After a bounce back second semester, here are my numbers:
UC GPA (W, Capped): 3.89 (top 9% in Cali according to UC website)
UC GPA (W, Uncapped): 4.04
UW GPA (9-12): 3.46 or 3.5, somewhere around there
ACT Score: 33
AP Scores: Only one so far is European History (4). I’m gonna wait until chemistry, US, and Lang come out.
Details:
- A lot of my worse grades came in first semester (mostly B’s), but my second semester record has been much better.
- Freshman year, the guy who ran the technology inputted my email name incorrectly into the grading system, so I never knew my 1st sem grades until finals week. Got all B’s.
- Got a C in Spanish 3, but that teacher’s average was a C, and was notorious for giving out C’s and even D’s.
- Junior year, I had 3 A’s and 1 B (In chemistry) first semester entering finals. However, that month, I had been dealing with chest pains, high blood pressure, headaches strong enough to keep me in bed, and whatnot. Focusing was immensely difficult, and all my A’s dropped to B’s after the finals. Along with that, I had suffered from anxiety that my mother refused to help me out with (Her advice: Just don’t be anxious, just relax. Thanks for nothing mom.), and now, she thinks that I may have ADD, since everyone who has talked to me knows I’m smart, but my grades just don’t show it. I have noticed it, everyone else has noticed it. I have one of the higher potentials out of my peer group, but a lot of my errors came from concentration lapses that a five year old could have caught. I can never sit still and work alone or with friends unless a tutor is there watching me.
- My plan is to apply as a philosophy major, as it is a backdoor in many colleges. Although you may not see it, it is easier to work my essays around philosophy and connect it well to my ECs. I plan to change to Business admin (haven’t decided specifically), and for grad school, either MBA, or Law school.
- CC isn’t an option for me. I don’t know how much longer I can take, seeing most of the same peers every year.Worse, I doubt I’d be able to mentally handle ending up at CC for how hard I’ve worked (Everyone around me notes that I outwork them)
- My letters of rec will be written by my APUSH teacher, who I’ve done well for especially in writing. She’s really nice and I know she will write a good one, she seemed eager when I asked. My HPC teacher has had me for HA2, and has noticed my development, plus a few funny anecdotes as well, so I’m confident in that letter. My counselor and I have also gotten close, so that one will be surefire.
- My app essays will be helped by a tutor who I’ve been working with for six years. He is aware of how I think and my habits and whatnot. In fact, if schools need an out of school recommender, he could also do it. He knows about the circumstances behind some grade drops, and knows almost every teacher at my school (not personally, but knows how BS or good they are).
- I will retake the ACT for a slightly better score. For my GPA I definitely need a slightly better one.
- If you want my EC’s I’ll make em on another post. Anyways, here is my list:
USC, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCD, UCI, Boston College, Boston U, Chapman, Occidental, Santa Clara U, University of San Diego (Safety?), University of San Francisco (Safety?).
Question is, am I dreaming too big, or are these choices feasible?
Notes:
- From my school, someone with the same race (Asian) got into USC spring with a lower gpa. Is spring semester for people with worse numbers?
- My father graduated from University of Southern California, Marshall School for his MBA
- My twin cousins will attend Boston College, each in different schools
- My first cousin is some assistant dean at Chapman’s Environmental Science program.