The Official Chances Thread!

andrewregal · June 4, 2009, 12:44pm

UC GPA 3.96
Unweighted GPA 3.9
Weighted GPA 4.0 - 4.1

California Resident

SAT - 2020 (610CR, 720W, 690M)
ACT with Writing - 29 (Planning on Retaking)
SAT II Scores
BioE - 690
USH - 710
Lit - 740
Math2 - 750

Which college are you applying to?
Letters & Sciences.

ECs:
-Drama/Theater Arts (4 Years in High School, 6 Years at 2 Community Theaters)
-Wrestling 3 Years
-Cross Country 3 Years
-Tennis 3 Years
-CSF Vice President
-Ecology Club VP
-Film, Television & Theater Club; Milk and Cookies Club originators
-Community Service 700+ Hours
-Job at Community Park and Rec
-Speaks 3 Languages
-Guitar, Piano, Choir (Community)
-Boys State American Legion
-ASB Service Commissioner
-CADA/CASC Leadership Camp

Any other significant accomplishments in a specific field
-BAMMA Journalism Internship
-Attempting to get a fellowship at SFChronicle

Bad GPA will bring me down a lot, I know. A rough percentage chance anybody? Also, my senior schedule has 3 APs, and my previous AP scores are 4s. Also have good material for personal statements.

mathboy98 · June 4, 2009, 1:16pm

Shizzle, is it? I seem to recall you had closer to a 4.3 weighted UC GPA, and around a 32 ACT, which are indeed solid stats for someone applying to L&S. Eusc’s weighted GPA is a 4.0, which is considerably lower.

I mean, to be honest, I’m no magic chancer. The reality is that the outstanding scoring applicants can know they’ll get into Cal, and the worst ones know they probably won’t, but the ones in the middle have trouble. I just go with my instinct, if I took into account who got in from various schools I know, along with the special cases of rejects who were actually qualified – taking into account all of these things, the best I can advise to you applicants is that you aim for a 2300+ SAT, and a 4.5+ GPA, along with close to 800’s on 2-3 SAT II’s, however many required, certainly getting an 800 on Math II.

All of these accomplishments are quite doable for a decently able high schooler who spends some time, and it cannot be stated enough how much getting high numbers will maddeningly secure your chances here. For the ones in the middle…it depends on the year, you know? Nobody can chance you without knowing what percentile of GPA and SAT scores you lie in. So instead of asking, I suggest getting a move on and trying to hit those scores. The numbers I gave are way over the top really, and with those an in-stater would probably be utterly certain of getting into the most competitive majors like EECS.

mathboy98 · June 4, 2009, 1:18pm

To Andrew – if your GPA is not up to par, get a 2250+ SAT, and it’ll improve chances. I’m pretty sure you can still take it. Plus, get very good SAT II’s. Your GPA isn’t excellent for Cal, but it shouldn’t matter too much if you can get very good other stats.

Other than that, write pretty good essays, and you’ll have your shot.

mathboy98 · June 4, 2009, 1:19pm

As a note – I think the SAT and SAT II’s are overall kind of dumb testing mechanisms, especially the former, so the advice I give here is hardly on the basis of what I think it’s best worth your time doing. Just necessary evils to make it into Cal, after which you can go to town and do fun stuff.

Shizzle_1 · June 4, 2009, 2:38pm

I actually recalculated my UC GPA, much lower than 4.3. Really sad, it sucks. My weighted GPA from school is actually 4.3+ not the UC one for 10-11 grade. I’m going to have to mention the reasons for this in my essay. I guess the only thing to depend on are my SAT scores now. :(

arduouspallor · June 4, 2009, 3:51pm

My UC GPA was like a 3.6-3.7, don’t sweat it Shizzle. I got a 2030/30 SAT/ACT, too. My essays were killer and that’s what probably put me over. (BTW, I’m also Asian.)

berkeley1 · June 4, 2009, 4:44pm

UC GPA 4.25
Weighted 4.333
Unweighted 4.000
Rank top 1%

California Resident

Haven’t taken SAT’s yet (entering junior year). Goal is at least 2100.

Not sure of college, but want to be a corporate lawyer so my major will be either pre-law or business

Plan to have at least 300 hours by time I apply. Volunteer at hospital, museum.
Joining an environmental charity where I will organize clean-ups in my area.
Looking for an internship both this summer and next.
Hopefully will be participating in some type of summer program.

I’m entering my junior year so I know I don’t have all the info needed, like SAT scores, and my ECs will probably increase by time I apply. But based on this, am I on the right track?

Shizzle_1 · June 4, 2009, 4:54pm

arduouspallor: lol at your btw comment. But are you in-state?

arduouspallor · June 4, 2009, 6:13pm

Yeah, I’m in-state.

To also add to the people that are worried about their SAT scores: I got a 590 on Math II, a 620 on Lit, and a 680 on USH. I’m attending Cal in the fall.

Cal really does look at what you can offer. I had lots of leadership positions and my essays really reflected my potential to contribute to the world. If one part of your app is weak, make everything else stronger and it will work out.

Lightja · June 4, 2009, 11:27pm

What are my chances?(Please use my Name in Reply, Lightja)

GPA:
UW: 3.94
W: 4.23
UC: 4.23(I’m not sure how weighted and UC are different)
Class Rank: likely top 5% or less, not entirely sure honestly
** Assuming I get all A’s my senior year, and I don’t see a problem there

ACT: 30(Definitely retaking, with a superscore my next should be AT LEAST 33) ** No writing
SAT: Taking Saturday, expected range:
Math: 770-800
Critical Reading: 680-720
Writing:700-740 ** Essay: 9-12
(2150-2260) – obviously I can’t be 100% I’ll score in that range, but that’s what I’m predicting based on my performance on practice

OOS(Kentucky), applying for Computer Science/Engineering, and possibly teaching at a collegiate level.

ECs: NHS(11th, 12th)
French Club(10th, 12th)
Teacher’s Aid(11th)

Awards: top 10%
Summa Cum laude
Invited to Beta Club

Essays: Should be very strong, can talk about my non-fiction writing on theorycrafting behind games, as well as learning to code and make my own games on my own, as well as all my influences behind my interests.

Teacher Recs: Very strong, good teachers who’ve seen my talents and watched me grow, and liked me, both who know what a college looks for.

Course Load: 9 AP credits, more than 8 Honors

AP Psychology
AP English Language & Composition
AP English Literature & Composition
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
AP Computer Science AB

Math Sequence:
9th: Adv Algebra II
10th: Adv Algebra w/ Trigonometry ** Adv Geometry
11th: Adv Pre-Calculus ** AP Statistics ** Structured Programming
12th: AP Calculus BC ** AP Computer Science AB

my biggest weakness is ECs and awards, as I wasn’t very ambitious until it dawned on me late Junior year that I have the academic capacity as well as academic resum

andrewregal · June 5, 2009, 12:11am

What would a 2250 compare to for ACTs?

fortify · June 5, 2009, 12:35am

About a 34. You can check it on [ACT</a>, Inc. : A Student Site for ACT Test Takers](<a href=“http://www.actstudent.org%5DACT”>http://www.actstudent.org)

Shizzle_1 · June 5, 2009, 8:33am

This is true. The comparison is really weird. I mean, a 32-33 will be looked at as pretty good as well.

wuggawugga55 · June 7, 2009, 2:27pm

quick question

my friend is crazy over Cal and I really want her in too. She got a 4.0 ( 1 honors) in sophomore year and a 4.0 ( 2 AP’s and 1 honors) junior year. She got ELC too. However, she has basically no Ec’s. Shes done a JV sport for two years and thats it. Will that harm her chances? Her SATs are 2000.

wuggawugga55 · June 7, 2009, 2:31pm

ps. we go to a very very very competitive school

Shizzle_1 · June 7, 2009, 2:39pm

She should probably work on the SAT score.

mathboy98 · June 7, 2009, 3:16pm

Yes, work on the SAT score, and forget the ECs and if she’s that into Cal and into academics (since she does no ECs) I would advise thinking of a very mature, well-thought out essay on her academic interests.

Looking back on it, besides grades and test scores, my academic plan essay was probably the strongest one for me, given that’s a topic I naturally can write well on.

Fasttrack · June 9, 2009, 11:20pm

The Fall 2009 freshman admission profile is up here for every UCs: <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/resources/materials/ITU.pdf[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/resources/materials/ITU.pdf</a> (begins on page 39).
It includes the admit rate for certain GPA ranges, ACT scores, SAT section scores, honors courses completed, and all of those averages.
It looks like the overall admit rate went up this year, and the average grades are slightly lower than last year’s.

andrewregal · June 12, 2009, 6:41am

For the ITU.pdf, is the Average GPA calculated by UCGPA or WGPA?

Also, are there any ways to make up for below a below average GPA? SAT/ACT scores in a certain percentile or something?

kenhivus · June 16, 2009, 8:34pm

Hi, could you guys chance me?
Unweighted GPA: 3.4
Weighted: 4.08
UC Weighted: 3.72

SAT I: 2320
CR: 750
M: 780
W: 790 (12 on essay)

SAT 2’s:
math level 2: 800
chemistry: 790
us history: scores pending, probably got about 770-780 on this, according to the CC thread on this test

Sophomore year:
Spanish III (taken at community college): A
AP World History: A/A
AP Calc AB: B/B
Honors English 10: B/A
Chemistry: C/C
AP Chemistry: B/B
Wind Ensemble (Marching Band): A/A
(NOTE: I took a very rigorous chemistry class that basically squeezed two years of chemistry, regular then AP, into two semesters of high school. It was very tough, the teacher was super tough, and even though I did poorly in the class, I, as well as many other kids, did extremely well on the AP and SAT Chemistry Exams).

Junior Year:
AP Physics B: A/B
AP US History: A/A
AP Eng Lang: B/B
AP Biology: B/B
Wind Ensemble (Marching Band): A/A
Calculus II (semester-long college calculus class, taken by few juniors and few students in general at my school): A
Calculus III (same story): B

I did a lot better I think my junior year compared to sophomore, although i seemed to lose a bit second semester.

AP Scores:
AP Calc AB: 5
AP World Hist: 5
AP Chemistry: 5 (remember, I got a two C’s followed by two B’s in this subject? this class was f&*^#in hard!)
AP US Hist: Scores coming in July
AP Eng Lang: "
AP Biology: "
AP Physics: "

School: Public (one of the highest ranked in the state, 10 on API score, surrounding neighborhoods are rather affluent)

Race: Asian-American
(Im in-state as well)

EC’s:
Member of San Diego Youth Symphony (10-12th, first violin)
Volunteer at library (9,10,12th grades, around 100 hours logged)
President/Founder of school’s Taiwanese-American club (sold Taiwanese snacks to raise funds for Taiwanese charity, also obtained flag to hang in our school’s library, 11-12th grades)
Vice Prez/Founder of school’s Young Investors Club (11-12th grades)
Treasurer/Founder of schools Young Writers Association (11-12 grade, planning on holding a youth writing contest once school year begins)
NHS (11-12th grades, member of Executive Committee)
CSF (11-12th grades)
Completed Internship at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (this museum) summer of 11th grade
Currently Involved in Internships at contemporary Art museum as well as at the city’s museum of history

As a final note, I’m hoping to write my essays on my taiwanese heritage and/or maybe some experiences I’ve had at one of my extracurrics–not too sure at the moment.

I know my GPA is super low, especially relative to other UC Berkeley admits, but I’m hoping desperately that my other achievements might increase my chances.

Thanks for the help!

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