College Discussion - View Single Post - History Majors: Where did you get accepted?

Edward04 · 05-01-2008, 03:57 PM

Hey there zep,

The first thing I suggest you do is get the idea out of your mind that GPA is the only, or even the most important, factor in being accepted. Don't get me wrong, a 3.8+ is going to help, but if you don't have it you can still be competitive.

I'm a history major and applied to UC Irvine, UCSB, UCLA, and UC Berkeley and have been accepted to all four (honors program at UCSB). I have a 3.84 GPA, completed all pre-reqs offered by my school, completed IGETC, had strong extra curriculars (work 40 hours a week, VP and charter member of campus military club, Air Force veteran, etc). I think those stats put me in the fairly strong applicant range, but what really set me apart IMO was my admissions essay. I had it proof read by a handful of people, including two Cal alumni, both of which score admissions essays, and they both said it was outstanding. One was just like "Wow... O_o".

Here is the formula that you need to follow to get accepted. Everything is laid out for you and all you need to do is follow it and you can feel confident of your chances:

- Get only A's from this point forward. If Berkeley is your goal, you have zero excuse to get anything but an A from this point on. Make it happen.
- If you're not doing so already start working on 1-2 strong (emphasis on strong, as opposed to random here-and-there) extra curriculars. As a history major, look up local historical societies (talk to your instructors too) about research, archiving, volunteering, etc.
- Join Alpha Gamma Sigma right now and Phi Theta Kappa when your GPA gets to 3.5+
- Complete IGETC by the end of Spring 09
- Complete all history pre-reqs offered by your school by the end of Spring 09 (Welcome to ASSIST for the history pre-reqs your school offers that transfer to Berkeley)
- Write an amazing personal statement for your UC application. Most people seem to think their's was great even when it was not. Start early and have it read by multiple qualified people.

I hope others feel free to add their advice in case I forgot anything.

Keep in touch with this forum often. You'll find it to usually be a great source of advice.

Good luck!

05-01-2008, 03:57 PM	#2
Edward04 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cal Posts: 578	Hey there zep, The first thing I suggest you do is get the idea out of your mind that GPA is the only, or even the most important, factor in being accepted. Don't get me wrong, a 3.8+ is going to help, but if you don't have it you can still be competitive. I'm a history major and applied to UC Irvine, UCSB, UCLA, and UC Berkeley and have been accepted to all four (honors program at UCSB). I have a 3.84 GPA, completed all pre-reqs offered by my school, completed IGETC, had strong extra curriculars (work 40 hours a week, VP and charter member of campus military club, Air Force veteran, etc). I think those stats put me in the fairly strong applicant range, but what really set me apart IMO was my admissions essay. I had it proof read by a handful of people, including two Cal alumni, both of which score admissions essays, and they both said it was outstanding. One was just like "Wow... O_o". Here is the formula that you need to follow to get accepted. Everything is laid out for you and all you need to do is follow it and you can feel confident of your chances: - Get only A's from this point forward. If Berkeley is your goal, you have zero excuse to get anything but an A from this point on. Make it happen. - If you're not doing so already start working on 1-2 strong (emphasis on strong, as opposed to random here-and-there) extra curriculars. As a history major, look up local historical societies (talk to your instructors too) about research, archiving, volunteering, etc. - Join Alpha Gamma Sigma right now and Phi Theta Kappa when your GPA gets to 3.5+ - Complete IGETC by the end of Spring 09 - Complete all history pre-reqs offered by your school by the end of Spring 09 (Welcome to ASSIST for the history pre-reqs your school offers that transfer to Berkeley) - Write an amazing personal statement for your UC application. Most people seem to think their's was great even when it was not. Start early and have it read by multiple qualified people. I hope others feel free to add their advice in case I forgot anything. Keep in touch with this forum often. You'll find it to usually be a great source of advice. Good luck!