How can I improve my chances to get into UCLA?Answered
Hello! I'm a junior in high school, and soon I'll be a senior. My dream schools are UGA and UCLA, but I'm worried that my stats aren't very competitive. I currently have a 3.40 weighted GPA, 6 honors classes, and 2 AP's, but I plan to take 1 more my senior year. My extracurriculars so far consist of 3 years of marching band, 6 years of piano, district honor band, advanced wind ensemble, which is my school's high school band, volunteer work at a counseling center near me, and I'm currently in the process of making an online community for teenagers in grief. The reason my GPA is low is because I had a rough sophomore year due to losing my mom. I plan to major in either psychology or journalism/communications. I would like any advice to help improve my chances and make my application better. I should note that my school doesn't offer many clubs, and it's very rigorous academically. I appreciate ya'll in advance.
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1 answer
Hey there @mariposa_15!
Firstly, I'm so sorry about your mom. Colleges will understand a slip in grades due to grief, and you can explain this in the 'additional information' section of your Common App application. Secondly, you're doing a great job challenging yourself with a rigorous courseload, and your extracurriculars also sound great.
My biggest recommendation is to make a fail-proof study method and iron out your time management skills to be able to balance your ECs, classes, and college applications in the upcoming semester. If your school has an academic support counselor, consider asking them if they have any tips on how to balance all of the aspects of your life. Try to get as much actual homework done on the weekends and free nights as you can so you have more time during free periods to focus on studying. Doing well in your AP classes will boost your weighted GPA, so focus on applying yourself and asking questions in those classes. Use resources on YouTube, Khan Academy, NoRedInk, Kuta Software, and Quizlet to maximize your knowledge.
Your GPA isn't everything: focus on writing amazing college essays and supplementals for your applications, and put extra time and effort into your ECs over the summer. Colleges want more than perfect grades, so make sure your ECs are up to par. If you have not yet taken the SAT or ACT, consider taking it in the early fall or over the summer to further supplement your application. If you haven't started to consider teachers for letters of recommendation yet, now would also be a good time to start doing that. Come up with a list of a few STEM and humanities teachers who you know could write you solid letters.
Lastly, remember to take time to breathe. Your ECs are great and your grades are solid, so now's the time to make that final push for college. You've got this! Good luck!
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Thank you so much! Your comment was very encouraging.