@Cheolf you’re a genius.
We should have a google hangout stream of us all just crying and screaming our stats in hopes of validation… Yeah I have no friends. HIT ME UP.
Wait, hold up. We’re all gonna be live streaming on the 22nd, right?
@grimmghost I vote for that
Hey guys, I’m in a bit of a pickle here. I am applying with TAP as a Neuroscience major, and I have completed all pre-requirements except for both physics courses and a stats course. I am currently taking the LS3 equivalent course, but I’m thinking about dropping the course to avoid getting a C.
I called the admissions office, and they basically told me “we can’t say for sure it won’t impact your admissions, thats up to the commitee to decide”.
I have no W’s on my record and I currently have a 3.82 GPA. Would this possibly rule me out for admission?
Has anybody actually called the admissions office to see confirm its actually on the 22nd?
The 22nd feels so far away right now, especially since I have an O-Chem test the next morning :((
@ammanduh I’m actually in the exact same situation as you! I’m applying with a low GPA because I had some personal and financial issues last semester that took a hit to my GPA. My family is also low income as well. good luck!!
I think the best way to figure out when decisions are released would be to call or figure out when Berkeley released decisions last year… Was it the last Friday of the month or second to last Friday? That would be the best indication of when everyone finds out! Good luck, prayers, and blessings to everyone!!!
@AMITY101 Berkeley makes it very crystal clear that they are being released on April 29th. I really don’t think there’s much speculation with UCLA or Berkeley.
has anyone been brave enough to call admissions recently to find out when decisions come out?? lol
also, are decisions available after you get sent an email only, or could you check the portal and see even before they send you one?
UCLA has never publicly given the date they will announce decisions- at least not for transfers. The past 3-4 years, maybe more, UCLA has released decisions 1 week before Berkley. calling admissions will do nothing to ease your anxiety. I’m waiting on grad school decisions, and I’m equally anxious. I even had my mom call the program office to try to get info on when they’ll release sections. So sad. Good luck to all of you prospective Bruins! It really is all you hope it will be- if you put in the effort!
I’m considering commuting as an option should I be admitted to and attend UCLA. What do you guys think? Is a 30 minute (one way) commute bearable? I’d be driving to and from Van Nuys. My grandmother lives there; I wouldn’t have to pay anything for housing, not to mention I’d have the privilege of living in a very nice house with my own room and as much privacy and quiet as I could want (the house is right in the middle of a big neighborhood).
Does anyone have experience with a similar commute? How did it affect your studies and quality of life? I greatly appreciate any feedback!
@Cheolf maybe. I used to live in Sherman Oaks and would commute to Culver City and sometimes DTLA. Most of it was on the 405. There were times I wanted to scream. But you would be living somewhere for free and that could save you money for gas and you can just scream in your car every day.
I live in San Francisco now and commute to Berkeley and Oakland and that’s like a hour and a half commute every day for me but taking 3 different busses, not driving. It would probably be different with a car instead, but the bay area has the worst traffic out of the whole state so who knows what driving that would really be like every day. All I know is I HATE commuting to school, and I think I would do better at school without having to deal with a commute. I don’t generally recommend commuting.
@boxandwhiskers One of the better aspects of the commute is that the freeway isn’t involved (and yes this is the fastest way from the house).
How long was your commute? Was it the time, stop-and-go traffic, or simply the driving that got to you most? Thanks a bunch for your response!
@Cheolf I’d say do it. I’ve lived in the San Fernando Valley my whole life and Van Nuys to UCLA is not that bad… if you plan your schedule right. The notoriously horrific traffic on the 405 usually eases up around noon. If there’s a bus that takes you straight to school without transfers, that’s even better because you’ll be able to study.
@Cheolf ooooh. Well, then. If the freeway isn’t involved then that’s even better. What would you be taking to get there, just out of curiosity? But @hitherto also has good advice. The 405 totally isn’t terrible 24 hours a day so I think avoid morning commute hours, really.
Honestly I want to say it was the timing I was driving there. Later in the afternoon would get traffic-y. If I had to go downtown on the 10 it’s just terrible all the time. The 10 is the devil. I really don’t think the commute would be too bad from Van Nuys to Westwood, it will feel long though.
@Cheolf I commute 3x per week via public transit ~40-45 minutes each way - and it’s awful. I’ll never do that again. I get to read on the commute, which is fine, but it takes a ton of energy overall. Most of my classes are at a nearby CC - it takes ~15 minutes to drive there, but I often go back and forth between home and school. And parking near my CC is absolutely terrible (have to move my car every 2 hours or so) - so yeah, even commuting 15 minutes to class has been a pain. I really like the idea of being able to roll out of bed and walk 5 or 10 minutes to class. Maybe I’m romanticizing it, though.
In addition to your commute, you would have to factor in parking (including its cost and the amount of time you’d have to spend) and gas (1 hour per day, 5+ times per week - it adds up, unless you have a prius). The freeway not being involved is a huge plus for driving in LA, as I’m sure you know (I cringe at the idea of having to take the 405 to school, personally).
1 hour per day isn’t a huge amount of time to commute to and from school. Plus, the LA area is very nice to drive in - wide streets, high speed limits, etc. I’ve found commuting to be very taxing (and for most of my classes, I only commute one city over - even then it’s tiring), and I’m looking forward to not having to do it after I transfer. If money is a huge concern, it may be worth it for you.
LA streets aren’t very wide, especially compared to the roads that Orange County is packing. Also, most of the streets in the UCLA area can often times be one way. If it is a two-way street, you can almost guarantee that half of the street will be dedicated for parking. Also, you cannot drive very fast because there is always traffic, unless you’re commuting around 5 or 6 in the morning.
If you are 30 minutes away from UCLA (in driving time), that is totally doable but keep in mind all the fees that tag along with it; if you are not a resident in the dorms or in a particular area code, you have to pay a larger fee for your parking permit. Also, there are rules to getting the parking permit; some people get priority over others when permits become available (it’s on a first come first serve basis).
@boxandwhiskers you can take Bart straight to BCC and Laney from SF
@boxandwhiskers @hitherto @goldencub @UCLAFFF Thanks a bunch for your posts! It is very nice to receive such quality and prompt advice from multiple perspectives. I will carefully evaluate all of the information you guys have provided.
I plan on attending law school after undergrad, meaning less debt is very attractive. Even with gas and parking fees (thanks @UCLAFFF for your particular insight on UCLA parking. Shout out to @goldencub for his insight on Berkeley parking), if I were to commute to UCLA it is highly possible I’d graduate debt-free. In addition to this, I’d have the opportunity to visit family and my girlfriend on the weekends.
Nothing has changed in the past several months for me. In my particular case, it makes the most sense to attend UCLA if admitted. It would be potentially free and if I commuted I wouldn’t have to worry about housing, privacy, or quiet. It’s near family and I’d have all my pre-reqs completed prior to enrolling (whereas I’d only have 1/3 for Berkeley). What complicates things is I’ve always had a soft spot for Berkeley. This passive aversion to UCLA may be due to my USC upbringing, though!
I’d be ecstatic to be accepted to and attend either UCLA or Berkeley.