<p>I’m a high school sophomore from the Bay Area who wants to know more about UCSD. What is the ideal minimum GPA and SAT score to be accepted? How much should I be involved in extracurricular activities? Is the campus location convenient? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Oh, and I forgot to add that I’d also appreciate any more comments or advice on UCSD like their food or the parties and everything else!</p>
<p>you’re a bit young but instead of looking for “minimum” to get in try to get above median to secure a spot.
try to get above a 4.0 and 2000 sat and you should be good.
extra c’s dont matter as much as some people think just do stuff that you’re interested in that won’t get in the way of schoolwork.</p>
<p>UCSD is an amazing school</p>
<p>This is a pretty good indication of what you need: <a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2012/fall_2012_admissions_chart2.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/2012/fall_2012_admissions_chart2.pdf</a>
It is always better to aim higher than the average.
I can’t really say what EC and how much of it would be good; that kind of thing is hard to quantify. </p>
<p>As for location convenience, that is also hard to say. On-campus pretty much has all the essential stuff you need. But if you need to go off-campus and you don’t have a car, there’s a free local public transport system for UCSD students to use. It takes you to a good amount of locations, and pretty far too. However, if you have a car, I heard that it is hell to find a parking on-campus so that is something to be mindful. I am not sure about other fields, but there is a good number of chem and bio labs in the la jolla area that might be useful when looking for a part-time or internship.
Oh, and we are really close to the beach. Like REALLY close.</p>
<p>So far I like being at UCSD, or at least don’t feel negative about it.</p>
<p>Since coming here I’ve learned that GPA/SAT wasn’t everything, which was the opposite of what I was told in high school. I’m under the impression that class rank is now more important than GPA and SATs, so I’m not gonna list GPA/SAT numbers you should aim for, but instead you should try to be in the top 10% of your class. Higher GPA/SATs don’t hurt you though.</p>
<p>As for ECs, the only real advice I could give is to do what you enjoy and show commitment over a long period of time. Quality > quantity.</p>
<p>The campus location is umm… not a college town but I guess it’s still pretty convenient. You can get everything you need on campus but CVS/restaurants/the mall are a 5 minute drive away. You can also take the buses there for free with your ID card. Also, the beaches are right off campus so that’s always nice. Pair that with the decent weather we usually get and we’re pretty spoiled. Campus is really large though so if you don’t like to walk a lot, bring a bike. </p>
<p>You may hear rumors about UCSD being socially dead and that’s partially true since a lot of people leave on the weekend. If you went streaking on early Sunday mornings nobody would be around to see you. But aside from that, people are really outgoing–you just have to meet the right people and join the right clubs. Don’t expect to make friends easily if you don’t put effort into it (This applies everywhere).</p>
<p>One last thing: when you apply, you’re encouraged to list the six colleges in your order of preference. Take this seriously and do your research because contrary to whatever the tour guides/admissions people tell you, not all colleges are equal. The people may be the same throughout, but some colleges have much harder GEs, making it harder to graduate in four years.</p>