UC Berkeley Fall 2021: Transfer Thread

Transfer Students UC Transfers
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Hello everyone! I’m a new member here so still learning the hoops. I know the 2020 transfer waitlists are still occurring (good luck if you’re on!) but I just wanted to get the ball rolling on a transfer thread for 2021 applicants.

Feel free to comment based on this template (obtained from UC Berkeley Fall 2019 and 2020 Thread):
GPA/ MAJOR GPA/ UC GPA
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
[ *] Job/Work Experience:
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:
[ *] Personal Statement:

[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?:
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]:
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type:
[ *] Gender:
[ *] Income Bracket:
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.):

[ *] Strengths:
[ *] Weaknesses:
Applying to what schools?

Good luck to everyone in this process (especially during these rather unprecedented times), and I look forward to seeing everyone’s comments!

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@Ohm888 I hope this is an okay time to post this, please do let me know if this is bad timing! (much apologies if it is aha)

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Yes. Thanks for starting it!

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Hi! I’m a new members as well and plan on transferring to UCB for Fall 2021!

GPA: 4.0
Major: Political Science

Extra Curricular/Work: Campus Coordinator for 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate, High School Language TA/Assistant
Volunteer/Community Service: Presidential Candidate Grassroot volunteering, joined organizations in reaching out to potential voters.
Personal Statements: currently writing them :smiley:

Intended Major: Political Science
State: Domestic
School Type: CSU to UC (I rarely see threads about this so if anyone else is trying to transfer from a CSU or know someone who had, let me know!)
Gender: Female

Applying: UCB, UCSD, UCI, UCD, UCSB

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GPA: 4.00/4.00
Major GPA: 4.00/4.00
UC GPA: 4.00/4.00

[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Astronomy Club (Researching Member), Phi Theta Kappa (Member), Mu Alpha Theta (Member), Stanford Summer Session (studied mathematics), Local Research Symposium Presenter x2, Honors Research Symposium Presenter / Mentor x2 (Held at UCB/Stanford)

[ *] Job/Work Experience: Freelance web-development. Ran my own automated digital currency exchange business throughout highschool (not licensed).

[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Assisted in setting up telescopes for and teaching visiting middle school students about astronomy.

[ *] Personal Statement: Currently writing

[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[ *] Intended Major: Physics
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[ *] Country (if international applicant): United States
[ *] School Type: California Community College
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: Upper Income
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Research is mentioned in EC section.

[ *] Strengths: Genuine lab research experience
[ *] Weaknesses: Race (Caucasian)/ Gender (Male), relatively no work experience
Applying to what schools?
JHU, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Upenn, UCB, Cornell, UCLA, Rice, UMich, UCSB CCS, UCSB (TAP)

Good luck everyone! Hopefully Berkeley is accommodating to those who were affected by the pandemic.

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Hello everyone! How are my chances??
GPA: 3.924 (B in one non-transferable math)

UC GPA: 4.00
Major GPA: 4.0 (So Far, taking last two classes this fall)
[] Extracurriculars:
-Alpha Gamma Sigma (Vice-President)(Marketing committee member)(Fundraising committee member)-2 yrs
-Fencing Club (Vice President)-1 yr
-Speech and Debate (competitor 1 yr 5 mnths) (State and NAtional Championship team {Cancelled due top COVID-19})
-Founder and cheif-editor of a political website/blog- 5 mnths
-Social media Intern for the TOR Pasadena- 3 mnths
-Participated on a competitive gaming team that competed in multiple low-level tournaments in California- 1 yr 6mnths
[] Job/work experience: Odd jobs for extra cash when my mother needs help with rent.
[] Volunteer/Community Service:

  • Lead Middle School Tutor - 1 yr
  • Democratic Socialists of America: Member and Volunteer -6 mnths
  • California Democratic Party: Volunteer- 6 mnths
    [    ] Personal Statement: Working on first drafts

[] Applied for financial aid?: Yes
[] Intended major: Political Science
[] State: California
[] School Type: Community College
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: Low-Income
[] Hooks: First-gen, Low-income, Mexican-American, unique career goals
[] Strengths: Probably my extracurriculars and the fact that I was able to completely change my life around. I went from a 2.1 gpa in Highschool to where I am now so hopefully that makes an impact.
[li] Weaknesses: I have 2 W’s in the same math class and this is my third year at a CC.[/li] Applying to which schools?
-UCB, UCLA, USC, NYU, Cornell, UCSB(TAG), UCSD, UCI, UCD, Pepperdine, Boston U, maybe some others

Good luck everyone!

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I accepted in UCLA in this fall quarter.
Can I submit transfer application into Uc Berkeley again?

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Yes

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I’ve just submitted my UC applications for the second year in a row!

I’m in a weird situation, seeing as I was admitted everywhere I applied this year (including Berkeley). With COVID, things just went a little haywire, and I dropped a class I needed to push me to 60 transferable units because the shift to online for that particular class wasn’t feasible with my home setup. It was only after I withdrew my application at Cal that my admissions adviser told me I could’ve taken my ONE UNIT over the summer (lol). So, I’ve spent the last few months feeling like the stupidest human being on the planet. Time for take two, I guess!

Having been through this whole process before, maybe I can help folks on this thread somehow. If anyone feels like they need tips or just want to know what to expect, feel free to comment or reach out. :slight_smile:

My stats (ACCEPTED fall 2020):

*English major
*4.0 GPA
*1/4 prerequisites taken (other 3 not offered at my CC)
*Writing tutor through my school
*One of the founding members of English majors club
*Former ESL tutor
*Creative writer in free time (novels + poems)
*Published in school’s literary magazine
*Editor-in-chief of school’s literary magazine
*“In-class” teaching assistant for English Composition
*Member/former officer in Gay-Straight Alliance
*Scholarship recipient
*Presenter at regional conference

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Well first off, you may have been able to take the one unit in summer, but you might not have. There is no pre-guarantee no matter what anyone says. So just move on. You have the opportunity to take more courses at a CCC so you will have less to take after transfer. That can be a huge advantage. Plus, next year will likely be back on campus. That’s a win for you on two counts.

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Good luck everyone!

GPA: 3.76(lower likely because of old transcript from a 4-year)
Major: Legal Studies(for Berkeley) , Political Science
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-Badminton Club(Founder & President)
-Forensics(Board Member, State & Nationals Championship Team)
-CC Student Government(Chair of Annual Budget Subcommittee, Vice-chair of Investment Fund Task Force, Advocacy Committee councilmember)
-Academic Petition Council(student rep)
-General Scholarship Council( student rep)
-Circle K (Events chair)
-International Student Conversation Program
-CC Writing Center(Tutor)

[ *] Job/Work Experience: Debate Judge; Boba Shop
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:
-Circle K related things
-Taught English in my country at a community school during summer since high-school(on pause since I am in America right now)

[ *] Personal Statement: Overall maybe a 6 out of 10(?) Awaiting feedback from various readers + needs polishing

[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: Legal Studies
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant): Burma
[ *] School Type: California CC
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: Upper
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.):
-Diversity? Mixed ethnicity from a minority group in my country
-Research-> CC Research Symposium presentation at UCI
-Currently trying to get Paralegal certificate
-Scholarships from CC regarding contributions to campus quality and leadership

[ *] Strengths: ECs
[ *] Weaknesses: GPA; No extensive volunteering or work experience; Past Educational History(bad grades at a 4-year)

Applying to: Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCSC, USC
University of San Francisco, Georgetown, Williams College, Columbia

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MAJOR: Philosophy (prelaw)
3.5/ TBA (TAKING ALL MY PRE-REQS RN/ 3.6
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4 Jobs, one internship, two volunteer positions, water polo, water polo award
[ *] Job/Work Experience: 4 jobs, I lived on my own so I had to work either full time or more than full time to pay for bills
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Two positions, Marketing volunteer and Community Liason
[ *] Personal Statement: Spent the entire month of august drafting and revising and overthinking but I am really proud of them. I spoke from my heart and was totally honest about my experiences

[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: YER
[ *][ b] Intended Major [ /b]: PHILOSOPHY
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): CA Bay Area
[ *] Country (if international applicant): US
[ *] School Type: CCC
[ *] Gender: Female
[ *] Income Bracket: lower middle class
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Unique life circumstances?

[ *] Strengths: My jobs for sure, financial independence, maturity (PIQs talks about this a lot)
[ *] Weaknesses: MY GPA AND CHANGING MY MAJOR SO MUCH. I also am just now taking my major Pre reqs bc I changed my major in the summer :frowning:
Applying to what schools?
UCLA, UCB, UCD, UCSB (TAG), UCSD, UCI, CSU LB, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge SJSU, SFSU,

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Intended Major: Mechanical Engineering
[ ] State (if domestic applicant): In-State (California)
*] School Type: CC
[] GPA: 3.91
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: Low Income (>75k)
[ *] Hooks: Honor Student/Dean List/Leon S. Peters Honor Scholarship (one of the 25 honor students picked at my community college to receive this award).

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Planeteers Club (volunteer outreach club where we volunteer at various local areas around the community; held leadership roles: secretary and vice president); Engineering Club member; Gay-Straight Alliance Club member; earned a scholarship through my church; soccer outreach program: I hold soccer practices for local competitive soccer players, helping them in enhancing their skills, as well improving their strength training. I try to do as much as I can to get involved, but I don’t have much time because I’m always taking care of my younger siblings (driving/taking them to school/practices, cooking dinners, etc.). I also help my grandparents every week with their technological needs and assisting with their daily needs (errands, appointments, etc.), all the while juggling 18-19 units a semester.

[ *] Job/Work Experience: DoorDash (due to the pandemic); two summer jobs with a company called Shelco Industries; I had a mechanical engineering internship this summer at California Natural Color; however, it was canceled due to the pandemic.

[ *] Strengths: Although I don’t have a lot of EC’s, I believe they are my strengths (100+ hours of community service); essays are personal and show my development over time (how I could contribute my qualities/skills I’ve learned into my designated major/future college).
[ *] Weaknesses: Not much EC’s or work experience related to major (I was going to explain the situation with my internship in the additional comments section).

Applying to what schools? UCLA, UCB, UCSD, UCSB, UCI (TAP), USC, Cal Poly - SLO

Although it’s not the most powerful resume, I haven’t been able to do much in the short time I’ve been at community college. I graduated high school last year and was able to do some activities over my first semester. However, the pandemic cut certain activities short during my second semester. With the pandemic still going on, it’s hard to do things while staying cautious about my personal health, as well as my families.
11-12-2020 at 2:40 am

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I posted this in the UCLA thread already, but as I’m applying here I feel obligated to post this here, too:

hey all! I’ll throw my information on here, hopefully, I can help some people once results do come out on what these schools are looking for!

Intended Major: Political Science (English or Philosophy second choice)

Degrees: Political Science AA-T, UC Transfer Pathway for Political Science (not a degree but helps)

State: California (in-state)

School Type: CC

GPA: 4.00 (still have winter & spring semester to go)

TAP Certified? No, not eligible.

Gender: Female

Income Bracket: Middle

Hooks: Scholars Student, First Gen, Deans List (at the end of Fall which is in a couple of weeks), went from 1.3 in February to 4.0 in November

ECs: Teachers Assistant for an English Professor, Writing & Humanities Tutor, California State Assembly Award Recipient (a state-wide award given by Assemblymembers for exemplary service), acting student at a studio in Los Angeles, volunteered with a Skid Row assistance program pre-COVID, freelance politics writer on Medium, volunteered intermittently with LA Food Bank over COVID

Job/Work Experience: Was hired at 15 at a restaurant as a server and promoted to a trainer at 16, and 18 to a manager for the most successful (sales-wise) location in the company. Stayed full-time (40-45 hrs/wk) until COVID hit. I helped develop company-wide training programs for new and cross-training employees, along with my managerial duties. I also worked a second job during 2019 as a reservationist for a fine-dining establishment in Downtown L.A. For a while, I was working 60-65 hours a week to support myself. I was not in school during this time, though, cause I’m not sure how that’s even humanly possible.

Strengths: truthfully a bit unsure, but I would think my extensive managerial experience would be a plus. Additionally, the way I have maximized my time during COVID (taking acting classes, starting a freelance writing page, going to school full-time, and tutoring other students) could be a plus. My strong suit is writing, but I’ve found the PIQ’s a bit harder than expected as talking about myself so much is pretty difficult for me. Currently getting them reviewed so I can revise accordingly and make them stronger.

Where am I applying? A ridiculous amount of schools (need to fulfill my ego and see where I can get into), but my tops are: UCLA, UCB, Columbia, Barnard, NYU, Dartmouth, Yale, and Georgetown.

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Hi everyone! I already wrote this in the UCLA transfer thread so I figured I would do it here too. I submitted my app on saturday and am so relieved that’s done with. here are my stats :slight_smile:
Intended Major: Chicana/o Studies
In-State CC
GPA: 3.72
Female Middle class First Gen, TAP Honor Student, Dean List x3, 57 credits (I’ll have 91 by graduation)

ECs: Honors research symposium, Honors program, Coach at local high school, some community service hours for coastal clean up

Job/Work Experience: Full time babysitter since September 2019

Strengths: UCLA TAP certified, graduating with 3 degrees, attended UCLA STOMP program, pretty strong PIQ’s Weaknesses: I have an EW for a poli sci class this summer session, not sure if it will matter bc covid

Applying to what schools? UCLA, UCB, USC, NYU and Columbia
I got accepted into UCD for TAG

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Hi. Was part of the 2020 transfer waitlist thread and experienced the whole application mess of last year. Definitely promised myself not to obssess over College Confidential every hour again.

Intended Major: CogSci

In-State CC

GPA: High 3.9

Strengths/EC/Experience:

All prerequisites completed. Took additional supplemental courses that complement the major. (Finished CS/Physics/Microbio/Stats/Ling courses to the highest level offered at my CCC). On Assist it’s listed that you only had to finish Calc 1.

  • Berkeley TAP completed(unique to the school)
  • IGETC completed.
  • T.A for several upper-division Psychology courses.
  • T.A for Biopsychology
  • Stats and English tutor + helped Students with Disabilities in the Disability program.
  • Overcame financial instability and past trauma/depression. My essays emphasized on my personal history and grit.
  • Transcript showed immense improvement and academic success(Poor HS grades but very strong CCC performance)
  • Psychology and ML club but only as a member.
  • Assisted as a grader for a Linear Algebra course from September to December this year.

Overall: Waitlisted last year and invested all my emotions for 6 months. Not repeating that again. If I get in then I get in. If not I’m going to UCLA or UCSD which I both got accepted to the previous year and I expect to again. It is what it is and good luck to everyone. If you get Waitlisted please don’t have too much high hopes and make some backup plans. I think all the people Waitlisted at Berkeley with me in the 2020 thread would say the same. Quite the rollercoaster. All I did was waste a year to strengthen my application and fixed some mistakes I learned. If anyone gets rejected and want to reapply the following year, I would like to comment that I felt and did the exact same thing, but fast forward and I’ve been regretting it due to Corona and just the fact that I wasted a year and now I’m behind of what I could’ve been. It wasn’t worth it.

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is anyone applying OOS/from a non-CC?? I’m a sophomore at Tulane from NJ :confused: not sure what my chances are

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Please chance me? Intended Major : Computer Science
State (if domestic applicant): In-State (California)
School Type: CC with a few university classes
GPA: 3.94
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Low Income
Hooks: Dean’s list, took classes at UCLA over the summer.

Extracurriculars: Computer Engineering Intern at NASA, Software Engineering intern at Intel, Coding Instructor, Women in STEM Organizations

Job/Work Experience: Same as above^^ and a private calculus tutor

Financial aid: Yes, I applied.

Strengths: EC’s, I drafted my PIQ’s early and had them read over by some UCLA students, I also have a lot of Computer Science experiences and took care of my family while I was at home.
Weaknesses: I received one B in out of all my classes because I was taking care of my ill father and the professor did not let me make up the final exam.

Applying to what schools? UCLA, USC, UCB, UCI (TAG), UCSD
I also had a question, so I ran out of classes to take at my community college besides GE’s, so I am currently taking Winter Quarter off and taking 2 GE classes during the Spring quarter. I have my software engineering internship right now so I decided not to take extra classes since I finished the prereqs and recommended courses. However, USC has this program where you can take classes during the school year even if you are not an enrolled student. I am currently also taking a few Computer Science classes at USC, but I am not an enrolled student for USC. Will that hinder my chances of getting into the UC’s since I am taking both University and Community college classes?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

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Hello everyone,

I was wondering if there is two separate forms for TAU and Major prerequisite in Berkeley’s student portal? Or major prerequisite is the TAU update?? I am in college of engineering and as of today, I submitted only the major prerequisite form. I was checking the Berkeley applicant checklist, there it says to update TAU at Berkeley’s student portal and then says to submit the major prerequisite form. Is it the same thing? Is the major prereq the TAU form ? I did not see anything else in the portal except for the prereq form. PLEASE HELP!! Thanks

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They are not the same thing. If you’re applying to the College of Engineering, you’ll have to fill out both the TAU on the UC Application website and the seperate major prereq form on Berkeley’s portal. It’s very important that you’ll have to fill out both forms in order to be considered for admissions.