Is James Franco still teaching at UCLA?
Freshmen applicants are evaluated primarily on their GPA just as much as transfer students are, so what you’re saying holds no weight. Furthermore, the holistic review process goes a lot further than just EC’s. It includes the applicants, background, hardships, personal statements (i.e.-reasons for picking their major), work experience, etc. A 3.9 applicant can surely get denied in light of a 3.9 applicant who is more well rounded.
I am not forcing anything on to anyone, but I am speaking from both personal experiences with the application process and experience with working at the admissions office at UCLA.
Also, I got in with a 3.1 GPA, and peers of mine didn’t get in when they had higher GPA’s, so a high GPA is not the COMPLETE answer into getting into UCLA as a transfer applicant.
You can also take a look at the Transfer Admission Guide on our website: https://www.admission.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/tradms.htm
Here, it has a section that specifically talks about how the holistic review process is integrated into the selection process.
@UCLAFFF what part of your application do you feel appealed to them?
@UCLAFFF also i just read your link, it shows the criteria for transfers being 3.2. However you got in with a 3.1. do you think this has to do with your major? or the comprehensive review?
April 11th . And decisions are April 22nd almost there!
@“Danny Soprano” I believe my personal statement and EC’s worked in my favor. Also, the only time I talked about my hardships was in the extra space that an applicant could have an opportunity to explain anything they may have been going through. Despite having a low GPA, I was still very confident with the activities I was involved in while at the CC, because I deeply believed in my future endeavors of becoming a physician. Essentially, if one were to read my personal statements, they would never know the hardships I was truly going through.
I feel like that helped my application out tremendously; rather than making it a sob story, I focused on the positive things I was doing and provided them with a very deep, and emotional story that delivered more of a “wow” factor in the extra (optional) space to talk about anything they did not know about me, Basically, I didn’t let my messed up life dictate my writing.
P.S. - There are a handful of students who get into this school with a GPA below the requirement.
P.S.S - I got into David Geffen School of Medicine! Excited to be apart of the bruin community for five more years!!!
@UCLAFFF Congrats! What were your stats for med school apps, if I may ask?
3.4 overall GPA
3.3 Science GPA
510 MCAT score which converts to about a 32 for the old MCAT.
EC’s:
*Volunteered at the VA hospital for four years (two years at the CC and two more at UCLA); I was in charge of increasing the flow and quality of care provided to the veterans. I has to come up with power point presentations and present them to the head of the boards that were in charge of each department in need.
*I was the president of the Psychology Club for two years at my CC; my vision was to motivate and encourage members to continue towards their goal as psych majors by exposing them to internship opportunities, career fairs, and psychology counselors, despite the stigma that comes with it (i.e.-low job placements, etc.).
*Two years of lab work pertaining to retroviruses, predominantly the HIV virus–it’s a nasty virus that is able to convert it’s single stranded RNA into a double stranded DNA molecule via reverse transcriptase and implement its genetic material into the host; very difficult virus to tackle because of this, but I loved the lab work I was doing, considering I am homosexual.
*Participated in a 10-week CDC funded program at the University of Michigan my summer before transferring to UCLA; it focused on health management/policy, and I interned in this type of health care setting.
**Student Ambassador at UCLA; I got to travel out the country and promote this amazing school to international students, work the admissions office, go to exclusive meetings held by the board of directors of the school and the chancellors, and inspire many students to strive to be the best bruin they could be!
It is not much, but I only focused on things that meant a lot to me. I was very surprised that I got into UCLA for medical school because that interview was intense; it was literally a hallway with thirteen doors set up, and each door had a question on it, and I have 8 minutes to answer the questions.
Point being, strive far! Even if you just fall short of you highest goals, you have still gone so far!
@UCLAFFF Ethnicity? that gpa is pretty low, but hey you’re hope to all the people that did 2 years at a CC
@aedie1 I am a rich white boy who grew up in the suburbs of Beverly Hills, who practically did not need to attend college because of the many trust funds I will be awarded when my grandparents and uncles die over.
Seriously? Why should my ethnicity matter? Your thinking is a problem amongst these boards; race/ethnicity is not a determining factor in any admissions decisions. If you’re really interested in how I got into medical school with a “low” GPA, it was because of my upward trend I achieved while at UCLA. I got almost straight A’s, but you would never know that solely looking at my GPA.
I didnt know underrepresented minorities got a free ride, man someone should have told me! I wouldn’t have maintaining a 3.92 if I knew I could just coast through. Thanks for the info @aedie1 You are absolutely a POS! 
Anyone going to the STOMP Conference?
@UCLAFFF https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/157998/factstablea24.html
Ethnicity plays a big role, no need to get salty. There’s actually a good reason for this, too. If medical schools admitted students solely on academics, then there would be an even bigger shortage of medical care for certain communities (hispanics, blacks, poor, etc.) A Mexican doctor is more likely to go back and provide services for his community than a rich white boy from beverly hills
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/157998/factstablea24.html
You can’t argue with the facts provided by the AAMC itself. I’m a minority myself, and I never said we got free rides, we’re underrepresented in medicine for a reason. Try to use some critical thinking skills before insulting people, dingus
I agree with you that most people from underrepresented communities will tend towards working in or for the communities they came from, or other communities alike. However, understand that the chart you displayed suggests nothing about the names of the medical schools these students got into and whether the schools were D.O. schools (which are less competitive).
Also, understand that their are people who are not minorities who are working with underrepresented populations.
@aedie1 i can understand @UCLAFFF reason for getting upset. you undermined his work ethic by assuming that he got in because of his ethnicity.
regardless of ethnicity, we all know what it takes to perform at these levels. in my calculus class, there is a kid who never pays attention, ever. he is always on his tablet watching videos. i thought to myself, this guy wont make it through the first week. but then i reminded myself of what i have gone through to get to this point. this kid is here too, so im sure he has what it takes to be in that class. i cannot underestimate his potential based on what i see.
We do not know @UCLAFFF circumstances for having a 3.1. regardless, UCLA saw something they liked.
@kamiture I went last year. It was my first time seeing the campus which was cool, and I befriended some prospective transfers while I was there. IMO it is definitely more of a motivational “you can do this” type event…at least that’s what I took away from it. They focused a lot on being people of color and socioeconomically disadvantaged, and to me it felt a bit out of place because I thought the focus was just supposed to be on the transfer process and experience. They provided lunch and had a panel of representatives from each UC who each spoke for a few minutes and then opened the forum for questions. After this you had the choice of “workshops” or tours (campus/dept/housing) to attend and there were reps from each department there with major requirement sheets, and some club representatives too, although a lot of people seemed to leave after the first half- it was a loooong day. It was nice to visit the school to get a feel for it, but it definitely was not what I expected. They stressed applying to majors that are not popular to increase your chances of acceptance and showed acceptance stats per major. The information they gave is stuff you can find after a few hours of scouring through forums like this one, and the UCLA website. All of the representatives were really nice, though, and the campus is beautiful. If I knew what it was going to be like I wouldn’t have gone to be honest, and I won’t be going this year. Just isn’t worthwhile for me, especially since I live so far away.
Thanks for the heads up. I wanted this opportunity to actually check out UCLA even though it’s after the decisions. :-?
I was thinking along the lines of what your previous expectations were. I’ll just ponder about it some more if I decide to go with my school.