Transfer to UCSB or UCLA

OpaqueApotheosis
Wed, 26 Jun 2013 23:47:34 +0000

Without a perfect school record, the next best thing is what’s mentioned in just about every thread on CollegeConfidential: an upward grade trend. That is, if you did badly at first, but you started pumping out 4.0’s all of a sudden, you probably have a chance at Berkeley or UCLA with a lower GPA (say, 3.3).

You ask about the minimum GPA – you are not not making it into the top UC’s with anything under 3.0. The other UC’s, perhaps – UCR or UC Merced, more likely.

In your personal statement, you would talk about all the things you mentioned, and how you overcame those obstacles. But for that to make a difference in a low GPA, you have to accompany it with a vast improvement in your grades, like I wrote above.