Effort in Last Year of High School (For College...)

[XianForce]

Sorry if the topic seems cryptic, I couldn't really think of a good way to describe what I'm going to ask in the title.

But anyways here we go:

I'm nearing the end of my Junior year of High School, and I got a 4.5 GPA both semesters. I took a Practice SAT test (haven't taken the real thing yet), and my projected score was about 2000. So my counselor keeps telling me that I should apply to the University of California Berkeley (Yeah, I live in Cali...). I mean, thinking about it, I'm almost certain Berkeley has one of the top Computer Science programs in the country (I may be wrong though...), so that would be great to go there.

The problem I see, is I put absolutely no effort into Freshman and Sophomore year... I got an average GPA of 3.2 Freshman year, and an average GPA of 3.6 Sophomore year. So assuming I get a 4.5 GPA next year as well, my average HS GPA would be 3.95. But from my understanding, colleges won't even use my Senior scores for entrance (unless I do horrible, and they'd, perhaps, revoke my acceptance). So really, to them, my average HS GPA is more like 3.77.

So I've been planning on going to the local CSU to get General Ed out of the way, then try and transfer to Berkeley. But if I do this, my HS scores, along with SAT scores become irrelevant.

I don't want to put in a bunch of work and then NOT get accepted, that'd be a waste of time to me... But then again, I'd say much of you here are much more intelligent and wiser than I.

So should I just put in the work next year and get the 4.5? Or should I just take it easy (I'll still maintain at least an unweighted GPA of 3.6)?

For any who are curious, here's the courses I'm taking next year:

AP Calculus
AP Statistics
AP Government/Economy
AP Psychology
CP Literature (Yeah, I'm not a fan of english...)
Free Period

That's another thing that may 'harm' my acceptance, the free period. There are absolutely no open classes for me to take. My school is VERY new. In fact, I'll be the first graduating class. Any classes that I'm eligible for I've already taken. The only class that is open is AP Spanish 4 (For Native Speakers)... And I don't quite fit the bill haha.

[dandymcgee]

AP Calculus
AP Statistics
AP Government/Economy
AP Psychology
CP Literature (Yeah, I'm not a fan of english...)
Free Period

This was the first thing that stuck out to me. No college likes seeing "free period" on an applicant's schedule. Judging by your current projected workload you're already in over your head, so it shouldn't make much of a difference in how they consider you.

I would definitely recommend you apply to ALL of the schools you are interested in. It's always wise to have a backup school in case you don't make it into your dream school, but don't apply to only your backup... that defeats the purpose.

The biggest regret I have from applying for colleges is not getting a single rejection letter. I can't help but wonder how things might have worked out differently had I aimed a little higher. Don't get me wrong, I love my school, but it would still be nice to know for sure.

[eatcomics]

Dude just get it as high as you can :P

[XianForce]

AP Calculus
AP Statistics
AP Government/Economy
AP Psychology
CP Literature (Yeah, I'm not a fan of english...)
Free Period

This was the first thing that stuck out to me. No college likes seeing "free period" on an applicant's schedule. Judging by your current projected workload you're already in over your head, so it shouldn't make much of a difference in how they consider you.

I would definitely recommend you apply to ALL of the schools you are interested in. It's always wise to have a backup school in case you don't make it into your dream school, but don't apply to only your backup... that defeats the purpose.

The biggest regret I have from applying for colleges is not getting a single rejection letter. I can't help but wonder how things might have worked out differently had I aimed a little higher. Don't get me wrong, I love my school, but it would still be nice to know for sure.

Yeah, I didn't want a free period, but I don't have a choice. I don't think I'm 'in over my head' though. I had a much bigger workload this year, than I'll have next year.

I'm more than positive that if I transfer from the local CSU, I can get into Berkeley, and I don't want to pay such a large amount for GE, that's another reason why I just wanted to go to CSU.

It seemed this year, I didn't have much any spare time. I was always doing homework. I can do absolutely no homework in my classes and still pull As in math/science, and Bs in History/English, so I don't want to work my ass off if it comes to nothing, you know?

EDIT: Also, I wanted to take senior year easy, and give myself a break haha, then kick it into gear for CSU, so I can get a high GPA for when I transfer to Berkeley.

[Bakkon]

Take the AP exam for all of those courses. College credit now can pay off in the long run.

[RyanPridgeon]

If you wanna go there, you go for it man. Nobody is stopping you so just work hard and achieve your goals.

[XianForce]

Take the AP exam for all of those courses. College credit now can pay off in the long run.

Well yeah, I'm going to do that...

I think in all my long drawn out explanation, my question was lost...


Here is my question, plain and simple:

Is it worth putting the effort in to get the 4.5 GPA? Or should I use that time for other things (1/4 of a social life, more programming, playing guitar, etc)?

Even with this, I'll still take the AP exams, I just don't think getting that GPA is going to be worth it in the long run. Regardless of what my GPA next year is, I'll be accepted into the local CSU (considering I pass all my classes at least).

[schwarb]

I'm at the end of my junior year at UC Davis as a Computer Science student, having transferred at the beginning of the school year from a local community college. In high school I was too busy with playing and programming games to really care about any of my homework and I wound up with a pretty miserable GPA of 2.65. I had already decided that even though I wouldn't be able to get into a UC based on my high school performance, I was going to try my hardest to get into UC Davis by transferring. So for the next two years I worked my ass off at the community college (still programming for fun though!) and pulled off a 3.7 GPA. I was able to easily transfer to UC Davis through the transfer agreement (all of the UCs have this deal with community colleges). Now after my first year at UCD things are working out really well and I have no problem keeping up with students that have been here the whole time.

That said I wouldn't recommend that route to someone such as yourself who already has a great GPA for the junior year (colleges really do count that year the most). The fact that you improved as much as you did over previous years is a really big deal and I think you're pretty sure to get in.

One last thing I'll mention is that transferring from a CSU to UC is actually harder than going from a community college. Just something to think about.

[XianForce]

I'm at the end of my junior year at UC Davis as a Computer Science student, having transferred at the beginning of the school year from a local community college. In high school I was too busy with playing and programming games to really care about any of my homework and I wound up with a pretty miserable GPA of 2.65. I had already decided that even though I wouldn't be able to get into a UC based on my high school performance, I was going to try my hardest to get into UC Davis by transferring. So for the next two years I worked my ass off at the community college (still programming for fun though!) and pulled off a 3.7 GPA. I was able to easily transfer to UC Davis through the transfer agreement (all of the UCs have this deal with community colleges). Now after my first year at UCD things are working out really well and I have no problem keeping up with students that have been here the whole time.

That said I wouldn't recommend that route to someone such as yourself who already has a great GPA for the junior year (colleges really do count that year the most). The fact that you improved as much as you did over previous years is a really big deal and I think you're pretty sure to get in.

One last thing I'll mention is that transferring from a CSU to UC is actually harder than going from a community college. Just something to think about.

Wow, that's a good thing to think about. I just hate not having free time >.>... Feels like I'm always doing work... Never have time to program even =(.

EDIT: And, the only reason I'm bothering to go through CC and then transfer is to get into Berkeley, I don't really care for any of the other UCs. I have automatic entrance into all UCs except Berkeley, Davis, and LA (I think those are the 3...), because I'm like top 5% of my school or something. At least that's what my counselor tells me, but she's usually full of shit haha.

[X Abstract X]

The whole time I was reading this topic I just kept thinking "Wow, Canada's education system is such a joke". I'm from Canada and it's much more slack here.

Spread highschool over 5 years
Take all the free periods you want as long as you get the amount of credits to graduate
Only grade 12 grades matter (grade 11 count if you aren't staying in hs an extra year)
Don't take any AP courses
No SATs to take

Do that and you can still get into top Canadian schools for CS as long as you get like an 85% average (average of your 6 best University level courses) with a good math mark and a decent English mark.

[xiphirx]

I'm a senior, just about to graduate. My schedule is like so
1) Chemistry
2) Office Assistant (help the school office out, answer the phone etc, pretty much a free period)
3) Economics
4) AP English
5) Computer office tech (easy as fuck A)
I leave school early, 12:00PM. You can see that I took it really easy this year. I already made my mind up that I am going to CC then transferring. Something you want to inquire about is TAG. This is a program that is available at community colleges that guarantees acceptance into a UC (pretty much all of them). I am looking at UC Santa Cruz, and I'm getting involved in TAG. The only requirement, is that you maintain your GPA above a 3.00 or something like that. It doesn't look like you have a problem in that regard. I have a 4.00 GPA in college so far :D

Oh yeah, I have a regent scholar friend that got accepted to Berkley without much effort, and his schedule is easier than mine in terms of workload, are you a regents scholar?

[eatcomics]

The whole time I was reading this topic I just kept thinking "Wow, Canada's education system is such a joke". I'm from Canada and it's much more slack here.

Spread highschool over 5 years
Take all the free periods you want as long as you get the amount of credits to graduate
Only grade 12 grades matter (grade 11 count if you aren't staying in hs an extra year)
Don't take any AP courses
No SATs to take

Do that and you can still get into top Canadian schools for CS as long as you get like an 85% average (average of your 6 best University level courses) with a good math mark and a decent English mark.

I'm movin to canada...

[short]

The whole time I was reading this topic I just kept thinking "Wow, Canada's education system is such a joke". I'm from Canada and it's much more slack here.

Spread highschool over 5 years
Take all the free periods you want as long as you get the amount of credits to graduate
Only grade 12 grades matter (grade 11 count if you aren't staying in hs an extra year)
Don't take any AP courses
No SATs to take

Do that and you can still get into top Canadian schools for CS as long as you get like an 85% average (average of your 6 best University level courses) with a good math mark and a decent English mark.

I'm movin to canada...

never strive to be less, fuck canada.

[eatcomics]

I don't need to BE less, I just have to DO less :D

[XianForce]

I'm a senior, just about to graduate. My schedule is like so
1) Chemistry
2) Office Assistant (help the school office out, answer the phone etc, pretty much a free period)
3) Economics
4) AP English
5) Computer office tech (easy as fuck A)
I leave school early, 12:00PM. You can see that I took it really easy this year. I already made my mind up that I am going to CC then transferring. Something you want to inquire about is TAG. This is a program that is available at community colleges that guarantees acceptance into a UC (pretty much all of them). I am looking at UC Santa Cruz, and I'm getting involved in TAG. The only requirement, is that you maintain your GPA above a 3.00 or something like that. It doesn't look like you have a problem in that regard. I have a 4.00 GPA in college so far :D

Oh yeah, I have a regent scholar friend that got accepted to Berkley without much effort, and his schedule is easier than mine in terms of workload, are you a regents scholar?

Nope =/.