<p>@seanoh: A fellow Sociology major!? I approve. Unfortunately, AOs are pretty particular with what they’re looking for in a Transfer’s application Especially in the social science department (20.8% acceptance rate for Fall 2011) since it is in their best interest to complete the prereqs during the Spring term prior to transferring. Although this doesn’t mean you won’t be accepted! You’ll just be competing with a fairly large pool of applicants who will probably have Statistics done by the end of Spring. However, I’m sure they’ll take into consideration your background in some course for Statistics! GPA is fine by the way – and who wouldn’t want someone who shows compassion for other people! Well done. </p>
<p>Here’s a link with some helpful information!</p>
<p>@goldenbears That is so nerve racking , what about those who din’t get the emaill is it over for them? lol an indicator as big as that should be noticed by the adcoms right? </p>
<p>Haha receiving the financial aid email early is something that has just happened in the past and may or may not happen again this year. It’s possible you might even get one the morning of the initial decision date. it happened to quite a few people (including myself) and for those of us who DID get one, DID get accepted. It’s EXCITING, isn’t it?? Focus on classes! I was in your same situation and remember having admission decisions on my mind ALL THE TIME! You’ll remember the moments you read the letters beginning with “Congratulations!..” :)</p>
<p>Hi GoldenBears! First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to help us all out. Really appreciate it. </p>
<p>Regarding housing, when did you get that sorted out after you were accepted? And what are your living conditions now? Apartments? Co-ops?</p>
<p>As for the Greek life, are you in it? Do you think transfer students would be welcomed into frats?</p>
<p>Speaking as a fellow SoCal resident here, what was the initial transition into the Bay Area like? Weather-wise, general attitudes of people etc. How were your first few weeks at Cal? </p>
<p>As an out of state applicant, how much more difficult will it be for me? I’m a junior, and a prospective student. I’m thinking about applying next year, but there are a few factors that are making me think twice.
SAT Scores what will I need to score minimum. Will I have to score higher since I’m out of state. I’m planning on studying enough to at least break 2100.
Financial situation. I don’t want to put too much financial stress on my parents. I plan on applying for premed. Will Berkeley break my parents bank account?</p>
<p>@KarmaGo: Anytime! It’s a lot easier to answer questions when we’re this close to Spring break & everyone is calming down from the mid-semester rush! Housing is simple, you’ll apply after accepting your admissions offer. I’m moving into an apartment in a couple months, but as of right now live in university housing -________- biggest scam for undergraduate life! I know plenty of people who live in co-ops and would NEVER want to be one of them! Lol no offense, it’s just not my style. Rent is CHEAP and parties are CRAZY, but you pay for what you get – smallest corner of a room with 2 other random students, and MAYBE get a shelf or something around those lines to store your belongings. They also have a reputation of being dirty, but I’ve never really thought they were too bad. No matter your race, sexual orientation, vegan/vegetarian…there’s a place for everyone! </p>
<p>Greek life! Maybe next year. I couldn’t afford a Frat with my living situation, but that didn’t stop most of my friends from taking out more loans! Lol the ONLY frat that cares about student status as far as I know is one of the pre-law ones, but they’re a professional frat so meh…they’re loss. The process for guys is WAY more lax than for sorority girls. If you’re a bro, you’ll be accepted as a bro. Choose wisely. You’ll love Arrowbands.</p>
<p>Oh how I miss the warmth 24/7! Invest in rain boots and emotionally detach yourself from ALL tanks and shorts back in Socal, because weather here can be a B****. The sun still exists…it’s just more of the kind of friend you catch up with from time to time. Attitudes are good. Political attitudes are…extreme. Berkeley is it’s own community. You’ll just have to experience it for yourself!</p>
<p>Sorry for the lengthy posts!!! I go hard when answering questions. You should see me on essay exams!</p>
<p>@Haphazard: OOS?? WHERE FROM!? You’ll be happy to hear more OOS applicants are being accepted…but unfortunately it’s for that exact reason they pay more. Statistically speaking, your chances ARE lower than in-state residents, but that doesn’t make you any less of a viable applicant! There are roughly ~14,000 open spots to be filled, and ~53,000+ (Fall 2012) Freshman applicants. </p>
<p>Be 1 in 14,000. Easy. :)</p>
<p>Averages for Fall 2011:
High School GPA: 4.14
ACT Composite Score: 30
SAT Critical Reading: 674
SAT Mathematics: 707
SAT Writing: 692</p>
<p>Hm, who should expect that financial aid e-mail? I filled out FAFSA just to see what would happen, but I’m ineligible for any financial aid so I didn’t bother actually looking into it for any particular UC. I shouldn’t expect an e-mail no matter what, right? Ugh, that’s going to stress me out like hell if everyone else is getting one…</p>
<p>Also, chance…
GPA: 3.93
Major: Psychology
Job: None
EC: GSA club officer, psych club officer, women empowered club officer/co-founder, volunteering with children who have autism, ASL self study
Essays: Prompt 1: I talked about having triplet siblings with one deaf brother and one autistic brother which led me to volunteer and major in psych. Prompt 2: I talked about how I’ve moved countries a few times so I thought I was pretty open-minded about culture, but then I was introduced to Deaf culture and had to rethink a lot of assumptions. I think it’s unique/strange enough to catch their attention…</p>
<p>Sadly, my transcript looks really funny: my second quarter I failed two classes, got one W, one P, and one C in a 2.5 unit class. Other than one A- in a 2.5 unit class my first quarter, it’s been all A’s/A+'s otherwise, and obviously I retook the F’s. I explained that I was really ill that quarter on my transcript, and a cal rep told me they do take being ill into account, but I’m worried…do you know any transfers who came in with F’s that were repeated? I’m hoping a strong GPA and my prompts will be enough to make up for it…</p>
<p>@newsoul: Even if you don’t qualify for financial aid, you will still have a designated location for offered loans and total parent/student contribution. Thus! There’s still a chance you will get an email. Your application looks AMAZING! I like the fact that you remained positive throughout your essay. I have a feeling you won’t be too upset with your college choices </p>
<p>Don’t worry about that one quarter…your GPA is GREAT!</p>
<p>Oh, and get ready for Psychology 101 if Cal is where you want to be! Stats stats stats…</p>
<p>@sld122: HISTORY?? My friend’s a History major & I feel like she’s NEVER actually taking classes for it! Unfortunately, I actually don’t know too much about the department. Here’s the link to their website: [Home</a> | Department of History, UC Berkeley](<a href=“http://history.berkeley.edu/]Home”>http://history.berkeley.edu/) </p>
<p>As for studying abroad…I gave a presentation on it! There’s soooo much information on their website already, so I’ll just direct you to THAT – [Berkeley</a> Study Abroad - Home](<a href=“http://studyabroad.berkeley.edu/]Berkeley”>http://studyabroad.berkeley.edu/) I recommend taking advantage of the opportunity, but it can be difficult finding the time after you transfer. You’re not limited to your UC though! So hop on a trip with San Diego or Merced if you like. </p>
<p>FUN FACT #2 (for Sociology majors!): Cal has a foreign exchange program with the University of Oslo in Norway! So although everyone jokes about it, there really is a reason why a HUGE portion of your classmates are Norwegian. :] You can even apply to study at Oslo if you feel Norway is where your heart’s at.</p>
<p>@tragicxeyes: You want me to do what now??? Well…I chose Berkeley because it has the #1 Sociology department and I wanted some change in my life UCLA was my dream school, but I had never been up north before! It was hard to leave everything and everyone I knew in LA, but now Berkeley feels like home and LA is just where I go to visit from time to time. To this day it’s still crazy when my mom asks “What do you plan on doing today?” and I’m able to just be like…“Hang out in San Francisco. You?”</p>
<p>UCLA
Beautiful Campus
Beautiful People
Diverse!
Traffic -________-
Santa Monica/Beverly Hills
Diddy Riese
Better financial aid/student housing/apartments…but just as expensive as Berkeley!</p>
<p>Berkeley
'nuff said</p>
<p>…sorry for the lame pros & cons list. Haha I just have an easier time expressing things without the notes :] You get more out of me through particular Q&A!</p>
<p>What can you tell me about the safety both on campus and off? I’ve heard that a lot of the area surrounding Cal is not the best, and to be honest, that may be a deciding factor for me. I know it sounds totally paranoid, but I’m a woman and want to feel a relative amount of security when I go out Thanks!</p>
<p>@ColorsInTheStars: Awesome username by the way!</p>
<p>Berkeley will be Berkeley. Lol I remember first coming here and thinking it was dirty and maybe not as safe as I would like it to be, as well. It’s true that the surrounding areas (Oakland & Emeryville) aren’t the BEST places to be – in my opinion of course – and you wouldn’t want to find yourself in those neighborhoods at night, but it’s also true that when you’re HERE, you’re going to remain in Berkeley about 95% of the time. To be honest, we do have robberies & thefts on occasions. A whole rack of bikes got stolen…and my bike was one of them! -_______-</p>
<p>However, I guarantee you’ll feel comfortable when you’re actually here! The streets are filled with the hustle & bustle of broke college students, it IS a college town, northern homeless people are a lot cooler than southern ones – oh, there are also quite a bit of homeless people 8l – and you shouldn’t let your worries discourage you </p>
<p>Google People’s Park. This is next to Unit 2 and where the homeless have taken over and dealers deal :// AVOID IF YOU CAN! Sorry if that sounds intense, but even I won’t live more than a few blocks away from campus.</p>
<p>Call it a Berkeley thing, but if it’s any consolation, UCLA is just as good a school as Berkeley is! :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much! Isn’t Unit 2 where they have housing reserved for transfer students?! I actually went through and picked my preferences a couple months ago, so I was hoping for Foothill or Channing Bowditch, hopefully those are a bit safer locations! I’m originally from Irvine, so I think I’m kind of ruined for other, less um…pristine, areas, but the campus itself looks amazing, and the building my major’s department is in has a view of the Golden Gate bridge so that’s pretty tempting. I just worry about safety, and getting on campus housing the second year I’m there. </p>
<p>PS - I saw that you are a Sociology major there, and while I’m a Geography major, I hope to check out a class or two in the Soc dept because my best friend is a GSI in Sociology. Anyway, thanks again!</p>
<p>Lol the Units are made up of multiple buildings – Wada Apartments are what I’m assuming you’re referring to. DO NOT LIVE IN FOOTHILL! Although I appreciated the suite style floor plans and liked all my roommates, my first semester living there was horrible in ALL financial and social aspects! The daily hikes uphill & downhill SUCK! Except you never have to worry about exercising. Expensive! $$$ It’s far from EVERYTHING BERKELEY (Southside)! However, anything is better than Clark Kerr! 8l</p>
<p>Haha Everyone who lives in Channing LOVES it Close to everything, reasonably priced, your own off-campus apartment with all the conveniences of on-campus living! If you were to ask me my preferences NOW:</p>
<p>Channing
Martinez Commons (NEW!!!)
Wada? Yeah, probably Wada.
Beverly Cleary (considered part of Unit 3, but a block away! Not too many people know of it, but the rooms are HUGE and CHEAP.)
Any - Open</p>
<p>@ GoldenBears
Firstly, thank you for your awesome incite on basically all things Cal.
I saw that you were mentioning emails regarding financial aid packets that would be sent from Cal. Do you know the time frame of when those financial aid emails are typically sent out?
Also, do you know when the invitations to apply for Regents, for transfer students, are sent out?
Finally, and sorry for the bombarding list of questions, you noted that UCLA has better student housing and apartments. I was wondering if you could please elaborate as to the problems with the Cal housing situation?
Thanks!</p>
<p>@AkBerkeley: I see you’ve already chosen which school you’ll be attending!</p>
<p>WELL, AkBerkeley! If I had to guess, I would say anywhere between 12pm the day before the decision date to 12pm the day OF the decision date. </p>
<p>As for housing, I stick to what I said! UCLA houses transfers with transfers, so no need to worry about finding people in your same situation. Also, Berkeley’s off-campus living has NOTHING on UCLA’s pristine LA apartments! We have old hotels turned into single bedrooms…with no kitchen and ALL! Two-story houses are split into first and second floor “apartments,” and have you ever heard of a ‘rooming’ house??? Craziest concept of my life!</p>
<p>Why YES, I would LOVE to pay $800 rent for 1 of those sweet 5 beds in that closet of yours.</p>
<p>Golden Bears! Thank you so much for starting this forum! </p>
<p>I applied as a sociology major to CAL.
Applied for Fall 2012 —> Berk.
GPA: 3.73//MAJOR GPA: 4.0</p>
<p>Sociology 1: A
Sociology 3: A (not a pre-req)
Sociology 4: Currently taking
Sociology 6: A (not a pre-req)
Statistics: A</p>
<p><strong>CC did not offer Soc 5</strong></p>
<p>I am part of Associated Students (senate) at my college, women’s tennis team @ college, volunteered at hospital, secretary of a club on campus and have been working ever since I was fifteen at various restaurants/retail. </p>
<p>What are my chances since I believe this major is non-impacted @ CAL?
What sociology classes have you enjoyed so far? Which professors would you recommend? </p>
Especially in the social science department (20.8% acceptance rate for Fall 2011) since it is in their best interest to complete the prereqs during the Spring term prior to transferring. Although this doesn’t mean you won’t be accepted! You’ll just be competing with a fairly large pool of applicants who will probably have Statistics done by the end of Spring. However, I’m sure they’ll take into consideration your background in some course for Statistics! 
GPA is fine by the way – and who wouldn’t want someone who shows compassion for other people! Well done. </p>
Invest in rain boots and emotionally detach yourself from ALL tanks and shorts back in Socal, because weather here can be a B****. The sun still exists…it’s just more of the kind of friend you catch up with from time to time. Attitudes are good. Political attitudes are…extreme. Berkeley is it’s own community. 
</p>
Two-story houses are split into first and second floor “apartments,” and have you ever heard of a ‘rooming’ house??? Craziest concept of my life!</p>