I’m a freshman at a small LAC and for multiple reasons that I won’t bother you guys with, I’m seriously considering transferring to Cal in the fall of my junior year. My G.P.A. from my first semester was 3.93 (I took multivariable calc, intro econ, intro physics, and a required english class, if that matters). This semester I’m taking similar classes and I’m pretty sure I can get at least a 3.9 but hopefully a 4.0. I’m planning on either majoring in math or econ and maybe minoring in whichever one I don’t major in.
How difficult is it to transfer into Cal as one of those majors? I was looking into it and it seems like most of the transfer students come from CCs so is it more competitive for non-CC transfers to get in? Also, how important is my G.P.A. compared to extracurriculars or essays or other things? Do they look at high school grades or SAT scores at all (I had pretty lackluster grades but a lot of good AP scores and a really high SAT score)?
At Berkeley, economics is at capacity, so current students need at least a 3.0 GPA in its prerequisites for admission. Math is essentially an open major, requiring just C grades in its prerequisites, but the department recommends that only students with B- or higher grades in prerequisites enter the major.
Of course, a transfer student needs significantly higher grades than that just for admission as a transfer student. But that can give you an idea of how competitive the majors are.
