Appeals

I am in the making of writing an appeals section, and will be getting help from my friend who appealed to the UC schools and got into a few of them. He finally decided UCD, and I am proud that his method actually worked. Not much has been discussed about appeals except for the basics so maybe he will update this page about everything you guys need know.

What makes a strong candidate???

A strong candidate is a person who is well rounded. This means you should do well in both schools and join social groups or other types of clubs to understand your own passions. Many people I have spoke with claim, for example, that Boy Scouts can't get them into a college. The point isn't that Boy Scouts can't get you into college, but that you must do more then Boy Scouts alone and maintain a good GPA and SAT score to also be considered. So remember that when you go to apply, do not just focus on one tool to help you into college. Utilize your whole arsenal because you need whatever it takes to get in.

Update

I haven't had much time to come here because Berkeley midterms kick butt. Anyways, I am glad to help you with any questions. You can ask them below. Jim W asked what books I would recommend for the SAT. I mentioned my favorites already which include College Board's Blue Book, Princeton Review's large SAT book, and Princeton Review's Word Smart. I can discuss them in the future, but at all costs get College Board's Blue Book.

Question - ACT and SAT Scores

I just received my December ACT scores, and they are lower than my SAT scores. Will this hurt me? Or will the UCs choose my higher score between the two?

No. The UC will take the higher of the two scores. Just make sure you haven't taken the test more than 3 times.

How do I get accepted to UC Berkeley

It is easy to see the steps:

1. Become the average
2. Do great extracurricular activities
3. Write a great essay!
4. Fill in your application completely and on time

However, not everyone can do this because there are many challenges involved. I have written this blog to help you with FAQ so check out my posts!

Will the UCs deny my application if i send my satI and II scores late??

Definitely not! As long as you send your scores before the first week of January or have them postmarked by Dec. 31, you scores will get accepted. They would probably deny your application if you didn't fill in any scores or anything else, and you finally decided to send them the information.

The Kindle Version is now out!

Kindle Book

Squidoo Has a section of the book!

http://www.squidoo.com/ucadmitme

Do UC's care about my senior year grades once I've been accepted?

Yes. The UC colleges want you to get above a D, so please maintain all C's or higher. In some circumstance, UC's will revoke their decision if your grades are bad.

What is ELC, and how does it allow people to get their acceptance notices early?

ELC refers to Eligibility in Local Context. The top 4 percent of students in each participating California high school class receives this letter that guarantees acceptance to sevearal colleges but does not include UCB or UCLA. Basically if you get the letter and apply to these colleges, you can get your acceptance earlier.

For more information you can visit the official website. http://www.ucop.edu/sas/elc/

Requirements for ELC:
# Graduate from high school with a UC GPA of 3.0 or higher
# Complete all coursework requirements for freshman admission by the end of senior year
# Take two SAT Subject Tests and either the ACT Assessment plus Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test no later than December of senior year of high school.
# Apply to the University by the November 30 application deadline