Advice on Transferring from UCSD to either UCLA or Cal - Chances?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hello, I will be a sophomore at UC San Diego this fall, 2008. I am considering transferring to either UC Berkeley or UCLA. I know the application is due this November, and that worries me because my first-year statistics were not that great. I was an excellent high school student and very involved, but I floundered once I reached college due to severe depression and psychological problems. I am currently receiving treatment, but I am afraid that my chances at transferring like before are shot because of my first-year college record. Please give constructive criticism. </p>

<h2>College</h2>

<p>I will be a sophomore this fall at the University of California, San Diego.
I am a Human Biology major, I was also in the Honors Programs for the first two quarters.
1st quarter GPA: 3.325
2nd quarter GPA: 2.600
3rd quarter GPA: 2.205
Overall UC GPA: 2.700
AP credits: 8 (a 5 on the Lit AP)
Credits completed so far: 50 </p>

<p>SAT (taken Junior year): V: 700, M: 640, W: 680 (total: 2020)
ACT (taken Junior year): 29</p>

<h2>High School</h2>

<p>Private, Catholic school: no Rank (although I graduated Summa Cum Laude)
GPA: something 4.0+, I think 4.3 or something, maybe higher
I took many AP and honors, all the challenging courses from the school. </p>

<hr>

<p>Extra Curricular and Awards</p>

<ul>
<li> Most from high school. I was leader of most clubs and was president of ASB and school 2 years in a row. I did heavy community service and won several scholarships, did tutoring, leadership, etc. etc.</li>
<li> JV/Varsity Swim Team – 3 years</li>
<li> My high school awards and accolades go on and on, and my achievement is very heavy here, but not at all in my first year of college. </li>
</ul>

<p>Leadership Positions Held in:
• Student Government
Position Grade
Sophomore Class Officer 10th
ASB Officer/Co-President 11th, 12th </p>

<p>• Clubs on Campus
Position Grade
Math & Science Academy – COSMOS Alumni Vice-President 12th
Community Involvement (CI) – Platinum Membership 11th, 12th
CSF/ Mu Alpha Theta Officer 11th, 12th
SPA – Cabinet Member 12th </p>

<p>• Campus Ministry
Position Grade
Peer Minister 10th, 11th, 12th </p>

<p>Memberships in School Clubs:</p>

<p>Club Name Grade
Ambassador’s Club (PAC) 9th
Amnesty International 9th, 10th
International Club 9th
Cooking Club 12th
Students for Political Action (SPA) 12th
Community Involvement (CI) 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Peer Tutoring 10th, 11th, 12th
CSF 10th, 11th, 12th
Mu Alpha Theta 10th, 11th, 12th </p>

<p>Community Service:</p>

<p>Agency Type of Service Approximate Hours Grade
Hospital Candy Striper, Patient Services 300+ (4-8 per week) 10th, 11th, 12th
Cystic Fibrosis Center Event Organization, Office Work Service Project 9th, 10th
Sacred Heart Food Pantry, Clothes Closet Service Project 10th, 11th
California Association of Student Councils (CASC) Plant Conservation/ Mulching Trees Service Project 12th
Peer Tutoring Tutoring freshmen & sophomores in academic subjects 1-2 per week 10th, 11th, 12th </p>

<p>Sports:</p>

<p>Sport Grade Frosh, JV, or Varsity
Swimming 9th, 10th, 11th Junior Varsity (JV)
Swimming 12th Varsity (V)</p>

<p>The Arts:</p>

<p>Activity Grade
Acoustic Guitar 8th – 12th
Presentation Musical Set Design/Creation 10th </p>

<p>Membership in Non-Presentation Organizations:</p>

<p>Organization Membership Status Dates of Membership
COSMOS Math & Science Program Alumni 2006 - present
CASC Leadership Conference Delegate 2005 - present</p>

<p>Awards:</p>

<p>Award Name Date Received
N.E.D.T. Achievement/ High Scoring 2004
Peer Tutoring Recognition 2005
Peer Tutoring Recognition 2006
COSMOS Scholar Award 2006
JV Swimming Award 2004, 2005, 2006</p>

<p>Employment:</p>

<p>Job Title Description Dates of Employment
English Tutor Tutoring students who are having difficulties in English 2006 - present </p>

<p>I have worked as an intern at a high-profile tech company the summer after graduating high school, which was a position that only graduating college interns worked. </p>

<p>I am taking classes at a community college during the summer, to get credits done – how will this impact my transfer application? </p>

<p>Also, I am taking additional summer classes at another UC to boost my GPA. Will this help? </p>

<p>I am not sure whether or not my statistics for college will hurt me, because the last two quarters do not reflect the type of student I am. Do you think they will look at my high school record more? Should I even bother applying to the schools that I want to apply to? Please give me constructive advice on what to do, and what schools to apply to for transferring that are within my range. Also, any advice on including my problems (depression, etc.) in the essays, or whether they should be mentioned at all, are appreciated.</p>

2

<p>why are you giving all those HS stats? with a 2.7 transferable GPA you effectively have zero chance of being accepted to Cal or UCLA. Hope that helped.</p>

3

<p>"I am not sure whether or not my statistics for college will hurt me, because the last two quarters do not reflect the type of student I am."</p>

<p>Why should they completely ignore your college performance as an indicator of your future potential? Seriously, everything you did in high school means absolutely nothing right now. You might be able to play the depression card, but I don't like your chances. Get your act together and put up a 4.0 summer and a 4.0 fall, so that you can show them that you're really over your problem.</p>

4

<p>sounds like you're from bellarmine...i went to jesuit sacramento.....anyways, you should really raise your gpa....you should at least be on the other side of a 3.0 to stand a decent chance. you may want to look into ucd if you're just looking for a change of scene.....you will be able to include hs ec's on the app, but no hs grades. as for the depression thing....write one damn good essay, but not some cliche sob story. your focus should be on change (great summer grades would help....you need to prove that there was some sort of catalyst and that you want to channel that energy towards new opportunities elsewhere).</p>

<p>you should check out the stats for transfer students for your major.</p>

5

<p>Well, he can put hs ECs but if he didn't continue them into college, I don't think they'll care much.</p>

6

<p>You will be a junior level applicant, as a junior level applicant your high school record pretty much does not matter. The whole point of why they look at high school record for sophmores and for freshmen is to see how they would do in college, not that it is a solid predictor but admissions is not an exact science to begin with. In your case, you are already at a UC- and what they will care about the MOST is how you did at that UC. Your major though not exact at UCLA and CAL from what i recall would still be some sort of biology major and there is just almost no way with such a low gpa that you would even be considered.
Even if you could play the whole depression card and write amazing essays there is a high potential that your gpa will pretty much auto reject you and they would not even get as far as reading your application.
To be frank, you are just not a competative applicant right now.</p>

<p>if over the summer you manage to raise your gpa to 3.0 and then post fall quarter 3.1-3.2 you will have a rough chance, but i would not say you would be extremely competative for your chosen schools and majors. </p>

<p>Above all else, why do you want to transfer? </p>

<p>UCSD is a great school for your major, and you will have to write in your essay your reasons for transfer, what are they exactly?</p>

7

<p>ucla wants at least 3.2 gpa in transferable courses..</p>

8

<p>Biology is highly impacted at both schools. It would take a miracle to convince them to take you. The depression card is no different then the excuse a girl here wrote in her appeal letter that it was her best friends death wish for her to go to Cal. Nobody would buy that kind of bs.</p>

9

<p>Are you talking about this? <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/507315-berkeley-appeals-letter-sob-story.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/507315-berkeley-appeals-letter-sob-story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

10

<p>hm, difficult situation, the good news is thats its possible. </p>

<p>To transfer, you'd need to get a 4.0 next fall and winter in order to tip your gpa over a 3.2. If you do that, then I'd say you a good chance, because youve shown
1) proof that your illness severely affected your grades
2) that you're very capable at the college level</p>

11

<p>Thanks for all the advice. </p>

<p>Does anyone have any advice on the personal statements for the transfer application? Are they similar or different to what is expected for the freshman applicant? What exactly are they looking for?</p>

12

<p>Even from a CCC, a cumulative gpa of 2.7 will not transfeer to ucla or cal.. Sorry.</p>