<p>I transferred to the University of Illinois as an electrical engineer, this semester. Things are going pretty good, however I decided that I want to do more of mathematics and now am thinking of transferring to Berkeley. I'll spare the specific details of my situation.</p>
<p>Here's the question. Assuming that I'll keep a 4.0 gpa my first and second semesters, will the fact that I am attending a top EE program help my chances of getting admitted? And will the fact that I am transferring for the second time hurt my chances and make people go "*** is he doing"?</p>
<p>By the way, I will be transferring as a junior, and will have met all the prerequisites for transfer students.</p>
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<p>Honestly, I'm cool at U of I and only applying to Berkeley just for the heck of it. No need to tell me how stupid this idea is or how indecisive I am. I know... I'm just wondering about the specific questions at hand :)</p>
<p>I don’t think the college you’re transferring from matters at all…unless you came to california. For the UC system, california community college students get top priority, and everyone else gets bottom priority. So you have a better chance if you drop out of illinois and attend a california community college, get a 4.0, THEN transfer…so yes, transferring from illinois might be a disadvantage. From what I hear, it is extremely difficult for university students to transfer to a UC, even for the people who want to transfer from one UC school to another UC school.</p>
<p>bottom line, transfers a lot more competitive for people who aren’t coming from California Community Colleges, very, very competitive, but it only makes sense that since you’re coming from a good school already, you’ll have a better chance than someone from Arizona State or something…but not a better chance than california community college students.</p>
<p>Yeah, when I was applying to schools last year, I was extremely discouraged by my friend (who was a grad student at UCLA) to apply to UC’s, simply because they favor in-staters so much. I then did a little research and figured that my chances were extremely slim, that I might as well spend time on other schools. I really don’t expect anything at all.</p>
<p>It is not so much that the UCs favor in-staters, in fact your chances of being admitted as a transfer from an OOS university are better than your chances would be if you were trying to apply from a CSU, it is that the California Master Plan for Higher Education essentially mandates the UCs to give highest priority to transfers from CCCs, some consideration for UC to UC transfers and low priority to transfers from any other 4 year universities.</p>
<p>I think you hit the nail on the head. The thinking probably goes like this:</p>
<p>We want to help bright students move up (cc to UC). When we can give the spot to one of those students, why would you want to help someone already in 4-year pad their resume with a “name”?</p>
<p>Assuming you do maintain a 4.0 GPA, I think you’ll get admission regardless of your reasons for wanting to transfer. </p>
<p>Look at the stats in front of you: good student from a good out of state school who will pay an extra 20,000 dollars for no apparent reason… I think you’re a shoe in… The UC’s need the money.</p>