<p>Anyone else get this? The UCLA thread on this topic has mixed messages about whether these invitations are totally random or offer a glimmer of hope. Sadly, the description of the scholarships on the websites doesn't mention anything about academic qualifications, only the soft side of applicants. So I'm assuming this goes out to anyone who has some community service in their ap. Did every applicant get the e-mail?</p>
<p>My son got one two weeks ago, but it 's UCLA Alumni scholarship.</p>
<p>The alumni association obtains the contact information and general profile of applicants from the admissions office and sends out invitations based on criteria the alumni association determined to reflect the type of students it wants to apply for the scholarships. The process is separate from the admission evaluation as the alumni association is a different entity (typically a nonprofit attached to the university). Receiving an invitation has no bearing on your admission status.</p>
<p>I used to review alumni scholarship applications for Berkeley and UCLA. The application reading doesn’t occur until after the admission decisions have been made (the exception is TAAP). Typically about 50% of the scholarship applicants are not accepted to the campus.</p>
<p>I got the invite last year and opted out to not apply since I didn’t notice the deadline until it was too late lol!</p>
<p>One thing I don’t understand about the UCLA one is that to be invited to the Regent’s Scholarship, you need to be in the top 1.5% of the applicant pool. But you can still be rejected, ie not be part of the top 22% of the applicant pool. LOLWUT?
But good news for the berkeley one: if you’re invited to Regent’s, you’re in.</p>
<p>Ms. Sun or anyone else who is “in the know,”
Could you please tell me the difference between the alumni UCLA invite and the UCB invite received today? My son received the UCLA alumni email a few weeks ago and has sent in all the stuff it asks for (it is his second choice) but UCB is currently first choice, with UCSB a strong third, with UCSB honors program second or even first choice.<br>
He has a 2200+ SAT (semi-weak in W, 670, but 790 M), 3.9 UW, 4.5 W (4.35 UC), SAT II 800 (math2) and two others over 700, three AP at 5. His rigor is OK (3-4 AP’s/honors year) but not the “hardest he could take” at his high-achieving high school. He has acceptable but definitely not great EC’s. He is ELC at his strong public in San Jose. His ELC is based on the recent Jan. 2012 e-mail. He was also way over any requirement for eligible in the statewide context, but no one ever seems to talk about that?<br>
The UCB invite was in his e-mail today for the first time. What do you think?<br>
Regardless, thank you so much, you have educated me in a way that is invaluable! We have three more and I am still pretty new to this, so your information is priceless!</p>
<p>Has one Today, does this mean admission accepted?</p>
<p>From: CAA Alumni Scholarships <a href=“mailto:als@cal.alumni.berkeley.edu”>als@cal.alumni.berkeley.edu</a>
To: <a href=“mailto:als@cal.alumni.berkeley.edu”>als@cal.alumni.berkeley.edu</a>
Sent: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 2:48 PM
Subject: UC Berkeley Merit Scholarship</p>
<p>@WordWorld, the alumni associations are all operating independently from the university, so your son’s record must meet the “invitation criteria” for the alumni association at both Berkeley and UCLA. The invitation is not indicative of his chance of admission at either campus and as I mentioned, past stats showed that about 50% of those who applied for the alumni scholarships are not accepted (but keep in mind that there are students who are not invited who had also applied for the scholarships).</p>
<p>MsSun, considering UCB admit rate is low-20s, and even considering that there are those who apply to these Alumni scholarships even without an invite, is it safe to say that if you did get an invite, your chances are greater than low-20s, possibly closer to 50s?</p>
<p>Being invited to apply for the scholarship has nothing to do with the admission decision. Being invited to interview, however, is a different story…</p>
<p>When does Cal send letters to the students that are applicable for the regents scholarship? Did they already send out the letters?</p>
<p>Yes, they’ve already begun sending them</p>
<p>@cadave, I wouldn’t say that. I think the GPA “cut off” for sending the invitation is pretty low (I vaguely remember hearing 3.5 at some point).</p>
<p>Who did you hear that from? (the 3.5 gpa cutoff)</p>
<p>@troy1111, I would’ve heard it from an Alumni Association rep or one of the local district chairs (I also served as a district chair for Cal for one term).</p>