<p>Hi everyone, </p>
<p>I have some questions about transferring to UCLA and UCB, hopefully I'm in the right place. I'm just so confused about the whole process and hope that someone can help me out. I'm an international student but I go to CC in LA, and my plan is to transfer to either UCLA or UCB in the fall (2014). Right now, I have 30 units that are transferable to UC-schools after three semesters in CC (I have some classes only transferable to CSU, booo). My plan is to take 15 units in the fall and then 15 units in the spring. As my schedule looks right now, I'm going to finish my pre-reqs after the fall semester and the IGETC after the spring semester. After reading some posts on here though, I have some worries. </p>
<p>1) I don't have much EC or work experience. I have worked but because EC isn't really something you do in high school back home, I can't compete with students here in America. Also, because my visa doesn't allow me to do stuff like that here in America...there isn't much I can change about that anyway - will it affect my application? </p>
<p>2) I read somewhere that the schools doesn't care about your GPA after the fall semester (meaning winter and spring sessions), but that it is ok to do your prereqs in the spring if you want to as long as you finish up before summer. I suck at math, but I'm taking the prereq math course this fall - should I wait and take it in the spring instead because it is risking my GPA if I take it in the fall? (If everything goes as it have done previous semesters, my GPA would be 3.93 after the fall semester but the math could sink it so maybe it is better to take it in the spring instead?!)</p>
<p>3) I took a semester off after my first semester and went back home, this because I needed to save up money to go back and continue my education - can this break affect my application?! </p>
<p>My major is communication (media studies if I get into UCB). </p>
<p>My GPA right now is 3.9 but my plan was to get A the two remaining semesters and end up with a 3.95 but if they only look at the fall semester, this means that I only can get 3.93 at the very best and that feels like it isn't good enough for a popular major like comm?! :( </p>
<p>Thank you, I would be so happy if someone could help me out!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Surely you have something you could put on there… if not, can you find a club to join at school? Maybe do some volunteer work or something? It’ll help if you can find some sort of activities to put on there. I’m not sure what you mean about “competing” with the students here… ECs are just activities and things you’ve done/do… and from what I’ve heard, high school achievements don’t count much in transfer admissions.</p></li>
<li><p>On your application, they’ll see up until Fall. Then they’ll send out decisions, which will come with terms and conditions. These conditions will detail what grades you’re expected to get in Winter/Spring. For me, (EECS at Berkeley) it was to get at least a 3.0 GPA for every session after Fall. So, you’ll still need to do at least okay in your math class. I don’t think it’ll make a huge difference when you take it.</p></li>
<li><p>I think they’ll ask what you did during gaps in your education, but it shouldn’t affect admissions much.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>GPA: Don’t stress so much. I got into Berkeley as an EECS (highly impacted) major, my GPA was probably 3.7-3.8 when I got accepted. If you’ve got a B or two, it’s not going to kill your chances. 3.9 is a great place to be.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply!</p>
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<li><p>I worked after high school in a dental clinic as a receptionist, but it doesn’t feel like it has much to do with my major so I feel kind of silly if I put it on the application? Other than that, I’ve worked as a guide for a festival but that was back when I was like 16 and it was only for a week. When I see others talk about their EC, it seems like they have 10 different clubs and volunteer groups they go to and I really have nothing of that. I could definitely join a club in school, but will it look “bad” if I join one now when I’m about to apply for transfer? Also, as far as volunteer work go, I don’t think I’m even allowed to do that on my visa 
</p></li>
<li><p>Ok, thank you. I’m just torn between taking the math course in the fall and risking my GPA (I´m quite sure I can get a B if I work my a** off but not 100 percent sure about an A) or taking it in the spring and risking disapproval from the schools for not finishing my prereqs yet…</p></li>
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<p>Thank you so much for your advices! I’m definitely freaking out about GPA this and GPA that…I truly want to get into UCLA or UCB and am so afraid that I won’t get accepted because I didn’t get A in every single one of my classes. But once again, thanks for your help:)</p>
<p>Also, do someone know if they look on international Uni transcripts? Do they affect my application a lot? I took a class at a university 5 years ago just after I graduated but dropped out after 8 weeks. I did however pass the test we had then but decided that I didn’t like the course. I didn’t fail it or anything, it simply just say that I did a few points in uni…</p>
<p>Also, one more question. How much will it affect me that I’m not TAP certified? I didn’t do it because apparently UCLA didn’t give international student with TAP any more advantages anyway so I didn’t bother (or something like that, there was some reason told my the counselor that made me decide not to do it). However, now that I know I have to apply for other schools I’m kind of worried I didn’t do it. Also, maybe it would have looked good on paper? </p>
<p>I wish I had known more when I started school, I blindly listened to counselors in school that didn’t really encourage me to do “extra” :(</p>