<p>How hard is it to get a scholarship from Cal? I mean one that is NOT need-based. I’ve read about the regeants scholarship, but it seems like it is very prestigious and only given to the top applicants. I’m out of state and probably going to apply soon, but I just wanted to know if I would even have a chance at getting one or not?</p>
<p>It’s random. 100% random. Not to sound like a ******, but I definitely was more qualified to receive the Regeants over the other people at my school that got it…</p>
<p>There are a lot of factors at play with Regents. The top applicants get to interview for it, but there are MANY more people who interview than get the award. At that point it depends on the faculty member who interviews you.</p>
<p>I had an interview at the end of the day, and sense that he had been interviewing many others already. He asked me, “So, please summarize what you have done.” I gave him a summary. “Ok, do you have any questions for me?” Somehow I get the feeling he cared more about being done with everything by that point. So in that sense, it can be random.</p>
<p>Do you have to have certain test scores and grades to get even invited to an interview? Or again is it completely random? </p>
<p>Because my UC GPA is fine, and my ECs are pretty good as well, but that SAT score…well, it’s another story.</p>
<p>I don’t know. I had the numbers to be in the top of the applicant pool, but I had also done interesting things.</p>
<p>Christopher546: when they ask if you have questions, MAKE SURE YOU ASK ONE. If you don’t, it makes you seem like you don’t care, are unprepared, or have no interest.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to imply that I faltered much. I was surprised, but I kept my cool and asked him a few things – he was a law professor and I had been involved in juvenile justice programs in high school, so I picked his brain about some related topics. Still, I’d figure that if you were interested, you would ask more than one question before asking if the interviewee has any questions.</p>
<p>are the regents scholarships only for instate applicants or can out of state applicants receive them too?</p>
<p>Out of states and internationals (and junior college transfers) are all eligible to receive the Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship. Stats play some factor (if you have like a 2.0 you’re probably not going to get it), but it seems the most important factor for the scholarship (or at least getting to the interview) is the essay. Some people have killer stats and think that they are almost entitled to the scholarship, and write a good essay. Other people, with slightly weaker stats, pour their heart into their essay and make it astonishingly good. These are the people that will be invited to interviews, and these are the people that probably will get the scholarship.</p>
<p>Thanks iVinshe, that really helped. </p>
<p><em>Leaves to start working on the essay</em></p>