Hi all. Current UC Berkeley student. Just finished my Freshman year, tentatively with a 4.0 (If not, a 3.9) (History major). But I really dislike the school in many aspects. Simply not a great fit for me. I’m ferociously involved too. On a top-ranked academic competition team, officer positions on that team, in an undergraduate journal, and in my major’s honor society–marching band too. I know a great deal of the upper-echelon ivy/whatever schools aren’t really down with transfers, which is my problem. What schools can I consider that aren’t an academic downgrade? I’m really in the dark here, figured you all would have some wisdom here.
What did you dislike at Berkeley?
It still needs to be great at history though.
What is it that is not a good fit for you?
If people just toss out names of other schools, they may end up naming other schools with the same characteristics that you dislike.
Do you want another UC or private school?
Student Academic culture is terrible, uselessly competitive and self-defeating, Student social culture is cold and anti-social. The culture of the school is just really annoying. I think I would be someone who would hate places like Cornell, for similar reasons.
In regards to other UCs, the only other one I’d consider would be UCLA, and for family reasons it’s not the best place for me to go.
Yes, a good History or Classical Studies department is important.
How much can you afford to pay?
So Cornell is out too?
@uctransfer111 says:
You say they are ALL down on transfers… The place is too competitive and socially cold.
Could it be you are trying too hard?
Why not just do some fun kickback stuff?
Look at this forum, I think possibilities are Penn, Brown, Columbia, USC, UCLA, and some lower than the Ivy private schools. Some schools are much harder for transfers, so I wouldn’t even attempt.
Lol
Hmmn, not accepted at UCLA as a transfer, but accepted at Yale, where the recent acceptance rate was under 2%, makes me a tad dubious. Especially considering that in some departments the transfer rate is over 50% at UCLA . What residential college did she say will be at Yale?
@boolaHI The comment to which you are responding is eerily similar to comments repeatedly made by another user, who has been put on probation multiple times and has had his threads locked for lying and saying things just to get a reaction. You can see the thread that was locked in the UC Transfer forum, saying the exact same thing as this comment.
Thanks for informing me of this…
@boolaHI I can’t tell if that is sarcasm or not, but either way I was just pointing out that there is a good chance he just made it up, if it is in fact the same person that created this username.
No, that was an earnest thank you. Some folks have an odd desire to waste people’s time.
@boolaHI lol ok yeah no problem. I mean it’s possible what he’s saying is true, but he has just repeated it so many times from his other account that he has to be trying to get some type of reaction. And he has already admitted to lying about other things
Ivies are down with transfers! I got rejected from Penn and Dartmouth applying for regular admission, but then after a year in college got into Dartmouth, Columbia, Penn, Brown, and Cornell, among other top schools. Don’t be down on yourself!! You have way better grades than I did, too.
Good luck!! (:
If you are serious about history – what is your intended specialization? – I might reconsider staying at Berkeley, at least until you reach some advanced level classes. “Downgrade” isn’t a particularly subtle way to state your transfer options, though I do understand what you mean. Certain major research universities will excel at history sub-fields, and you may want to investigate more.
Perhaps you could try a transfer app to Yale and Stanford as a couple of outstanding history possibilities. A few top LACs may engage you, such as the tutorial system at Williams, though of course their research areas and facilities will be limited in comparison to Berkeley. However, the academic engagement, rigor and atmosphere of top LACs shouldn’t be dismissed. There are many others, but it begins to differentiate according to your intended academic path.