Mathematics: Will I make it?

<p>It's my third year at a California CC. </p>

<p>As of FALL 2010 I have completed with A's:</p>

<p>Calculus 1
Calculus 2
Calculus 3
Applied Differential Equations</p>

<p>For my final term, I will be taking:
Discrete Mathematics
Linear Algebra</p>

<p>My IGETC is completed, also. Do I have a shot at getting into Berkeley? How hard is it to transfer in Math?</p>

<p>I'm concered, because although I will have met all requirements with an A, when my application was sent I could only list my classes this year as "In progress" or "Plan to take."</p>

<p>Are they concerned that I have yet to prove myself in these classes? If so, will they deny me at first, but ask for my transcript after the classes are completed? Please help me!</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>I’m studying math at a top 20 ranked department and the difference between it and that in Berkeley (I check it’s course webpages) is very noticeable. Considering that you’re taking math at a Community College, I think you should retake all of your math classes at Berkeley, should you get accepted, since CC probably taught nothing.</p>

<p>Or at least go over the Calculus with theory sequence at MIT OpenCourseWare (go over thoroughly, over 6-7 months at least). It’ll give you proper background to transfer into Berkeley and at least skip the Calc sequence.</p>

<p>That’s not true! Are you kidding? Community college classes teach you just as much as any college. You learn the same material. The tests may not be as wicked as Berkeley’s but they still learn the same concepts. Sometimes you get teachers (at any school) that are just lazy and don’t care. I’ve had a professor here at Berkeley like that and a community college. I’m not a transfer btw so it’s not like I’m upset that you’re dissing us if I was them. Hah but yeah you don’t need to retake it unless it’s for pre-sumthin.</p>

<p>I think Trololol is a ■■■■■.</p>

<p>probably… and i think i should probably study.</p>

<p>his last paragraph is accurate though
go to MIT ocw or anything and re-learn what you learned in CC with theory and rigor to prepare you for the math upper divs here.</p>

<p>@daynnight: haha, math here would be terrible for prelaw or premed, math supposedly has the lowest dept gpa ever.
But I wouldn’t suggest retaking math classes here. I wouldn’t say any of the large math classes here are particularly legit (i.e. lower divs and 110). I don’t really know what type of linear algebra class the one you’re taking now is, but if it’s similar you would take 110 anyways since here it’s 54 (Linear Algebra and Diff Eqs) and then 110 Linear Algebra.</p>

<p>daynnight, no, I am not kidding.</p>

<p>Berkeley has one of the best mathematics departments in the world. You are out of your mind if you think that some lowly community college with a 100% acceptance rate is going to provide its students an education that is even <em>remotely</em> close to that of Berkeley.</p>

<p>I’ve been to a community college - pathetic, and not even comparable to a high school education. I am now at a mathematics department that is constantly ranked 16th-20th, and I <em>still</em> see a very noticeable difference between it and that in Berkeley.</p>

<p>OP, while you’re taking Discrete Math and Linear Algebra at CC, go to the analogous Berkeley’s course websites and compare them. See for yourself if you’ll have enough knowledge to succeed at Berkeley. I guarantee that you will be very disappoint.</p>

<p>Hence is my suggestion to retake courses at Berkeley, if you’re going there for the sake of gaining knowledge and not just a name prestige (in which case, don’t retake them, and just try to survive).</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies. I take slight offense to the CC bashing. Although I would agree that Berkeley and uni are obviously much more rigorous and in depth than CC, CC is still not kindergarten. Math is math. We learn similar concepts here. My CC is in the top 3 CCs in the state, so its not like I’m learning 2+2 in a drooling class of morons. There are only about 40 students at my CC that are taking this level of Math, so I’m in the top percentage of students.</p>

<p>Anyway, I was planning on retaking Discrete Math at Berkeley because I feel I will need to be introduced to university level math. I understand that the math is more theoretical in upperdiv and I’m not that hot headed. I agree with you Trolololololo… Berkeley is one of the best Mathematics schools in the world, and it’s going to take a lot for anyone to excel there, especially a CC student. You are right, it’s unrealistic and foolish to jump into upper div out of CC. I appreciate your advice.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help. More comments are appreciated.</p>

<p>PS Also keep in my mind that some people can’t afford university at all. That’s why I’m in CC. I need a miraculous scholarship/grant or I need to make a deal with the Air Force/Navy to afford a school like this. I’m the first person ever in my family to pursue higher ed. No one in my family has more than a HS diploma because we’re Irish immigrants.</p>

<p>Oh, and my original question was more about acceptance rates, not preparation or “Do you know what you are getting yourself into?”</p>

<p>Does anyone know the transfer rate/difficulty in Math? Will all A’s in their required courses make me a shoe-in? I know their average admission rate for all majors combined is 29.9% for California CC transfer students at Berkeley.</p>

<p>Anyone out there a Math transfer, know a math transfer?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>I’m also considering going to Cal Poly SLO, USC, or UCLA.</p>

<p>Berkeley’s math department might be pretty good for the small UD classes and graduate stuff, but Math 53-54 are not that legit. Half the time the professor just reads from the book or loses the class in the first 5 minutes; a lot of GSIs don’t even know the material that well. Math 55 is supposed to be pretty chill. It’s not worth wasting like 12+ units just to go over those again. Perhaps some review would be good (in the case of linear algebra I wouldn’t bother because you pretty much start over in 110), but seriously that’s a ridiculous suggestion.
Actually, OP, just look at some previous finals if you end up coming here and see how it goes.</p>

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<p>I agree that retaking classes isn’t the way to go, most likely, although an intro to proofs might be a good idea. I myself never took such a class, but it seems to give a lot of people a ton of trouble to get used to.</p>

<p>To the OP, you need to get used to more than anything is that Berkeley students probably will be a lot stronger academically than where you came from. So even doing well in the lower division might be a lot harder than one might expect, even if the material is roughly the same, because the extent to which you’re expected to grasp things (and the pace) might be greater. On the other hand, your community college might have been a really good one, and the classes you took may have prepared you.</p>

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<p>Caution: while this is true, they also expect you to be much better at writing mathematics by this stage. You can have a decent idea of the concepts and get hammered for not being of sufficient maturity.</p>

<p>So if anything, a good review should consist of practicing reading and writing mathematics.</p>

<p>Community college math is obviously not as rigorous as Berkeley math but it’s still sufficient preparation for the Berkeley upper divs. I took 53 and 54 at community college and ive been doing fine. So far I’ve taken 110,113,104,and 126 without much trouble.</p>