<p>I am a CC student in California and it is dream and overwhelmingly logical choice to attend Berkeley. I am a business major, but wish to earn simultaneous degrees in business and economics while there.</p>
<p>I will have a 3.5-3.6 GPA that shows incredible progress. My UC transferable GPA has gone from 2.0 to 3.0 to 3.3 to 3.7 with amount of units taken and amount of work hours both increasing during that period. I work 40 hours a week, split between a T.V. station and the live in manager at a 40 unit apartment complex. This semester I will be taking 21 units while doing this. </p>
<p>I know they do take into account hardships that you have overcome, and I have some. I have almost no high school education(I was kicked out of 3 different ones and landed in an independent study where they basically just pushed you through). Neither of my parents went to college, I grew up on social programs, and my families last brush with homelessness was in 09'. I broke off and basically just drank my way through life. At 20 I had a run-in with the law for a "crime of poverty", but have completed my probation and have had the record expunged.</p>
<p>Since that I moved away and have made a complete 180 in my life. I have taught myself the stock market and have made massive percentage gains since the start of my trading in late 2011.(This relates because I want to be an investment banker)</p>
<p>I would of course present this in a MUCH more passionate and strategic way than I have here, and most likely leave out being arrested and high school discipline issues.</p>
<p>I also went back home(close to Berkeley in the East Bay Area) and spent a summer as a spokesperson for a homeless youth charity. Not for school reasons, but because I have a passion for it.</p>
<p>Also, my major requirements GPA is and will be higher than my overall GPA. About a 3.7
I know they take into account academic success, academic progress, course load, the essay, extra credit, and circumstance.</p>
<p>Other targets: Michigan, University of Chicago(econ), Cornell, UCLA, UVA, Notre Dame, Penn, and Texas.</p>
<p>So my questions are:
1. Do you think I would be better off trying to get into business and then applying for the simultaneous degree in econ, or the other way around(if possible)?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What are my chances for either major at Berkeley?!?!</p></li>
<li><p>If you feel this is a pipe dream, how about any of these others?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>"I...I...I..." Your turn to talk now :)</p>
<p>Thank you for reading and any comments are appreciated.</p>
<p>M.W.</p>