How are admissions decisions actually made?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>I've been trying to do some research on this, but information seems scarse.</p>

<p>Who decides, and how? I'm particularly interested in UCLA, Cal, and UCSD, but any UC information be useful.</p>

<p>Most of my research has involved UCLA's system. From what I can gather, each application is reviewed by more than one reviewer who assigns a score. Previously different reviewers scored the personal statement section and the hard numbers sections; under the holistic system, each reviewer evaluates the entire application.</p>

<p>How are decisions made from there? Does a committee of some sort review all applications, taking into account the scores? Are only applications meeting a certain score threshold reviewed by a committee? Is admission based on the scores alone, without any input from a committee? Are faculty from the major being applied to involved?</p>

<p>Getting a better sense of who makes these decisions will, I think, help me better target my personal statement and the like. Even if not, this would still be interesting information to be aware of.</p>

2

<p>I have nooo idea. But I’m very interested myself on just how much weight the personal statement carries.</p>

3

<p>I know UCSD uses a point system for freshmen, so maybe it’s not much different for transfers?</p>

<p>… Though transfer admissions are much more point-blank than freshmen admissions. Maybe they look at transferability (IGETC or the other one; I forget what it’s called), completion of pre-reqs, and GPA rigorously - and then consider most everything else (ECs, essays, special programs, etc) usually if the applicant is on the fence.</p>

<p>That’s just my guess.</p>

4

<p>I know there is an initial screening for requirements, but that is all I know. Keeping the process secret is really important to the process.</p>

5

<p>they take applications and pin them on a board. Admission officers are then blindfolded to throw darts, and the struck ones are those that are admitted.</p>

6

<p>It’s supposed to be unknown for a reason.</p>

7

<p>^ UCSD allows freshmen to know exactly how they select applicants… Maybe unknown for transfers?</p>

8

<p>how does knowing the **actual **admission evaluation process help you? You already know how much the admission weigh GPA, extracurricular, and major preparation, respectively.</p>

9

<p>Part of it is simple curiosity on my part, I admit. However, lnowing what types of people are involved in the process can be useful. If faculty from the major being applied to are involved, it might be helpful to focus more on the major. If it’s a faculty committee from all disciplines, a more general commentary on education would be more useful (while not neglecting the major). If it’s admissions employees, focusing on personal achievement, struggle, etc might be better (again, without neglecting the major and general educational elements).</p>

<p>These would all be subtle changes in the tone of the statement, and perhaps would have an insignificant impact, but having more information on the readership is always best.</p>

10

<p>Okay well… My two cents: I have a 3.62 and I got in as a Sociology major (a top 10 major). The 25%-75%ile (middle 50%) of GPA’s admitted was 3.75-3.8 this year.
My pre-req grades were A, B and B- (this one was from FALL 09!). </p>

<p>Interpret this as you wish.</p>

11

<p>I apologize. I was referring in particular to Cal’s admission process.</p>

12

<p>Guess they make it like they make the krabby patty.</p>

13

<p>names are tossed into a hat and half the names are pulled out. These people are reviewed based on factors determined via a random number generator.</p>

<p>those not pulled aren’t even considered.</p>

14

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/934064-berkeley-la-sb-comprehensive-review.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/934064-berkeley-la-sb-comprehensive-review.html&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>…but I can’t find any online info to confirm that =&lt;/p>

15

<p>Yeah, I remember seeing that. I also found this:</p>

<p><a href=“http://images.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2008/08/CUARSGrosecloseResignationReport.pdf[/url]”>http://images.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2008/08/CUARSGrosecloseResignationReport.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>While it doesn’t directly relate to this topic, it includes some useful tidbits.</p>

<p>I’m increasingly convinced of the importance of the personal statement. What I’m really curious about now is who makes the admissions decisions–faculty? employees?–and how many people have a say on the process–One person? Three people? A committee?</p>

16

<p>[Transfer</a> Selection FAQ’s](<a href=“http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/general.asp?id=113&navid=N]Transfer”>http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/general.asp?id=113&navid=N)</p>

<p>“Applications were reviewed by more than 75 readers which included experienced admission/outreach officers, student affairs staff and faculty from the various Colleges. These readers assessed the applications based on the strength of the academic record, including the pattern of grades earned over time. All academic and personal information, including extracurricular accomplishments, employment and personal qualities, was taken into consideration. Because we recognize that Berkeley applicants vary in their academic and personal circumstances, the review took into account the context of each student’s opportunities and challenges and the way he or she responded to them. Personal qualities of leadership or motivation, likely contribution to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus, and demonstrated interest in the major area of study were also considered. However, completion of preparatory course work and academic performance were given the most weight in the transfer selection process.”</p>

<p>75 good secret keepers!</p>

17

<p>I’ve always wondered about this. I know there are admissions directors and there are admissions officers. I think they all review the apps at a conference table in teams and then they vouch for people they like.</p>

<p>Someone could actually make a really interesting documentary following the applications of a few freshman applicants and a few transfer applicants through the admissions process. Then like catch up on them when they graduate or something.</p>

<p>EDIT: While searching for a documentary on this I found this documentary: <a href=“http://www.in500wordsorless.com/[/url]”>http://www.in500wordsorless.com/&lt;/a&gt; It deals with freshman applicants (not the admissions process) but it looks interesting! It’s something most of us can relate to… Twice in our lives…</p>

18

<p>1.GPA
2.Completion of Pre-reqs.</p>

<p>2 most important factors</p>

19

<p>Not to sound paranoid since they denied me, but it’s my belief that UCSD Admissions is the complete opposite of holistic in their reviews. They outrightly skirt applicants’ personal statements and look only at GPA and units. How can that allow for an exciting, diverse student body? I honestly think it’s despicable and hurts only their school and students, who won’t get as exciting opportunities as those at other schools’ who employ more comprehensive review methods.</p>

20

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</p>

<p>What do you mean by “diverse?” If you mean simple racial diversity, that is a violation of California law. A UCLA professor wrote a report on the issue, saying that UCLA may have violated the law in unofficially giving preference to racial minorities who identify themselves as such in their personal statements.</p>

<p><a href=“http://images.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2008/08/CUARSGrosecloseResignationReport.pdf[/url]”>http://images.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2008/08/CUARSGrosecloseResignationReport.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Note that, later in his report, he says he is in favor of affirmative action; he is not in favor of violating current law.</p>

<p>Still, I agree with his suggestion to deal with current law while promoting true diversity (i.e., a group of individuals who are wealthy, raised in Bel Air, with the same political stands, but who happen to be different races, is not truly diverse). He suggests adopting parameters to account for socioeconomic status during the admissions process. </p>

<p>Examples I might suggest would be the applicant’s family’s income, the median income of the area where the applicant lives, the relationship between the family’s income and the median income, the number of successful applicants from the area where the applicant lives, the strength of the schools in the area, etc.</p>

<p>These factors, if weighted to increase a student’s chances of admission, would increase true diversity while likely also increasing racial diversity.</p>

<p>(Also, note that he compliments we transfer students, and recommends increasing the number of spots for transfer students. He says this, too, will promote diversity, since the acceptance rates between the various racial groups are much closer among transfers than among freshmen, and he finds transfers to be as capable as freshmen entrants.)</p>