@ucbalumnus I did apply to a couple UCs but I’m kind of nervous because I didn’t do so well on the essay as I’m point off from the 25th percentile for the essay section. But, my overall SAT was fine and if you drop my freshman grades, then my GPA goes up to i think a 3.85. I don’t know how UCLA or UCB would look at this. I’m only concerned with those because that’s where I applied and I think they have specified a 3.0 with nothing lower than a C.
I haven’t made any schedule changes this year so no worries there. What kind of drop in the last semester GPA would be considered “too risky”? The quote on my first post about not getting three or more Cs, a D or an F comes from the University of Michigan. I know a .1 one drop isn’t going to lead to anything but generally speaking, what should I maintain for any institution like MIT(I didn’t apply here), ivies and other top institutions? Would a 3.5 still keep me safe?