<p>Hi. So, I like many other students in the CCC system have an aspiration to attend a UC after transfer. My planned schools to transfer/major include:
UCB, Chemical biology BS
UCLA Biochemistry BS
UCSD, Biochemistry BS
UCD, Biology BS
UCI, Biology BS
UCSB. Biology BS</p>
<p>I understand that the UC's are very competitive and I have worked really hard in my community college to attain this dream. Here is a bit more information...</p>
<p>I have mainted a 4.0, I will have 100 units overall before transfer (some don't transfer so i have about 85 transferable units), I am 16, I plan on transferring Fall 2013.
My lower division prereqs will include: Calculus (two semesters), Chemistry (two semesters), Statistics (1 semester), Calculus-based physics (1 semester). </p>
<p>My dream is Berkeley, UCLA, or UCSD. However, I know I won't finish all the lower-divison major prereqs. This is not entirely my fault since my school is rural and this is the maximum I am able to finish (ie, my college does not offer any general bio, organic chemistry). I'm not really here to ask if I am competitive enough for admission because in my oppinion that is really subjective (some say yes with 6 prereqs and 4.0, and some say no because i don't have all the prereqs). However, I am here to ask if the UC's will consider my location (being rural), that I will only be 17 when I transfer, and that my college does not offer some of the major prereqs. The closest community college to offer the rest of the prereqs is 1.5 hours away as well. I Hope I can get some clarification.</p>
<p>The UC will definitely take into consideration that your CCC does not offer course equivalents for their pre-reqs and that no other CC close to you does either. You may want to discuss it very briefly on the additional comments section on your app though. Make sure that you have completed all other pre-reqs offered at your school and see if you can take any major related classes, even though they may not be pre-reqs. With a 4.0, you’ve literally done all that you can to increase your chances of being accepted. Have a back major though if you can’t get into something bio related. Aslo, keep in mind that Berkeley only accepts students into the College of Letters and sciences, and that if you get in for whatever major, you can always switch to another if you complete the requirements for it at Berkeley.</p>
<p>I can’t just apply for the Chemical Biology degree? How come? I thought I would be able to because of the information online.
By the way, the only reason some campuses are biochem and the others are bio is because it worked best for my prereqs. Berkeley requires: 1 year of calc and chem, 1 semester of physics, 1 year of of english, and 2 other courses for the major. I will have completed all of them except the two additional courses. That was why I wanted to apply for the chemical bio major.</p>
<p>No, you do apply for the major and are evaluated for it. But at Berkeley you can change your major once you get there. The point being that if your school does not offer all of the pre-reqs for your desired major, you could select another major that you can take all the pre-reqs for and then just change your major once you get to Berkeley.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not true. Some transfer students to Berkeley are accepted into majors in the College of Engineering or College of Chemistry.</p>
<p>Transfer students applying to capped majors in the College of Letters and Science may be admitted undeclared and have to apply to the major after completing the remaining prerequisites at Berkeley.</p>
<p>Berkeley also has a biochemistry option in the molecular and cell biology major. Note that the chemical biology major requires an upper division organic chemistry course; transfer students from community colleges need to score at the 75th percentile or higher on the ACS organic chemistry exam to fulfill that requirement.</p>
<p>Oh that’s good to know! So far, I think I’m going to stick with biochemistry with Berkeley. I’m just hoping the UC’s will understand my situation and I hope I get accepted!
Also, a few more bits of information: I am almost done with IGETC. Actually, by the end of this summer term, my general ed will be 100% finished. I am also taking related biology. Although my college doesn’t offer general bio, I’ve taken and intro to bio class, human anatomy, human physiology, and i am taking microbiology in the fall.</p>
<p>Have you checked [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) to see which courses at your community college articulate to the lower division requirements for each major at each campus?</p>
<p>I have. As I said, the only courses that articulated were general chem, calculus, physics. That is literally it. Also, statistics is required by a few campuses for the biology major so I decided to take it just to be extra sure I finished what I could.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus</p>
<p>I know there are two other colleges. My point was that for majors within L&S, Berkeley technically accepts to the school at large, not the major. And as a result, students can change their major at Berkeley if they meet all of the requirements.</p>
<p>@BiochemistryMan</p>
<p>It’s really good that you’re taking other major related classes (and doing well in them). It shows them that you are interested in the subject and that grades hold up.</p>
<p>@LAforlife, May i ask your oppinion? Would it be beneficial in your oppinion to apply to the chemical biology major at berkeley considering the major falls under the college of chemistry? I believe berkeley is the only school that is different in that it doesn’t offer a biochem degree in the college of letters and science.
I feel it would be beneficial considering the prereqs that they say they require before transfer. However, I’m just looking for oppinions. Berkeley truly is my dream and I really hope the admissions committee can see that through everything.</p>
<p>By the way, I was genuinely suprised that the chemical biology major “Required” significantly less prereqs than integrative bio. Could this be because chemical biology is more upper level calculus/chemistry laden so people opt for general bio?</p>
<p>Oh, so do you mean that biochem at Berkeley is not within L&S?</p>
<p>Yeah. Biochem is under the college of chemistry. I didn’t see any disadvantages but I want your oppinion.</p>
<p>At Berkeley, biochemistry can either be done in chemical biology (under the College of Chemistry) or molecular and cell biology (under the College of Letters and Science). Molecular and cell biology is one of two large biology departments that are the results of mergers of numerous smaller biology department. The former biochemistry department and major became part of molecular and cell biology.</p>
<p>Chemical biology requires additional math, and has a greater emphasis on chemistry versus biology. Chemical biology is a very small major, while molecular and cell biology is the largest undergraduate major at Berkeley.</p>
<p>[General</a> Catalog - Chemistry (Department of)](<a href=“http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_view_req?p_dept_cd=CHEM]General”>http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_view_req?p_dept_cd=CHEM)
[General</a> Catalog - Molecular and Cell Biology](<a href=“http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_view_req?p_dept_cd=MCELLBI]General”>http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_view_req?p_dept_cd=MCELLBI)</p>
<p>Note that biology, chemistry, and biochemistry majors do not have particularly good job and career prospects at the bachelor’s degree level.
<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm</a></p>
<p>Well, My thoughts are that I would like to double major after transferring to a UC. I plan on getting a chemical bio degree (and hopefully a gen bio degree). Another reason I wanted to have my transfer major as biochem is because i absolutely love math. I want to take additional math and science courses beyond just two semesters of calculus.</p>