<p>I have been at Berkeley for a year and a half, and I feel that there is something missing about the entire experience. I believe I would be happier and more productive at a smaller school.I would like to be at a smaller school for smaller classes, 4 years of housing, more professor interaction, and a more supportive student body. School is school, but I rather be at a small school and know a smaller community. Berkeley is too big for me and I fill like I do not it in and have no real friendships since coming here. I would like to Major in Architectural and economics, and have a strong design/ art portfolio to demonstrate. </p>
<p>My stats:</p>
<p>Berkeley gpa: 3.6
EC: tutoring and outreach to HS youths
work: Anchor Blue, Clark Construction intern
scholarships: 2 architecture scholarships, and many other small ones</p>
<p>HS gpa: 4.0+
APs: 9 ( scores all 4 )
Rank: 14/759
HS ECs: mock trial, engineering programs, business programs (usc and ucla ), architecture programs, volunteering with key club and stuff at the local library </p>
<p>I would send in a portfolio of my architecture work. One of my drawings made it to the architecture school's graduation commencement.
My SATs arent perfect, but I think I show a lot of interest and knowledge when it comes to architecture and economics, and I consider myself more well-rounded than certified genius, actually, Im far from it. But I do think my strengths are in Math and Design, not science ( bio, chem, physics ) and was wondering what you MIT guys and gals think about this position I am in. I feel like I might have a hook because Im strong in math and have a nice design portfolio to back up what is otherwise a mediocre science performance. </p>
<p>My top four acceptances were: Brown, Columbia, UCLA, and Berkeley. All great schools, but I feel like I belong in a smaller community and I want to know people more intimately. I just haven't found the school and people that i wanted to meet in Berkeley. Any and all comments are appreciated, thanks.</p>
<p>You should be sure to read over the "Transfer Students" section of the MIT undergraduate admissions website. Transfer admissions to MIT are even more competitive than freshman admissions, with acceptances numbering in the single digits for the past several years. If your strengths are not in science, it will perhaps be more difficult still. You would want to be sure you've covered equivalents to the required MITs core courses in your Berkeley coursework, and anticipate the possibility of losing at least a semester in the transfer process. Some quotes from the site:
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We recommend that prospective transfer students take a variety of mathematics and science courses before applying. ... This includes one year each of college-level calculus and calculus-based physics, and one semester each of biology and chemistry.
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[quote]
It is also very important to understand that the transfer admissions process is highly competitive - even more so than the regular admissions process. Applicants with a wide breadth of mathematics and science courses may be at an advantage. It is rare that a student is admitted without, at the very least, the specified course work in calculus and physics.
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[quote]
Transfer students typically lose at least one semester of course work. Credit is assessed by each academic department (not by the Office of Admissions), only after you are admitted.
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and
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Since students lose credit in the transfer, most students enter MIT as a sophomore, regardless of the amount of course work they completed at their previous college(s).
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All this said, MIT may very well be a good choice for you, and <em>some</em> students <em>DO</em> succeed in transferring in each year (although the number is very small). Do some research on the admissions website, and possibly pay a visit, and see what you think: if you have the pre-reqs to transfer in, why not give it a shot? Good luck!</p>
<p>Haha, I just saw your same post in the Cornell thread. Your chances are better at Cornell by looking at the admissions stats last year. It was a less than 2% acceptance rate for MIT transfer admission (6/302). I think you have a strong shot at MIT nonetheless. UC Berkeley 3.6 GPA is legit and you show passion.</p>
<p>I don't know what grade inflation is like at Berkeley, but it's a sweet school and 3.6 is respectable just about anywhere. I don't really understand MIT's policy on transfer admissions. Why would they want you to take all those math and science courses? Certainly it would be really homogenous group they accept then. At first I thought questioningbear's interest in art and architecture would give him a better chance since he's not doing the typical engineering thing, but I guess I'm wrong.</p>
<p>Every MIT undergrad, regardless of eventual major, is required to complete the [url=web.mit.edu/catalogue/overv.chap3-gir.shtml]GIRs<a href="General%20Institute%20Requirements">/url</a> in addition to their departmental programs and degree requirements. Most students complete them in the first year or two, so transfer applicants would be well advised to have these courses under their belt already, to avoid taking little other than the GIRs their last two years, for instance. The GIRs are meant as a foundation for all further coursework, so if that foundation isn't in place, it would be a much more difficult transition for a transfer student.</p>
<p>To chibearsfan17, grade inflation at UCB is very low compared to many other schools. In fact, it is one of the most difficult colleges to maintain a high GPA.</p>