Strong Appeal Case? Dual Enrollment & Credit Evaluation Issue

Colleges & Universities University of California - Berkeley
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WHY??

I am going to give you a nickels worth of advice so take it in whatever way you want to take it.
Give Berkeley some credit for being able to figure out transcripts.

Berkeley gets applications from all over the world in hundreds of languages/dialects.

They usually don’t reverse their decisions within a year because they’ve already made their decision. There are not going to say, “oops, we made a mistake!” They don’t have that kind of time nor space.

The dual enrollment courses you took in high school, count for high school and for that high school diploma.

The UCs require 60 credit units that they “accept”, completed AFTER high school requirements have been met.
From their website:

The UC schools are PUBLIC university schools which are funded by California taxpayers. They were created for instate residents.
Those taxpayers have successfully lobbied the state, within the last decade, to prioritize spaces for their children’s education. California residents pay HUGE instate tax fees. (I can personally attest to that, paying decades of high taxes for years!)

Priority admissions go to instate residents from California high schools, as well as California Community Colleges.

I worked at a local high school. I have neighbors and friends on UC admissions committees. They are overwhelmed by the number of items, pleas, and requests they get from students who feel they were wrongly rejected by the UCs.

The UCs get hundreds of thousands of applications. Those universities, in some cases, are not that big. There’s only so many seats. The lecture halls are large but finite.

These UCs do “holistic” reviews. They are picky because they want to know how you will add to social, environmental, and community events at their schools-Remember that these are Public schools that have to survive without private donations.

They like students who will continue to contribute socially to their schools via activities like

  • Tractor driving and viticulture at Davis,
  • Research Science, big sports rivalries at LA,
  • Film and Business at Irvine,
  • Surfing and Engineering at San Diego,
  • Greenpeace and Silicon at Santa Cruz,
  • Marine and energy conservation at Santa Barbara,
  • Agricultural at Merced,
  • Health care at Riverside and
  • Social Justice at Berkeley.*

My advice to you is to be happy getting a full ride at any university because that is rare!

If you still want to apply to Berkeley, your chances will be better as a grad student.

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I think that you are going to get the same answer:

You have already been accepted to two excellent universities with very strong CS programs, one of which comes with a full ride. Your chances of being accepted to UC Berkeley as an undergraduate student appear to be bleak (whether on appeal or as a transfer student). While UC Berkeley is excellent for CS, it is not enough better than UF or Purdue to be worth the full out of state cost unless your parents are very, very wealthy.

You can certainly appeal to UC Berkeley and then apply to transfer. No one here is going to stop you. Do not expect either to succeed.

Also, if you are looking to apply to a graduate program in the future, and assuming good results as an undergraduate student plus good work experience and related strong references, your chances of getting accepted for a master’s degree will be significantly better compared to transferring into UCB as an undergraduate student. It is very normal and generally encouraged for students who go on to graduate school to do so at a different university compared to where they got their master’s degree.

I would like to add however that you really have been accepted to two great schools, and you must have done something very well to have earned these two great acceptances and the great scholarship to UF. CONGRATULATIONS!

You should be very proud of what you have already accomplished.

Also, when you arrive at UF or Purdue in September, make sure to attend every class, always pay attention, and make a strong effort to stay well ahead in your work. As one example there will be times when your software has a bug that takes way more time than it seems like it should, and you want to be ahead in your work so that you have time to find the bug and fix it. Also, the opportunity that you have earned to get a bachelor’s at either UF or Purdue is going to help to set you up to do well in life. If you want it will also help you get the chance to attend a strong graduate program whenever and wherever you want to do this.

You have earned a great opportunity at your choice of UF and Purdue and you should take full advantage.

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