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So it's that time of the year again when college apps are important. This is my senior year of high school and I've already done some essays such as personal statement. However, one thing I never really thought of is : Can I even get into the colleges I chose??
Well first of all, I'm asian but I didn't do so hot in school.
My weighted GPA for all 4 years is a 4.0 so I'm not sure what kind of schools I can get into...
My SAT Score is 2010 and ACT score is 31 Composite Score. (Still not sure which one to use)
I'm thinking of applying to Harvey Mudd College and UCLA/UC Berkely as a computer science major.
I don't really know any other good colleges for my major and my test scores that would almost "definitely" take me in.
I barely have any leadership positions at school which I see may become a huge problem.
For SAT2's I've take the Lit,US history, and Math ones.
Hmm In total, I've taken a total of 11 AP classes including senior year. Didn't get all A's of course...
I'm just wondering how bad the admissions process is and what kind of colleges I "might" be able to get into cuz like I read a thread from last year's admissions and it didn't look so good for me and my grades...
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It seems like you did pretty hot...
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apply to all of the lower UCs you can see yourself going to like SD, SB, Davis, Irvine, etc if you're in California. No affirmative action in public unis.
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Weighted as in A in an honors class = 5.0?
Colleges don't care about weighted GPA. They look at it unweighted.
But with those credentials you should be able to get into the schools you want no problem. Just beast mode out some essays and work on good teacher relationships.
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The problem is my unweighted GPA i think is pitiful LOL
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
On September 12 2011 08:26 xHassassin wrote:
Weighted as in A in an honors class = 5.0?
Colleges don't care about weighted GPA. They look at it unweighted.
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This is completely false, because college admissions care about how far you pushed yourself within the limits of your school. In that sense, 11APs and let's say 3.6 unweighted is MUCH better than zero APs and 3.6 unweighted. (fwiw 11APs is more than what many Ivy league students will have taken)
IMO you will have a good shot at those three schools you listed. Try asking Day[9] what sorts of numbers / extracurriculars he had when he applied to Harvey Mudd.
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Hmm. What about a school such as Carnegie Mellon?
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There's a bit of context missing 4.0/5.0 doesn't sound too impressive and neither do your standardized test scores, but you took 11 AP's. Either way college confidential can give you a slightly accurate reading of how likely you'll get into your selected schools.
In the end, don't worry too much. It may seem like a big deal which school you go to now, and it probably is, but your success does not hinge on going to them.
edit: If memory serves, Berkeley looks like a reach.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
Carnegie CS?
Best CS program in the country, so it's very competitive.
I agree that you shouldn't fret too much. You seem like a sharp guy who is willing to push yourself, so having the right attitude and planning towards your postsecondary learning (I plan to write about this soon so be on the look out) will be far more important than the college itself.
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Well I'm not really fretting but as you know with Asians its the parents LOL
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Provided you are a cali resident, you will hit a UC for sure, which are all decent and will get you places provided you put in the work. UCSD is a "lower" but still great school. UCI and UCSB maybe laughing stocks but still, rank up there among all the schools in the nation. My 4.0 got me into all the UC's (back in the days so probably its harder nowadays) but from all the students I've met, the numbers are everywhere as are the extra circulars. You never know what may happen.
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I'm pretty sure UCSD is getting undue crap in here. It's the third ranked UC.
Every UC below Berkeley and LA you have a pretty good chance at. There's a good number of smaller private schools that you could hit, shop around. The big names aren't always the best choices. Undergraduate programs tend to be pretty similar if the schools are ranked closely together.
But honestly, just apply. Unless the application fees are a concern, apply where you want to go with a few safe bets. My biggest regret is that I sold myself short on reaches, so I actually got into every school I applied to, but none of them were that good because I thought I was worse than I was.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
On September 12 2011 09:02 psp219 wrote:
Well I'm not really fretting but as you know with Asians its the parents LOL
haha condolances.
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On September 12 2011 08:15 Sorter wrote:
It seems like you did pretty hot...
I initialy thought this was a troll post as he did pretty good but its a known fact that to get in as an asian american is a lot harder then a non asian american.
A degree doesn't define you as a better person going to a normal university is still going to get you the job you want.
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Hmm so do i even have a chance at LA/berkeley?
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
On September 12 2011 09:59 psp219 wrote:
Hmm so do i even have a chance at LA/berkeley?
yes
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what I've learned over the years is to just apply for all the top schools. yep, all. if you apply then you'll have a chance at getting in. I can't really tell you what your chances are at getting in LA/Cal, since it is definitely more competitive each year...
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On September 12 2011 09:59 psp219 wrote:
Hmm so do i even have a chance at LA/berkeley?
You certainly have a chance. It's just not going to be a guarantee.
Nothing is, really, so yes.
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You have a good shot, I advise you try studying and retaking your SATs or ACT (whichever you feel more comfortable with). It's not a big deal, but this part of your app could use the biggest boost right now considering the time frame you have. You can't really ADD extracurriculars or classes at this point. You have a lot of APs so, your overall GPA w/ regards to what you've taken is quite strong.
You mentioned nothing about extracurriculars, but I hope you at least have an internship or two under your belt along w/ any science or math competitions you may have done. Make it clear what you did outside of school to show that you're interested in CS.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I made both LA and Berkeley last year (for EECS)
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I have 2 internships. One with a car design company and one for music (latin texts). I've also played Chinese bamboo flute for 3 years and piano for 12 years. Also I have 250+ community service hours.
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EPT
