On a scale of 1-10, how important are ECs?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Your input is greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>This is not easy to quantify, but I’ll tell you my personal experience and you can judge for yourself.</p>

<p>I just finished my second year at a CC, and was admitted to USC, UC Berkeley, UCSD, UCSB, and UCD. I had zero ECs. Never volunteered, never joined a club, nothing. BUT, I did work full time during my time at CC. Whether or not that is technically an EC you can judge for yourself, but you should know that work can outshine the conventional EC.</p>

3

<p>What was your GPA? Are you a CAL resident?</p>

4

<p>I think its different for UC schools since they get a huge inflow of applicants.</p>

5

<p>I am a California resident, but USC does not prioritize applicants based on residency, and I was still admitted. My UC GPA was 3.7 and my USC GPA was 3.5 (USC does not honor academic renewal, and I have an F on my transcript).</p>

6

<p>They can range in importance anywhere from 1-10 depending on the rest of your resume.</p>

7

<p>^ True. Their importance also depends on the school in question.</p>

8

<p>Not as important as GPA, Academic awards etc. But really important if your GPA is not as strong as most peoples. And yes, working (especially full time) is the perfect EC. Clubs are not that important unless they are scholars clubs that are exclusive to high GPA students and that require volunteer work. Student Government matters a bit but it wont get you in. It’s good to just throw that in. Sports matter alot too. Even if you suck at whatever it is your doing, just going to practice and games/meets every week while working on school is like having a job. Also, stick to hospitals or tutoring orphans etc.</p>