How important is the SAT to UCLA?

Colleges & Universities University of California - Los Angeles
1

<p>Now I know that to every school, SAT is very very important. But if I have strong stats in everything else like my gpa, my EC’s, and my essays, would my SAT score have a huge affect in college admissions? (Especially UCLA, because it is very competitive)</p>

<p>here are my stats:</p>

<p>GPA 10-11: 4.2
8 AP’s, 3 Honors
SAT: 1770
SAT 2’s: 530 in math level 2, 620 in biology
AP Tests: 2 in bio, 2 in english, 3 in european history
EC’s:
National Honor Society, Co-Historian (11th) and Treasurer (12th
Operation Smile, Treasurer (11th) and Activities Director (12th)
KIWIN’s, Conventions Chair (11th)
CSF 10th-11th
Teacher Aide, Retreat Leader, and volunteer at church
Tae Kwon Do 9th-12th, 1st degree black belt
Martial Arts Club, Secretary (11th)
Job at movie theater, used to work at Sears
low income and Asian</p>

2

<p>While everything else on your application does look good, your SAT is really low for UCLA… the same goes for your SAT II’s.</p>

<p>I believe the order of importance goes:

  1. GPA
  2. SAT
  3. Personal essay/extracurriculars</p>

<p>Also, (not being racist), you are Asian so that’ll make your admission a little more difficult. Even though they say they took affirmative action off, I still believe they’re trying to promote diversity here at UCLA.</p>

<p>To answer your question, your SAT will have a huge factor in your admission. I’d have to say you’re a reach. Your GPA is also average of a UCLA student… You still have a chance though, don’t get your hopes down. Good luck</p>

3

<p>[Profile</a> of Admitted Freshmen, Fall 2011 - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/Frosh_Prof11.htm]Profile”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/Frosh_Prof11.htm)</p>

<p>Sub-1800 SATs have a less than 12% admit rate.</p>

4

<p>It depends. If you’re from a high school that doesn’t tend to send too many people to college, then your score should be okay. But if lots of kids who graduated from your school are going to top UCs and other good colleges every year… then tough luck. I’d still apply though if I were you, just in case. But maybe consider UCLA a reach.</p>

5

<p>Darn…but I figured. thanks for the input :&lt;/p>

6

<p>Lots of factors to consider, like the HS you attended, etc (as pointed out already), but I think your chances are significantly better than one poster suggested as 12% – I estimate your chances in the 30-40% range. I’d call it a “realistic reach”</p>

7

<p>30-40%? why do you say so?</p>

8

<p>Based on my interpretation of how your data stacks up relative to the data in statfinder.</p>

9

<p>I feel like UCLA weighs more on GPA and class rank. I had similar stats to you and am also low income and Asian. But my UC GPA was much higher and my UW GPA was 4.0 and I was ranked 1/400. My SAT was 1810, but I still got in. The GPA and class rank definitely saved me.</p>

10

<p>My son had a slightly higher SAT (1880), and a higher GPA(4.5), but I think the thing that really mattered was that he was in the top 2% of his class. He is currently in his 2nd year, and never tells anyone his SAT score because it is considerably lower than everyone else’s.</p>

11

<p>what most people do not know is that YOU are compared to your classmates. Noone gives a crap about your GPA and SAT scores as long as you are one of the top students in your high school. People have really bad misconceptions about how admissions work saying you need to have 2000+ SAT, 4.5 GPA blablabla. but the truth is that your GPA and SAT just needs to be the best within your high school. </p>

<p>How do you think there are people in UCLA right now with 1200 and 1300 SAT’s. It is because they were one of the top students in their (unfortunate) high school. So yes, being from a ghetto high school does contribute a lot to college admissions.</p>

12

<p><em>He is currently in his 2nd year, and never tells anyone his SAT score because it is considerably lower than everyone else’s.</em></p>

<p>LOLOLOLOL! Me too! Actually, most people don’t talk about SAT scores anyways. It’s very…awkward. But when I have mentioned it (because some people asked) I tend to get really mean and snobby comments from people. Some people were joking but some were serious too. I’ve gotten comments ranging from, “So how exactly DID you get in?” to “Dude, you didn’t deserve to come here. I should’ve taken your place.” The latter comment was from a jerk transfer student who I met on my floor 2 years ago. He was bitter because he was initially rejected from UCLA and went through the CC route to get here.</p>

13

<p>If it helps, I’m rank 46 out of 745, making me top 6%…it’s very confusing to tell because I hear different replies from everyone…like the SAT doesn’t matter a whole lot, or that GPA is more important, etc. Plus, I honestly don’t know who I’m being compared to anymore because I hear it was only from the students at my school or that it was being compared with solely the other applicants.</p>

14

<p>Well, I have a full ride and I met the committee who gives out the full rides, so trust me, GPA and your class rank is the SOLE indicator of whether or not you will get in.</p>

15

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<p>Ummm no. How else would you explain the UCLA admits who got only decent grades but were from intensely competitive schools, where the top tier of their graduating class all got into ivies, but they still got into UCLA? Or, people who didn’t do that well in sophomore or junior year of high school because of a family emergency, but still got in because they included an explanation in their application? I know a few people who fit both cases. </p>

<p>Yes, class rank and GPA are very very important. No, they are not the SOLE indicator of whether you will get in.</p>

16

<p>1770 SAT score. You gotta keep in mind that there are also tons of students that have excellent SAT scores and GPAs and others that have the High GPA, low SAT score (like 1800+). With 70+ thousand applicants, your application would really be a high reach.</p>

<p>@TiaWNPP, yes they’re not, but I think those scores and grades are like thresholds that separate the outright rejects and the applicants that get considered. After that threshold is passed (whether by combination of grades/SAT or high SAT/GPA), the life experience, ECs and essays come in. I don’t really think that superb ECs (except for athletes) would offset a ridiculously low SAT score.</p>

17

<p>^I completely agree with you, and I think you misread my post.</p>

<p>The poster I was responding to basically said that SAT barely matters because GPA and rank are the ONLY factors that get someone into UCLA. And I said that GPA and rank are NOT the only factors. I never even mentioned anything about ECs.</p>

18

<p>Don’t you worry too much, I had similar stats and I (along with many other people with low SAT scores) were admitted. I actually had worse scores than you. I had a high score of 1710 on the SAT, 26 ACT high, a 480 on my Physics SAT Subject, 490 on my US History SAT Subject, and a 610 on my Math Subject test. I did have a higher GPA, finishing off with a 4.4 weighted, although prior to applying, I had only taken one AP class (AP English, which I passed with a 3). I took 4 AP tests senior year, and only got 2 B’s throughout my sophomore year, while acing my entire junior year.
I did not come from an underperforming high school, rather I came from a charter school that is a Distinguished California high school. And I finished ranked at about 32 of 500, which is nothing to really boast about.</p>

<p>What I feel like got me in was my steep upward trend on my grades, extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, UCSD medical internship, and personal statements. Scores show how you did on particular days, while everything else on your app should show more about who you have been throughout the last 3-4 years. If you sold yourself well on the app, which I did, then you should be fine.</p>

<p>UCLA is a school that focuses more on grades than scores, although one could not deny that scores do not factor into the process. What I’m trying to say is, don’t count yourself out yet. Basically, you just have to get into a SAT bracket to be considered, and let the rest do the talking. I have a good friend who got into UCLA with me with under a 1600. I have another high school friend who got into Stanford with a 1810, while other friends got rejected with 2300+ scores. I tell people all of the time about my story, because many dismissed my chance at getting into UCLA, due to my SAT score. I ended up getting into every school that I applied for, including USC and UC Berkeley. Of course your application isn’t identical to mine, but it is similar in some senses. You might get in, it probably is a reach, but you definitely are not thinking unrealistically. I give you a 30-50% chance, which could be overshooting it, because of how many people applied, but I think it’s a fair chance.</p>

<p>P.S. - I did get UCLA’s supplemental questionnaire around this time last year. I spent a lot of time on it and submitted it satisfied with my best work. If you get it, dont take it as a bad sign, be grateful that you still have a chance. If you get it, give it your all!</p>

19

<p>WOW ^ Thanks. That gives me hope :)</p>

20

<p>That gives me hope too! Thanks for your story! :)</p>