college admissions?

Question

i am a junior in high school. i have taken 1 ap class-ap world history my sophomore yr, and unfortunately i didnt do as well as i expected. this yr (my junior yr) i have taken no ap classes. next yr, my senior yr, i am taking ap calc, ap bio, ap eng, and maybe ap american gov. i got a score of 1680 on my SAT, and a score of 430 on my SAT 2 chem. i am going to maybe retake that, take my SAT again for the 3rd time next week, and also take the SAT 2 in bio. i really want to get into UC berkeley. i have the passion, and i am hopeful. I do a lot of community service too. do i have what it takes? what can i do to make myself stand out amongst other applicants. do i have a chance? please help me! thanks so much!

Answer 1

OUCH, those scores are not the best for Berkeley.
Personally, I got into Berkeley this year.
My scores were:
-800 for SAT2 mathIIc
-740 for SAT2 us history
-2030 for SAT
-33 on the ACT
Community service consisted of key club, red cross, nhs, csf, and other clubs. I also volunteered at the local theatre and library.
Leadership in FBLA, key club.


First off, for all the UCs, you MUST complete your a-g requirements. That is a definite to get into a UC.
Second, you must have the scores. The SATs, APs, and any other test scores do count.
Third off, the essays. They are important, but personally, they have so many applicants to get through that the essays that they read are a small percentage of those who actually applied.
Fourth, you have to have community service AND leadership qualities. The competition for Berkeley is very hard and those things will set you apart from the rest.
Fifth, I do believe the awards section will put you apart from the rest. Academic and extracurricular awards can set you apart from other applicants.

Do you have what it takes?
Maybe. There are those people who dont do that well and still get in, but with those scores there are no promises. Even with high scores there are no promises to get into Berkeley, just a better chance. There are also people who get recruited by Berkeley for their sports. I don't know your full story so I cant tell you.
What can you do to make yourself stand out?
Write brilliant essays. Make sure you complete your a-g requirements. Get your scores up somehow. Personally I think the ACT is a very good test to take. Think about taking that test.
Do you have a chance?
Well it also depends on what nationality you are. I know it sounds racist, but it is true. The more of a minority you are, the more likely you are to be accepted into Berkeley. Your classes in senior year will definitely boost you, but you have to do well in them. The fact that you've only taken 1 ap does suggest that you are not ready for college.

Good luck, but also dont stress out.
There are alternative ways to get into Berkeley.
You can take a bridge course from the community colleges in California and still be able to transfer into Berkeley.
Other UC schools are just as good. LA, Irvine, San Diego.
Dont worry, and if you dont get in, maybe its not the school for you.

Answer 2

Your SAT score is extremely low, and I doubt they'll consider anyone with such a low score unless they were an athlete. And your SAT scores are averaged by a lot of top univs., so retaking won't bring them up to anything significant (even if you did get a perfect 2400, you'll still be at 1800, which is on the low end).
I don't doubt that you have the passion (and neither will the admissions committees I guess)...what I do doubt is whether you'll be able to cope in a classroom of people who have demonstrated academic superiority. Scores don't lie that much...and you'll be hard-pressed to keep up with other kids...most of the kids at Berkeley find it challenging despite some excellent highschool preparation.....if you don't get int, then just try to do as well as possible in wherever you end up going, and perhaps you can get in as a grad student.

Answer 3

You don't say your GPA but if it matches your SAT scores I'd say that Berkeley is too much of a reach school for you. An SAT of 1680 is just a hair above average, and 430 in chem is obviously not too good, below average.

There are a whole string of good California universities. So, if Berkeley is your reach school, you need to be sure that you apply to a couple CSU campuses for safety schools, and a couple other UCs for near reach schools. It is better to be in a school that matches your numbers than to be in a school that is too tough for you.

Answer 4

Well, what it takes is persistence, and you seem to have that. Never be satisfied! Strive to make the best grades you can in the AP classes you are taking next semester and take your SAT again, if nothing else, for good measure. As long as you keep trying to better yourself, you should do great! Keep doing community service and be as involved as possible in extracurricular activities! Doing all these things are the formula for getting into the college of your choice!