Do I have a chance at a UC?

aspiringauthor7
Wed, 31 May 2017 18:01:44 +0000

I think your First Gen status improves your chances, but I saw a few glaring things that might hurt you. You need to raise your unweighted GPA. No one cares about a weighted GPA because the number of classes you take and the rigor of those classes sways it. Unweighted is strictly your grades, so that’s what they look for. Elevate it ASAP to show an upward trend, and you’ll have a better shot.

Second, your AP World History score is low. UCs only give credit for 4s and 5s (I would know; I’m at community college applying for transfer to a UC this fall) so I worry that you won’t get credit for it and it’ll be considered void college credits. Also, you’re a more impressive applicant when you get 4s and 5s, so aim to get those on future tests. If not…then you’ll need a really strong application to get them to overlook that.

I don’t mean to suggest you’re a bad student. You’ve got a great-sounding resume so far, and you’re a First Generation immigrant, so you bring diversity. But UCs are so competitive (especially Berkeley and UCLA) that even top-notch students get turned down; i.e. I had a 4.0 for 4 years and got rejected from UCLA. The application is holistic, so you have other areas to make up for little stumbles (the essays!!! the most important IMO), but make sure you have a game plan and are staying on track to meet your academic goals while you have time left. Good luck this fall!!