<p>Hey everyone :)</p>
<p>I decided to start this thread because I was in your exact same position last year.
I'm the first one in my family to go to college, and I didn't have anyone to help me whenever I had questions. It feels awful when you need help and there's no one that's willing to help you...So that's my story. I'll do my best to answer all your questions. Also, keep in mind that I'm a student like all of you so there will be times when i'll take longer to respond.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the thread! I’m curious how long UCLA takes to get your financial aid package to you? That’s a big factor in where I go, and I’d hate to miss other SIR dates because I’m waiting on it.</p>
<p>What’s the transfer community like (or lack thereof)?</p>
<p>ColorsInTheStars -</p>
<p>Good question.</p>
<p>I don’t get any financial aid from the government, but I believe that you are able to see how much money you are getting as soon as you are admitted. Once you get notified they tell you that you have many deadlines and documents that you must sign electronically (your financial aid being one of them). I remember mine had all zeros :(</p>
<p>What was your major and stats?</p>
<p>TheGiraffe -</p>
<p>There are many transfers at UCLA, but they don’t all gather. From my experience I felt that transfers are excluded from various activities. The vast majority of transfers, if they decide to live on campus, are placed in Delta Terrace. If not, they are sent to the University Apartments off campus. I was placed off campus and I felt excluded from all the activities that go on during Zero Week (we weren’t told that we needed wristbands).</p>
<p>If you want to meet other transfers you will be automatically notified by the BRC (Bruin Resource Center) about all transfer activities and mixers. That’s how I made friends because I didn’t meet any people in the apartments. And like I said, there are many transfer students, but everyone has their own thing.</p>
<p>LAforlife-</p>
<p>I applied as a Psychology major, with Philosophy as my Alt. major.
TAP
GPA: 3.34
Rejected under Psych, but admitted under Phil 
-
I decided that I didn’t want to do Philosophy, so I went from Philosophy to Anthropology (super boring) then I wanted to do Film (but couldn’t cause I’m beyond Junior standing), so now I settled for Linguistics & Spanish.</p>
<p>Oh lol, that’s funny, becuase I’ve applied under History, and listed my alternate as Philosophy. I’ve heard that although English and History are “impacted”, you can still switch into them you meet all the requirements. Is that still true?</p>
<p>LAforLife - </p>
<p>Yes
It’s true. I have a friend who is also a transfer (he transferred like 2-3 years ago). He started under a different major and changed it to English. I don’t know the exact requirements but it is possible. There are other majors like Psychology and Sociology where you cannot switch into them.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.english.ucla.edu/index.php/Programs-Courses/declaring-the-major[/url]”>http://www.english.ucla.edu/index.php/Programs-Courses/declaring-the-major</a></p>
<p>Ok, that’s good to know. It makes me feel a lot better :). Isn’t on-campus housing guaranteed for at least 1 year for transfer students?</p>
<p>LAforlife-</p>
<p>Yes, UCLA guarantees housing (not necessarily on-campus) to transfer students for one year. It could be the dorm, plazas, apartment, or suites. Yes, at least for my class we are only guaranteed one year, and if we want to live again in university housing we are put on a lottery system.</p>
<p>Idk if it will be the same for you guys. You might get two years guaranteed now because of all the new buildings that are being constructed. Depends when they’re done building them. They just finished the new De Neve dorms and they are nice!!</p>
<p>No on campus guarantee? Oh well. I really want to live in a dorm (at least for the 1st year). I hope they will give us a two year guarantee. But maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself…</p>
<p>LAforlife - </p>
<p>lol you’re still awake? I just got out of the shower and i’m gonna keep working a little more on my paper. I don’t have class until 1pm.</p>
<p>anyway,</p>
<p>yes, it’s anything and they’ll “place” you based on your top choices and availability.
I too wanted to live in the dorms this year but I was placed in those apartments because I put them as my second choice.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t get a dorm, go for a plaza although it’s more expensive. That’s one thing I cannot emphasize enough and that is to live on campus your first year.
so list your choices:
1.Dorm
2.Dorm
3.Plaza</p>
<p>@ Kidkrasher</p>
<p>your GPA is a bit low compared to the average admittance GPA for philo transfers. Did you have like outstanding ECs or something?</p>
<p>:) ok thanks. I hope I’m not distracting you from your work lol. How strict is UCLA on making you graduate in two years? I wanna stay for three while doing two minors (if possible).</p>
<p>Chelzmcnamara - </p>
<p>Well, it’s the average and there are GPAs that fall under and above.</p>
<p>I only did TAP/Honor classes
and I was part of one club.
Another thing, idk if it had any influence, but for our year UCLA admitted more students than the previous years.</p>
<p>@ KidKrasher</p>
<p>Oh Okay thanks a lot. My GPA is pretty low for UCLA “standards” so it’s nice to know there’s still hope :)</p>
<p>LAforlife - </p>
<p>don’t worry I only have two sentences left and then I’ll finish the conclusion of my paper tomorrow.</p>
<p>It’s not a matter of years. It’s a matter of not going over the unit cap.
The way this works, at least for the school of L&S, is as follows:</p>
<p>The minimum # of units you need in order to graduate is 180 units. The school will let you take a max of 230. You can petition more when you’re close to reaching that cap. </p>
<p>So it all depends how many units you’re taking a quarter. One thing that the school doesn’t tell you is that in order to finish within those two years is that all the classes you have to take have to be towards your major, and a session of summer school.</p>
<p>Ok, how would they react if some were towards the minor(s)? I plan on taking 1-2 major classes every quarter at a minimum, and then 1-2 for the minor(s) at a maximum. Would they consider that to not be enough major related classes? Do they require you to take a session of summer school no matter what (even if you’re full-time and are making progress towards completion of your major requirements every quarter)?</p>
<p>LAforlife-</p>
<p>They don’t care as long as you’re your getting your work done. Obviously, it’s gonna take you longer to finish if you’re only taking one class towards your major every quarter. In fact, for major requirement in the school of L&S are usually 11-13 classes (roughly 44 quarter units). If you tranferred with 90 quarter units and you add those 44 units to your major it doesn’t add up to 180 units (minimum amount to graduate). So you still have to take more classes and that’s when you take electives and other classes toward a minor or whatever you’re interested in.</p>
<p>Summer school is not mandatory. It’s only if you want to finish within those two years or less.</p>