Hello 
So I am a Texas resident and I was wondering how my chances of getting into any UC school or Cal state (especially Cal State Fullerton).
My GPA right now is a 3.4 and I have taken a total of 7 AP classes and all honors. By the end of my senior year, I am going to have 13 AP classes. All my grades are A’s and B’s (majority B’s) and I have only 2 C’s (geometry and physics :/). I also was in the band for my freshman/sophomore year but I moved to a different school my junior year. I am going to try some volunteering work, and I am soon applying to volunteer at a hospital.
Oh, and I am going to apply to major in Biology or any pre-medical science so I can get into Med school (after my MCAT of course).
My tuition isn’t the thing I’m worried about, it is just my chances of being admitted due to being out-of-state. My SAT score is a 1230/1600, but I am retaking it this March and I have been studying so I am expecting to improve. My ACT, on the other hand, is a 22/36, so I need to retake that and get a better score.
Any extra tips and advice?
For the UC’s, all campuses are capped at the # of OOS applicants that can be accepted. UCLA and UCB will be the toughest admits since they do set a higher bar on OOS admits but if you meet their criteria, then you have a chance. Many of the other UC’s are currently below the Cap, so again if you meet their admission criteria, you have a good chance for acceptance.
For the Cal states they admit by eligibilty index and major. (CSU GPA x800) + SAT Math + EBRW).
CSU/UC GPA is capped at 8 semesters of AP classes so having many AP’s shows good HS rigor but does not help your calculated GPA. Only UCLA/UCB state they consider unlimited AP courses toward their UC GPA.
https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
OOS students are cash cows for the UC’s and Cal states so if you are a competitive applicant then you can definitely get into these schools especially if the OOS tuition is affordable.
Depending upon intended major, aim for an eligibilty index of 3800+ for Cal state Fullerton.
I’ll tell it straight, You have a decent shot at UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton. Since it’s a roughly 50% acceptance rate, it’s still a coin toss. I would definitely retake the ACT/SAT to up your chances.
UCs only look at 10th and 11th grade and they calculate their own GPA: (http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/a-g-requirements/index.html)
Your stats for UCLA, UCB, UCSD, UCI, UCR, UCD are a bit on the low side, but look at UC Santa Cruz. For the Cal States you are more in line. Are you looking at any state schools in TX?
I am only applying to colleges in California because all my family lives there and I want to build my future in California. My parents are moving over there as well. We just wanted to stay in Texas so I could finish my high school here, although I am thinking of moving there my senior year to live with my aunt.
Have you looked at private colleges in CA? You might have a more balanced and realistic list that way – look at University of San Francisco, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount. Also try to get those SAT/ACTs up – consider a tutor! Pre-med is science and math heavy, so make sure those grades go up as well. Good Luck!
Also wanted to state that you need to look at more than just OOS tuition. Cost of attendance for OOS admits is around $60K/year for tuition/books/housing for the UC’s and around $36-40K/year for the Cal States. You will not be able to establish in-state residency until you and your parents live in CA for more than 366 days prior to you attending these CA schools, so expect to pay the higher costs for around 1-2 years of your undergrad until you can establish residency. Even moving to CA Senior year will not give you a head start on establishing residency since you derive your residency status from your parents. You will all need to be living in CA.
Fullerton will probably accept you. I think the only UC you have shot at is UCM.
There are a total of 32 UC and CSU campuses, which vary widely in popularity and admissions difficulty.
Some campuses in attractive urban locations have very competitive admissions. These schools may have caps on the number of out-of-staters, so out-of-staters have to meet particularly high standards.
On the other hand, other campuses are located in unsexy parts of the state, like inland agricultural areas or the uncool parts of big cities. Many of these campuses have relatively easy admissions, and may be happy to take almost out-of-stater that applies, so that they can get the extra tuition dollars.
You probably have a shot at the less popular UCs, and at most CSUs except Cal Poly SLO.
As noted above, the private universities in California do provide financial aid to out-of-staters. The net cost of attendance at a private school could be competitive with non-resident tuition at a state school.