<p>Recently I've been thinking a lot about applying for a transfer to Berk or UCLA. I currently attend a reputable university abroad but I have been in the CA public school system my whole life and went abroad for college. </p>
<p>I thought the transfer rate was much better than freshmen admission but I have looked at the stats and it is definitely not lower for out of state/international applicants. Profile</a> of Admitted Transfer Students, Fall 2010 - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions This in particular scares me the most. It seems that out of ~150 international applicants, UCLA accepts about 3-5 of them...and I'm sure Berkeley is worse.</p>
<p>So where would my application sit on the admission totem pole? Technically I'm not an international applicant but I'm applying from an international institution BUT I'm a CA resident. What are my real chances basically? Would I fall under CA residents (with ~30% acceptance rate) or applicant from abroad (~3%). Also if I fall under the latter category - is it worth applying? What are those 3-5 people like that they accept out of 150? </p>
<p>Thanks for reading</p>
<p>PS I'm planning on majoring in Physics or Astrophysics and have done all the required prereqs.</p>
<p>Your poor prospects for admission as a transfer to a UC are not because you are international or out of state, it is because the UCs are required to give the highest priority to transfers from California Community Colleges (CCCs). Except for transfer applicants from other UC campuses, transfer applicants from four year colleges are given low priority. Actually, the lowest priority is given to transfer applicants from CSUs to UCs who have a lower acceptance rate than transfer applicants from out of state four year colleges. Your best chance for admission to UC Berkeley or UCLA is to leave your present college and enroll in a CCC and apply to a UC in two years. You can only do this if do not already have over a certain number of units at four year colleges.</p>
<p>I am already aware that the UCs have to give preference to applicants from CCCs, I just find it a bit odd that there is like a 2% acceptance rate for international students abroad.</p>
<p>I also don’t think transferring to a community college for two more years will work either as by the end of this year I’ll have done 2 years of college here -surely that means I’d have too many units to transfer to a 4 year university and then I’d really be screwed. I’d also be at least two years older than everyone else starting community college.</p>
<p>I’m just wondering how the UC’s would consider my application: as an international or a CA resident?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, no matter how long you’ve physically resided in the States, you are classified as an international student as long as your status with USCIS is based on an I-20 instead of permanent residency or other types of business/invesetment based visas.</p>
<p>It does not matter whether the UCs classify you as an International or a California resident, your prospects would be equally poor as either because first and foremost they are going to classify you as a transfer applicant from a four year college. Your chances of acceptance are probably better, or certainly no worse, than a student applying to transfer to a UC from a California State University (CSU). The California Master Plan for Higher Education is based on the premise that a large percentage of UC students will do their lower division courses at a CCC, which can offer them lower division courses but can not award them a bachelors degree, and will then transfer to a UC or CSU to do their upper division courses and receive a BA or BS. That system would not work if the UCs accepted significant numbers of transfer students from four year colleges instead of providing the maximum number of positions for CCC transfers. Students already at a four year college do not have to transfer to earn a Bachelor’s degree while CCC students do and hence the priority given to them.</p>
<p>Just go to UCSC for Astro-physics!!! UC’s still do junior transfers from out of state schools and telling them you are from California will help since they figure you have a better understanding of the states economy and education system, which is a part of what they are concerned with. Although what is being said is the guideline and how the numbers play out, it should not be perceived in such a fixed manner to discourage prospective students.</p>