chances for any UC

Peppers
Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:20:58 +0000

Classes senior year might, at best, be considered for rigor, but they’re generally not regarded. GPA is the most critical component of most state schools and, to a lesser degree, private schools. If you use UCSD’s point system as a reference, 4500 out of a maximum of 11,100 pts are allocated for GPA, and another 300 for ELC. Test scores come in next, with a maximum possibility of 3200 pts there.

To me, I think the personal statement at UC’s isn’t nearly as important as it is in private schools. It might help you for second/third tier UCs if you’re on the edge, and you might be mentioning some very important event in them that would garner you points at UCSD, and it might even click with an adcom at Berkeley/LA if you’re lucky, but most of the time it’s overlooked in favor of your scores and grades. If its compelling, and it explains something that is not CLEARLY VISIBLE through your grades/scores (eg. don’t explain that you got low grades from grade x to grade z, they can see that), then that would be a wise use of that part of the app, but otherwise, it’s just one of those things you’ll check off that you “have to complete”, when you’re going through all 9 sections of the UC application.

I don’t think Michigan is a match. It’s on more or less the same level as at least UCLA, so I would say slight reach. Everything else seems to be OK.

One last thing, you mentioned an upward trend in your grades; does the GPA you listed take out the grades from freshman year? UCs don’t consider freshman grades.