<p>Hey guys, I am new here and an finishing my second and last year at a California Community College. I would appreciate it if you guys would chance me :)</p>
<p>Major: Geography
GPA: 3.78
IGETC will be completed after Spring 2014
Major requirements will be completed after Spring 2014
0 W's
100+ volunteer hours (But will be at 200 in a couple months)
Job experience
Member of a club on campus
Competitive tennis player for 10+ years</p>
<p>Right not I am taking 20 units, and I am confident I that I will receive A's in all of my classes.</p>
<p>My two B's are in Trig and Econ, but trig isn't even transferable so I don't think it should hurt me.</p>
<p>As far as my personal statement, I have had a rough childhood and a very rough year with issues in my family. I'm not going to go into the specifics but I have been through things most people will never have to go through in their lifetime. So I feel that writing about the adversities I have experienced should help my chances. </p>
<p>Try to finish some of the pre-reqs by Fall 2013. Also if you finish English and Math by Fall it also looks good. Either way, you have a good chance! Finish strong</p>
<p>@ Nickkwooddd: You’re looking really good. Just make sure you don’t have your last English or Math class during the Fall of 2014. That will screw you. Good luck!</p>
<p>something my CCC counselor said from receiving training for UCB to help students with the transfer process was that as sad as your life has been, they’re not going to let you in because they feel sorry for you but because of the things you have done despite of those difficulties. I have a dope powerpoint presentation he set up, let me know if you want it.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the feedback. Ill be done with my English this fall and have already finished the required math for my major. As far as my personal statement (specifically prompt 2), I just wrote it yesterday, and i chose to give a short background of my life and explain an event that has had the most impact on my life. The event was a tragedy, but I made sure to keep my focus on how it has given me certain personality characteristics (such as strength, courage, and resilience). I will also play around with lighter topics but I feel that writing about this (which was not easy) will produce the most powerful and moving essay possible.</p>
<p>@ lamelcriada: Yes you’re right, your academic accomplishments are important. However, UCLA and Cal take a holistic approach, which means that your essay will be factored into your admission decision. UCLA and Cal are the only UC’s that actually read your personal statement for admission.</p>
<p>@ Nickkwooddd: My personal statement included some crazy life circumstances as well. So it actually looks extra good if you have great academics despite those circumstances. It means you are well rounded vs. someone who does great in school but has had it easy going. Good luck!</p>
<p>@iDizzle, you lost me at: “So it actually looks extra good if you have great academics despite those circumstances. It means you are well rounded vs. someone who does great in school but has had it easy going.”</p>
<p>The kid had a “rough childhood” and a “very rough year” with issues in his family. Well gee, this must be something that the adcomms never hear from transfer students… And everyone else must surely emphasize the fact that they had “it easy going.” Come on iDizzle…</p>
<p>@OP, I don’t mean to come off harsh, but, the people I know that have gone through “things most people will never have to go through in their lifetime” were never able to participate in things such as competitive tennis for over a decade. Not to say you haven’t been through a whole lot or anything, just be careful how you phrase things in your PS’s. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to dissuade you from mentioning any rough circumstances. I think that they very much could be beneficial to your PS’s depending on how you go about it. That being said, adcomms can’t really gauge tough circumstances as it’s incredibly subjective. It might get you a couple extra bonus points but how well written your PS happens to be is going to be much more beneficial compared to the best sob story you think someone will read this cycle. Just remain positive as you DON’T want to bum out whoever happens to read your apps over. </p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t think you have much to worry about as your GPA should get you in by itself.</p>
<p>@Idizzle: I dont think you understood what I meant by accomplishments, I didnt mean academic ones, I meant general accomplishments. For example someones family may have been a victim of gang violence (as it is common with inner city youth in the bay area and socal) but the person could have launched a campaign in their neighborhood against street violence and gotten a program started at school to deter street violence. thats an accomplishment despite a difficult life circumstance. and Yes the only UCs that take it into consideration are UCB/UCLA But all take the PS into consideration when giving out some of the 16 scholarships one applies for during the admission process, so PS are important at all Ucs</p>
<p>@ Snorlaz: Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I just mean it will definitely help if the OP added those things. At orientation they told us more about the app process and how we were chosen for acceptance. If an app reviewer sees something that stands out in your application, likes it and likes your personal statement, they will pass on your application to 2 more reviewers. If both of those reviewers also like your application than you are granted acceptance. UCLA and Cal like “well-rounded” students. That is why they read your PS, they want to know more about this person. They would rather choose a student with a 3.8GPA and has had other achievements whether it be extracurriculars or whatever vs. a student with a 4.0 who does nothing but study.</p>
<p>For my personal statement I wrote about overcoming years of drug abuse, a poor family, an ailing father and working 55+ hours a week and climbing the corporate ladder while taking night classes at community college. I think the circumstances I mentioned in my PS only helped my chances. </p>
<p>You know, I was taking a big risk and at first was apprehensive about adding social stigmas like “drug abuse” to my PS. I ended up getting into 11 of the 12 schools that I had applied to. </p>
<p>So yeah, what I’m saying is that it doesn’t hurt to add “tough” circumstances to your PS. Just saying.</p>
<p>@snorlaz the adcoms can not assume that I had life easily because I was a competitive tennis player… It is not even my point to have the adcomms pity me, but to understand that under extensive circumstances I have not let it affect my academic work.</p>
<p>@iDizzle, I just want to make sure OP knows there will be plenty of “well-rounded” students applying. Simply mentioning overcoming obstacles doesn’t equate to “it will definitely help.” You still have to write well etc etc etc. It makes for an interesting topic, but, OP still needs to execute. That’s all I’m pointing out. </p>
<p>@OP, “the adcoms can not assume that I had life easily because I was a competitive tennis player…”
Just like the adcomms cannot assume you’re a special snowflake who has “been through things most people will never have to go through in their lifetime” based on a couple of personal statements. </p>
<p>“It is not even my point to have the adcomms pity me, but to understand that under extensive circumstances I have not let it affect my academic work.”</p>
<p>“The event was a tragedy, but I made sure to keep my focus on how it has given me certain personality characteristics (such as strength, courage, and resilience). I will also play around with lighter topics but I feel that writing about this (which was not easy) will produce the most powerful and moving essay possible.” </p>
<p>"So I feel that writing about the adversities I have experienced should help my chances. " </p>
<p>So, you feel as though these experiences should help your chances. Why? Because you’re going to “move” them with a “powerful” topic? I never called it pity. That’s what you said. I think it is clear, however, that you are attempting to evoke some sort of response to your life story. That’s fine. I even think this CAN make for a great topic. Again, just be careful how you phrase things. You have no idea who will read over your essay and if you come off as a special snowflake, you might actually do yourself a disservice. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>I can only speak on behalf of ucla, if the two b’s that u received are not uc transferable (will u have transferable math) than in reality your uc gpa is 4.0 so odds are at 99%. The only way u get denied is if you shoot yourself at the foot in your personal statement (very unlikely).</p>
<p>Even if your UC GPA is 3.78 the your odds drop a little to a range of 80%~95%, it will depend on how many supply and demand in applications and the quality of your personal statement. Either way you are almost a shoe-in.</p>
<p>so a person has to report to the UCs all classes , even the ones that are not UC transferable. Do they care about the overall GPA or the UC transferable GPA. Also how much do they care about your GPA on the last semster of school (since most of these grades are received after they have mailed you a decision). this is for transfer students only</p>
<p>@ lamelcriada: Yes you must report ALL grades/overall GPA for their records. This shows them your academic trends. However, only the UC transferable GPA will be taken into consideration for admission. So lets say you had a lot of A’s for non transferable classes, resulting in a rather high GPA, only the transferable classes will be considered as your actual GPA(even though it may be lower). </p>
<p>They do care about your Spring/Summer GPA/grades to some extent. Like UCI, UCR, UCSC, UCSB and the lower tier UC’s will require that you get no more than 3 C’s during your last semester. Getting a D or below could possibly get your admission rescinded. UCLA on the other hand requires you to have no more than 1 C. </p>
<p>However, it’s been a while and I could have remembered incorrectly. It could be a C average for the lower tier UC’s and no more than 3 C’s for UCLA. In any case, they will send a notice about maintaining requirements after you get admitted.</p>