UC Berkeley - Haas or Econ?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
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<p>I'm a sophomore at a CCC this year and have been wanting to apply to Haas. I know that the program is extremely selective, and I'm becoming increasingly afraid that I'm not going to get in. I've already submitted my TAG to UCSD for Economics and Math (a single degree) and plan to apply to UCLA (Business Econ) as well as USC (either Marshall or Econ), Claremont McKenna (Econ), and a couple of east coast schools.</p>

<p>In addition to my heightening worries I'm also starting to feel like I'd prefer attending Berkeley over all of the other California schools I listed (bar potentially CMC, but I don't even expect to get in) even if my degree would be in Econ (CAS) rather than Business Admin (Haas). The only problem is that I don't think I can apply to both programs--and please correct me if I'm wrong.</p>

<p>I have a couple of friends down at UCLA with whom I'd be able to rent an apartment next year if I did end up down there, but I just feel like Berkeley is more right for me. It's also a lot closer--I live about 15-20 minutes away from Berkeley.</p>

<p>I guess I'm looking for suggestions or advice or something. I have a problem with worrying over things too much, and I actually have an essay due tomorrow that I REALLY need to be working on, but this has been plaguing my mind all day. Below is what my application profile will look like.</p>

<p>Cumulative GPA (2 sem): 3.86
Sem 1 (16 units, 4.0): Calculus I, English Composition & Reading, Macroeconomics, Intro to Business, Intro to Psych
Sem 2 (14 units, 3.71): Calculus II, Financial Accounting (Grade: B), Critical Reasoning in History, Investments (not UC-transferable)
Sem 3 (18 units): Calculus III, Managerial Accounting, Microeconomics, Critical Thinking: Comp & Lit, Business Statistics</p>

<p>I haven't been doing that great mentally (general unhappiness and stress and getting panicky) since about mid-November of last year, which is why I slipped in my Financial Accounting class last semester and which is also why I might get a B in my English Lit & Comp class, a Haas prereq, this semester as well. If I get a 4.0 this semester, I'll be applying with a 3.92. If I do get the B in English this semester, I'll have a 3.85. And it's a prereq, so it's more important.</p>

<p>I have decent extracurriculars (volunteer and eventually paid intern at science museum for 4 years total, seasonal job last winter, intern at non-profit during my second semester, intern at MSWM over the summer, started non-profit) but I'm still struggling with what to do because with only 90 accepted applicants each year, I might be better off just applying into Econ (and possibly taking on a second major in Math or Stat, the prereqs for which I will have done by the time I transfer) and at least being able to attend Berkeley.</p>

<p>So yeah again I guess I'm looking for suggestions or advice. And are APs taken into consideration beyond just administering units or passing out of GEs and prerequisites?</p>

<p>And I'm sorry for the extremely long post and applaud anyone who makes it all the way down here without skipping through parts.</p>

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<p>Econnnnnn.</p>

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<p>Berkeley economics offers a more math-oriented option (taking Economics 101A, 101B, and 141 instead of 100A, 100B, and 140); if you are interested in math and statistics and their application to economics, that may be something to consider. Note that if you want to go on to a PhD in economics, taking upper division math and statistics courses along with the more math-oriented economics courses would be the path to take.</p>

<p>Note that UCLA’s math economics major is less selective for transfer admission than its economics or business economics major.</p>

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<p>Berkeley Admissions: “Hmm, this application seems very promising! Good GPA, some great ECs. I think we might just ha-” <em>dramatic squint</em> “Wait a second. A ‘B’ in Financial Accounting? Into the recycling bin!”</p>

<p>Luckily, that probably will not happen. You’ve got great grades, in spite of the ‘B’. Don’t worry too much. </p>

<p>I would apply for Econ (cause that’s my major), but you got a good chance for Haas as well. But from what you have posted, you have a 4.0 in the major requirements for Econ, so that will be a big boost to your admission potential.</p>

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<p>Any reason?</p>

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<p>I suppose I forgot to add in my first post that currently I think that I’d like to go into equity research or repo trading at an investment bank (I’d like to stay at MS if possible, but certainly am not going to limit myself only to them) or something at the Federal Reserve. I don’t think that I’m at the point yet where I know what I’d like to do as post-graduate education goes. Someone in the industry suggested pursuing the CFA designation if my interest in the financial markets continues.</p>

<p>So I think right now I’m looking for whatever is going to give me the best possible preparation for getting into the field right out of undergrad. If I end up applying to Haas and by some miracle get in, I’m probably going to take on Econ as a second major, so that’ll be good for Fed work if I decide to go down that route. But at this point it’s all about whether to risk all of Berkeley applying to Haas or to play it safe and just apply into Econ.</p>

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<p>The thing that worries me is that after turning in my essay for the second semester of English which is a Haas prereq, I’m pretty much certain I’m going to get a B, which puts the GPA that I’m going to have after this semester at a 3.85 which is pretty much in line with the average. And that doesn’t make me feel very comfortable.</p>

<p>And really the reason that I’m worried so much is that I’m pretty sure I’d prefer Berkeley over any school to which I’m going to apply this year–even if it’s only Econ. The problem is that I can’t apply to both Haas and Econ as a safety measure. So applying to a program which accepts applicants at a rate of 19% for a total of 90 students per year while having only an average GPA among a sea of 3.9s and 4.0s terrifies me because I could be giving up my chance to attend Berkeley by applying into such a selective program.</p>

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<p>Believe me, I totally get it. I’m applying to Cal as well, and after taking a class over there I really want to get in!</p>

<p>As for Haas vs L&S Econ, I would apply to Econ. While Haas is a great school, the selectivity is a concern. Your chances through Econ are much better, and in all honesty you will have similar opportunities in L&S. If you are interested in doing some Haas work, there are several competitions where you work with Haas students to do projects (for prestige and prizes)! Besides, you can take several UGBA courses to fulfill the Econ major electives, allowing you to get a good grounding in both theoretical and practical economics.</p>

<p>It’s a tough decision, but I do think your prospects and overall opportunities will be higher if you go to L&S. Another transfer student at my CC is trying to make the same decision, and it is contributing much to her stress level. So don’t feel too bad; this is a phase that all little transfer larva go through before becoming a beautiful hippie butterfly.</p>

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<p>Sssssss…
Let the Sandworm slither enlightenment.</p>

<p>A significant majority of people who post on this thread are applying to the the business school this year. Why does that matter? Simple: they’re competing against you. Unfortunately, and naturally, they will use any measures necessary to remove a qualified student from the selection pool, including to advise that you apply for economics. With your application out of the equation, the probability of them being admitted rises ever so slightly; but, a rise is a rise. This is economics, and it’s a gnarly force. It’s Us and Them.</p>

<p>As for addressing your question: the decision must be made by one person. It’s you. </p>

<p>Take your sample size. You can attend Cal as an Econ major (with a high probability), attend Cal as a Business major (with an unknown probability), or apply to Haas and be rejected (1- the probability you’re admitted). Statistics is quite useful, I’d say.</p>

<p>Just remember: Risk=Reward; and everyone’s risk taking level is unique to him/her. </p>

<p>The games have begun.</p>

<p>Sssssss…</p>

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<p>Oh no, you discovered our evil plot. How we bow before your mastery of the human mind. Your cunning has outwitted my ploy.</p>

<p>Or maybe… just maybe, we all want to help one another get into Cal? I don’t have a snowball’s chance of getting into Haas, but I am interested in giving my honest opinion to anyone who asks. Gunnnn has the grades to get into L&S for Econ, and probably for Haas as well. His major GPA would be higher if he applies to Econ, giving him a high probability of getting accepted. If Gunnnn applies to Haas his GPA for Business Admin will be lower, meaning that he could be rejected from Haas and not be admitted to Cal at all, thus requiring another year of waiting.</p>

<p>Gunnnn can apply to whichever major he wants, and bully for him. But a 40% acceptance rate vs the 6% at Haas? There is nothing wrong with going to Econ or Haas; there are plenty of opportunities in each, and most of them are open to both majors. It is a matter, like your said, of whether the opportunity of going to Haas outweighs the risk of getting denied admission. There is no giant conspiracy (at least on my part) to trick Gunnnn into applying to Econ for my own malevolent purposes.</p>

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<p>Good luck. I am in the same boat with the major choice. I have gotten all As but got a high C in my Calc II class that has killed my GPA and I’ll be applying with a similar GPA as well.</p>

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<p>The acceptance rate at Haas is not really 6% (It’s around 20-25 for qualified applicants). And I don’t know where you’re getting the 40% figure for econ.</p>

<p>Haas looks at leadership and work experience very closely. Go for Haas. The econ majors are generally seen as ‘Haas-rejects’ and don’t get the same type of OCR/networking as Haas students. Berkeley will tell you they get the same treatment, and to a certain degree they do, but in reality if you go econ, you’re competing against Haas students for a lot of jobs.</p>

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<p>It actually is 6% - I don’t know where you’re getting 20-25. I’m just saying what the Berkeley website is providing.</p>

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<p>The acceptance rate at Haas isn’t around 20-25%. It’s 6% just as ocnative stated. I’d opt for Econ no doubt.</p>

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<p>The statistics from the L&S website. Not just Econ, which is my bad. But there is still a better chance of getting into Econ than Haas.</p>

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<p>I don’t know about that. Business Admin is a good major, and Haas is a good school. But both those do not count for squat if you are not actively out there preparing yourself for the job market. Internships, competitions, and networking are important, but most of the opportunities afforded to Haas students can also be used by Econ majors (and other majors).</p>

<p>Case competitions, which are the most interesting for me, can be done by a team of at least one Haas student and other majors. Upper level Econ electives can be fulfilled by taking several Haas classes, giving Econ majors a background similar to Business Admin.</p>

<p>Haas’s reputation as a good business school may come into play if you are doing an MBA or PhD. But Econ majors who put in the time and effort to get their degrees are hardly rejects, considering they got into one of the most impacted programs at a very competitive school.</p>

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<p>The cynicism is beautiful. I love it.</p>

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<p>The acceptance rate is hovers at around 6% if you include all of the applicants who didn’t complete the list of prerequisite courses to transfer into Haas. Culling those who are automatically disqualified for admission, it’s about 19%.</p>

<p>I’m still not completely sure about which program to apply to, but I’ll probably end up just going with Haas. One concern is that as an Econ major there are certain classes for which I’ll have extreme difficulty registering because they fill to the brim with Haas undergrads. The recruiting is another one, although not as severe. I’m sure I’d do fine as an non-Haas Econ major, too, but… oh well!</p>

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<p>Good luck. It is not an easy choice, but you got a good chance of getting in!</p>

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<p>I talked to my former tutor while I saw him at a local coffee shop and he told me that even though he graduated from Berkeley with an economics degree, he told me had no problems finding a job from the Big 4. The trick is apparently to take Haas classes there and show your employers your transcript cause that’s what they care about. Hell you could even graduate with an English degree and if you take the classes they want you can still work in that field. Just my two cents…</p>

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<p>The problem with that, though, is that the space limitations for a lot of the Haas classes make it difficult for students not in the program to secure a spot. But yeah I do realize that the value of even an Econ degree from Berkeley is still in total very high.</p>

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<p>Ugh well here I am again re-rethinking that bubble I filled next to Haas.</p>

<p>Last night I was doing homework for my online managerial accounting class and I was thinking about how much I hated it and how much I liked my calculus class. And that’s making me uneasy. I don’t know whether or not my disliking the managerial accounting course is the lack of real interaction with anyone other than myself and my desk, but I think that it’s strange that I’m enjoying a math course beyond the level required for a business degree much more than I am an accounting course. I thought that Financial was fine, but every time I sit down to do Managerial, I spend the however-many hours thinking about how much I hate it, despite trying to convince myself otherwise.</p>

<p>And that I’m struggling this much with the decision doesn’t help the case for applying to Haas. But I think that a large part of my dilemma is caused by my not knowing what I want to pursue as a career. I think that I said equity research/trading/working for the Fed in the last page, but I’m really not sure about those either. I thought that I had everything figured out, but I’m becoming less and less confident in what I believe are my interests as the time to make a final decision approaches.</p>

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<p>Welcome to 80% of the incoming college students, please take your ticket.</p>

<p>The beautiful thing about college is that you get to sample a little bit of everything. I leaned towards doing History and PolSci, but once I got into my CC I found a new love for accounting and economics. Now, if fate and the admissions folks at Cal are willing, I can pursue my two loves as a PolSci/Econ major. And to be honest, I don’t have a clue what I am going to do once I graduate. I have a general idea of what sort of field I want (which ironically enough is the one you are losing interest in), but it’s all up in the air.</p>

<p>And that is perfectly fine. You do not have to know right this minute. You are only in your sophomore year, and have not been exposed to the upper division classes. That is where you find the specifics of what interests you. Whether you go to Haas or L&S, you will still have a wide range of options. I don’t care about which one is considered marginally better or renowned. Where you go, what you choose, and the things you love are up to you and only you.</p>

<p>Perhaps, if you go to Haas you find yourself more interested in the bigger picture and focus in on Economics. Or, if you go to L&S, you find the practical applications of econ in financing draws your to more finance oriented classes. You can not and will not be pigeon-holed into only Haas or only Economics, unless you do it yourself.</p>

<p>You will have the options and the time to experiment after you get in, if you allow yourself. All roads may lead to Rome, but those roads also go to other places. Where you want to place yourself is something that you will have to consider later. For now, just get into the university first.</p>

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<p>Okay, so. Bit of an update.</p>

<p>It looks like I’m going to get Bs in both my English 1B and Managerial Accounting classes. Bs in both will put my overall GPA at 3.77, and dropping Managerial will leave me with that W and a 3.84. Managerial has been stressing me out to no end (it’s an online class) and takes up so much time and basically is the reason that I’ve been averaging four hours of sleep per weeknight for the entire semester thus far. For the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed that the frequency of my heart palpitations, which I experienced before but not that often, has increased–a lot. And my heart just feels like it’s working a lot harder.</p>

<p>I still want to apply to Haas. Given that Managerial isn’t a prereq, how great of a negative impact will a withdrawal from the class be? Will a paragraph about it in the Additional Comments section about my dropping it due to health reasons be a sufficient explanation? I’ve been worried about my health but honestly haven’t even had the time to schedule a doctor’s appointment because of how busy I am with schoolwork. </p>

<p>But at the same time I would die to get into Haas so in some twisted way, I rationalize how I’m kind of killing myself.</p>

<p>EDIT: I think I actually may have a very slim chance of getting an A in English this semester, but I’m going to find out for sure this Thursday whether or not it’s still possible.</p>

<p>Also, dropping Managerial will put me at 14 units for the semester.</p>

<p>And somewhat implicit in my post is the following question: Will 18 units and AAABB or 14 units and AAAB W, with a decent explanation for the withdrawal, be more acceptable? I’m especially worried because my GPA when I apply will likely be a couple of notches below the average of accepted applicants if I stick with my five classes and get two Bs.</p>

<p>Oh yeah and I’ve kind of put on like a ton of weight in the past two months because I’m almost completely sedentary now. I have so little time and I’m extremely exhausted and super stressed all the time.</p>