<p>@jamesinho By applied science, I mean less abstract and more directed in its usefulness. Of course it is applied, but I consider it more of a foundational science than an applied science, if that makes any sense. I actually love physics, but I’m turned off by how its theory greatly outpaces its application in the modern fields.</p>
<p>@cooldude6 - Same here! I still can’t figure out what I did wrong in high school, but I suppose I just didn’t apply myself.</p>
<p>^I didn’t do anything wrong either…I just didn’t do anything. :)</p>
<p>I am a student at CAL and turned 24 right at the start of last (Fall) semester. I can tell you that it is not at all unusual to find students who are older in my classes. Cal has really been trying to increase vets on campus, and those tend to be in their late 20s. There is also a great center on campus for re-entry and transfer students. In terms of the socializing, yes, sometimes you feel a bit “older” but not because the other students are not mature (most Cal students are very mature), but because you just have had different life experiences. </p>
<p>If you get accepted to Berkeley and are looking at housing, consider International House, which attracts a really diverse group of people. Cal also has separate housing for married students and student parents.</p>
<p>Please don’t talk about high school in your applications. It’s so cliche. If it’s been so long since you were in high school, how could that possibly have an affect on you now? The adcoms are probably asking themselves why you think high school was such a big problem in your life and why you never got over it. My advice to all transfers with a gap in education, spend very little time on high school, it’s over and done. Nobody wants to hear about how you’ve changed, of course you’ve changed! Everyone changes, every year, I would argue that people change every day. So focus on who you are now, not who you were. I diminished the blemishes on my application by arguing that they are minor in comparison to my achievements. I simply stated an explanation, and moved on. Don’t elaborate on an excuse ever. It’s wasting space.</p>
<p>^ I don’t believe anyone has done what you’re accusing them of, or at least said they have. I agree that we shouldn’t harp on our pasts though, if I don’t agree with your tone.</p>
<p>It took years for me to change bud.</p>
<p>And…who the heck was elaborating on an excuse?</p>
<p>I quite love the idea of furthering my education. However I think the only real downside to being an older student is general socializing. Not like “finding a girl/boy friend” but just making friends.</p>
<p>I am nearly 15 years older than traditional ugrads, so I tend to be keenly aware of it. I’m a whole different generation, with different cultural memories, different experiences, etc. Sometimes I get the feeling that younger students don’t feel like I can relate to them, and I definitely don’t feel like those students can necessarily always relate to me.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I learn a helluva lot from the younger folks and have made some friends because of it. I think a big part of having a positive educational experience when you are older is being able to gain experience and knowledge from the traditional students when they have something to teach, and being able to pass down a little experience and knowledge to them when they want to hear it.</p>
<p>@ lintij,
I don’t believe that we were having a conversation about how to write about our high school experiences in our applications. I also don’t think that any of us had problems getting “over” high school. </p>
<p>I am glad that you were able to diminish the blemishes on your application. However, I was not seeking advice on how to do so.</p>
<p>I’m not accusing you of doing anything. I simply predicted that most of you mentioned, or over mentioned rather, some aspect of high school metamorphosis in your application. For those of you who are older applicants, am I wrong? For those of you who are thinking about doing it, don’t. Simple, non threatening advice. All I’m saying is everyone does it, so you don’t have to.</p>
<p>I didn’t. I didn’t even mention high school. 0 for 1.</p>
<p>Good, carry on. Obviously my advice is not for you. It’s for those who have yet to apply and are thinking of some sob story about high school.</p>
<p>Neither did I. I graduated in 2001. Why am I going to write about things that happened 9 years ago? Yeesh…</p>
<p>Simply mentioning that someone did badly in hs and “elaborating” on their experience in hs are two very different things.</p>
<p>Non-trad student here! I’m 25 and single mom to my son. My story is complicated to say the least, but I honestly would not have done it any other way. In fact, I believe I acquired the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in school through my real-world experiences over the past 7 years. Throughout this application/waiting process, I was amazed at the amount of resources and support available to non-trad students, particularly single parents. It’s great to know that these universities actually care about those students who don’t necessarily fit the mold of a traditional or model student. I really wouldn’t worry about being conspicuously older than your classmates or not fitting in with them as I’m sure you will find great diversity among them in terms of age as well as their life stories.</p>
<p>Btw…I applied to UCLA, UCB, UCI (accepted), and UCSD (accepted) as an English major.
Good luck to you! =)</p>
<p>I understand your advice, and it’s well founded, but only insofar as whether high school experience is or is not a direct precursor to post-high school achievements. </p>
<p>For example, I had a 3.92, 7 AP’s and a 1490/1600 SAT in high school but decided to not apply to even one college much to the chagrin of my peers and elders. This is because I founded my non-profit organization, U.-F.I.S.H., in junior year and purely wanted to improve my community, work with the homeless and be a philanthropist as opposed to going to school. I found my calling in high school and flourished it during the last 4 years founding another non-profit, [Ever]After[All] and sitting on the board and planning member committees as well as volunteering at many more around Los Angeles and San Francisco. I’m almost 22 now and transferring. </p>
<p>Furthermore, the reason I care so deeply about the plight of the underprivileged is because my family and I were homeless for about a year when I was a child due to a lengthy and painful divorce process. I tend to think pain is inevitable but suffering is a choice and in stark contrast to a sob story I believe any story with sadness that doesn’t have the catharsis of a learning experience that allows us to do great things isn’t even a story worth telling. I think this was the hard-nose attitude you were trying to convey. And in complete agreement, I am completely against wallowing in self-pity, past failings or tales of woe begetting worry. This is one of the first things I try to convey to the homeless individuals taking classes on their way to a job at U.F.I.S.H. </p>
<p>But while I think your advice is useful and a good mentality to have, I think in the correct and calculated context speaking of earlier years, including childhood and high school, can be very important if it has a direct link and explanation to all the great things you do now and aspire to do later on, especially with a college degree.</p>
<p>^^ to lintij. And @ cooldude = I agree.</p>
<p>I can barely remember HS-- I can’t imagine writing about it for the essay. One of my essays was about working through my twenties, and the other was an elaboration on why I wanted to study a physical science.</p>
<p>@ jamesinho and SeeHerFly,
I can’t imagine doing everything with kids! I have such admiration for anybody with kids and doing college. I have a dog and two cats…like I said, couldn’t imagine doing it with kids. You guys must be the masters of time management. Congrats on being accepted to UCSD and UCI, SeeHerFly.</p>
<p>Sorta non-traditional, but I’m 23. I started out horribly in high school, and made that up in homeschool (graduated with a 4.0!) However I wanted to be an electrical engineer and my education included very little math (I went as far as intermediate algebra). </p>
<p>I had to take some community college classes in order to graduate on time (did it in 2.5 years!), but that screwed up my chances of going straight into a UC because the UC system prefers fresh AP kids that get college credit for never stepping into a real college class. </p>
<p>So I was kinda ****ed off about that, and applied to UNLV (my family has a house there) - due to many family issues, I ended up using a year to take care of things and … we never ended up moving there. </p>
<p>I’m the youngest of three, my mother has lead us single since our father died in 1999. My older brother is autistic and my oldest brother… I dunno what he is lol. Verge of normal? Woo! </p>
<p>It’s a handful for us, and living at ‘home’ is my only option. Anyway, my mother helped me realize I’d have to go to a UC… Berkeley, most likely. I almost crapped my pants when I saw the requirements on ASSIST that I’d have to take (all of them), before Berkeley would even consider my meager accomplishments. </p>
<p>3 years later, I’m still duking it out - calc 2 and physics right now. I feel a bit in arms at times with the 18 year olds that just graduated from AP calc and push the teacher on as if the class is the most boring thing in the world XD I’d tell them hey, try to do homework with MY BROTHERS lol :D</p>
<p>For fun I draw and create websites, sometimes I even write stories (thanks to my wonderful English teacher!) I almost became an architect, but when I saw the abstract work of Frank Ghery it helped revive the desire to be an engineer I had when I was little. </p>
<p>I feel the best engineers are the creative artists that know how to do math ;)</p>