Chance me! UC Berkeley CS (L&S) Transfer 2014!

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hey CC,</p>

<p>Probably similar to what many of my fellow UC Berkeley transfer hopefuls are doing around this time, I am anxiously awaiting the April 25th decision date! I was hoping to get input from the CC community on my chances. As the discussion title suggests, I applied for the Computer Science major in L&S.</p>

<p>NOTE: After the completion of the Fall 2013 semester, I satisfied all requirements for IGETC certification</p>

<p>UC GPA: 3.75</p>

<p>Prerequisites Completed: 4/7
NOTE: The three classes I did not complete were not offered at my community college or any college within reasonable daily commute [~60 miles]. Additionally, UC Berkeley acknowledges that it is difficult to find equivalent courses to the ones I did not complete (source: assist.org). Also, most students who are admitted into the CS major (L&S) are also missing these classes due the availability of equivalent courses,(source: <a href="http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/csugrad/sample_transfer_programs.pdf"&gt;http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/csugrad/sample_transfer_programs.pdf&lt;/a> <= I have 61B done and am missing 61A, 61C)</p>

<p>Units Completed: 69
Units Currently Enrolled: 16
Total: 85</p>

<p>OVERVIEW OF GRADES:
[All classes taken were UC-Transferable] </p>

<p>Fall 2011 (While in High School) [6 Units]<br>
Written Communication: A
Intro to Psychology: B</p>

<p>Spring 2012 (While in High School) [3 Units]
Nutrition: A</p>

<p>Fall 2012 [12 Units]
ANTR 1: A
POLI 7: B
SPAN 1A: A</p>

<p>Spring 2013 [18 Units]
General College Chemistry I: A
Computing Fundamentals II: A
The Classic Myths: A
American Cultures in Music: A
The Nature of Islam: A</p>

<p>Summer 2013 [11 Units]
Humans and the Environment: A
Critical Thinking/Writing: A
Calculus I: B</p>

<p>Fall 2013 [19 Units]
General College Chemistry II: A
Adv Programming w/Data Structures/C++: A
Calculus II: B
General Physics I: A</p>

<p>Spring 2014 [16 Units]
Multivariable Calculus: IP
Differential Equations: IP
Elementary Linear Algebra: IP
General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism): IP</p>

<p>Extra Curricular: (in no particular order)
Paid Tutor at a local High School (8+ hrs/wk), Member of Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society, Academic Honors List (3 Semesters), Member of Alpha Gamma Sigma Honors Society, All-League Honorable Mention (12th Grade, H.S Football), Editor of Physics Club Newsletter, Member of Community College Biology Club, Team Captain (12th Grade, Varsity H.S. Football), Volunteer at Community Hospital (12th Grade), Volunteer with City's Engineering Services Department (11th Grade).</p>

<p>Additional Information:
Income Bracket: $50,000-$60,000
Raised by Single Parent</p>

<p>Personal Essay (Self-Grade) 8/10, Based on feedback, my essay was well liked.</p>

<p>Well, that's all the information I can think of right now. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Good ECs, good GPA, good personal statement, and a good reason for not having some of your pre-req classes completed. I think your chances are pretty good overall!</p>

3

<p>^ I agree. I think you’re a very good applicant! I hope you get in. </p>

4

<p>Your application is very strong overall. I think you have a good shot, (better than me anyways). That’s a tough last semester, good luck!</p>

5

<p>Hey, I have very similar stats to yours, also L&S CS, 3.80 GPA, IGETC, and same prerequisites completed. I think you are a stronger applicant than me because I don’t have nearly as many ECs and my essays weren’t too great. I think we both have decent shots though, good luck! Did you get accepted anywhere else? I’m getting anxious because I haven’t heard back from anyone.</p>

6

<p>Which one is better guys:
1- CS L&S at Cal
2- CS (bachelor of science) at UCSD</p>

<p>I applied for both, but I’d rather go to UCSD</p>

7

<p>@bolandgoo </p>

<p>That’s exactly what I’m thinking. I think I would have a better experience at UCSD, but the prestige and brand name differences is giving me doubts.</p>

8

<p>@anothertransfer oh my god, your last semester looks horrendous lol. I took linear algebra and diff equations my first semester at cc and it was just awful; luckily I go B’s in both. I’m currently taking multi variable calc and electricity and magnitism, and it similarly is a bad combo. But then again, maybe it’s just me lol. Honestly I think you have a decent shot. Good luck to you! Hopefully I get in too!</p>

9

<p>…usually from what i understand in our major…cs, its not prestige…its experience… at least what i got from several employers. So go with which ever gives you a better financial package and you get good vibes from, again this is just me :)</p>

10

<p>The problem isn’t getting into Berkeley, it’s declaring your major in L&S.</p>

<p>Since L&S CS is now capped, you have to get a 3.0 to be able to declare by the Spring semester. The classes at Berkeley are pretty tough (92.6% for an A in CS61A). CS61B and CS61C are even tougher. Most transfers will have to double-up on two of these in a semester and it can get pretty crazy.</p>

<p>You also have to take one electrical engineering course (EE40 or EE20), which have very competitive curve. Plus you have to take CS70, which is a CS math course that many people struggle in.</p>

<p>I know people who had 3.9/4.0 before transferring to Berkeley and now are struggling to be able to declare CS major.</p>

<p>I would suggest you look very carefully at your options and since the CS field leans much more on work-experience, you might want to reconsider going to Berkeley vs other UC’s.</p>

<p>But you definitely get the world-class education at Berkeley, especially for CS and EE.</p>

11

<p>@ktklam9 seriously?? I presumed that the GPA requirement to petition into a major is for the lower division courses which transfer students would have completed in community college. Says here, <a href=“CS Major Information | EECS at UC Berkeley”>CS Major Information | EECS at UC Berkeley, that “L&S students may petition to enter the L&S CS major once they have completed the seven technical prerequisites (below) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.”
I’m majoring in Psych, which is capped as hell, and the psych page at UCB says they require a 3.2 in all seven prerequisite course, and “if you entered Berkeley as a junior level transfer, you must declare the major no later than your first semester at UC Berkeley.” Are you telling me there’s extra weeding in UCB for transfers with capped majors? </p>

12

<p>Many transfer students to CS or EECS at Berkeley do not find equivalent courses to the Berkeley ones at CCs:</p>

<p>CS 61A: appears only available at Laney
CS 61B: available at some CCs (not the majority)
CS 61C: available at very few CCs
CS 70: appears not available at CCs (discrete math and calculus-based probability theory; most CCs do not have any course covering the latter, so even combinations of courses won’t articulate)
EE 40: available at some CCs (not the majority)
EE 20N: appears not available at CCs</p>

<p>For a psychology major who completes all of the prerequisites before transfer, the GPA requirement to declare the major is unlikely to be an issue (presuming that a high GPA at CC was needed to be admitted to Berkeley in the first place). An L&S CS major who completes CS 61A-61B-61C (hint: Laney + Diablo Valley) and EE 40 before transfer will only need to take CS 70 at Berkeley before declaring the L&S CS major.</p>

13

<p>@ucbalumnus Thought so. Thanks for clearing it up.</p>

14

<p>So do the grades from prerequisites completed in CC count toward the required 3.0 to declare the major?</p>

15

<p><a href=“http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/csugrad/preparingtoapply.shtml”>http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/csugrad/preparingtoapply.shtml&lt;/a&gt; says that you only need a 2.0 in your remaining prerequisites taken at Berkeley, but you may want to ask them directly if that is the case or if they just forgot to update the web page (before L&S CS was capped, all students needed just a 2.0 in prerequisites to declare the major). The web page is also out of date in mentioning EE 42 and 43, which are no longer needed to declare the major (but one of EE 40 or 20N is needed to graduate in the major; EE 42 and 43 are no longer offered).</p>

16

<p>@oongaboona, @underbear. The GPA cap is for all students at Berkeley, not just transfers.</p>

17

<p>Cal CS Transfer 2012 Fall here!</p>

<p>From personal observation, I think CS major has gotten bigger thus it is now considered a impacted major (maybe not that bad, but it has gotten more popular indeed). Also, the department has raised the major requirement to be at 3.0 with technical GPA. Since the department website hasn’t been updated, I am not entirely sure about whether it is different for transfers. At least I am sure the major requirement is officially changed semester ago.</p>

<p>I have no information on accepting rate. You currently have three major requirement classes in progress, this might slightly hinder your chance. However, I’d say don’t worry about it since your stat looks good.</p>

<p>Keep up the good work! Cal CS is tough, hope you’ll be one of us :)</p>

18

<p>Has any CS transfers at Berkeley taken CS 47B? How is it? </p>

19

<p>@Cayton @ocnative @DescartesQ Thanks guys! My anxiety is at its maximum! 23 more days! (if you are waiting for UC Berkeley)</p>

<p>@underbear You seem like a strong applicant. I hope you get in as well!</p>

20

<p>@happyaray Thanks for the response! In regards to me having three major requirement classes in progress, are you including multivariable or electromagnetism? On assist, neither of these classes are considered prerequisite.</p>