The University of California - Santa Barbara

“In high school I took seven AP classes, fulfilledNov 01 2014Sociology
In high school I took seven AP classes, fulfilled 100+ hours of community service since I was in 5th grade, I was the president of a club, I played soccer, I was in the advanced orchestra, I was in ASB, and I was involved with many other extracurriculars. I recommend that you spend a lot of time on your personal statement and try to take as many AP courses as you can while managing an A or a B in each AP course.
Female

“Strong personal statement and pretty good GPA / testJul 28 2014Psychology
Strong personal statement and pretty good GPA / test scores
ACT: 32 SAT: 1830 Female

“I received a 2160 on my SAT, took severalJan 30 2014Political Science
I received a 2160 on my SAT, took several AP classes and passed the accompanying AP tests, and graduated from high school with a 4.4 cumulative GPA in 2013. Like most universities, extracurricular activities and a good essay helps with acceptance.
SAT: 2160 Female

“I actually applied to UCSB as a backup withoutFeb 14 2012Communications
I actually applied to UCSB as a backup without even visiting the campus. I attended a very competitive prep school and was definitely qualified to attend the school. What I liked about it was the personalities of the students and the friendliness of the campus.

What should you do to get in? Participate in as many extracurricular as you can while still maintaining a good GPA and achieving good test scores. Our campus prides ourselves on a good balance of life and work. Our students leave school ready to attack the world because of both their performance in the classroom and their ability to communicate well with others.
Female

“I applied to get inNov 05 2011Biology
I applied to get in. As in out-of-state student, you are at a serious disadvantage because the UCs will accept in-staters above all others. I managed to get in (from MA) because I was shooting for the ivy-league schools...meaning I had a 4.3 GPA, took a course at a local university, was in band,marching band, wind ensemble, pit orchestra, national honor society, key club, had an internship at the Broad Institute (combined lab of Harvard and MIT) junior year of HS, took the most challenging courses my schedule would allow, got an honorable mention at a regional science fair, etc. Good-luck out-of-staters =)
SAT: 1720 Female