Difference between UCB and UCLA Alumni Scholarship Invitation?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
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<p>This is what nose2Dgrind wrote: </p>

<p>I am a former Alumni Scholar (truly a life-changing program for me), and currently review applications and interview candidates for the scholarship.</p>

<p>The office of admissions will refer promising candidates to us and we in-turn send invitations to those students in the hopes that they will apply. This is NOT a guarantee of admission, and in past years we have had some candidates that we would really love to put on this scholarship not be admitted to the university. However, most students are referred to us because, by virtue of an initial round of application review, an admissions representative has found that candidate worthy of consideration for a highly prestigious merit scholarship (others on occasion find them less so, which is why not everyone who is invited will be admitted). To put it this way (parents love numbers, I’m told):</p>

<p>~70,000+ freshman applicants to UCLA
~4,000 invited to apply for scholarship (notably, however, students can also apply without being invited)
~1,500-2,500 complete scholarship application (frankly, you’d be stupid not to, but that’s my $.02)
~100-120 offered a scholarship after application review and up to three rounds of panel interviews. Scholarship amounts have in past years ranged from $4,000-$20,000 and are based solely on merit (though students can apply for additional need-based grants through the program once they’ve enrolled). All incoming Alumni Scholars are also offered honors college advising, alumni and peer mentors, and access to a variety of Alumni Association activities, dinners, service events, etc. It’s a great family.</p>

<p>I was told by a reputable source a few years ago that ~70-80% of those invited to apply are admitted to UCLA, but because the scholarship review process runs parallel to, and does not intersect with, the admissions process (except when students are initially referred), I’m not certain how accurate this is (though I’d imagine at the very least the odds are >50%)</p>

<p>This scholarship is exceptionally competitive, and typically many of those awarded it are on par with top admits to Ivy League institutions. The program has produced a majority of the university’s Rhodes, Marshall and Gates winners in recent years, and a somewhat absurd amount have gone onto top-10 graduate/medical/law schools. In short, the program churns out leaders of character and high intelligence like a well-oiled machine.</p>

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<p>So does this mean that UCB alumni scholarship invitation criteria is somewhat similar to UCLA’s??? </p>

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<p>@tbtehfdl77 this is very helpful – thanks for taking the time to post it! My S got the invite and is wondering if the committee will see his UC app essays – he doesn’t want to be duplicative, but would use material from those essays if they won’t have received them. Thanks!</p>

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<p>From following both those threads, the UCLA one seems to go out to very few, who are at least on a first cut expected to not only be admittees but ‘top’ admittees. There may be a mistake and someone may not get in who gets the scholarship because there are other readers of applications later, but it is rare-ish. The Berkeley one seems to go out more broadly, yet not to everyone, so… I’m not really sure what it means. I’m concluding SOME sort of a cut has been made, but I don’t know if people getting the Cal invitation would be quite as likely to be admitted to Cal as the UCLA invitees would be likely to be admitted to UCLA. Mind you, I WANT to think it is a pretty sure thing because my sons got the invitation to apply.</p>

<p>Both the UCLA one and the Cal one say this is not an indicia that you have been accepted, but possibly it is indicia that a student is more likely to be accepted than some cut off. I just don’t know. I’ll watch this thread to see if anyone else knows.</p>

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<p>yeah @collegevetting, thanks for your comment. Then, do you know anyone who DIDN"t get the invitation? like are there many people who didn’t receive?</p>

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<p>S got the Berkeley Alumni Leadership invitation but not the UCLA Alumni invitation.</p>

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<p>@tbtehfdl77 a number of people said they didn’t receive it, and there seemed to be little rhyme or reason that people could figure out. There is a thread on it in the UC Berkeley forum.</p>

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<p>@nose2Dgrind can you tell us if the committee sees the UC essays? Thanks!</p>