scewed up badly first semester.

[Musidqientist]

<p>

You are being unrealistic. You have a 2.75 GPA; you aren’t going to Berkeley. You don’t even seem to know why you want to go there, and it doesn’t matter anyway.</p>

<p>I don’t know what Cal is (Cal Tech?), but UCLA and UCSD likely won’t happen either. Become one with “no”.

</p>

<p>Yes could you explain why it is unrealistic please? I think it unrealistic if it stays that way. The only reason it would stay like that for certain would be because I found the classes which could not be any farther from the truth. A 2.75, yes it sucks. But if I reach a 3.7-3.8 (possible) and the rest of my stats are good enough would you still say it is unrealistic? Do you know their average GPA for admitted transfer students? It is 3.8 on the average, lower for UCSD. I am worried that my mistake THIS TIME may have messed up my chance. Cal is Berkeley.</p>

<p>Do people usually have very specific reasons for wanting to go to a school. A school is a school? I don’t think anybody is going to die from going to any school in the country, it’s just something nice or correct me if I am wrong. Berkeley is the best public school and I live 20-25 minutes away. It seems to have a fascinating student body. I never said prestige did not attract me, it is encouraged in my culture.</p>

[Musidqientist]

<p>

1. Stop overreacting.

</p>

<p>… !!! I can admit that I’m pretty responsive. :B</p>

<p>

What’s is your GPA? 3.12? You have two Cs and two As right? Cal doesn’t factor Ps as Cs.

</p>

<p>I have 1 A and 1 P from last Summer. 1 A, 1 B, and 2 C’s from the fall term that just ended. That’s all I’ve been through.</p>

<p>

2. Get a game plan.
   Have a set of goals and have contingency plans. Don’t get too carried away ‘with doing this for that, in order to get here, which will help this’ because you’ll obfuscate your original goals.

</p>

<p>I really like this. </p>

<p>

3. Research
   Stop making rash assumptions about what undergrad and grad schools want, what they recommend, and what is required. Treat everything you read on this forum with some skepticism. Your CC’ counselor or the transfer officer at the schools you’re applying to will have the most accurate information.

</p>

<p>How did you know I’m doing that? lol </p>

<p>

For example: why do you think you can only take 80 units? My understanding is that If you’ve only gone to a California Community College, there is no limit of how many classes you can take prior to transfer. Most have a unit cap of what can transfer, but those extra classes will help your gpa if you do well in them.

</p>

<p>Somebody on here said that you can transfer with 80 at the max. Wouldn’t there have to be a max? Or what would there be left to take at Berkeley? Am I to understand that you cannot transfer over the units but can still have other classes to count towards your gpa? That’s amazing. I did not know that. … Just to clarify how would you calculate… </p>

<p>

4. No Excuses
   Take advantage of the fact that you are at a CC. You have fewer pressures and distractions than you will have at university so there isn’t a sufficient reason as to why you are incapable of achieving a 4.00.

</p>

<p>Yeah… </p>

<p>

Yes, no one expects you to be perfect. If they did, they would restrict admissions to students with 4.0.

</p>

<p>But there’s still an average!!! And like…</p>

<p>

5. Get Real
   Even at a 3.8, I have a small chance of getting into Cal (for the other poster, the University of California, Berkeley is referred to as Cal or Berkeley, never UCB) and UCLA.

</p>

<p>Why based on GPA don’t you have an average chance?</p>

<p>

There are plenty of other schools that have bio programs that will get you into grad school.

</p>

<p>I should get into one of the one’s I want (several) if I can achieve good status overall. Aiming for UCSD minimum though.</p>

<p>

Going to UC Riverside doesn’t mean you won’t have a shot at great med schools. It may be a better fit because the caliber at Cal may prove to be high for you to succeed there.

</p>

<p>It might be training for me to know whether I can even succeed in a top medical school, but I totally understand your point. </p>

<p>

Don’t buy into the college ranking bull that everyone over-inflates on this site. I can walk into a Starbucks and find a Columbia grad taking a Fresno State grad’s coffee order.

</p>

<p>I can understand that happening but things like that still mean a lot to people.</p>

<p>

6. Have Hope
   Don’t give up because you’ve made mistakes. Don’t obsess over the small things or things in the past because they’ll cloud your future. Instead of spending time coming up with a lengthy reply, spend sometime straightening out your life
   Best of luck.

</p>

<p>Oh… too late, I didn’t see this while I was writing~ It is lengthy? Thank you what an awesome post. It’s like you read my mind.</p>