Should I attempt a transfer from Berkeley?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hi there, I am currently a freshman at Berkeley who's enjoying his time there (I actually am, much to my surprise), but for financial reasons and personal reasons, I'm interested in transferring to the East Coast to a comparable school, preferably a private college.</p>

<p>I've found that despite paying in-state tuition, my estimated aid at private schools would supposedly outdo the aid I'm getting at Berkeley (anything to help my parents pay less really would be a plus), but this was research I did during my freshman applications, so I'm not sure if that kind of aid would be the same deal for transfers.</p>

<p>My stats at Berkeley are alright, I'm currently with a 3.93 for my first semester for 16 units, and I'm currently doing an internship within the student government and working with a political group, as well as a job on the side to help pay for my tuition. Next semester I'll also be doing some lab assisting, and possibly work with a nonprofit. </p>

<p>I'm also from the East Bay, near Berkeley -- I grew up around the school and spent much time around the university and the surrounding area, which I suppose has fueled in me a desire to see new places and have different experiences in regards to the surrounding environment.</p>

<p>Further complicating this is my high school record -- my last semester of high school ended with one C- (the rest is all As, and one B+), making it relatively speaking my weakest semester. (I think I have an unweighted GPA of around 3.69-3.72 from high school). My SAT scores were alright, with a 2110 (710 M, 710 CR, and 690 W), a 750 in my Lit SAT and a 760 in my USH SAT. My ACT came out to be 31.</p>

<p>So pretty much, I don't know whether I should attempt a transfer this year, though I would like to attempt a transfer sometime in the next year or so just to see what would happen. If I do end up staying in Berkeley, that's fine, its just that I would like to see if I can find a different environment and learn to live away from home, if that's a valid reason to transfer. And of course, the financial cost would be relatively less.</p>

2

<p>I wonder why you didn’t apply to different colleges as a freshman, just to see? My daughter did decide she wanted the away experience and went from CA to the East instead of going to UC. We were eligible for a lot of need based aid. What we found is that because UC’s are generous, the overall cost was the same, she just didn’t have loans in her package, which was nice. Even at colleges that meet need you have to pay your EFC.</p>

3

<p>@BrownParent</p>

<p>I applied to East Coast schools that lead, sadly, to a large host of rejections. But I chalk that up more to my failure to perform with my all in high school than anything else. And yes, the overall cost is the about the same, but its the no-loan part that my parents and I wish to push for. Right now we’re paying above my EFC without loans, but we’re doing that because we managed to keep the cost down due to scholarships (some of which are expiring soon as they are one-year scholarships). I would definitely have had to take loans without those scholarships so if its possible to get into a school where we only have to pay my EFC (after work study), I think I would consider it.</p>

4

<p>Because you have so little record, your HS grades are going to come into play again. Maybe wait a year, and keep applying for outside scholarships. Meanwhile be active in your community to be an attractive candidate, and find a targets school that will make sense to transfer for academic reasons. You are still getting a good deal there it sounds like. And so many people kill to graduate from Berkeley. It sort of seems shame to transfer just as you are getting into your upper division courses. </p>

<p>Try some away experiences. I don’t know study abroad works there but is that an option? Summer internships, or REU’s etc.</p>