UC Berkeley 2016 Transfer Thread

@themightybicycle yup!

What do you guys know about including HS extracurriculars? graduated in 2014. None of my extracurriculars were applicable to my major and I just have ASB, some clubs and community service. Thoughts on including it?

Im an international student. I had 3 gap years after high school. I was employed during two years, which I mentioned in the work experience in my uc app. However, I wasn’t employed during my last year before joining college. I did not explain that anywhere in my app. So is it worth mentioning that in the additional comment?
Thank you so much guys!!

You should mention the unexplained gap, but be prepared, they may ask you again in January or so.

If your hs ECs are nothing great it’s your choice. You won’t get penalized. I’m of the belief showing any involvement is better than an entirely blank section. Especially these days, with anti-social misfits.

@blsUCtransfer Generally speaking, if you’re transferring they, they don’t really care to see what you did in high school. This is a transfer application, not an application out of high school.

It’s better than nothing though and you did graduate in 2014, so it’s still pretty recent. Keep in mind your ECs don’t have to be relevant to your major. There’s nothing wrong with “I just have ASB, some clubs and community service,” and I think “just” is selling yourself short … especially since you graduated last year.

omg… i was reading through the comments here after i submitted my app. i put spaces on my personal statement for breaks. something like this:

first paragraph blah blah blah

second paragraph blah blah

… do you guys think this would affect my application?

@avc118 No.

Not at all.

Does Berkeley send us conditions for our final semester after we apply? (E.g., you must maintain a 3.5 or your offer will be rescinded)

Yes they do. Each admitted student will have a personalized “Conditions of Admission” that will have very specific requirements that need to met. It will be in your application portal once you receive your decision notification. (Late April-ish for transfers)

@csmajortom @SDGoldenBear I may be wrong, but the provisional contract seems to be fairly lenient. Like, Get a B or higher in x, y, or z sort of thing.

You’d be surprised at how many people, even 3.9s, go south last term. Those B requirements won’t seem so lenient when they have a C. FWIW, I think Berkeley is the most hard-nosed in terms of following the provision to the letter or you’re out.

So really, my one piece of advise, keep the grades up. Just wait until spring - you’ll see what I mean with all the panic up here on CC.

I forgot the exact number, but I heard like 5-10 % people get cancellation in spring after they get accepted because of dropped GPA.

Here’s someone’s story who got cancellation from Berkeley last year
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/1787191-so-uc-berkeley-cancelled-my-admission.html
one C grade can ruin your admission.

Major: Poli Sci

Transferring from California CC

GPA: 3.94

Extracurriculars: Scholars Program, Internship at law firm, internship at Assemblyman district office, internship at City Clerks

IGETC Completed once I submit my AP exam scores + take 1 math course / transfer requirements finished

I’m concerned about the 4 w’s I have, and the fact that I retook one class from a D to A. Do I have a shot at UCB or should I place my hopes elsewhere?

@Hiroaki0422 I remember that well and he got reinstated after an appeal because there was an error in the UC analysis. Rare, but it happens. And they were gracious and welcomed him back with open arms. I remember one guy last year, accepted from another UC, ended up he was short one course for his Letter of Reciprocity (that’s like IGETC for UC-UC). Anyhow he was initially told by the go-between at Berkeley that he could probably take it in summer. He was rescinded. High GPA too.

This is like horror stories around the campfire. >:)

@bk97247 They don’t care about W’s, and the fact that you retook a class you failed with an A reflects well upon you. You should get in.

A question. So I have to fill in my planned winter quarter and spring quarter classes right? After March’s deadline update, if my spring quarter classes changed what will happen. Also what’s the difference between Janurary priority update and march’s update?

@sumner There is no March update, just the January one. However, the TAU is accessible into March, usually. BUT - you cannot be guaranteed any UC will look up there at that point. When you have any changes after the TAU deadline (which is end of January or sometimes extended to early Feb), which in your case is March, you email the updates to each UC to which you applied via their portals.

Just submitted, I’m relieved as hell. Now we wait.