Must Read for ALL UC Hopefuls

Transfer Students
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<p>I attended a UC workshop recently and asked representatives from UCLA, UCR, and Cal questions that I have seen asked here on CC. I am not responsible for this information, just merely passing it forward.</p>

<p>UCR representative on the general rule of Personal Statements: "Though not all UCs admit it, the Personal Statements account for only about 1% of your application. The only exception, however, is if you are applying to impacted programs and schools (Comm major for UCLA, Anderson/Haas business school)."</p>

<p>UCR representative on Class Repeated: "If a student got a D or an F on a subject, he/she can repeat the class at least twice. When computing your GPA, only the most recent grade will count (i.e. if you get a fail on a class and repeat it and get an A, only the A will count)."</p>

<p>Cal representative on Haas acceptees: "Prereqs are what is important. As soon as the adcom see that you are missing some needed classes, you automatical fall out of the race. Furthermore, the rest of the application is more hollistic than you think. ECs and Personal Statements usually can make or break students who have the same GPA and prereqs completed, hypothetically speaking."</p>

<p>(Further note: Average acceptee GPA to Haas was around 3.9 this year. Also, in the area around Los Angeles/Los Angeles county, the lowest GPA accepted was 3.6)</p>

<p>UCLA representative on TAP: "TAP is a 90% guarantee on admissions. If a student is TAP certified, that student has a 90% chance of getting into his/her first major of choice, be it Communications, Psychology, or Sociology, as long as he/she has completed ALL pre-reqs and meet the average GPA for the major."</p>

<p>(Further note on TAP: the UCLA rep said that the reason why TAP is so powerful, besides the 90% guarantee, is because if you don't get accepted to your first major of choice, you will then get evaluated or your second choice. Non-TAP students don't have this privelage; its either you get in your first major or you don't. But be aware: TAP is only for majors in the College of Letters and Science, so those of you wanting to apply to Anderson or their Film/Theatre Arts department, TAP will not benefit you.) </p>

<hr>

<p>Personal comment: I was really surprised about the Personal Statements. All this time, I thought it was a crucial part of a person's application. However, I would still suggest all of you UC hopefuls to put your heart and soul into it, as it can be the deciding factor if you are a borderline student.</p>

<p>Hope this helps. If you have any more questions that I may have information about, just list them down and I'll share to you whatever else I have. For now, this is all I can remember.</p>

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<p>Hm. </p>

<p>I agree with the personal statement thing, except I don't think that it necessarily makes a big difference for impacted majors. Comm is all about numbers, the personal statement (and pretty much everything else) is just extra. But they don't make or break you. I wrote my personal statements about 5 hours before applications were due, spell checked them, and sent them off. They weren't horrible, but they weren't my best work either. I've spoken to several other admits in impacted majors (lots in comm specifically) and most of use agree that our personal statements were pretty damn weak. Don't stress about the personal statement unless you struggle with writing and need more help. </p>

<p>I've always maintained that TAP IS useful and worth it and I disagree with the idea thrown around on here that it only helps if you're borderline, or low, or whatever. Overall it's a huge push and I think a lot of people don't understand how it works. It' doesn't matter WHAT your grades are, having TAP puts you at the top of the list. However, it's not accepted for comm as you have quoted. It's extra and it looks good, but you don't get the same priority consideration. </p>

<p>And yeah. Apparently a lot of people aren't aware that UCLA WILL NOT consider your alternate major unless you are TAP certified. It's on the application because some of the other schools do accept alternates. But with UCLA if you aren't TAP certified and you list an alternate major, it will be ignored.</p>

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<p>holy crap lol i thought personal statement is very important, but 1%??? holy wow</p>

<p>and TAP... i didnt know that much about it. All I know was that it gave students better chance on getting in and not that much priority.</p>

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<p>I wonder why the UCLA rep told me the exact opposite about TAP. In fact I may go back and ask her. Do you know the name of the rep you spoke with? I would like to straighten this out because there is obviously a huge gap between what you were told by their rep and what I was told by their rep. Also if you look back through the threads you will see that a lot of the kids that got in did not have TAP. You will also notice that there were kids with TAP who did not get in. My guess is that since I asked her in a private setting she was a little more able to say what she really thought. If you asked her in front of a group of people from a cc the counselor would most certainly have to back their own program.</p>

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<p>Sweetny- There are always exceptions. Also, I think that using the word "guarentee" confuses people. Absolutely NOTHING about UCLA admissions is ever guarenteed. But TAP DOES give priority consideration. This is how it works, as was explained to me by my CCs Honors Chair, several UCLA reps, and the UCLA Honors Chair, all of whom I consider to be credible sources:</p>

<p>Ucla gets a bunch of applications. Right off the bat, comm apps are sent to the comm department and are dealt with over there. Same for arts, film, and engineering (I think). Then, they take the apps and seperate them by TAP or not TAP. TAP decisions are made first. Then everyone else. If the TAP kids aren't admitted into their major of choice, they then go through another round to see if they have a place in their alternate major. </p>

<p>So yeah. It's not that you WON'T get in without TAP, TAP kids just get special consideration, and get the first go at the allotted spots. So of course there will be lots of non-TAP admits (usually however many spots are left after the qualified TAP people are let in). </p>

<p>Generally, if someone is rejected with TAP, it's because they didn't complete everything they needed to complete or they didn't match up to the majority of other TAP applicants. It means that something was missing, or wrong, or something. So there will also be people who get rejected with TAP (often these are people who realize that they don't have everything they should but decide to apply anyway and take their chances).</p>

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<p>That is what I am saying she told me specifically that it does not help someone with a high gpa at all. Now I am ****ed because I could have tried to complete it. Keep in mind she was reading applications as I was speaking with her. If she is the one reading the applications then wouldn't she seem to be a credible source?</p>

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<p>Also, I really don't think anyone can argue with statistics that show that aproximately 45% of non-TAP applicants are accepted as opposed to about 90% of TAP applicants (I don't have a printed source, but these are the stats that were read to us by a counselor from UCLA's honors department).</p>

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<p>Sweetny- I think it isn't that TAP doesn't help with a high GPA, it just helps less because you already have a better shot with a high GPA. It's just relative. Like, it isn't as necessary as if you had a lower GPA. But saying that it doesn't help at all is kind of ludicrous. Are you sure this isn't what she meant?</p>

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<p>I have never seen those stats anywhere. Couldn't it also be true that most TAP applicants are good students as it is and tend to have high gpas thus they would have gotten in regardless?</p>

<p>Her exact words were "With your gpa, it would be a waste of time. It would not help you at all." Granted I have a 3.94 but still this is frustrating.</p>

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<p>Not always. </p>

<p>I knew plenty of TAP students with 3.3s, 3.5s, etc.</p>

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<p>I honestly find it hard to believe that UCLA would take a 3.3 over a 3.9. They are so big on numbers that would seem out of character for them. I guess I just have to trust what she said. She was the one with the applications in her hand.</p>

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<p>Ok you're seriously stressing way too much. She's right, with a 3.94 it WOULD be kind of pointless because a 3.94 is almost a given for any major. Really. TAP helps, and I'm clearly a huge proponent of TAP, but with almost a 4.0 it ISN'T necessary. However, with even a 3.9 I would say go for it. It's a fine line, but really. I think you'll be ok. </p>

<p>And also, those stats were presented on several occasions at conferences prior to application and also personally told to me at the transfer orientation.</p>

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<p>I don't think you're understanding. </p>

<p>It's not that they'll take a 3.3 OVER a 3.9. The 3.9 obviously has the first chance. But if you have a 3.3 with TAP, you have a significantly better chance of admissions than if you had a 3.3 without TAP. It's not so much about competing with others as it is improving your individual odds.</p>

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<p>I do understand in fact this statement is exactly what I thought TAP did:</p>

<p>"But if you have a 3.3 with TAP, you have a significantly better chance of admissions than if you had a 3.3 without TAP. "</p>

<p>They were not mentioned at anything I went to. Anyway it is not that I am stressing. I just like to know the truth. Either way I am still applying this fall. :)</p>

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<p>That is what it does. So like, I think the counselor meant that a 3.94 with TAP isn't going to help too much more than if you had a 3.94 without TAP. Like I said, though, the lower the gpa the more TAP helps. I think that TAP helps considerably for anyone with around a 3.9 and lower. So just because it might not help you a lot specifically, it does help a ton of other people. </p>

<p>But yeah. Apply. I'tll be fine.</p>

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<p>By the way, CCers, ^^^ that up there is how you have a discussion with someone without reverting into 3 year old name-callers. FYI.</p>

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<p>^^ LOL.</p>

<p>thanksssss, this dicusssion was really helpful. Just curious, if your school does not offer TAP will it be held againist you if you have a low GPA?</p>

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<p>No, it won't be held against you because TAP is totally extra. You'll just be in the running with everyone else without TAP for your major. If that makes any sense at all. Like, obviously you won't get the benefits of TAP and they don't do anything to level the playing field if your school doesn't offer TAP (this is why some people choose schools based on whether they offer it), but it won't be held against you if you don't have TAP. You're just considered a regular applicant.</p>

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<p>
[QUOTE]
But be aware: TAP is only for majors in the College of Letters and Science, so those of you wanting to apply to Anderson or their Film/Theatre Arts department, TAP will not benefit you.)

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>I'm a bit confused here. So if i'm a Biz econ major, will TAP give me any advantage??? Because according to UCLA Undergraduate transfer proflie, Biz Econ/Econ is listed under College of Letters and Science, not Anderson.</p>

<p>By the way, thank you for passing all these useful info, pellman</p>

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<p>"By the way, CCers, ^^^ that up there is how you have a discussion with someone without reverting into 3 year old name-callers. FYI."</p>

<p>LOL so true :)</p>

<p>But wait I have another question...UCLA accepted 30% transfer applicants total for this year so how would 45% of non tap and 90% tap applicants be accepted. The math just doesn't work...</p>