I am currently on my final semester of CC and have everything completed except Chem 102. I want to transfer to Berkeley and they state that Chem 102 is a recommended course but not required. The question I want to ask is if I drop Chem 102 now after stating that I would take it on the updated form will that be bad? I want to take all Computer Science courses this final semester as I am enrolled in C++, Java and Data Structures because I know that will be much more beneficial than Chemistry. Has anyone transferred without completing all the Chem? Please let me know.
Probably someone has transferred without completing all of the recommended chemistry classes, but as I’m sure you can imagine, it is not going to be apples to apples because the pattern of courses they did complete is unlikely to be the same as yours Nor are their grades the same as yours. So I am not sure what you can take away knowing that someone else did this.
Note, too, that if you drop a course you have listed that you are planning on taking that you must notify UC immediately. Otherwise you risk being rescinded over the summer when they get your final transcripts.
In most cases, a prospective transfer student should take as many of the recommended courses as possible. They are often courses required for graduation in the major, even though they may not necessarily be required to declare the major.
In the UCB physics major case, however, the recommendation does not seem to match up with the physics major’s actual requirements, which do not include any chemistry courses:
http://physics.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/_/PDF/phys_major_blltn_boggscrnt.pdf
http://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/degree-programs/physics/#majorrequirementstext
There used to be the recommendation (not requirement) that physics majors who have not had a good high school chemistry course take a one year general chemistry sequence, but that recommendation seems to be nowhere to be found on the web pages now. So it is a rather odd circumstance; you can try asking the admissions office and the physics department about it.
Other schools may require chemistry courses for the physics major, so you may have to take the chemistry courses anyway for those other schools.
Obviously, if you change your schedule from what you previously reported on your application, you must notify the admissions offices as soon as you do so.