Want to get into the top UCs?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello. I graduated from Wilmer Amina Carter High School. I’m an ordinary, down-to-earth girl. I was accepted into UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Riverside, and several other universities. I’ve read a lot of threads that have been discouraging students from applying to their dreams schools. A lot of people exaggerate that you have to have a high SAT/ACT score and a 4.0 or higher to get into a school like UCLA. I’m posting this thread to give others an idea about their chances of getting into a UC, such as UCLA. However, I encourage everyone to apply to their dream school.</p>

<p>Here it goes, this is what I submitted on my UC Application. </p>

<p>GPA: 3.98 (3.6 unweighted) </p>

<p>SAT Score: 1730 (Math + Reading + Writing) </p>

<p>AP Classes/Honor-Level Courses:<br>
Sophomore Year - Chemistry HL
Junior Year - AP European History, AP US History, AP Physics, AP English Literature, Pre-Calculus HL
Senior Year - AP Government (One Semester), AP English Composition, AP Biology</p>

<p>Other Non A-G Courses: AVID 9, AVID 10, AVID 11 </p>

<p>College Prep-Programs: EAOP (Early Academic Outreach Program) </p>

<p>Community Service: A variety. I listed: Children’s Miracle Network, Ronald McDonald House (RMHC), CHS: Cross-Age Tutoring, “Save Our Beach” Clean Up, and Rotary Interact.</p>

<p>Work Experience: Baby Sitting (If you get paid for it, it’s a job!) </p>

<p>Extracurricular Activites: National Honor Society (NHS) Vice President, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) President, German Club, AP European History President </p>

<p>Tips: Universities, such as UCLA, love community service and leadership. I’ve been committed to community service for the entirety of my high school career. UCLA is a school that is founded on advocating leadership in the community, so if you’re a high school student, consider taking the initiative to create a program or become a dedicated member to an already existing one. Commitment is key. Challenge yourself in your classes. I have a 3.98 cumulative weight GPA, but my unweighted GPA is a 3.6. I struggled in my classes, but I worked hard to get at least a B in every AP/HL course I took. For those of you that have got a C and are worried about not getting into UCLA, STOP. I got a C in my Pre-Calculus course, it’s not the end of the world. The last thing I want to leave you with is tips on the personal statement.

  1. Answer the prompt
  2. Answer the prompt honestly
  3. Be yourself</p>

<p>Finally, good luck!</p>

2

<p>Congratulations on getting accepted at all of those schools!
Thanks for sharing your app with us.</p>

<p>It’s clear that you played an active role at your school, worked hard, took several challenging courses in high school, and are deeply committed to community service. Those were definitely the strengths of your application.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, did you do anything to prepare for the SAT?
For example, did you take a prep course, hire a tutor, etc.?</p>

<p>Have a great time in college…wherever you go!</p>

3

<p>Got accepted into UCLA and UC Berkeley (those were the only two I applied to). Here are my basic stats:</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.46 weighted</p>

<p>SAT Score: 2070 (610 R, 800 M, 660 W)</p>

<p>AP/Honors classes: AP Calculus AB, BC, Physics C, Language, Lit., Chemistry, Stats
Adv. Research Methods, Multi-variable calculus, AMC10-12</p>

<p>Community service/job experience: Volunteer at church, VBS, went to China for mission trip/teach English, NHS vice president, part-time math tutor</p>

<p>Extra-curricular activities/Awards: Natl. Scrabble Championship Div. 2 winner, USAMO qualifier, FIRST Robotics, orchestra</p>

<hr>

<p>Just like kathyandrade said, they do look for community service/leadership as well as other things. The top UC schools (top universities, in general) look for potential; something that shows the applicant is dedicated towards a certain field or area of study.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I had to reject the UC schools shortly after I got my acceptance letters :frowning: No financial aid, and the out-of-state tuition is nearly as much as MIT.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the post, we have completely different stats! It just shows that it’s possible to be different and still get in, thanks! :)</p>

5

<p>Bartleby, I was in AVID, and during junior year we focused a lot on prepping for the SAT. Most of the focus was on the Reading portion. I didn’t score very high, but I felt good coming out of the test. My SAT score was far above the average of my high school, so I feel like that worked to my advantage.</p>