<p>I'll be attending UCSB Honors in the fall and am a bit (ok more than a bit) worried about the school's reputation and its potential detriments when I graduate. I know the school is regarded quite highly in certain departments, and its merits are certainly recognized more by the academic and job worlds than by cc forums and disdainful parents (achem), but I'd nonetheless like to keep my options open and see if I can transfer to UCLA or Cal after two years. </p>
<p>I have no clue what I'll major in, but I'm thinking about law school, business school, phd, etc. I'm waiting to see what I'm actually passionate about as well as which industries are flourishing by 2018. While I am looking to go to some form of grad school, I'd like to have the prestige of UCLA or Cal in case I start looking for a job after my bachelors. I live in LA, and unfortunately even here UCSB is regarded as a party school while UCLA and Berkeley kids are immediately considered geniuses. </p>
<p>I'd like to hear from people who successfully transferred from a UC to UCLA or Cal. What were your GPAs, ECs (do they matter?), majors, essay topics/strengths, etc. that you feel set you apart. </p>
<p>I don't know how difficult it is to maintain a 3.7+ GPA at UCSB, so if anyone has any insight into that I'd appreciate it. Tips are welcome. </p>
<p>I've also heard differing opinions on the priority given to UC to UC transfers vs CCC transfers. I'm pretty sure CCC are first, then UC to UC, but if anyone has info from a reputable source suggesting otherwise, that'd be greatly appreciated. I'm also thinking about transferring after one year to USC, and applying on a limb to a bunch of OOS like Cornell and Northwestern given that my GPA's good enough. Anyone know about the difficulty of this? </p>
<p>-Note: I know that I shouldn't be trying to plan my escape from a school I haven't attended yet. I might end up loving SB and taking such good advantage of its strong programs that the lack of prestige becomes irrelevant. I just want to be forward thinking and know what steps I should take now instead of then. </p>
<p>Thank you :) </p>