Hey folks,
I just received an email with a link:
Thank you for your application to UC . Before we can complete our review, we need an explanation for gaps in your educational history during the following time period(s):
On my application I did give an explanation, basically that I just took a break.
So I’ve a couple questions that I can’t seem to find an answer for:
- How long should the response be? The submission box doesn’t appear to have a word limit or anything.
- Will all of the UCs I've applied to receive/view this response? It doesn't say anything on the email or with the link.
- Since I did give an explanation, do they just want me to elaborate on it? Such as why I took the break?
- As long as you need, but don't write a novel.
- If it is from the UC App, I believe that every campus will see it.
- I'd rephrase what you put in your app, and be as specific as possible. Were you doing anything? Volunteer, taking care of family, traveling, etc? You can talk about why you took a break.
They are specifically looking to make sure you aren’t hiding any other University credits.
Sorry the D got cut off. It’s an email I received from UC Davis.
Oh, then Davis will be the only one that sees it.
If it is in your app, you should be fine for the other UCs
I agree with luckie. Don’t go on and on, but give an explanation. Some ppl have said to make it one sentence, but I disagree. You’re obviously still in the running, and you have the opportunity to sell yourself again, which a lot of ppl don’t get.
I humbly disagree on their trying to find out about a university. They have the national student clearinghouse for that and can get results in one day. One person started that looking for school theme last year, but I’ve never ever heard it from an advisor ever. If you lied in your app by leaving a school out, you’re not about to spill the beans in a simple email response.
In my mind they just want to see if you have things that might boost your standing - family obligations, financial hardship, moving away, full-time job, etc. They’re looking to elevate you a few points… Something that might raise you above the competition.
Usually all the UCs have access to responses, so I believe your response (which by the way, is added word for word in the application), will be seen by all the UCs to which you applied. Anyway, you will know because when you sumit it it will say somewhere if all the UCs have access.
Haha, thx @luckie1367. =))
? I think I’m missing something @lindyk8 ?
I don’t know but I just saw your response to the guy who went on about OOS. B-)
Well I certainly didn’t lie about anything, lol. However, I wrote my application about my academic experiences/research/etc… and my music with a short sweet story, I left all of the “sad” stuff off and only noted my issues with ADHD. So are you saying they’re looking for that kind of thing to justify an extra oomph or something?
By sad I mean: alcoholic father, discriminated against, tumor, neglect, shark attack among other animals, etc… etc…
Wow, shark attack would have been an interesting essay topic!
Anything that humanize you helps, as well. A sweet story about music sounds nice.
“Oh when that shark bites, with it’s teeth babe, Scarlett billows start to spread…” You’re probably too young for that song. Google Mack the Knife, Bobby Darin
@luckie1367, no you were fine. The guy was a loon.
@wilvkxs
I received that e-mail a few days ago. Mine says “Please note: This communication and your response may be shared and reviewed by the following campuses to which you may have applied: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Santa Cruz.” And the link in the e-mail took me to a special page on the UC general application, so I think all the UCs can read my response. In fact, I talked with someone who had worked for UC Berkely said the UC which sent this e-mail to you is doing this on behalf of all the UCs. Thus, UCs definitely share our responses.
They want to make sure whether you took classes during the gap and you didn’t notify them because a lot of people don’t provide all the information which makes their applications look bad.
It actually occurred the summer before the break in question, I was certainly shook up and the bite hurt for a while, but I wouldn’t say it dissuaded me from attending that semester. Sad or not, I was pretty used to being bit by then haha. It’s actually a bit of a funny story too, I dropped my new fishing pole in, jumped in to get it and thought it was a dolphin from a pack we saw swimming by like a minute or two earlier. Oh hey cool, swimming with dolphins, oh wait you’re not a dolphin etc… lol.
@sky1991
Mine doesn’t say anything like that and takes me to a page on the UC davis website. And the email sender address is a davis counselor it looks like.
Oh my bad.
I received something like this in Feb not from Davis though. From what I heard about this kinda request, UCs don’t share the response, but definitely use it when they make a decision in your case UCD.
Anyways I was asked to answer two questions, and my response is about 300-400 words each. I briefly summarized what I wrote in my app but I elaborated by putting extra information.
I was also asked about the gap, I was required to send unofficial transcripts from high school and CC. I think it’s better to call the admission tomorrow and ask to specify what they want to know. Most of the time they don’t, but maybe they might specify. It’s worth a shot.
Does it say this is optional?
@wilvkxs
shark attack “among other animals”? Do you work at a zoo or something? It might be good you didn’t write about that because it’s pretty unbelievable, not that it’s untrue.
@sky1991
Nope, gives me a 5 day thing, and says application processing may be delayed or canceled.
@music1990
Haha, no, but with my experiences I probably shouldn’t in the future. I grew up in fairly rural area with lots of trees and few neighbors n stuff, just to get to school was a 25+ minute drive. And basically the majority of the area around my house you could classify as wilderness, my backyard was a ravine that went up onto a hill that on the other side was nothing but grass, trees, etc… You’d have to climb to the top of it to see over it too, and with that kind of area came coyotes, wild dogs, snakes, mountain lions, hawks, etc…
They’re welcome to see my scars, lol.
I really have no 100% idea why they want info on gap year but if it really is school why don’t they just ask? Did you take any courses during your gap year? That’s a pretty straight-forward question.
I’m not asking this as confrontational, because maybe they are asking for that reason. I’m just trying to legitimately figure it out. Feedback? 