<p>OP:</p>
<p>The major part of your app for UC is gpa, and unless you improved that a bit, you didn’t improve anything at all.</p>
<p>Your 3.1 uw is holding your back. With your test scores, adcoms look at your application as extremely smart, but unmotivated to work hard.</p>
<p>Yes, you can get into a “better” college. Head off to your local juco and earn all A’s. Transfer to Cal or UCLA. Or Cornell, which is transfer friendly, as is Vanderbilt and 'SC.</p>