I am a high school junior who started high school strong, although my GPA began to deteriorate when life turned around junior year.
9th Grade: 4.0 both semesters
10th Grade: 4.0 first semester, 1 B in a regular class for second semester
- I had one AP class (received a 4 in AP World History)
11th Grade: I began school in southern California and moved across the state during the first semester, therefore I struggled with maintaining my grades.
1st sem- 1 A in AP class, 1 B in second AP class, 1 B in honors class, 1 A in reg. class, and 2 B’s in 2 other reg. classes.
2nd sem- 1 C in AP class, 1 B in honors class, and 4 A’s in 1 AP and 3 reg.
12th grade: I am going to take 1 reg., 3 AP’s, and 2 Honors classes
I am extremely worried of how I will look on college applications due to low grades from junior year. Although I do not know if personal issues at home from junior year (going to be mentioned in UC personal statements) affect decisions when looking at my grades on my transcript. Grades may have also been influenced by activities done throughout all of high school; I was always busy with extracurricular activities:
- Varsity in 2 sports (fall and spring)
- 2 leadership positions in 2 clubs
- 100+ community service hours
- CSF
- top 15% of the class (in a large and extremely competitive high school) ~ 700 students
- Planning to take SAT really soon but received a 1210 in the PSAT prior to any AP prep in AP English Language (definitely going to increase my score on my first SAT)
I plan on attending universities within the state such as SDSU, UCI, and UCSD; my intended major will be based on pre-med
Please help me on how I can improve my transcript in means of looking more competitive.
I also forgot to mention my weighted GPA is 3.97
UC’s and CSU’s use 10-11th grades in the a-g course requirements.
You can calculate your UC/CSU GPA here: https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Cal States and UC’s use the capped weighted UC GPA while UCLA/UCB also use the Fully weighted UC GPA.
Cal states such as SDSU will admit based on major and eligibility index.
EI= (CSU/UC GPA x 800) + ( SAT Math+CR)
UC’s tend to be very GPA focused so you want to be in the 4.0+ UC GPA range depending upon your intended major.
You need to have test scores to really get an idea of your chances.
EC’s and essays will all contribute to your chances along with HS course rigor.
Repost with your UC/CSU GPA, test scores and calculate out your Eligibility index so posters can give you an idea if you are competitive for the schools on your list.
with a 3.97 and a decent SAT, you are a strong candidate for virtually any program at most CA schools. That said, several of the UCs will be a challenge for you. SDSU, UCSC and UCR are all solid options.
Post the rest of your stats for more specific advice.
^ I disagree with @NCalRent , solely because I’m a CA resident applying to transfer to UCs, and I know how hard it is to get in. I had a 4.0 UW GPA throughout high school, and didn’t get into UCLA, my top choice. I personally believe the essays are truly the determining factor in borderline students who are great but not stellar, so that’s where you need to explain what you went through, but approach it from a positive perspective and talk about what you learned, the values it instilled in you, and how you overcame it all. That’s the key to really boosting your chances. Also, you should NEVER let ECs take away from academics. I didn’t have great ECs in high school but my academics were phenomenal, and I got into 6/8 schools I applied to. I chose to go to cc to transfer to UCLA for a number of reasons, but I was capable of attending any of the 6 places that accepted me (two of which being UCSD and UCSB). The applicant pool is simply too competitive to have stumbles and mistakes in important areas like GPA and test scores, so you must be incredibly careful moving forward.
At my cc, my counselor used to work in admissions at UCLA, so she knows what they look for. She advised me to prioritize academics and view ECs as add-ons and icing to your academic cake. If you don’t lay the foundation for them with great grades (which is why you go to college), the ECs are worthless. Don’t take time from your studies to make them happen. If that’s a difficulty you have, talk about it in your app! The “additional info” section exists for a reason. I viewed it as an extra essay and used it as an opportunity to explain my lack of ECs in a way that reflected my integrity (aka not joining a million clubs for the sake of a resume and doing only a few things that mattered to me).
I think your app is really good overall, and many schools would gladly take you. But when you look at UCs, which are highly competitive, even for in-state students, you need to be so brilliant in your essays that you can outshine some missteps, if you have them. Being yourself and being authentic about your experience is the best way to get in. If you do that, you’ve got a great shot. Best of luck to you!
@NCalRent and by disagreeing, I meant I disagree with your statement, “You are a strong candidate for virtually any program at most CA schools.” That’s just because there are SO many strong candidates that it’s not enough to be great. From firsthand experience I know you truly have to be the best to be accepted to these schools.
@aspiringauthor7 My point was to keep an open mind, there are LOTS of options open to the OP. Google says there are 264 4 year colleges in CA. With a 3.97 and a solid SAT and other qualifications . all but about ten are within reach for a competently written ap. That is exactly what i meant “at most CA schools” I also called out that several of the UCs would present a challenge. Obviously CalTech and Stanford are out too, and there are programs like Nursing where, even a non-impacted CSU isn’t in the cards but, doesn’t 94% of all CA colleges fit within the parameters of ‘virtually any program at most schools’?
@NCalRent true, just wanted to give OP my perspective because there’s a difference between a school like Stanford and a school like Cal State Channel Islands. And every school’s competitiveness by major is different. So I was simply providing my take on this question.
@NCalRent remember 3.97 weighted not unweighted