2015 Application Questions, Comments, and Support

Transfer Students UC Transfers
21

<p>@Cayton‌ </p>

<p>I’ve heard the exact opposite :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

22

<p>I think there is a bit of truth to that only because many of the popular professors are Social Psychologists (Oliver John, Serena Chen, and Dacher Keltner.) Regardless, the first three lectures of Psych 1 at Berkeley covers the biological bases of mind and behavior and the Cognitive, Biological, and Clinical courses seem to be more of a biological emphasis.</p>

23

<p>@ocnative‌ </p>

<p>I remember reading somewhere on the UCLA website that they kind of lump psychology in with the life sciences rather than the social sciences.</p>

24

<p>Looks like it’s true!</p>

<p><a href=“Social Sciences | Departments and Programs | Social Sciences”>http://socialsciences.ucla.edu/departments&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.lifesciences.ucla.edu/departments.html”>http://www.lifesciences.ucla.edu/departments.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>UCLA description:
The Department of Psychology employs systematic methods of inquiry to study and explain human and animal behavior, both normal and abnormal, in terms of a variety of underlying variables, including neural, physiological, and cognitive processes; developmental factors and individual differences; and social and interpersonal influences and contexts.</p>

<p>UC Berkeley description: </p>

<p>The Psychology Department at Berkeley reflects the diversity of our discipline’s mission covering 5 key areas of research: Behavioral Neuroscience; Change, Plasticity & Development; Clinical Science; Cognition, Brain, & Behavior; and Social-Personality Psychology. Despite the existence of these specialization areas, our program learning goals focus on fostering methodological, statistical and critical thinking skills that are not tied to any one particular content area in psychology but are relevant for all of them. </p>

<p>All the same ■■■■.</p>

25

<p>Most of my app is pretty much filled in, left the Scholarships, EC’s, and Personal Statement sections blank for the mean time. I manually entered my courses taken since the tap wouldn’t work for me either btw.</p>

<p>Left with a few early questions:

  1. Does it matter if I put A or A+, it counts as 4 either way correct?
  2. I’ll have 51 units after Fall and I only have one class tentatively put in for Spring; I’m guessing I should add a couple more even if I don’t take them just to show 60+ planned right?
  3. Is it true that only UCLA & Berkeley take the personal statement into admission consideration, and the other UC’s only use it for scholarships sake?
  4. I think I read somewhere that Private HS’s don’t give out CA State Student ID’s; it says optional anyways, so it shouldn’t hurt me at all right? but if it’s recommended, I can e-mail my HS counselor.</p>

<p>Merci.</p>

26

<ol>
<li>Yes, the grade matters. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT put A+ if your school didn’t give out pluses or minuses.</li>
<li>What you put in for spring 2015 doesn’t matter since you will be submitting an academic update in January 2015 that reflects your real spring schedule. But yeah, just put a few filler classes for spring right now for the 60+ units.</li>
<li> UCB, UCLA, UCI, and UCM consider personal statements for admissions decisions, at least those were the only 4 schools for the 2014-2015 school year cycle. It’s very most likely the same this year. Could provide source if requested, too lazy to dig it out right now.</li>
<li>Doesn’t matter. If you have it, put it in, if you don’t, big whoop.</li>
</ol>

27

<p>Ok I figured, inputted em as ‘A’, just wanted to make sure they’re still 4 and not 3.75 or w/e when calculating gpa.
Thanks for the help, adding fillers for spring and not really worrying about UCI or UCM. </p>

28

<p>@calbro‌ </p>

<p>Well, there it is; UCLA considers psychology a life science. :)</p>

<p><a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/files/admissions/12626_5.info_transadm.pdf”>http://students.berkeley.edu/files/admissions/12626_5.info_transadm.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>^According to this, psychology is in the social sciences division at Berkeley.</p>

<p>Interesting.</p>

29

<p>Re: PS, at this point I think it has become so confusing as to what they are doing, just make sure it’s good. Transfer matrix says UCB, UCLA, UCI and UCM look at PS for things besides scholarships. Then I was at a UC counselors seminar and they said only UCB and UCLA look at it during admissions. They were firm on that. Then somewhere else UCD wrote they will look at them for transfers (even though matrix says they don’t)… So the message is, who the hell knows anymore. And you do need good ones for scholarship consideration.</p>

<p>So while I think in general only UCB and UCLA look at them with more than a passing glance, the others may look if they feel the need.</p>

30

<p>To add the what @lindyk8‌ said- Other schools may use them for students they’re on the fence about. So wile some students may get into a school or rejected from a school without their statement being read, others in the bubble may get reviewed. So like lindyk8 said, who the hell knows anymore!</p>

31

<p>I actually do think they should make it clearer. Why not just say everyone looks at them and call it a day…</p>

32

<p>To add to this discussion, I too have heard the gamut. Some say they will look at PS if someone is borderline, than another campus had a Q+A where they said they don’t look ever, it only goes to scholarships.</p>

<p>Another odd part if you really think about it: UCB and UCLA are always the two that everyone says reads them, but really, until now, UCLA was not holistic, it was all about numbers. So UCLA is really the campus that should not have cared about essays at all.</p>

<p>I believe, depending on the admissions officer you ask (besides UCB and UCLA), you can get one of three answers for the same campus: (1) we don’t look, it goes to scholarships; (2) we use it for borderline cases and to fill in gaps; and (3) we read all of them. </p>

<p>Considering the well-oiled straight-forward admissions process, I’ve been curious about this ongoing discrepancy. Even on the UC websites there are contradictory statements. </p>

<p>I think it has to do with their conflicting feelings about the PS. They don’t know what stand to take. On the one hand, they do like the essays, but the man hours are mind-numbing. Plus, so many students get outside help, it’s hard to know who’s writing what they are reading. I’ve heard this stated a few times. But, in theory, they like them. So I think they can’t make their minds up and this conflict is showing in the varying statements.</p>

33

<p>I feel like a solid PS is a good idea anyways, just in case. Worse case with a good PS is that it isn’t read, whereas a bad/mediocre one will reflect negatively on the applicant.</p>

34

<p>Also: anyone applying or who has applied to UCSD, how did you rank the colleges?</p>

35

<p>@luckie1367‌ </p>

<p>I just kinda ranked them at random. It was too confusing for me, really.</p>

36

<p>That’s how I have them now, but I’ve heard that some of the colleges have their own graduation requirements that must be met even after transferring. I’m looking into it now, but I’d like to hear if anyone else had a strategy or input.</p>

37

<ol>
<li>Earl Warren since I read their requirements allow more freedom for engineers.</li>
<li>Eleanor Roosevelt for learning another language and study abroad emphasis.
I dislike all other schools because of their humanties approach. </li>
</ol>

38

<p>Hi, i am an Egyptian student looking forward to applying for UWC in 2015 , any advice ?</p>

39

<p>Hi @Ritagg , this thread is for UC transfers. I am not sure what UWC is, but good luck anyways!</p>

40

<p>TAG Resources:</p>

<p>Davis: <a href=“TAG Frequently Asked Questions”>https://tag.ucdavis.edu/students/faq.cfm&lt;/a&gt;
Irvine: <a href=“Apply | Office of Undergraduate Admissions | UCI”>Apply | Office of Undergraduate Admissions | UCI;
Merced: <a href=“Transfer: Admission Requirements | Undergraduate Admissions”>http://admissions.ucmerced.edu/node/661&lt;/a&gt;
Riverside: <a href=“New Students | Apply | Undergraduate Admissions | UC Riverside”>New Students | Apply | Undergraduate Admissions | UC Riverside;
Santa Barbara: <a href=“http://admissions.sa.ucsb.edu/docs/default-source/PDFs/ucsb-fall-2015-tag-criteria.pdf?sfvrsn=4”>http://admissions.sa.ucsb.edu/docs/default-source/PDFs/ucsb-fall-2015-tag-criteria.pdf?sfvrsn=4&lt;/a&gt;
Santa Cruz: <a href=“http://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/transfer-students/tag.html”>http://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/transfer-students/tag.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>September 1st! At <a href=“UC Transfer Admission Planner - UC TAP | UC Admissions”>https://uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu/students/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Where is everyone going to TAG?</p>