<p>Hey everyone, my name is Jason, this is my first post, and thanks for reading my current situation/obstacle. Right now I'm about to become a sophmore at UCD. I finished my freshman year with a UC cummulative gpa of 3.96 with a rigorous yet sensible (for me at least) schedule of engineering level math and various physical and biological science courses while keeping in mind of commiting to a bio major. Poor performance with a heavy load in high school ended many big dreams for me, but with some stellar grades on my college transcript, I'm starting to dream big again. I have been dreaming of being at Cal starting Fall 07 when I'm a junior. Today, I just called the adcoms at Berkeley about my intention to apply and I came upon a depressing discovery that may very well end my dream of finishing up ugrad at Cal before I even apply. In consideration of Cal's dedication of primarily if not exclusively offering transfer admittance to students of junior standing, the unit cap is 120 quarter units (80 semester units) completed prior to your first day at Cal (obviously if accepted and matriculated) and I already have 58.5 quarter units (39 semester units) completed during my junior high school and high school years and 39 quarter units completed during my freshman year at UCD. That leaves me with 97.5 quarter units just 32.5 quarter units shy of the maximum cap of 120 quarter units I can have. It appears that the units I had completed at city college during my high school and jr. high years that are UC-transferable will eliminate my chances to transfer to Cal. I still have lots of requirements to complete before I transfer, a year OChem for example, but I only have 32.5 units to work with this upcoming school year. I just don't know what to do next. Thanks for your time. I hope there is someone out there who can give me some much needed guidance or advice because the adcoms have been very blunt about their policy and I just feel lost and extremely anxious.</p>
<p>The difference between UCD and UCB is negligible (and this is coming from a newly matriculated ucb student). But yeah, you seem to be thriving at UCD so why would you want to transfer? With your gpa, you'll have a shot at the very top grad schools; why not aim for UCB then (if it's your childhood dream school or whatever).</p>
<p>I don't think they are THAT strict on the upper limit, especially with AP credit or community courses that you took during high school. </p>
<p>Right now I have 52 quarter units that I took at UCSD, and 18 quarter units from community courses mostly breath classes like music and stuff. If you count my AP credit, I'll have 108 quarter units passed, OOPS, and I do have junior standing at UCSD now, I entered with sophomore standing. But my coursework this year is CLEARLY sophomore year courses work like O-Chem, real analysis, intro engineering courses, pre-the real specialized major courses in engineering, so I am not too worried about the cap. </p>
<p>And rules are different for UC intercampus transfers, your biggest problem will be the fact that you have biology at UCD, and it is pretty good too, so there is no legit reason for you to transfer to UCB except for moving up, which they don't like.</p>
<p>And you are hella emo about this whole thing with your SN, stop that. It is lame.</p>
<p>"The difference between UCD and UCB is negligible"</p>
<p>How do you know that? Unless you transfered from Davis then you have no standing on the matter. Maybe there isn't much difference, but how would you know? And if there isn't a difference(negligible), then is there a difference between Berkeley and Harvard?</p>
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How do you know that? Unless you transfered from Davis then you have no standing on the matter. Maybe there isn't much difference, but how would you know? And if there isn't a difference(negligible), then is there a difference between Berkeley and Harvard?
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<p>I'm just trying to emphasize the fact that there is too much obsession with prestige on these boards. I honestly don't think there is much difference between ucb and ucd; they are both great UC schools. Is it such a radical idea that you can go to any UC, excell in your studies, and go on to succeed in whatever post-undergraduate endeavor you choose? Why must one blindly choose ucb/ucla because of prestige ('moving up') instead of staying at an institution they can thrive in (as the OP already seems to have accomplished) ?</p>
<p>AP units are not included in the cap. And UCs make exceptions in rare cases. I got accepted to Davis as a senior transfer with around 132 units.</p>
<p>can't you also like "drop" some of the CC credits if you took them before you entered college and they are just kinda fun classes, like music? </p>
<p>I dunno, but my schedule basically completes the lower div requirements for the engineering program, with the only exception being that I will have 1 extra year of math than required for engineers, but I doubt that's gonna keep me out.</p>
<p>"Is it such a radical idea that you can go to any UC, excell in your studies, and go on to succeed in whatever post-undergraduate endeavor you choose? "</p>
<p>No, not so radical. But I'm wondering why you're at Cal right now instead of Cal State LA? I'm sure you could go there, excell in your studies and go on to succeed in whatever post undergrad endeavor you choose, right? Couldn't your statement be true for every and all colleges in the country?</p>
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No, not so radical. But I'm wondering why you're at Cal right now instead of Cal State LA? I'm sure you could go there, excell in your studies and go on to succeed in whatever post undergrad endeavor you choose, right? Couldn't your statement be true for every and all colleges in the country?
<p>First off, i really appreciate all the insight into my post and all your various opinions which I take to heart. To clarify a couple of things, before my first post I already threw out my ap units and I stand at 97.5 quarter units, 32.5 units shy of the cap, and the Cal adcoms were very straightforward about their seemingly unbendable rules. They told me very simply they can not throw out any CC units that are UC transferable and were not used for high school graduation. Cal will not throw out units like UCD does for their transfer applicants. To make things worse, those units I accumulated in high school are from classes like Human Anatomy which do not fulfill any major requirements I have yet to do. What do I do now, where do I go from here? Is there anyone out there who is in the same situation as I am, is there someone at Cal I can talk to for advice about my approach to my soph year here at UCD? </p>
<p>Sure, Cardinal, and that's why you where dying to go to stanford too, right? Personal reasons? Listen, there are reasons that certain schools are seen as being "better" than other schools. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't, but the point is that if everyone in the world thinks Berkeley is much better than Davis (like employers) then they probably have good reason.</p>
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Sure, Cardinal, and that's why you where dying to go to stanford too, right? Personal reasons?
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<p>It is so sad that you must make a mockery of my family circumstances in order to try to prove a point irrelevant to the OPs question. Dude, that is seriously wack. Even though this is an anonymous message board, there are just some lines you do not cross. </p>
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Listen, there are reasons that certain schools are seen as being "better" than other schools. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't, but the point is that if everyone in the world thinks Berkeley is much better than Davis (like employers) then they probably have good reason.
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<p>It seems like you're so perturbed that I'm acknowledging UCD as a great school. Should I be like some of the elitists douchebags on these boards and be like, "OMG you will only be successful if you attend the best public school in the nation!! Don't even think about attending a **** school like Davis" ? </p>
<p>Seriously, the OP seems to be thriving at Davis and will likely have many great opportunities upon graduation...Thus, in his case, the disparity between Davis and Berkeley is even far less than it would already normally be. So why transfer?</p>
<p>I did a quick count, I have 52 quarter units right now, I have 18 CC units, and I'll be taking 56 quarter units this year, so that puts me 6 quarter units over 120 too. So am I fuxored? Is Cal gonna throw my app out?</p>
<p>"It is so sad that you must make a mockery of my family circumstances in order to try to prove a point irrelevant to the OPs question. Dude, that is seriously wack. Even though this is an anonymous message board, there are just some lines you do not cross."</p>
<p>What are you talking about? Do I know you? Should I know something about these family circumstances? Relax.</p>
<p>Through the progress of this tread I have realized I have been overreacting about what the adcoms told me. Just to let all of you guys know what my plans are for my soph year; I'm just going to stay on track to complete all of Cal's transfer requirements; through completion I'll be over the unit cap by the end of Spring 07 here are UCD but the adcoms will just have to deal with that. Hopefully, I'll be such a qualified candidate that they will ignore the fact I am about 15-20 units above the maximum. I was like totally depressed yesterday, but I was being overly emotional and that won't help my progress this upcoming school year. I hope that any of you guys out there that are or will be one day in a situation similar to mine to not let unneccessary anxiety take its toll as it has for me. Later and thanks again everybody.</p>
<p>I think it's more significant that you will be a junior transfer, rather than that you have so many credits. With a stellar GPA, I'm sure they won't care too much. If you had too few, that might be a problem. At worst, I imagine some of your credits might not carry over. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Woundedbear- Did you take any of these classes over 5 years ago (high school freshman year)? I thought UCB will not take into consideration any classes taken over 5 years ago. That may just be gpa wise though.</p>