students who got accepted into UCLA or Berkeley with a low GPA and not so good SAT scores, how did u get in?

Question

Did u have a lot of extracurricular activities, lot of volunteer hours, damn good essay....i'd like to know.

oh, and i dont plan or am going to a community college no matter what.

Answer 1

Sometimes students are accepted into college on a conditional basis. Usually if while in high school they faced certain challenges that made it difficult for the student to succeed. For me, it was a Mother who was very ill and two little brothers who I had to babysit. My GPA was very low, and my Dad refused to pay for the SAT. I had very little hope of ever going to school after high school. I eventually went to a state school (which was also a community college) who accepted me conditional, I did very well as a part time student who worked full-time and still helped with the care of my brothers. Eventually I went to a University and graduated with honorable mention. Thank God someone gave me a second chance.


***Comment: So what is wrong with a community college? It is a cheap way to earn elective credit and to get basic courses out of the way. Plus, you can use it to show the universities who rejected you that they made a big mistake. Also, just because you start at a community college does not mean you have to finish there.
At the one I went to, you could earn a respectable degree from either Indiana u or Purdue. Purdue is a very respectable institution. Also since there was a top college in the area, some of the professors who taught at a top 15 school (in the world) were also working at the community college for extra money. So you can get a top dollar education at a community college. Plus, you can use the time in a community college to boost your GPA. Work hard to get the 4.0 and get involved and other colleges with fight for you. Which could lead to scholarships and grants. It also looks great when you can put on a resume that you worked full-time while you attended school part-time and earned a 4.0 while participating in campus activities.

Answer 2

Sorry, but there's a minimum level you should attain for grades and SAT scores...since those are the 2 main things UCLA and Berkeley look at. If you look on collegeboard.com, it has all the statistics of past admitted students. I think most people who got admitted into those schools got at least a 2000 on their SATs and had at least a 3.75 GPA. I was admitted into both (i'm going to UCLA by the way this fall...so excited! =)) and I also think a strong essay helps A LOT. Write about something you're passionate about. Hmm I don't think extracurriculars matter too much, as long as you're involved in a few things. Try to get some leadership roles too...hope this helps!

Answer 3

There are plenty of universities that will give you a chance with your qualifications. Berkeley is not one of them. Go to a community college and get your GPA up. Once you get your GPA up, it is always important to sell yourself properly when you are writing your letter of interest. Do your research on the university and act like you know something about the faculity. Also, this is your chance to tell them why your GPA wasn't so high. If you have a good GPA in Community college then your high school GPA doesn't mean anything. I barely got out of high school. I went to community college did alright and now I am a masters student.

*edit* If your high school GPA is low, what makes you think you will be able to go from high school to university? I am positive that one day you can be able to make the transition, but it's would be wise to get tuned up at a community college.

Answer 4

The few people who get into those schools are normally only getting in to fill a quota. If you're just a normal middle class person with those scores then look at a different school. Also keep in mind that if you go to a 2 year comunity collage you'll pay far less for the first two years, get your degree faster, and when you go to the four year you'll get in for sure as you already proved that you can do collage work.

You seem to think a little to highly of yourself... maybe a bit full of yourself. There's a reason collages don't let people in with low scores, they aren't god students and are probably just a waste of time.

Answer 5

Sorry. You have no hope if your GPA is under a 3.3 and have a not-so-hot SAT score. There are 1000s of applicants with a high GPA, high SAT score and oodles of extracurricular activities who don't get in.

Answer 6

- apply to one of the colleges that have higher acceptance rates. UC Berkeley has many colleges (engineering, chemistry, letters and science, natural resources, etc)

- if you are rejected, appeal the decision. i've seen students get in for reasons you might not expect ("my brother goes to berkeley and my family can't afford to pay rent for both of us")

- clubs won't help you much if your grades are low. most students are already in clubs.

Answer 7

I'd say they were athletes or their families donated large sums of money to the schools.