<p>So, I was just wondering are ECs that important? </p>
<p>I will be entering my third year in the fall and applying to UCs then. (Had to stay back because of health issues and money).
Over the past year I've done over 300 hours of community service, and extremely active in my school's Circle K, was a T.A. for a quarter, and have some other ECs from high school. </p>
<p>I recently got accepted for an internship, but I'm not sure I want to take it anymore since I want to take 2 classes in the summer. (And I don't want to die). I was thinking it's more important to finish pre-reqs and bring my GPA up versus the internship. </p>
<p>If you are looking to apply to Berkeley or UCLA, ECs are very important. UCLA takes a ‘holistic’ approach in evaluating transfer students, so not only are grades important, but good ECs and good essays are essential as well. </p>
<p>I had a ‘low’ GPA, so I was able to balance my application by writing a good essay and being an active member on campus.</p>
<p>My EC’s and essays were bollocks, but I still got into Berkeley and UCLA! I wouldn’t stress over them TOO much! I haven’t done a minute of community service in my life, and I’ve never held an internship!</p>
<p>I would say a high GPA and having pre reqs completed should be more important.</p>
<p>ignore predictthisflick’s advice. completing prereqs and getting a high GPA is the most important factor. the only school that REALLY cares about ECs is haas. and even for them it’s only worth 15% of ur app. but since u stayed for 3 yrs, i would suggest u take that internship so u have something to talk about in ur essays (prompt 1). that is of course, if ur gonna have time to take those prereqs in the fall (don’t take them in the spring)</p>
<p>I agree with em0kid. LA/CAL didn’t mind that my ECs were surfing and hooping (casually). However, low/borderline GPAs are probably a different story.</p>
<p>in terms of the quarter system is it bad if one has 2-3 prereqs left in the winter quarter (not spring quarter) for a major like biz/econ for ucla? Is it alright to have like 4-5 prereqs left in the fall quarter when applying?</p>
<p>for ucla’s biz econ, i strongly recommend having ur math and econ prereqs done by your 2nd fall quarter. I’m not sure whether ucla looks at winter grades at all when they are deciding on admissions, i know berkeley doesn’t. Biz-econ is getting harder and harder to get into so do anything that gives you an advantage, (ie completing the important prereqs).</p>
<p>@ iHateCeltics, I was planning on talking about Circle K since it was a large part of my college experience and helped me realize a career path and stuff. </p>
<p>I would take the internship, it’s just that I have a heart condition so that limits me from doing TOO much work at once. </p>
<p>Btw, I’m an English major, working on TAP, should have a 3.6 by the end of Fall, and all of my pre-reqs finished for my major. (And most for my alternate as well).</p>