admissions decisions this year

[kluge]

<p>Reading through the threads about who was/was not admitted to Davis this year, and looking over the published criteria and weights that Davis used for its admissions this year, I have developed a theory about why some people with seemingly low “stats” were admitted while others with seemingly higher ones were not: It’s the “Number of a-g courses beyond 35.” This is a kind of unusual category of admissions factor, and it carries a lot of weight - up to 1000 points. Since the cutoff seems to have been in the 8,000 range, and it’s really hard to get more than about 7500 from just GPA and test scores (thats a 4.0 UCGPA and averaging 700 per section on SAT and SATIIs) applicants needed more points. With 50 points per semester for college prep classes over 35, that’s a pretty big factor. (My daughter was accepted; with high school level math and language classes taken in middle school, some community college courses, and few non a-g classes in high school, she maxed that factor out, with over 55 semesters of a-g classes. That’s 1000 extra points.) </p>

<p>So when I see someone saying they (or their friend) had a 4.0, 2100 SATs, etc., but wasn’t accepted I’m inclined to wonder how many a-g classes, total, that person took. The sheer volume of high school classes is actually a kind of odd category of application-boosting, which I think a lot of people overlooked.</p>

<p>It’s a theory, anyway.</p>

[merc4hire]

<p>I disagree. </p>

<p>According to my UC fact book, the A-G courses had a significantly smaller impact in deciding whether or not an applicant was admitted to mid tier UC's than GPA and SAT's. While it is a factor, I don't think it's enough to explain many of oddities we've been seeing this year. </p>

<p>But maybe I'm just saying that because I only had 36...</p>

[collegemom16]

<p>merc I agree with Kluge. I'm not going to hunt for the comprehensive review rubric that is posted on UCD's web site, but their points policy is very clearly stated in it.</p>

[rider730]

<p>The formula and weights didn't change from last year, AFAIK.</p>

[kluge]

<p>Merc4hire - if you had 36 semesters of a-g courses, you had 950 fewer points under Davis' admissions formula than my daughter from that part of your application. Check it out: Freshmen:</a> Application Criteria for Selection Process That's equal to the difference between two applicants with the same number of a-g classes where one has a 4.0 and a 2100 SAT and 700's on two SAT-IIs and the other has a 3.5 UC GPA with an 1850 SAT and two 600s SATIIs. Pretty significant, don't you think?</p>

[merc4hire]

<p>Alright. That's probably what it was then. </p>

<p>If that's the case with Davis, do you think a place like Irvine weights a-g courses as heavily?</p>

[collegemom16]

<p>To my knowledge UCI has not revealed their system.</p>

[merc4hire]

<p>Dammit, I face rejection from everything.</p>

[GlueEater]

<p>I think you may be right. At first I thought it was yeild protection that rejected so many qualified people. But Davis is a public school so that shouldn't be it. But this makes since.</p>

<p>Btw, Kluge isn't saying the number of a-g courses count for more than GPA and SATs. Sure it may be less THAN GPA and SATs, but relative to the others points it's a lot.</p>

[Cali_Trumpet]

<p>Amen to that. I did think it was sorta strange when I was reviewing their process. I mean seriously, you get 1000 points for the more classes that you take. Some schools allow for more classes to be taken by students' wishes. Mine in particular has frequent scheduling problems. Also someone like me who is involved in Marching Band which is not A-G gets screwed in this system. Not that I was interested in Davis, but I took all the classes I could for three years, including a community college class, and I still do not exceed the 35 semester limit. Does not seem very fair to me.</p>

[catcherine]

<p>I'm pretty sure a-g classes made a huge difference for both ucsd and ucdavis because i was rejected from both, but i have a similar gpa and similar sat scores to friends who have gotten into both. The only difference between my friends and i is that they took more AP/Honors classes.</p>

[merc4hire]

<p>Looking at the admissions stats for UCD last year, I have to agree with you.
Doesn't seem to be as big of a factor for Irvine, so there still may be hope left.</p>

[rider730]

<p>The relative importance is more than you would think at first look. GPA plus SATs are assigned 8500 points while the a-g stuff could create only 1000 points for maximum additional courses, but . . .</p>

<p>The minimum for qualification (outside of ELC) is a 3.0 plus some minimum SAT scores. That means that the bottom score is something like 5750 points out of 8500. The range from minimally qualified to perfect is 2750 points. The 1000 points for extra courses is pretty significatn when put in the light of the max swing for stats. </p>

<p>Other factors can be equally decisive. An ELC student with low family income, first to college and from an underperforming public school would get 1750 extra points and if that student also earned at least a 3.0 UC GPA, it would produce 2750 points. That is as big as the entire swing on stats.</p>

[Coldfront]

<p>Bear in mind that AP/Honors makes a difference, as catcherine stated. I know a girl who had a 2010 SAT, 3.6 GPA, but that was unweighted. Weighted was around 3.8. She took hardly any honors/AP, and I think that has some factor as well. The UCs look for student who challenge themselves.
I was accepted with a 3.58 weighted GPA (around 3.2 unweighted), but through all of high school I have taken 30 semester of Honors/AP.</p>