Hi everyone! I was admitted to UC Berkeley early through the Regent’s and Chancellor’s Scholarship Program, but I decided to attend UCLA at the time. However, later in the summer, I realized that I would much rather attend UC Berkeley instead (for several reasons that I have thought through carefully). I have two choices at this point, since I cannot change my SIR to UC Berkeley at this time:
Go to UCLA for 1-2 years and then transfer. I can transfer after one year (with a certain major that I would unfortunately have to choose earlier than most people) because I have over 50 AP credits and would qualify as a junior transfer by the spring after applications are due. I could also transfer after two years, and have to wait longer, but allow myself time to figure out which major I would like to apply under. However, I have heard it is quite difficult to transfer between UC's, and that I would be considered last after community college and CSU transfers. I would also be against people from four-year universities, and I might not stand out as much as my high school application would. The risk of going to UCLA is therefore not being able to transfer, and staying at UCLA for four years, which is something I would rather not do.
Take a gap year and reapply again this fall. This wouldn't give me the risk of going to UCLA for four years if I don't get in as a transfer, and it would allow me to use my strong high school application again, but it has risk attached as well. First, I don't have anything planned for a gap year, although I know two viable options would be working two jobs and traveling (those who know about gap years: are those considered "good ways" to spend a gap year by UC Berkeley Admissions?). Second, I am not guaranteed admission, even if I got in early to UC Berkeley this spring.
So, my main question for people that know and understand UC Berkeley Admissions is: what do you think is a greater risk? Applying as a transfer and possibly not getting in and having to stay at UCLA for four years? Or taking a gap year and hoping that I’ll get in because I got in early this spring, although I could not get in after all? Is there a greater chance that I would get in as a freshman or a transfer? What would you do in this situation? I would really like concrete answers that would help me with this difficult choice and that would help me attend UC Berkeley as soon as possible. I would really like to know that in some way, one decision that I made incorrectly will not in the long run affect my college career.
In addition, I would love to know if anyone else has been in this same situation, and how you decided to deal with it.
@helpwithcollege9 This was too long for me to read but you can most likely transfer to Berkeley, whatever path is available. UC-UC transfers are pretty common, right under CCC transfers. While Berkeley is not as UC-UC friendly as UCLA (which weighs CCC transfers and UC transfers equally), Berkeley still admits UC transfers regularly. Your regents invitation, and obviously your GPA, should make it extremely likely. Regarding the sophomore transfer, I have no idea. Reach out to a Berkeley rep and get the low down. But I assume, ultimately, it is 100% doable.
@lindyk8 Thank you for your response! So do you think it is a better choice to transfer to UC Berkeley after 1-2 years, over taking a gap year and reapplying as a freshman? And I have reached out to a UC Berkeley rep, and they have told me that for certain majors, a sophomore transfer will work in my case.
@helpwithcollege9, I have no idea how it works with freshmen, as I only deal with transfers. Once you take any course (even a W), you are no longer considered a freshman, so keep that in mind. (The only exception are courses taken the summer before your entry fall term.)
To be honest, UCLA is a great school. Why not start there, see how it goes? You may decide you want to stay.
If you really do want to switch, then work on fulfilling gen ed courses as they are set out at UCLA. You will need to complete all and get a Letter of Reciprocity (which means all GE is completed at UCLA). Be sure to get the LofR. I know a kid this year, got into Berkeley as a transfer from another UC, ended up missing one GE course so couldn’t get the LofR and Berkeley rescinded him. They would not allow him to take the one GE course during the summer.
Re: major requirements, go to assist.org, plug in any CCC, then choose berkeley and your intended major. Those are the major requirements you need to complete - not the major req. for the major at UCLA.
Now this is for a junior transfer. Regarding a sophomore transfer, I have no idea how that works. If it’s doable and you want to try, why not? Re: gap year, I don’t know. In theory it should be ok, assuming you have no coursework and can reapply as a freshman. Only you know what’s best for you.
If you go the transfer route, just a heads up: if your major is in L&S you can change majors to another L&S major at Berkeley after transfer, assuming it is not capped and you get any missing req completed first term at Berkeley. Be aware, these missing req. will be courses either (a) not offered at UCLA or (b) noted as highly recommended to be completed on assist. Any course noted in assist that is required to be completed must be completed unless it is not offered at UCLA.
@lindyk8 Awesome, thanks for the really helpful response! When you say that I can take any course I would no longer be considered a freshman, does that only apply to actually finishing the course? For instance, say I choose to go to UCLA and try it out, because at this point I do see that as a better option since I have nothing lined up for a gap year. But, after experiencing UCLA for a month, I decide it’s not the place for me and want to take the gap year. Would I still be considered a freshman and would still be able to apply this fall as one if I have started my courses but did not actually complete them in the end? Thank you!
@DrGoogle I changed my mind due to lots of reasons, most personal and some due to a major that I am interested in. It was definitely a confusing time, and now I am trying to make sure that this decision won’t affect me in the long run and that I make the right decision to be able to attend UC Berkeley in the future sometime.
@DrGoogle@DrGoogle I changed my mind due to lots of reasons, most personal and some due to a major that I am interested in. It was definitely a confusing time, and now I am trying to make sure that this decision won’t affect me in the long run and that I make the right decision to be able to attend UC Berkeley in the future sometime.
@lindyk8 I also had one more question for you since you have been very helpful. If I decided to take a gap year, what are seen as good ways to utilize gap years? (so that taking a gap year won’t be seen as a negative thing). In addition, would I basically be able to reapply this fall if I haven’t taken any college courses? And would reapplying be an entirely new application, or would I just resubmit old essays and what I submitted last year? I’m just a little confused as to what re-applying means.
If you wait out your courses for a month, I assume the boat would have sailed by that point. Now I suppose if there is absolutely NOTHING on your transcript, not one class listed, it might work. But this is above my pay scale.
I will say this. Due to an unfortunate snafu, my daughter, who was accepted Berkeley last year but chose UCLA, ended up not attending right before the start of the fall term, so was forced into an unexpected gap year. She also decided, like you, that she really wanted Berkeley. She had no option but to wait it out and reapply. She got into Berkeley this fall and is loving it!
So, if you really want Berkeley, maybe you should just withdraw from UCLA. As an Ivy friend of mine told me last year after I felt I had been kicked in the gut: “She’ll get in again. She’s in the club.” The point being, once accepted, they’ll re-accept you, barring something negative in your admissions package. And you were offered a regents.
You could basically note in your additional comments that you wanted to be in Bay Area (or whatever) when you reapply. The only problem with saying that is if you apply to UCLA again, they may decline you.
So, you have some thinking to do. Only you can determine what is best.
NOTE: reapplying means submitting all over again in November. You can use the same PS.
Regarding gap year, I might suggest taking a couple of courses just to keep your finger in the pie, so to speak. Something that adds an element. (My daughter took business, which was not her major.) Then your job, and volunteer in an area that has some connection to an interest of yours. Or even a three week volunteer mission somewhere. My daughter used her time to essentially give back.
In the long run, I’m not sure it will matter greatly, if you just say in the application to Berkeley that you withdrew because you realized you made a mistake and would rather delay a year and get it right. You noted something about major - if Berkeley has something you want not offered elsewhere, that’s a strong reason (and may be a good PS topic). Just know, Berkeley is very socially-conscious, so devoting some time to that would be nice.
@lindyk8 Thank you for sharing that about your daughter; that definitely helps me with my decision. If you don’t mind me asking, I have a few questions for you about your daughter’s college journey, because it seems like things are going great for her now.
How did your daughter feel about her friends being in college while she wasn’t, and about the fact that she’ll be a year behind? Are there ways to graduate earlier by doing summer courses? That is something I’m worried about.
How did your daughter decide to utilize her gap year (traveling, jobs)?
Did she address the gap year on her UC application, and if so, where?
How did she feel about taking the risk of possibly not getting into Berkeley when she re-applied?
Why did she choose a gap year over transferring (although that may have been due to the snafu at the start of term)?
Finally, do you know if, in general, taking a gap year affects how you’re seen by employers after college (although I’m sure it doesn’t as long as you complete the four year degree)?
@lindyk8 Sorry, just saw your second post! A few quick questions off of what you posted: did your daughter take college level courses? Because would those make it so that she wouldn’t be seen as a freshman? Or did she take them after she had applied? Also, did the courses help with any of her credits at UC Berkeley or were they just supposed to show that she had attempted to develop her knowledge in the subject (did she include these courses on her application?). Finally, did she completely rewrite her essays for the UC application, or did she basically submit the same application? I’m not sure how re-applying would work, and if you would have to re-send in transcripts and all of those things (or if UC already has them from applying before).
First off, she was a transfer. What happened at UCLA was they never received her transcripts (even though she had the receipt dated mid-June). She had sent an unofficial transcript in January (for some reason a UC wanted it), so on the UCLA site they had checked off her completed coursework. She even registered for classes and everyone said all was fine. But I guess they were working off the earlier unofficial. So she was tossed out in September. I have since heard the loss of transcripts, while not common, is not uncommon. She hand-delivered to Berkeley this year.
Well, ater we all regrouped, she said she really wanted Berkeley, so we just plowed ahead. She started a non-profit, actually. But to be honest, I don’t know if that was needed. It was a bit of a balancing act as she wasn’t sure if Berkeley knew she’d accepted UCLA and she was reapplying to UCLA in case Berkeley fell through. She wrote about the transcript issue in the additional comments, but also got a few things in like, “I thought I wanted to be away from the Bay Area,” and then, “maybe it was meant to be, maybe I’m meant to be in the Bay Area” - as a subtle nod to Berkeley, while trying to keep upbeat with UCLA.
I believe she recycled the two essays. And you need to resend transcripts if admitted.
Waiting an extra year was ok because she was on the young side, and is still graduating at 22.
If I decided to take a gap year, what are seen as good ways to utilize gap years? (so that taking a gap year won’t be seen as a negative thing). In addition, would I basically be able to reapply this fall if I haven’t taken any college courses? And would reapplying be an entirely new application, or would I just resubmit old essays and what I submitted last year? I’m just a little confused as to what re-applying means.