This is going to sound insane.
I’m going to be a senior this year, and have to start applying to college. However, I was MADLY depressed most of junior year due to a really, really bad home environment. My grades look a little like this:
Freshman: S1=3.71, S2=3.71
Sophomore: S1=3.14, S2=3.0
Junior: S1=1.67 (with a D in precalc), S2=1.5 (with an F in precalc)
Cumulative: 2.85, Credits: 195
I already finished my math requirements, because I took two separate math classes in sophomore year. Credits are not an issue, I have four years of a language on me as well, outside of school. However, how I will get into any college in CA is a problem.
I have tons of extracurriculars. Dance, Track and Field, Speech and Debate, and I’m currently training for a private pilot’s license. I am in the US Air Force Auxiliary as well, which is a huge bonus. In senior year, I’m taking classes on engineering at my local community college for fun. When I turn 17, I plan on joining the Air National Guard, as they can help pay for my college and whatnot. College is a yes, I do not plan on enlisting, as I do want to go into commercial or business airline piloting in the future.
That being said, I want to get into a state or UC. Here is everything I have on my list with Aerospace Engineering programs:
Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly SLO, Cal State LB, SDSU, SJSU, UCSD, UCD, UCI, and for super duper reach schools, UCLA and USC.
Looking at this list, you may be thinking I’m insane, and that my grades and ambition do not add up. You’re right. I want to go help people. I want to fly, and become a Pararescueman, and do so much for people. But first, I need to get through college. I want to do it, and I just want to know if I can.
You will need to start at a community college and use the articulation agreement to get into a CSU or a UC.
Do you really think there’s no way to go into a four year?
- Do you meet all of the UC/CSU a-g requirements with C or higher grades? See http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/csu-uc-a-g-comparison-matrix.pdf . If not, starting at community college is what you need to do to get into a CSU or UC.
- By high school graduation, will you have completed at least precalculus, high school physics, and high school chemistry, with C or higher (preferably A) grades? If not (or if you only earned C grades), you will probably need remedial course work in college, which could be much more expensive if you start at a four year school than a community college.
If you still want to go to a four year school, calculate your CSU/UC weighted-capped GPA using this calculator: https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/ or https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/eligibility-index .
Now use https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/eligibility-index to find out what SAT or ACT score you need for minimum CSU eligibility. However, this will only get you into CSUs which are not impacted for either the campus or the major. Where there is either campus or major impaction, the admission standards are higher.
There is no non-impacted CSU with aerospace engineering. However, many go into aerospace from mechanical engineering education. Of the CSUs with mechanical engineering, SFSU is not impacted for the campus or major, and CSUN admits local area applicants at minimum CSU eligibility.
Of course, you also need to consider how you will fund college. If your home environment was a problem, will your parents contribute and/or cooperate with financial aid forms?
UC‘ s and Cal states use 10-11th grades for their GPA calculation with the exception of Cal Poly SLO which uses 9-11th grades. Having a D and an F on your transcript although completing the minimum Math requirements to apply will impact your chances at all of the schools on your list. Even if you plan to retake the Pre-Calc, you will be applying with those grades. You will get 1 extra honors point for each semester of a UC approved Honors, AP/IB or DE course taken 10-11th grades. You can use this calculator to get your capped weighted and fully weighted UC GPA. Capped weighted UC GPA = CSU GPA.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
CSU’s except SLO admit by eligibility index and major. First calculate your GPA’s and what are your SAT/ACT test scores? Non-impacted CSU’s will accept students that meet the minimum EI which do not include any of the CSU’s you listed. Repost with the information needed: UC capped weighted GPA and Test scores and then CC posters can give you some idea’s for colleges to consider.
UC’s require a capped weighted GPA of 3.0 to apply and even then, your chances at UC Merced are not great.
Ok, with all your advice, I calculated that my unweighted was a 2.9, weighted a 3.29, and capped a 3.10. From what I saw on the SAT minimum eligibility, it said any score I had would keep me eligible for CSU’s, but I’m still aiming high (most recently taken was 1350). If I get to at least a 1480/1500, even with my lower grades, how would it be?
Obviously, I understand I cannot go too far. I already cannot get into many, many UCs, but CSU’s?
CSU eligibility index = GPA * 800 + SATRW + SATM (you can super score SAT).
So yours would be 3.10 * 800 + 1350 = 3830.
Some campuses like SJSU use an engineering-modified one which = GPA * 800 + (SATM * 3 + SATRW) / 2 .
SJSU publishes its past thresholds. For fall 2019, the thresholds were listed at http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultsfreshmen/ . AE required 4150 and ME required 4100 on the engineering-modified index. Of course, thresholds could change this coming year depending on application volume and strength.
Other CSUs that publish past thresholds are listed at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-state-university-general/2150136-csus-that-publish-past-admission-thresholds.html
For SDSU, you are looking at around 4300+ EI for the best chances.
CSU Long Beach and Cal Poly Pomona around a 4000+ especially for Aerospace Engineering.
SJSU’s EI threshold for 2019 was 4150 for Aerospace Engineering.
Cal Poly SLO does not admit by EI but MCA points. Here is the calculator and you need above a 4700 MCA score for any chance.
https://mca.netlify.com/
SLO Engineering admit averages are an SLO GPA of 4.21 and SAT of 1480 for 2018 Freshman.
None of the CSU’s listed are realistic so if you are able to get your SAT up another 200 points maybe some of the CSU’s might be options. Your GPA will still be an issue even if your EI meets the thresholds.
I would look into Mechanical Engineering at the less competitive CSU’s. Here is the CSU impacted major/campus matrix so I would focus on possibly CSU Fullerton, San Francisco State, Sac State, Chico State etc… if you really want to attend a 4 year university.
https://www.calstate.edu/sas/documents/impactedprogramsmatrix.pdf
For the UC’s, they tend to be very GPA focused so having competitive test scores many times will not make up a Low GPA.
Also not having passing grades up to at least Pre-Calc will be an issue especially if you are focusing on Engineering.
Some UC stats for comparison below and 2018 is the most recent data: 2018 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.00-3.39 capped weighted and not major specific:
UCB: 1%
UCLA: 1%
UCSD: 1%
UCSB: 1%
UCI: 1%
UCD: 3%
UCSC: 12%
UCR: 15%
UCM: 45%
2018 UC capped weighted GPA averages:
UCB: 4.23
UCLA: 4.23
UCSD: 4.16
UCSB: 4.13
UCI: 4.13
UCD: 4.11
UCSC: 3.96
UCR: 3.81
UCM: 3.71
2018 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT:
UCB: 1360-1540
UCLA: 1340-1540
UCSD: 1300-1520
UCSB: 1270-1500
UCD: 1220-1480
UCI: 1230-1490
UCSC: 1210-1450
UCR: 1130-1380
UCM: 1020-1280
If you really want to attend any of the above schools, 2 years at community college with TAG (Transfer Guarantee) will get you into UCM, UCR, UCSC, UCD and UCI if you meet all the criteria. Also the CSU’s have AAT/AST articulation agreements for the CSU’s. Your HS record will not be a consideration if you are a Junior level transfer to the UC’s and CSU’s. http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/index.html
https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/transfer/pages/ccc-associate-degree-for-transfer.aspx