I feel like a failure

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>I hate myself.
My sister partied and was a ***** to me and my family throughout high school and got a gpa that would make most ccers laugh. My parents made her go to a community college because she needed some growing up. She didn't grow up. She partied and scrounged out a 3.6 by dropping any really difficult class at a community college that high school students actually attend to get away from the rigor of high school. She had no ECs(literally), spent a few days on her essay and has an (old)SAT of 1200. She is apathetic and choose not to attend UCB because "it gets kinda cold." She is everything that I hate and I'm am not exaggerating. Believe me, she has shown no kindness to me either.
She got a transfer into Berkeley.</p>

<p>Meanwhile I slaved and got a respectable gpa and spent over a month on my essays. She was even jealous of my SAT and college options. All I wanted was good school. I got the UC Merced shared experience. </p>

<p>How the hell am I any different from my sister? I have to spend 2 years at a place I don't like to get into the place I love and actually end up spending 20 grand more.</p>

2

<p>I understand your frustration, but did you apply to any other UC's? Maybe UCB isn't the be-all/end-all you think it is?</p>

3

<p>Yes, rejected at UCLA and accepted at Davis, UCSB, and Irvine. I don't really like any of these schools.</p>

4

<p>Sorry to hear that man. Appealed?</p>

5

<p>That's just luck smiling down on the wrong person. :(</p>

<p>I guess there's hard work, which is in your control, and chance, which isn't...</p>

<p>But what don't you like about the other schools?</p>

<p>I heard of students choosing Davis over Cal so there has to be some upsides to it.</p>

6

<p>even if you feel like one i'm ure you aren't! i'm sorry i dont have anything more constructive to say..</p>

7

<p>California schools are weird. It seems to me, at least way out here on the east coast, that California schools are either super-elite or super-easy. I mean, if you don't get into UCLA, USC, Berkeley, or Stanford, (which are all almost impossible for the average student to get into) where do you go? I'm sure there are decent schools, but no big-name schools. For example, out here, outside of the Ivies and other top schools, students can go to Pitt, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Boston College, UMass, Syracuse, UDel, UConn, Rutgers, Maryland-- all within a couple hours' drive. These are all very well-respected, well-known schools, but the average (B) student actually has a chance to get in. It really doesn't seem like there is any middle ground in California. Am I wrong in thinking this?</p>

8

<p>If you truly don't like any of the other UC's, including Merced, you could take the cc route into UCB and save the money...</p>

<p>so, basically at this point your choice is between 2 years at a CC or 2 years at Merced...</p>

<p>if at all possible, you really need to stop dwelling on and comparing yourself to your sister's situation, because that isn't going to help YOU move forward</p>

<p>you must know that not too many people are guaranteed to get in to UCB, thus the necsessity of a plan B that you can be happy with...</p>

9

<p>My cc is completely terrible. Its really bad and has a really bad transfer rate.</p>

10

<p>Ok, so what is better, Merced for 2 years then Cal, or one of the other UC's you got into?
Without knowing your major or what you don't like about the other UC's, I'm not sure what you should do...
but I'm guessing this may have something to do with prestige?</p>

<p>I'm not judging you for that, just trying to understand your reasons.</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
California schools are weird. It seems to me, at least way out here on the east coast, that California schools are either super-elite or super-easy. I mean, if you don't get into UCLA, USC, Berkeley, or Stanford, (which are all almost impossible for the average student to get into) where do you go? I'm sure there are decent schools, but no big-name schools. For example, out here, outside of the Ivies and other top schools, students can go to Pitt, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Boston College, UMass, Syracuse, UDel, UConn, Rutgers, Maryland-- all within a couple hours' drive. These are all very well-respected, well-known schools, but the average (B) student actually has a chance to get in. It really doesn't seem like there is any middle ground in California. Am I wrong in thinking this?

[/quote]

Going straight by numbers - most UC campuses are comparable to virginia tech. three (berkeley, LA, SD,) are substantially higher, the other six are mostly comparable, give or take some in either direction. A california resident with over a 3.0 gpa is actually guaranteed admission in to at least one -- although for some people it will be a craphole like merced. (to be fair, merced just hasn't had time to establish itself yet.)</p>

<p>the CSU system varies pretty widely - calpoly is VTish except in architecture (comparable to UVA in architecture,) SDSU is pretty much VTish too. the rest of the CSU's are a bit lower, generally probably a little worse than george mason by numbers. they've been getting ragged on a lot for budget issues lately though, and probably deserve it. there are twenty three of them.</p>

<p>there are thirty two public schools in california that, by the numbers, range from a little (maybe 30 points a sat section) lower than george mason, to better than than any eastern public with the possible exception of UVA depending on who you talk to. I'll be going to berkeley next year, but wouldn't have been terribly ashamed to end up at any of probably six or seven state schools.</p>

<p>for privates, we have the claremonts, caltech, stanford, reed, as big names that immediately pop in to my head. there are probably ten or fifteen classical liberal arts colleges in the northwest that are often as affordable as state schools that have numbers better than tech's, and reputations a good bit better.</p>

<p>I'm missing a bunch, but hey, it's late.</p>

<p>It does seem like california people tend to sound kind of dire about not getting in to cal/la, but I wouldn't at all say that we have fewer good viable choices than someone on the east coast. names like UCSB/UCI/calpoly may not be as widely recognized in virginia as virginia tech is; but equally, virginia tech is not as widely recognized here. The problem with middle-tier schools is that they are only widely known within their own area. (as a note, I have lived in both virginia and california for several years. I based comparisons off of tech instead of a different school you mentioned, because I'm most familiar with it.)</p>

12

<p>I'm sorry about that, gaiusbaltar. Life is just not fair, I guess. And don't feel like a failure. At least you gave it your best and showed dedication, and that's a million times better than what your sister did. I'm sure everything will work out for you, since your're such a hard worker.</p>

13

<p>gaiusbaltar - if Cal is your dream school, I say try, try again...
I personally know a transfer student who did not get into Cal the first time out. Cal was his absolute first and only choice and he was NOT going anywhere else. His CC GPA was not quite high enough (below a 3.5) & he had applied to an impacted dept; nonetheless, he pursued his dream. He changed his major, stayed another year at a CC, and improved his GPA. BINGO! He got the word yesterday...he's in!</p>

<p>FOCUS on your dream and forget the rest!</p>

14

<p>"A california resident with over a 3.0 gpa is actually guaranteed admission in to at least one"</p>

<p>Actually, it's a 3.0 for them to consider you. The only people guaranteed admission to at least one are the ELC students, which comprise the top 4% of high schools.</p>

15

<p>just remember... everything happens for a reason.
try your best and plan ahead.
don't compare yourself to other people including your sister.
good luck.</p>