Procrastination + College Applications = AWFUL!

<p>Okay, so I'd like to make sure that I don't spend December 1st contemplating suicide (or something less dramatic), so I want to ask a few questions for clarification regarding UC application for transfer students:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>If I haven't started the application at ALL yet, do I still have time to finish it before it's due? This is in the context of a regular school/homework schedule. This includes getting any necessary financial forms/transcripts/etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Is it due by 11:59pm of November 30th? Or earlier?</p></li>
<li><p>I heard that I could expect the UC server to crash between Thanksgiving and the end of November. But I can still confidently expect to successfully send it in sometime during that period...right?</p></li>
<li><p>How many essays are there? Three?</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Unfortunately, I've been so busy with school lately that I haven't had time to apply for UC. I know it's stupid, considering the whole reason why I'm going to community college is to go to UC, but bleh, the professors don't seem to be very cognizant of that. :(</p>

<p>Lastly, please be honest. Your unrealistic optimism would NOT be doing me any favors!</p>

<p>wow thats really brave of you to be starting apps this late... </p>

<ol>
<li><p>yes you can still apply right now. if you have all of your data with you, like classes and grades and social security #, the only thing that should take time are the essays</p></li>
<li><p>it is due by 11:59pm of november 30. but you must be a real idiot to submit it then.</p></li>
<li><p>people usually scramble around thanksgiving to turn their stuff in, there is a chance they may extend the time if there is a crash, but dont expect it, they may pull off a csu and say that's that.</p></li>
<li><p>2 essays, the third one is optional just to talk about stuff you couldnt talk about or show in the app like why someone had to take a semester off or whatever... dont use this to extend your personal statements, admission officers HATE it when people do (i know a former UCLA admission officer, and she and others would just chew out those who did)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>let this be a lesson to you never to procrastinate ever again</p>

<p>It is awful- so what are you doing writing this post when you know what you should be doing? I would say you have time to finish it, there are a lot of hours between now and Sunday night. And part of being a college student is sacrificing some sleep and knowing how to allocate time even if you can't finish everything you need to. What's more important a homework assignment or the application? and you don't even have to worry about sending transcripts until you are accepted by a school. </p>

<p>As stated on the website "The filing deadline for fall quarter/semester 2009 is 11:59 p.m. PST November 30, 2008." Seems pretty clear to me. But yes, I would try to turn it in before this coming weekend and the rush of last-minute'rs. Can't comment on the likeliness of a crash. There are two required essays, 1000 words total. There is one optional essay that is for providing any additional information that couldn't be mentioned anywhere else. It's very simple to set up an application and access this information. </p>

<p>That being said, I think it's pretty amazing that you can try to blame your professors on your situation. You have had time to work on your UC applications pretty much from the day you decided you were going to apply. IMO it is doable, so get started!!!</p>

<p>You have plenty of time. Not sure where you're trying to go but I think only UCLA and UCB read the essays anyway.</p>

<p>dude you have HELLLLLLA days. you have 7 days + 1 assuming the server crashes on Nov 30th, which it pretty much always does. </p>

<p>If you take your time on the actual application (the forms and whatnot) it should take you two, maybe three days tops (spread out, spending 1-2 hours a day on it--do NOT try and finish the form part in just one day...you want to be able to find any mistakes before submitting).</p>

<p>Hopefully you've been spending time at least thinking about your personal statements. I always tell people that I spent 2 days writing both of my personal statements (one of those days being Dec. 1st), but I spent at least 1 month just thinking about the topics and brainstorming. Anyways, good luck!</p>

<p>The application itself is not particularly hard. Think of online job apps in terms of filling out sheets of information. </p>

<p>The essays, however, take a lot more time. Actually writing the essay may not be too difficult, but it always helps to go through several revisions and to get outside opinions. While you can probably find plenty of proofreaders on this site, it also helps to have someone that might actually know you read them too. Going through peer reviews can really, really strengthen your essay. If you're not confident in writing, though, good luck.</p>

<p>I think it is do-able, it was for me. I had been accepted as a spring admit for another school, and had pretty much decided to go. About a week before the UC deadline, I thought, hm, maybe I'd rather go to Cal. </p>

<p>I had actually filled out the form part around the beginning of November, so I had a head start, but I have to say I reviewed it at least 5 times the week before deadline in case I missed something (I had). It takes a good 2 hours or so to fill out the form, or at least it did for me. It is confusing, but don't worry! Definitely do at least half of this part first, then worry about the essays.</p>

<p>Because I still wasn't 100% sure about applying, I waited until the LAST DAY to even begin writing my essays. I worked all day that day, so I didn't even get to start until 6pm. However, I had been thinking of the topics for at least the week before, so I had an idea of what I wanted to write. It took about 4 hours to write them. I only printed them twice to review and edit. I was at home alone, so had no one to read them for me. I am very confident about my writing, however, if Cal actually read my essays, I can't imagine I was accepted solely based on them.</p>

<p>I started to submit my final application at 10pm or so on the 30th, and yes, the server overloaded. But I tried again, and after 3 attempts, it went through. (By the way, patience is key here, whether you are trying to submit your app at the last minute or trying to get your free student football tickets after you've been accepted. :)</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Well it depends, some people find it's crazy to do it now, but I don't understand all the panic. True story from me, I applied to UC Irvine/ San Diego 3 days before deadline, and go it in on time (a few hours before deadline) and got ACCEPTED. Also did this for my other private schools and got accepted. But it's funny how I'm re-applying to UC Irvine and other UCs because I didn't like my current school. So yea, it's doable, but can you work under the pressure? Usually I thrive under pressure, that's why most of the time I can't find myself coming up with ideas earlier on, even if I tried, these ideas usually pop up when I'm forced to write under pressured conditions.</p>

<p>My approach is risky, but if it worked for me it can work for you, keep in mind though, I'm not planning to submit my application in the last minute this time, it's just way too risky, I'm considering submitting it at least two days before deadline. The good thing is you don't have 3 days but almost a full 6 days (that's double the time for me :P), if you consider starting it now. Transferring is a lot easier, all you have to do is put in your info and write two essays that total 1000 words. You send the transcripts later. So don't worry too much.</p>

<p>so who still hasn’t turn theirs in yet? I’m finalizing on my essays and with a bit of touch ups, I should be all set to go.</p>

<p>what is the best day to submit uc apps? im planning on the 26</p>

<p>I wound up submitting mine the day before it was due. In retrospect, I’m kind of glad I did that because some of my friends that had submitted it on the 1st realized they’d forgotten to add certain things that they couldn’t fix. I don’t think the date you submit it has really any effect on your admission. For the record (even though those are old posts from 2008), there weren’t any server errors that I know of last year.</p>

<p>I already turned my application during the 1st week of November. Glad I got that over with.</p>

<p>I haven’t started my application either and last year it took me only 2 hours to complete. You have nothing to worry about just work on it during thanksgiving break.</p>

<p>Do not panic. I was in the same situation a few years ago. I spent my time working on my apps for privates (which were due later) and totally forgot about the UC deadline. I ended up filling mine out and writing my statements on the due date (although, I had already been working on statements which were similar in form for the Common App). Just make sure you don’t wait until the end of the day to send. That’s when the site commonly crashes.</p>

<p>does any one know when the system usually down and crash constantly?</p>

<p>I tried testing last year and it was extremely laggy a few days before thanksgiving. most people realize they will in trouble if they tryto turn theirs in on the last days so they try to take the safety route and turn it in a few days earlier.</p>

<p>damn, I have yet to start mine ;(. How bad is it? I have already finished my essays.</p>

<p>i will try to finish by tomorrow monday. How bad it is right now? I think its fine atm right?</p>

<p>Haven’t even started the essays yet but will start tomorrow. I’ll be damned if I spend more than a week on an application. These essays really shouldn’t be that hard for anyone. But goodness, I do see how it can be hard if you’re applying to a major you don’t even like. Lying is a laborious task. xD</p>

<p>i’ve read some essay and it seems alot of people are making it overly extravagant. I was just goona be straight forward with why i like CS and why i am who i am.</p>