<p>I noticed today that the deadline for transfer applications for UCB is November 30. </p>
<p>This semester (Spring 2008) will be my 1st college semester, therefore when I apply to UCB as a transfer I will have only completed my Spring and Summer terms (Fall classes end in January.) Will I be at a disadvantage, having only completed 1 full, and 1 shorter semester, for the purposes of my application? </p>
<p>As I've stated in other threads, I'm particularly interested in applying to UCB Haas, but even if I were to maintain a 4.0 GPA, would I not be as competitive, due to having completed less units at the time of application?</p>
<p>They don’t, and I won’t be. They require 60 units, by the end of the spring term preceding the fall term you’re applying for. I’ll have completed in excess of the 60 units, but I’m going to do so by taking classes in not only the Fall and Spring, but Winter and Summer as well. In other words, I’m going to make-up for starting late by taking classes year round. So, I’ll have all my prerequisites and units completed by the deadline, however, I will have LESS of them completed than the average applicant at the time applications are due.</p>
<p>Exactly, no lower-division transfers. You must have completed at least 60 units at the time of transfer to apply to Cal. You basically have no chance doing that if you apply this year. And even if you could manage it somehow (20 units each semester + 10 in winter/summer), your chances of being accepted would be pretty low because you’re missing all the prereqs and hard classes at the time of application.</p>
<p>It should be OK as long as you have the 60 units upon transfer. If you have less than 60 as of spring 2009 (summer 09 doesn’t count), you need to postpone your application for another year.</p>
<p>To get at your question, you might or might not be at a disadvantage. Your fundamental disadvantage will be that you won’t have many graded major pre-reqs for them to consider. You can negate this by front-loading your schedule with major pre-reqs; complete as many as you can by this coming Fall. Your Fall '08 grades will be considered. This will mean a tougher schedule, and depending on your skills it might bring you a lower GPA.</p>
<p>“Transfer admission is limited to students who have or will have completed a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester units by the end of the spring term of the current semester.”</p>
<p>Based on this comment, it leads me to believe that It’s by the END of the Spring of the year in which I will be applying.</p>
<p>As I’ve looked at it, here’s what my load will have to look like in order to transfer in the Fall of 2009.</p>
<p>Spring 08 - 17 units
Summer 08 - 7 units
------------------------- (applications for Transfer are due here.)
Fall 08 - 17 units
Winter 08 - 7 units
Spring 09 - 17 units</p>
<p>That is a total of 65 units, by the end of Spring 2009, for Fall of 2009. Now, if you look above at the line, it illustrates my point about the majority of my credits being earned AFTER my application has been submitted.</p>
<p>My course load this year is:</p>
<p>English 1A - 4 units
English 900 (writing lab) - .3 units
Political Sciences - 3 units
French I - 5 units
Pre-Calculus - 5 units</p>
<p>For a total of 17.3 units. </p>
<p>That’s good, right? I would have taken more units, but that .3 units makes it hard to find a class that fits (19 units is max.) Also, I’m taking Pre-Calc instead of Calculus, because I’ve been out of school for 5 years, and that’s where I tested.</p>
<p>You’re right that you have to complete 60 units by the end of spring, not fall. However, I doubt that you have realistic chances with 24 completed units and a pretty light course load. You either have to significantly increase the units you’re taking (e.g. finish about 30 before applying, you can always talk to a counselor, they let you take more than 19) or you have to wait until next year.</p>
<p>That you’re out-of-state (you are, right?) is another disadvantage. With 24 units, oos, and no major prereqs completed your chances for Haas are really low, even with a 4.0 GPA, because that 4.0 doesn’t really say anything about your abilities.</p>
<p>You do realize that virtually every CCC has unit overload petitions which allow you to take more units than the cap allows, right?</p>
<p>Also, you submit a grade update in January/February so the Fall 08 grades will be included, and depending on your school’s schedule the Winter 08 grades may as well.</p>
<p>No, I didn’t realize the CC can allow me to add additional courses. In fact, my counselor suggested taking LESS than 17 units this semester. I’ve been out of the “school loop” for the last 5 years, I assumed my counselor would have pointed me in the right direction. He suggested transferring in 2009, but also suggested taking a lighter load. </p>
<p>Thomas_ - I am in-state, I’m at a California Community College.</p>
<p>So, if I’m able to update my application with the my Fall 2008 grades, will that put me on a more level field with other applicants? Including Fall 2008 grades, I will have completed ~40 units, depending on what I take. </p>
<p>I’m sorry, I though I remembered from another thread that you were out-of-state.</p>
<p>If you’re in-state and you can take a little more than above, you should give it a shot. It’s pretty risky to take more than 16-17 units your first semester, especially because you were out of school for some time. Don’t underestimate the workload for such classes as french or calc. However, it’s definitely doable if you can manage your time well, I’ve taken more myself.</p>
<p>My suggestion: Go talk to a counselor, explain your situation and try to add another class for your spring semester. Possibly an “easy” humanities class with an easy professor (ratemyprofessors.com, <a href=“http://www.pick-a-prof.com)%5B/url%5D”>www.pick-a-prof.com)</a>. If you find you can’t handle the load you can always drop the class without getting a W or anything else on your transcript (before the drop deadline!). Tell your counselor too that you know you can drop it, so he/she let’s you take more. Same for Fall 2008. Then I think you have a good shot.</p>
<p>Haha, I second Ektaylor on that one. Don’t talk to counselors, they don’t know anything. Just talk to them if you REALLY have to (e.g. in order to increase your max. units).</p>
<p>Sometimes it’s really hard to stay calm when talking to them and not to say “*******, that’s completely wrong stupid, I hope you don’t tell that to other people who believe you.”</p>
<p>Ok, great. So I’ll try to make it out this week to petition for more classes. I’m glad all hope is not lost. Hopefully I’ll be able to pick up another class. Considering it seems like EVERY class is full, I hope I can find something. Thanks again everyone.</p>
<p>Oh, and Thomas_ with regard to your question about reading I wasn’t a resident:</p>
<p>I moved to California about a month ago, in an effort to increase my odds of acceptance to Berkeley. It’s possible that, in another thread, I wasn’t a resident… Just for clarification.</p>
<p>Take major prereqs, not breadth. Take courses from a different school to get around the max unit limits. Are you at a quarter system school? If so, you have no chance of pulling this off for Nov 08 application.</p>
<p>Drop French I (time sink, breadth), replace with intro to biz (find an easy online prof)
Drop Polisci (breadth), replace with macro econ.
Drop English1a+lab from current school and take it somewhere else where it’s only worth 3 units and no lab. 4.3 units means more seat time in class and more work.
Keep precalculus (time sink)
Add micro econ.
Add literature course.
Add stat if you were pretty good at math 5 years ago.
That’s 23-24 units. Do about 20 units and it’s quite do-able with good study habits and good time management. If you’re really good, try for 23-24 units.</p>
<p>Carefully scrutinize all professors via professor rating sites. If the instructor’s name is “STAFF”, don’t gamble - don’t add. Get all As. Quality is better than quantity but you need a lot of units to apply in Nov 08.</p>
<p>In summer, take Calculus (preferably) + one more major prereq.</p>
<p>In fall, finish major prereq (if any are left), take French I, and the other breadth.</p>
<p>So, I’ve done research about the IGETC people keep referring to. I’m so happy I’ve found this forum, I would have not know ANY of this stuff.</p>
<p>After further consideration, as well as speaking with a UCB rep, I’ve decided it would be in my best interests to focus on UCB for Econ… Which brings me to the IGETC. I took 2 years of French in High School, quite some time ago… I would imagine I got a C or better in the class, although I’m not positive. Would that satisfy my foreign language requirement? </p>
<p>Also, at the advice of everyone here I’ve tried to petition for more credits. According to those I spoke with, it looks like they need “evidence” that I can handle more classes, and I may not be “granted” that right. However, I do still intend to push for it as much as possible.</p>