I’m a junior that just started my second semester in high school. My freshman year weighted GPA was 4.0 but I moved from Florida to California after freshman year due to family problems. My sophomore year GPA went down to 2.0 because I had a hard time adjusting to a completely different environment. My junior year weighted GPA for the first semester is a 4.0 and I am in IB. Will colleges like UCLA consider the improvement and perhaps judge my sophomore year GPA as a result of family problems and not an incompetency issue? To prepare for my major in computer science/electrical engineering, I have been certified in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and for coding I have been certified in HTML/CSS. I’ve made my own ultrasonic sensor robot which could give me a headstart in my field and shows that I have decided my future from an early point. Will this information help at all and give me admission by exception?
It may come as a suprise to you, but even your best semesters are not quite good enough for top UCs (if you really meant those 4s to be “weighted”?). You need to target more reasonable schools.
Your GC could make a note in the school report or you could address the issues in your Sophomore year in one of your UC essays. It really depends upon what you mean by “family problems”. At the end of Junior calculate your UC GPA: https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
Depending upon how your essays and EC’s are viewed by admissions, you still need to meet UCLA’s academic standards. It is difficult to tell how your application will be received. Aim for the highest possible GPA and test scores and write some outstanding essays. You will need to make sure you have some good Match and Safety schools on your list just in case.
Good Luck.
It’s UW GPA and test scores first.
ECs are supplemental.
Most CS majors come in with coding experience and are club members of robotics: it’s not novel.