I don't understand...UCB Rejection.

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>I've been following the threads on CC, and was extremely eager to transfer into UCB.</p>

<p>I don't quite understand why I was rejected.</p>

<p>Decision (including term): Rejected
Intended Major: Economics
UC GPA: 4.0
Major GPA: 4.0
Major Pre-reqs: 4/5, Statistics not offered.
IGETC: Yes.</p>

<p>Which other UC's did you apply to?
Applied: UCB, UCLA, UCD, UCSD.
Accepted: UCLA, UCD, USCD
Rejected: UCB
Waitlisted:
Pending:
SIR: </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Job/Work Experience: Real-estate internships, City internships, etc.
Volunteer/Community service: Work at homeless shelter, leadership roles in church activities, assorted HS volunteer work.
Achievements/Awards: PTK, award for violin playing.
Personal Statement: I thought they were great, because they tied in real estate and homelessness together, and also showcased my personal motivations.</p>

<p>School Type: CC
Ethnicity: Southeast Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: idk
Hooks</p>

<p>Reflection: I was missing 1 pre-req not offered at my school, and fulfilled one of the pre-reqs through AP score (WOULD THIS HURT ME?)
Strengths: GPA, essays, work experience.
Weaknesses: Pre-req not at school missing.
Why you think you were accepted/rejected: I have no idea. </p>

<p>I'm just dumbfounded.</p>

<p>I know that the appeal process will not work for me with grades, but I'm wondering what I can do to help strengthen my appeal.</p>

2

<p>First call and ask why you were rejected; then do your appeals…</p>

3

<p>I almost have the same stats as yours. I still got rejected.
The only difference is that I am an OOS student…</p>

4

<p>@ThePavin, when do you think would be good? Monday? Also, the site says they don’t do the “personal review” thing. Try to find a nice person?</p>

5

<p>The sooner you contact them, the better. I get the impression Berkeley weighs very heavily on personal statement since I got in with a GPA of 3.72. I personally didn’t expect to get in since UCLA rejected me earlier last week. Try contacting them on Monday to see if you can learn more about what went wrong.</p>

6

<p>@ jbarker91: I guess they did use personal statement, but I felt mine were really good. I worked on them nearly a month before with my English teacher, and they transformed into something I felt so-so about to something that I felt represented me really well.</p>

7

<p>I got rejected too with stats like these</p>

<p>Decision (including term): Rejected
Intended Major: Physics/Math double major, applied as physics
UC GPA:
Major GPA: 4.0 (cumulative)
Major Pre-reqs: 9/10 last one not offered at my OOS CC
IGETC: no, OOS applicant</p>

<p>Which other UC’s did you apply to?
Applied: UCSB, UCSD, UCLA, UCB
Accepted: UCSB, UCLA, UCSD
Rejected: UCB
Waitlisted:
Pending:
SIR: UCLA</p>

<p>Extracurriculars? Extensive dance training, performances, baritone section lead in chamber choir in high school, musicals, voice lessons, gymnastics, INTERNSHIP AT FERMILAB THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Job/Work Experience: Math/Physics tutor at my CC
Volunteer/Community service: Teaching ESL for 6 months at local library on Saturday mornings
Achievements/Awards: PTK, 100th percentile on ACS exam in chemistry, $5000 STEM scholarship,
Personal Statement: I thought they were great</p>

<p>State (if OOS applicant): Arizona
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: CC
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: idk
Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Internship at fermilab through DOE summer before I was to transfer</p>

<p>Reflection: I was missing 1 pre-req not offered at my school, was missing 2nd semester of college level foreign language
Strengths: almost everything!
Weaknesses: missing 2nd language course and 10th pre req
Why you think you were accepted/rejected: reasons listed above
General Comments: didn’t expect rejection</p>

8

<p>Hey Der3k7, are you going to appeal? I feel like both of us have good stats, and I don’t really understand what else we could have done.</p>

9

<p>well it says that u should only appeal if you have significant new information to give to them.</p>

10

<p>@ Der3k7, there was some personal stuff that I left out from my application that could have bearing on their decision.</p>

11

<p>Well then maybe try it. There’s nothing I can really add to mine. I think they just rejected me because i didn’t have the 2nd semester foreign language, was missing a pre-req, and applying from out of state, and I’m not sure that if I send the R&C questionnaire that there is supposed to be a check mark next to it in my berkeley application but there isn’t and they say on their FAQs that if we sent it out not to worry and assume they got it and so I did that.</p>

12

<p>@ Der3k7, wouldn’t UCB not receiving the R&C questionnaire be grounds for an appeal?</p>

13

<p>I don’t understand why you would be dumbfounded, it seems clear you were rejected for the missing prereq. I’m assuming you’ve read this (if you haven’t I would be surprised): <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/transfer/files/econ_path_ucb.pdf[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/transfer/files/econ_path_ucb.pdf&lt;/a&gt;

</p>

14

<p>^^ you are incorrect. No CC offers those stats courses. And it says on the Econ department site that all transfer students must take 1 math course at Berkeley which is stats cause its not offered at CCs. You have good stats. Hopefully you can appeal and get in.</p>

15

<p>^
^ incorrect. JavyUCB is right, no CCC offers Stat 21’s equivalence.</p>

<p>@OP: I’m really sorry to hear your rejection. Do you have a portfolio, personal circumstance, or strong letter of recommendations to appeal? Appealing with grades won’t work, but with the other three mentioned above (or anything else significant) may help, and I would defn try if I were you.</p>

16

<p>@sparkyboy</p>

<p>There have been recent personal issues that have entered into my life that I don’t feel like I can discuss here.</p>

<p>What would strong letters of recommendation emphasize? Also, what is your definition of a portfolio (in terms of submitting one to UCB).</p>

<p>Thanks everyone for their help.</p>

17

<p>Yeah, I was rejected, too, w/ a 3.81 GPA for Philosophy, but figure appealing would be a waste of my time. (Off to UCLA, then!)</p>

18

<p>I honestly can’t give a good answer to most of your questions since I haven’t gone through the appeal process, but I will try</p>

<p>To me, a strong letter of recommendation is one that is really detailed and insightful, written by (preferably) a professor that knows you really well and has good grasp of what you do outside of class (instead of just collecting A’s in his/her class) That is just my definition though. If your professor is a Cal alumni, that may also help, but I doubt that.</p>

<p>For the portfolio question, I personally know a freshmen who appealed with one last year and got in. He showed the admission officer his projects and what he did during his internship at a tech start-ups, which leads to them granting him a spot in the College of Letters and Science under the CS major. (Sorry if this has nothing to do with econ…)</p>

<p>You might want to consider Ms. Sun’s appeal guideline here: [Ms</a>. Sun’s UC Admissions Blog - Transfer Appeal Guidelines](<a href=“Error”>Error) and Cal’s FAQ here: [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>

19

<p>@sparkyboy</p>

<p>The freshman you refer to, did he have to make some sort of special appointment for the appeals process to be in person? </p>

<p>Also, as a general question, would a letter of recommendation from my place of work be considered? I’ve always heard of recommendations from teachers, and I’ve even heard of recommendations from parents, but what about work?</p>

20

<p>I’m really sorry, but I can’t answer most of your questions. I don’t want to give you false information after all. Can you post on here: [University</a> of California - Berkeley - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-berkeley/]University”>University of California - Berkeley - College Confidential Forums) and see how people there answer? </p>

<p>The freshman I refered to wriote an appealed essay which included links to his online portfolio website consisting of his github projects and similar stuff that he did during his internship. I honestly cannot find the website now, but I don’t think you can appeal in person. They want you to mail everything to their Office of Undergraduate Admission</p>