<p>Right on. If we all agreed this wouldn’t be a very informative forum. 
</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone either way.</p>
<p>I don’t know, @Cayton . I think a weak personal statement says that the applicant didn’t take the prompt seriously and try. There are just so many tools available to help students. UC Berkeley and UCLA looks at the personal statement the potential student’s first college level essay. Halfassed essays say a lot of about the applicant. The universities want to see how well the student can write for an unknown audience, determine a topic, and be both analytical and reflective. It all really boils down to “how well can you critically think?”</p>
<p>I agree with all of you that writing is essential and is a skill needed more than art, so that probably was a bad example on my part. My issue is the way it has evolved. It really is a marketing tool, and the pressure is just over the top. For example, no one ever talks about the add’l comments that are about 500 words, because the pressure isn’t there on that one. But basically the whole entry into college has become big business - not so much by the UCs, in this case, but all the hype around it.</p>
<p>Let me ask you all something: with the exception of @fullload who hasn’t applied yet, do the rest of you, in retrospect, feel the application process was not as nerve-wracking as you thought going in? </p>
<p>Talking about weak PS one guy a few months ago got in to a top tier as I recall, and his one essay went on and on about a major he ended up not applying for. He said he didn’t have time and just recycled an essay he wrote in high school. It did bug me a bit that he didn’t try harder, but he also got in, throwing together an essay about a major he didn’t apply for. The process is all so peculiar in it’s way.</p>
<p>For me the application and essay itself weren’t that nerve-racking. However, what was nerve-racking was along the way just trying to make sure that I wasn’t missing anything in regards to coursework. For about a year I was second-guessing any class I registered for, double-checking it with Assiat.org, triple checking it with the different schools. That was extremely nerve-racking, but given the fact that I was accepted to all the schools I applied to, I would do it just like that all over again :-)</p>
<p>@calbro </p>
<p>Perhaps.</p>
<p>@lindyk8 </p>
<p>I actually felt writing the personal statements were kind of nerve-wrecking because I just wanted to get into Cal so bad. I wrote a lot of drafts and had professors review them, at the end of each read I would ask them if they thought it was “good enough for Berkeley?” </p>
<p>I didn’t find the application nerve-wrecking though. </p>
<p>this brings so many great memories, I was in the same exact position a year ago hoping and dreaming I had what it took to get into my dream school Berkeley and the other three UCs I applied to. It is so good to see how much you guys are helping each other out for the next cycle I truly wish every single one of you the best, if you guys have any questions on the app process please ask, I got into UCLA as a neuroscience major so feel free to ask me questions especially those who want to transfer to Cal or UCLA (I ended up choosing UCB). For those of you who’re thinking about any bio field at Berkeley or UCLA or any other UC, I would definitely recommend you guys to take honors Ochem or honors Bio that will definitely help you (Any honors on your lower div will help)… that’s what I did and it worked. Also try to show how much it would mean to you to study that particular major and what circumstances/life experiences made you decide to study that major etc… Best of luck!! </p>
<p>I was only worried about getting into Cal since I knew I was going to be accepted into UCLA. I was a bit of a wreck all of April. </p>
<p>I kinda just wrote my personal statement and did the rest of my application in a day and got into Cal, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, and UCI.</p>
<p>Just goes to show how great I am. :)) :)) :))</p>
<p>Who are they to doubt a philosophy major?</p>
<p><a href=“Redirect Notice”>Redirect Notice;
<p>University of California - Transfer Matrix</p>
<p>Not sure if this has been posted (sorry if its a repeat)! Interesting to read through as we start the process!</p>
<p>@luckie1367 </p>
<p>That document was quite helpful to us UCLA applicants this year. It should be helpful for you guys, too.</p>
<p>I got a postcard from UCLA today, and invitation to a “UCLA Fall Open House”. I’m assuming this is for Fall 2015 applicants, so I thought I would share the details for anyone interested in attending. For those who attended last year, let us know if it’s worth attending and what your experience was.</p>
<p>Saturday, September 20, 2014. 9am-2pm</p>
<p>Oddly enough it does not say where to meet, but it does provide the admission link, so I’m sure you can drop them an email to find out: admission.ucla.edu</p>
<p>See you there!</p>
<p>@fullload </p>
<p>They must have determined that you are worthy of them, lol</p>
<p>Not by a long-shot, just on their mailing list. ;)</p>
<p>@fullload </p>
<p>Only the worthy can be on their mailing list. My point still stands.</p>
<p>If by worthy you mean those with an internet connection and ability to write their home address in the TO field, sure, only the worthy. :)</p>
<p>Hey y’all! So I’ve been sifting through some of the old threads on UC Transfers and there seemed to be a trend with rejected applicants, which are low GPA’s and pre-reqs incomplete. I’m unsure about the pre-reqs being incomplete. Does the UC system ultimately pick pre-reqs as the deciding factor for admission? So if an applicant hasn’t completed the pre-reqs by the application deadline, they are at risk of rejection? Or does it mean if they haven’t finished the pre-reqs by the end of spring?</p>
<p>To be competitive you need to have IGETC and major prereqs done by the end of Spring. However, there is some flexibility with some major prereqs. For instance, if your CC does not offer a couple major prereqs, the UC will usually allow you to take those when you enter the UC instead. Make sense? With all of that said, to make yourself competitive, try your very best to finish all IGETC and major prereqs by the end of Spring. There will be countless applicants in your major that will, so you should consider doing the same. Also don’t forget, you must reach 60 units by the end of Spring, there are no exceptions to that rule.</p>