Can I get into UCLA with these grades?

Original post by Sunset891

Hey,

I have moved your thread to a more appropriate forum. :smile:

Also, have a read of the pinned posts in this forum.

Good luck!
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Reply 2

Student403

19

Original post by Sunset891

Hey,

So for GCSEs I got:
A* A* A* A* A A B B C

I am interested in the universities (in order):

1) UCLA
2) UC Berkely
3) Columbia
4) NYU

I plan on getting A*s in my A levels and a high SAT mark, and I also do loads of sports and music as hobbies. Do you think I would have a chance of getting in to any of these universities, or should I just give up?

Hard to say, tbh. Your GCSEs could be better, and we don't even know what your A Level grades or SAT score are. Also it's not about the quantity of your ECAs. It's about how well you do them and what level you can take them to.

Reply 3

username2692395

OP

17

I am national level lacrosse and squash, and I do grade 8 piano and trombone. Do you think that would help?

Reply 4

username2322123

5

Yeh, i think so. Just keep up with the good work
:console:

Reply 5

Original post by Sunset891

I am national level lacrosse and squash, and I do grade 8 piano and trombone. Do you think that would help?

Instrument playing may help, but not much. The national level sports will be of more interest.

If you are interested in playing lacrosse throughout university, there's a lot more opportunities on the East Coast (and potential scholarships), rather than on the West Coast.

Reply 6

almannac

7

btw I heard that UCLA are apparently less likely to accept international applicants cuz they are a state uni or something. U might want to check that. Best to apply to private unis.

Reply 7

Student403

19

Original post by Sunset891

I am national level lacrosse and squash, and I do grade 8 piano and trombone. Do you think that would help?

Original post by zombiejon

Instrument playing may help, but not much. The national level sports will be of more interest.

If you are interested in playing lacrosse throughout university, there's a lot more opportunities on the East Coast (and potential scholarships), rather than on the West Coast.

Jon's right. Focus on the sport and look for scholarships and, if you're really good, you might even consider applying as an athlete

Original post by almannac

btw I heard that UCLA are apparently less likely to accept international applicants cuz they are a state uni or something. U might want to check that. Best to apply to private unis.

That applies to out of state residents. International students make up 12% or so of the undergrad population, a figure similar to that at many private universities so it doesn't really matter.

Reply 8

username2692395

OP

17

Original post by Student403

Jon's right. Focus on the sport and look for scholarships and, if you're really good, you might even consider applying as an athlete

That applies to out of state residents. International students make up 12% or so of the undergrad population, a figure similar to that at many private universities so it doesn't really matter.

Thanks! Also, do UCLA look more at lacrosse or rowing? I do both and I'm currently better at lacrosse, but my rowing has been rapidly improving.

Reply 9

Student403

19

Original post by Sunset891

Thanks! Also, do UCLA look more at lacrosse or rowing? I do both and I'm currently better at lacrosse, but my rowing has been rapidly improving.

I'm not too sure of that, sorry! From the looks of it they have a Varsity women's rowing team but not a lacrosse team that competes in NCAA. They seem to have club lacrosse though.

So if you were to apply as an athlete (hope you know what that means?) you'd have to apply to join the rowing team.

Reply 10

Original post by Sunset891

Thanks! Also, do UCLA look more at lacrosse or rowing? I do both and I'm currently better at lacrosse, but my rowing has been rapidly improving.

If you are specifically looking at lacrosse and rowing schools, check out these page on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_lacrosse#NCAA_Women.27s_Lacrosse and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_rowing_(United_States)#Conferences_.28partial_list.29). It has a list of the conferences, and which schools have which sports. For the big name West Coast schools with lacrosse, there's the option of Stanford, USC, Oregon, and Cal (Berkeley). Those 4 schools will be leaving the MPSF in 2017, probably going to the Pac-12 (Stanford, USC and Cal have rowing teams too).

As a rule of thumb, Ivy League schools will not provide any athletic scholarships. Stanford will only hand them out to people who are academically good enough to get into Stanford without athletics.

Here's a key thing if you are looking at an athletic scholarship - you cannot have, in any way or form, have been paid or sponsored to play. If you were sponsored for lacrosse, you can't join a NCAA team. Team sponsorships might be something else, but you'll be better off talking to recruiting officers about that. D1 schools will offer scholarships, whereas DII and DIII schools will not.

Reply 11

Doones

Original post by zombiejon

As a rule of thumb, Ivy League schools will not provide any athletic scholarships. Stanford will only hand them out to people who are academically good enough to get into Stanford without athletics.

Isn't that a rule for NCAA athletes generally? Or at least that athletes must maintain a high academic standard...?

Reply 12

username738914

Original post by jneill

Isn't that a rule for NCAA athletes generally? Or at least that athletes must maintain a high academic standard...?

Not really. Some NCAA I and II schools lower their bar quite considerably for scholarship students - usually the really large state schools.

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Reply 13

Doones

Original post by Princepieman

Not really. Some NCAA I and II schools lower their bar quite considerably for scholarship students - usually the really large state schools.

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Ah I'm sure I read it for Stanford and I think UM and presumed it was the same everywhere.

Thanks.

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Reply 14

CrimsonDucati

10

Ucla and Berkeley have world class athletes. You need to be world class to get an athletic scholarship to either of them.College athletics is huge in America.Also, it does matter that you're international. You will need much higher scores as an international student. Here's the stats from UCLA For the 25th percentile;the avg score for international admits is almost 300 points higher than those of California admits. That's an enormous difference.http://www.admission.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/Frosh_Prof15.htm

Reply 15

Original post by CrimsonDucati

Ucla and Berkeley have world class athletes. You need to be world class to get an athletic scholarship to either of them.College athletics is huge in America.

Even if UCLA/Cal have world class athletes, the majority of the student athlete population there, and at other schools are not world class. As such, being a world class athlete is not required to get an athletic scholarship. If one had to be a world class athlete to get a scholarship, there would be very few athletic scholarships handed out. Here's the thing too - for sports like track and field, athletes may not be world class when they enter, but develop throughout college and become a world class athlete during their time there, or afterwards, thanks to the coaching system in place. I'm counting world class as being capable of competing in international tournaments, or in the highest tier of professional leagues like the NFL/NBA/NHL.

IIRC, Berkeley isn't even ranked nationally for lacrosse (RPI ranking of 78 with a 4-12 record), but took #2 in the latest rowing national competition. I'd say around a quarter of the Cal team has international/U23 rowing experience, or national championship experience. A number of them didn't get into rowing until college, which actually boosts OP's chances of getting onto the team, or being recruited.

Original post by jneill

Isn't that a rule for NCAA athletes generally? Or at least that athletes must maintain a high academic standard...?

They don't always have to have a high academic standard. I'm more familiar with the American football side - they usually have set study hours, and are very likely to have a tutor on hand to help out. The average student doesn't have the same degree of support.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 16

CrimsonDucati

10

There's no if, they do, especially UCLA

You must not have known that Lacrosse is not even considered a varsity sport at Cal. They don't have an intercollegiate team, so if the OP wants to play Lacrosse at Cal, there's no problem, but we're talking about getting an athletic scholarship

You do realize men's Crew/Rowing is not an actual NCAA sport? That means the sport is not supported by the school, aka no athletic scholarship, though maybe 1 or 2 players get help in other ways

If the OP is serious about getting an athletic scholarship to CAL or UCLA, yes, he's going to be have basically world class. Look at the varsity men's sports at both schools, and we see a majority of sports that the United States dominates or is near the top; basketball,baseball, american football, track and field, water polo, etc.

Original post by zombiejon

Even if UCLA/Cal have world class athletes, the majority of the student athlete population there, and at other schools are not world class. As such, being a world class athlete is not required to get an athletic scholarship. If one had to be a world class athlete to get a scholarship, there would be very few athletic scholarships handed out. Here's the thing too - for sports like track and field, athletes may not be world class when they enter, but develop throughout college and become a world class athlete during their time there, or afterwards, thanks to the coaching system in place. I'm counting world class as being capable of competing in international tournaments, or in the highest tier of professional leagues like the NFL/NBA/NHL.

IIRC, Berkeley isn't even ranked nationally for lacrosse (RPI ranking of 78 with a 4-12 record), but took #2 in the latest rowing national competition. I'd say around a quarter of the Cal team has international/U23 rowing experience, or national championship experience. A number of them didn't get into rowing until college, which actually boosts OP's chances of getting onto the team, or being recruited.

They don't always have to have a high academic standard. I'm more familiar with the American football side - they usually have set study hours, and are very likely to have a tutor on hand to help out. The average student doesn't have the same degree of support.

Reply 17