<p>Many schools allow you to defer enrollment. Harvard even encourages it! Does UC Berkeley allow newly admitted students to defer their enrollment by one year?</p>
<p>Also, does UC Berkeley grading include "+" and "-" modifiers, when calculating GPA? ( "A-" = "3.67" )</p>
<p>yes, for the + and -, not sure the deferring</p>
<p>Yes for + and - except A+ is still 4.0</p>
<p>To defer, you must withdraw on the first day of your original semester then apply for readmission. The registrars web site covers this [Cancellation</a>, Withdrawal and Readmission - Office Of The Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.berkeley.edu/prospective_students/registration_enrollment/canwd.html]Cancellation”>http://registrar.berkeley.edu/prospective_students/registration_enrollment/canwd.html)</p>
<p>May a student be admitted for one term but defer enrollment until a subsequent term?</p>
<p>UCB
Generally, admitted students may not defer enrollment. However, the Colleges of Letters and Science, Engineering, Natural Resources and Environmental Design may offer spring admission to several hundred applicants whom the University was unable to accommodate for the fall semester. Most of these spaces are in the College of Letters and Science. In addition, students with special circumstances may write to the director of admissions (110 Sproul Hall #5800, Berkeley, CA 94720-5800) to defer admission to a later term; such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.</p>
<p>Source: [University</a> of California - Counselors](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/transfer/advising/answers/applying.html#6]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/adminfo/transfer/advising/answers/applying.html#6)</p>
<p>For comprehensive grading policy, including GPA calculation based on +/-, see [General</a> Catalog - Policies - Grading, Grade Changes, and the Grade Appeal Process](<a href=“http://catalog.berkeley.edu/policies/grades.html]General”>http://catalog.berkeley.edu/policies/grades.html)</p>
<p>OP - you read the registrar site I posted, there is a ‘standard’ method - deferring is onerous, but withdrawing is easy. It requires that you be registered for at least one class in Fall, then request withdrawal on the first day of the semester. Fees are refunded and you then file the request for readmission for the semester when you want to start. </p>
<p>Call and speak with someone from your college advising group, but keep in mind that deferred is different from new student withdrawing and coming back later. Deferred = admissions committee, withdrawal = regular registrar functions, does not involve admissions any more because you became a Cal student on that first date of the semester when you were registered.</p>
<p>When you call or write, tell them you are contemplating the procedure listed from the registrar site - withdrawing on the first day of Fall and then requesting readmission for semester XXX. Use their terminology and not deferral, which officially is not offered except as rare exceptions as has been explained above by AskMsSun. You can find out if you can count on readmission if you follow that. </p>
<p>Below from <a href=“http://registrar.berkeley.edu/prospective_students/registration_enrollment/canwd.html#notice[/url]”>http://registrar.berkeley.edu/prospective_students/registration_enrollment/canwd.html#notice</a></p>
<p>Notice to Admitted Undergraduates Who Have Never Attended
If you are a new undergraduate student and cancel your registration, you will be required to submit a new admission application to attend a future semester. If you withdraw, you only need to apply for readmission, which is a much simpler procedure. Note that you need to be officially registered (enrolled in at least one class, registration fees paid, and no blocks) in order to withdraw. </p>
<p>We recommend that before you make a decision, you speak with a college advisor.</p>
<p>I would caution against using the withdrawal loophole. Readmission is not automatic and the admissions office can sometimes get involved when there is evidence that the student was taking advantage of a loophole in the system.</p>
<p>I have not yet encountered any horror stories at Cal, but admissions offices at UCLA and UCSD have been proven to be rather vindictive.</p>
<p>Definitely work with an advisor. Here are the links for readmission:</p>
<p>[Guidelines</a> for Applying for Readmission After an Absence](<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/fp/Guidelines_for_RM_afer_abs.html]Guidelines”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/fp/Guidelines_for_RM_afer_abs.html)</p>
<p>[Berkeley</a> Admissions : Readmission Application Instructions](<a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.asp?id=72&navid=N]Berkeley”>http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.asp?id=72&navid=N)</p>
<p>Good to have something formal from an advisor to cover you. From the first link above:</p>
<p>he readmission system, unlike the admission process, is not competitive. In general, you are readmissable if:</p>
<p>You apply by the deadline;
You resolve all relevant issues from the check-list above before submitting your application;
You withdrew in good academic standing (readmission on academic probation requires an evaluative discussion with a College adviser before a decision will be made on your application. Please take this into account when preparing for your return); and
University Health Service has released your registration block, if you had a medical withdrawal and were required to get UHS approval for readmission.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all the replies.</p>
<p>Deferring enrollment was something I was considering, but it doesn’t seem worth the trouble. I have, however, learned much about the way things work at Cal thanks to your replies.</p>
<p>And the A- thing is a shame… however that is mitigated by the B+ bonus :)</p>
<p>@rider730, I think the operative phrase is “You withdrew in good academic standing.” If a student didn’t receive any grades, the school can technically argue that readmission wouldn’t apply.</p>
<p>I had a student who withdrew during the first quarter at UCI due to personal reasons and no one on campus knew whether the student was eligible for readmission or if a new application had to be filed. We went in circles for weeks before we just made the decision to file a new application to be on the safe side. It’s the kind of bureaucratic hell I wouldn’t wish onto anyone.</p>
<p>this may be the stupidest question, but</p>
<p>would you be allowed to defer enrollment and attend another university in order to gain a fair amount credits at a cheaper price before going into berkeley?</p>
<p>That is the transfer program. It is not deferrment, you only apply for admission after completing two years at another school esp community college.</p>
<p>So, can I defer at Berkeley with special circumstances and at UCLA just for asking?</p>
<p>Essentially, no deferrals. There may be the extremely rare case, but the position of Cal is that if you don’t want to accept the semester offered, you are free to wait and reapply as a freshman next year, or go to another college and possibly transfer in two years.</p>
<p>I know a lot of students who deferred a semester or year for various reasons. A lot of students take a semester off to recharge and refocus on their studies. My old roommate took a semester off to heal from a car accident. Other people took time off to pursue other interests and to mature more. Examples of what other people did were to volunteer in Africa, taught english in Asia, worked on a farm, worked to save money, traveled around the world, etc. It’s really easy to get back in if you have a good reason.</p>
<p>Deferring in this context is when someone is given an acceptance to start at Cal but pushes back the start of their college time at the University. Bet you don’t know a lot of Cal students who did that. </p>
<p>What is common and well accepted is for students in good standing, who have already taken some semesters at Cal, to take time off and then ask for readmission. It is pretty automatic if the student was not near failing or a problem of some kind. Note that this REQUIRES that the person be admitted, complete at least one semester, and then take a leave (not defer).</p>