UCSB Transfer Admission (UCSD, UCLA, UC Berkeley)

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Greetings!</p>

<p>If you have the time please listen to this very convoluted tale of the past two years of my life, and advise me as to my chances of acceptance to these fine institutions...</p>

<p>Owing to the lackluster effort I put forth during high school to do virtually any homework assignment, I came out with a mediocre GPA of 3.1, thankfully however with a 2340 on the SAT and a 34 on the ACT. Having faith in my college prospects, I applied to every Ivy League, Bard College, and the previously mentioned UC's including UC Santa Cruz. Need not be said, I was rejected from all except Bard and UCSC.</p>

<p>I attended UCSC for the fall semester, and left to attend Los Angeles Valley College, back at home, with the hopes of transferring to UCLA or some other more prestigious institution. After the spring semester I lived in Iceland for a period of several months, learning the language and experiencing the foreign culture, falling in love with every other girl I met, etc.. and during the time there decided that Santa Cruz was a wonderful place, and dropping my former resolution, I returned for the fall semester once again.</p>

<p>I was originally a Mathematics major, but around this time I began intense 8 - 9 hour daily practice of the classical piano, improving vastly. This is when I began to consider switching to a music major. My intended career was finance and hedge fund management, and I was offered a valuable several month long internship in London, which I could not attend if I were in school, so in January I left UCSC again, and went to work... whilst there I decided that Bard, the prestigious east coast college would be better for my chosen career path, and committed to the school for Fall 2012. Now I am here, and I realize why I never came the first time, I miss California, I miss the culture, the quality of life, and I never want to work in finance (the devil's work) again. </p>

<p>So with this in mind, I began thinking, while 4.0 was standard to get into to most of the institutions during high school, now the bar is significantly lower..</p>

<p>so here are my stats, by spring I WILL be UC transfer eligible (and I can always return to Santa Cruz)</p>

<p>major: Music B.A - which , if i am correct, is a NON-impacted major at all of these schools..</p>

<p>GPA: here's where things are tricky... spread across UCSC and Valley College, i have a 3.1 (again), but here at Bard I have and shall maintain a 4.0 for both semesters... will the UC's factor these grades in, even though they won't receive said grades until the end of December, after the submission period?</p>

<p>Work Ethic: I practice the piano 9 hours a day, it is my life and love, and keep this in mind too (I hope admissions officers will...) While my GPA may seem relatively low, (though I believe transfer minimum is 2.5) I have all A's in every music class I have ever taken.</p>

<p>Life and Work Experience: A lot, tons, loads.!</p>

<p>Get back to me please!</p>

2

<p>I know that is this is completely unrelated to the question you asked, and I’m sorry for that, but I was wondering what you hated so much about your experience working in finance for you to call it “the devil’s work.” Immoral practices? I’m curious because I would like to go into finance (although I know that the big financial institutions are basically the cause for the current, unfortunate global situation).</p>

3

<p>For majors like Music, they pretty much admit by talent…so it really depends on your audition…I mean there are minimum GPA/course requirements such as having math, writing, ect, but those are just formalities imo…as long as your GPA doesn’t take an absolute nosedive, there shouldn’t be any huge problems in that area. </p>

<p>However, while Music probably isn’t “impacted” by all means, it’ll still be incredibly difficult to get in because the evaluation process is so subjective…sure, your life experiences are truly amazing and having straight A’s in your music classes can’t hurt…but it’ll all come down to your talent and how it is perceived by the faculty when you audition for them. Space is generally limited. I don’t know what your background is, but people who major in things like Piano usually have been playing the instrument nonstop since they were small children if that’s something to take into consideration. </p>

<p>You can reinstate yourself at UCSC but you’ll probably have to apply/audition for the major. If there’s any sort of unit cap at SC, they might not let you change majors at all. </p>

<p>I don’t know if this would be of any interest to you, but UCLA has a Music History Major, which is not part of the Music department, but it still gives you opportunities to take music classes and would open up the possibly of minoring in Music Industry. Also, the admission rate is a lot better.</p>

4

<p>Btw. Bard is one of the top music programs in the country. You will not find better piano professors, even in the college and not the conservatory - and you can attend all the master classes and concerts at the conservatory.</p>

<p>In addition, it has one of the best musicology departments - although, admittedly, so does Berkeley and UCLA. I find it hard to believe you know in advance, before midterms or most papers written, that you will get all A’s in the eight classes you’ll be taking at Bard this year.</p>

<p>I think you should think deep about why you keep feeling somewhere else will be better for you. You’re actually in a fantastic place for music right now. (My son is a composer in the conservatory and had his pick of where to go.)</p>

5

<p>You have a 3.1 transfer GPA (this is not including your assumed spring 2013 grades, right?) and you are transferring from a 4 year. Have you completed all of your specific major prereqs for each school? IGETC? You didn’t mention either. I’d say your chances are slim to none. Have you talked to the admin at UCSC who guaranteed your readmittance?</p>