<p>I’m OOS 3.78 GPA with a pre-med focus. I have a lot of EC’s, and I’m in the honors college at my school. I also work as a phlebotomist at 5 different hospitals in a big hospital system in Michigan. My essays were pretty good; I talked about how my university doesn’t offer courses/research in my psych field (neurosciences & behavior), research interests/experience, volunteer experience, motivation, blah, blah. I have all the prereqs done except social science for Berkeley. Hopefully, it’s all enough to convince admissions.</p>
<p>Applied: Cal, UCLA, UC Davis
In: Davis
Waiting: Cal, LA
Psychology for all three.
3.65
IGETC done
Cal Starting Point Membership
4.0 in Psych courses (4), missing one prerequisite (the second bio, should be done during this summer).
USAF Vet, lived in Germany for two years, deployed to Iraq, plenty of great volunteer stuff, NREMT-B cert.
Believe my essays were very strong. (Cal essay admissions reviewer looked over them before I submitted and said they were definitely good to go).</p>
<p>Wish my GPA was higher, but other than that I’m pretty happy with my package. What about you guys?</p>
<p>@NCB I totally agree about the whole CAL, UCLA Davis thing. I’m not sure where they all rank in my head (I would LOVE to go to UCLA if my parents didn’t live so danged close to it! haha</p>
<p>Nice work on your NREMT-B cert. I’ve got one too - worked a year for Transaid (if you know of it). Where’d you work?</p>
<p>@ Alejandro: Berkeley admits you to the college, but evaluates you by major. In other words, when they’re looking at your app, they decide whether or not you’d make a good psych major. </p>
<p>When you receive your acceptance letter, it will say you have been admitted to the College of L&S. Hope that clears things up! :).</p>
<p>@ NCB: I completely agree. I do like Davis quite a bit, but I, like you, have Cal > UCLA > Davis for Psych. Do you think you’ll do research at UCB? </p>
<p>What is everyone planning on doing with their psych degree?</p>
<p>Thanks for that clarification! Just out of curiosity, why did you change from psych to phil for Berkeley then? I guess I am kind of confused on the whole “impacted major” idea for UCB admissions. I totally understand there are a limited number of spaces for majors, and some majors are more popular than the others, but if you’re admitted to the college, why would it matter if your major’s impacted?</p>
<p>@emil thanks for that info!!</p>
<p>@Solid, I was actually a firefighter when I was in the AF, so it was part of my training.</p>
<p>@Emil, If I’m lucky enough to get in, i’m sure there will be some research going on whether I like it or not, lol, at schools like Cal it’s research>grad students>undergrads for those professors.</p>
<p>@ emil, how did u incorporate phil and psych into your personal statement? that’s always one thing that perplexed me.</p>
<p>I already got in to UCSB and UCSD.
If I don’t get in to UC Berkeley, I think I’m going to take a break from school for a while (maybe 6 months+) to travel around the world or something. I’ve spent far too much time and energy to not get into Berkeley (up to 36 units per quarter, a full time internship for the government, and a part time job)… so if I don’t get in, I’d rather spend my time doing something else and just apply again next time, I guess. I used to think of doing something like that as a waste of valuable time, but not anymore.
I also applied to Davis and LA, but as time goes by, I only want Berkeley, haha.</p>
<p>@emil: My question wasn’t about switching majors, it was about not being able to declare the major I applied to because it was impacted. A current UCB transfer said this is possible…</p>
<p>@ Alejandro: I switched from psych to phil for Berkeley for 2 reasons. First, I was missing 2 prereqs (Cultural Anthro and Genetics/Society) for the psych major. I maybe could’ve fit them into my schedule this semester, but it would’ve been sketchy…and if I couldn’t get those classes, I would be rejected for not having the prereqs fulfilled or IP.</p>
<p>Second, UCB has a Psych admit rate of 17.9%…while phil’s is 44% or so. I figured that I may as well apply for phil because none of the prereqs for phil articulate from my CCC -> UCB, and I have taken 2 phil classes and gotten A’s in both. I do love philosophy though, don’t get me wrong. Psych will be my major though if I go to UCB.</p>
<p>@ edbraga: It really wasn’t that tough to incorporate both phil and psych. I worked at an elderly assisted living center and tutored kids…you can probably imagine that I did a sort of opposite ends of the spectrum sort of concept (elderly and kids)…kinda philosophical. I said that I could use the concepts and understanding I gleaned from both groups to better my loved ones, those I know, and the world, and how I aspire to make an impact. I felt it was generally applicable to both psych and phil for the most part.</p>
<p>@ Victoria: Ohhh got it. Yeah if your GPA is below the necessary requirement for an impacted major (less than 3.2), then you can’t declare it.</p>
<p>That sounds far more interesting than anything I wrote in my personal statement. </p>
<p>14 more days!</p>
<p>@ edbraga: Thanks! After months of rereading it probably…247048 times, I have to say that it sounds incredibly cliche to me now lol. I hope admissions disagrees though…or can overlook it lol. </p>
<p>cheers to 14 more days!</p>
<p>waiting for berkeley puts so much pressure and stress on me…and it gets worse with everyday…mannnn i hope i get in.</p>
<p>calbear: i feel the same way for UCLA…lots of pressure…I NEEED TO GET IN!! haha</p>
<p>@Bruin321: I hope you get in!! It makes all this pressure/stress worth it!</p>
<p>forsure Calbear! youu too! love the love in CC</p>
<p>^did you apply to UCB too or just UCLA? what major?</p>