Hello Guys!
It’s the summer time, and I’ve been working on my personal insight questions for my UC App. I was hoping you guys could chance me and let me know what is lacking in my application that I can mention in my Personal Insights. I’m applying for transfer this Fall from a California community college. I’ll be applying to almost all UC’s but my top choice is Berkeley:
Major: Molecular & Cell Biology (Pre-Med)
Transferable GPA: 3.49 (3.58 if 4.0 in Fall 2017)
IGETC: Complete in Fall 2017
TAP: Yes
Will be receiving a Health Sciences A.A. this Fall, and a Chemistry A.A. and Biological Sciences A.S. in the Spring. All major requirements will be complete by the Spring.
Work:
- Currently a Pharmacy Technician at CVS for one year
- Work as an Embedded Biology tutor Spring 2017
- Worked at In-N-Out Burger for 1.5 years
- Licensed Pharmacy Technician and Emergency Medical Technician
- Certified Phlebotomy Technician and ECG Technician
- Certified in Patient Care from UCLA Field School of Public Health
ECs:
- Honors Program
- Student Ambassador for 17-18
- President of Pre-Medical Society
- Phi Theta Kappa, Psi Beta, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences Club Member
- Health Scholar (Volunteer) at Hoag Hospital
- Four research publications and counting
My concern lies mostly with my GPA. The good thing is my transcript shows an obvious upward trend from my first two semesters, but unfortunately it doesn’t change the fact that I have three C’s on my transcript. Furthermore, those three classes were 5-unit major prep courses, so they are definitely dragging my GPA down. However, since then I have gone three consecutive semesters with 4.0 GPA with an obviously very hefty and challenging schedule. Please let me know your honest thoughts and opinions, since I am working on my personal insights and would like to address any flaws in my application within them to strengthen my application further. Thank you!
What are your C’s in? I was admitted to Berkeley’s ChemE program with a 3.72 but that was with one bad semester over a decade prior with 1 F, 1 C and 1 B- in non-major courses. MCB is incredibly competitive… I wouldn’t say you have no chance because your ECs are good so I would explain why you feel like you are prepared for the program despite making C’s in 3 major courses (I’m going to be honest, this is a big factor) in your personal statements. For example, my conditions of admissions stated I needed a B or higher in Cell Bio to retain my offer of admission. Furthermore, if you are looking at medical school I would consider other schools with less grade deflation. You are already struggling with maintaining a competitive GPA at CC and Berkeley’s biology program has the greatest grade deflation out of any major with an average GPA of 2.8 across all Bio majors.
@smrider29 Thanks for your response! My C’s were just in my calculus. I understood the concepts I just didn’t know how to balance my schedule in a way to allow me to dedicate time to practice for the course. That was really the big reason why I didn’t do so hot. But once I understood how to balance my classes with all my other EC’s I was able to achieve 4.0 consecutively with a fairly hectic schedule (two jobs, volunteering, and research in one semester).
Thanks for mentioning the grade deflation. I wouldn’t say I’m struggling, but rather I struggled initially. I’ve honestly been riding a wave of motivation and I really don’t see it crashing any time soon. My goal is to pretty much spread out my upper div. across my 5 semesters to decrease my workload per semester and focus on each class as best as I can.
But in essence, do you suggest me mentioning why I did poorly my first two semesters in my personal statements, or should I let my answers showcase myself as someone who developed a strong sense of motivation and time-management and let that speak for itself?
You don’t necessarily have to make it the focus of your personal statement but if you don’t explain or address your grades, they won’t know if it is because you didn’t understand the material or it was the reasons you mentioned in your post. There is a small area on the application outside of the personal statement where you can explain something like this or anything else you want to declare outside of what you wrote in your personal statements.
I did not go into the particulars of my bad grades in either my personal statement or that area as it was 11 years prior and my grades in the more recent semesters were nearly perfect, for 11 semesters including summers in CC. Your situation is different because it is more recent and I would suggest you address it but not make it the focus of your personal statements.
Were the C’s in Calc I, II and III? Or did you get a C in Calc I and go on to make A’s in subsequent Calculus classes? This makes a difference as well.
Here is the breakdown of GPA by major, you are on the low end (GPAs listed are the 25th-75th %ile): https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major
@smrider29 Thanks for your insight. Unfortunately, it was Calc I and II, and my last C was second semester General Chemistry (I actually studied really hard for the class, but the professor made it unnecessarily hard). My first semester I had all A’s except for Calc I. Then in my second semester I had all A’s, but I studied so hard for Chemistry that I couldn’t spend enough time on Calculus. So the result was another 2 C’s.
When writing my personal statements, I should write them normally and inside of those comment areas I should address my bad grades? Would it be necessary to mention my grades at all in my personal statement if I discuss it in the comments?
@syrianxo I can’t say what you should do - I am no expert. Have many people read your personal statements. If you don’t have a good excuse for the C’s, don’t spend a lot of time talking about it. Having a heavy workload is not a great excuse but you can briefly mention your improved study habits. To be honest, you need to look at other schools because C’s in those particular courses are going to hurt your chances.
@smrider29 Thanks for your advice, I’ll definitely keep it in mind.
Your app looks freakin competitive!
MCB major here (graduated last year). You have a pretty low GPA to get in, but your ECs and TAP may save you if you can explain your Cs on your personal statement.
Transfer’s avg. GPA (across all majors) was 3.66-4.0 last year. Even if you get a 4.0 Fall semester, you’re bellow that.
You can see here the avg. GPA admission rate for 2016:
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major
Only track 2 is on the lower end (I think it’s genetics). I would advice applying as a major in the Natural and Resources college and then transfer to MCB track after your first semester (yes, you can do it, and it’s pretty easy as long as you have 3.0 your first semester at Cal - I did it myself). MCB is not an impacted major. so you can transfer to this major at the end of your second semester, but better after your first.
Consult with your TAP advisor. This person is the closest you can get to admissions. Let them read your personal statement 500 times before your submit it.
Good luck!
@Moshe1010 Thank you so much for your advice! I am actually hoping for Cell & Developmental. That’s a very interesting piece of advice, but I hear it’s difficult to switch majors in different colleges (MCB is L&S right?). You know better, so I will look into that and consider that as an option as well. As far as personal insight goes, what would theoretically be a good explanation of my C’s that would be acceptable?
It’s difficult to switch to an impacted major. MCB is not impacted due to a low avg. GPA and a pre-med cut throat common thinking among students. I would just lie in my personal statement for my Cs. Think about some family crisis and how difficult it was for you to navigate throughout life and college at the same time. How your overcame the issue, learned from it, and applied the experience to the rest of your life. The more dramatic you are, the better the chances somebody will read your personal statement. Again, this is only my way of thinking. While lying is not a “good” thing to do, I would do it anyway since you really want to get in to this school, and you have a very close to acceptance rate GPA. I think all methods are kosher when applying to a school of your dreams - even lying.
@Moshe1010 Ok that makes sense! And wow, thanks for being honest. Personally I’d like to maintain a level of integrity in my personal statement, but if there were certain things that I could play up more than others that would appeal to the application reviewers better, than I wouldn’t mind focusing on those.