@Cheolf Nice to see another philosophy major. We’re a dying breed.
If the one prerequisite was the only one available to you (unrelated, but I’m guessing logic?), then I’m sure you’ll get in. Philosophy majors rarely have any prereqs completed for Berkeley, and the average admitted GPA seems to hover around a 3.6.
@goldencub I’ve been lurking on here for quite some time. The only philosophy major I’ve seen here that posts (for this particular transfer class) is yourself. I figured philosophy could use a bit more representation.
Actually, ancient philosophy was the only prerequisite I could get within my entire district. Out of the three schools in this district (Orange Coast College, Goldenwest College, and Coastline College), only Goldenwest has a class that fulfills a prerequisite.
Berkeley is my number one choice, but UCLA wouldn’t break my heart. I’ll have all of UCLA’s prerequisites done by the end of spring.
Also applying to UCSD, UCI, and UCSB.
@Cheolf Ah. Well, because it was the only prereq available to you, you won’t be penalized. I’m sure you’ll get accepted into both Cal and LA, and probably all the rest.
(Met about 5-6 philosophy transfers to Cal - none of them completed any prerequisites, and their GPAs seemed to be around a 3.6 on average. 3.6 being the average for all philosophy majors (approx.) is a fair guess because it’s slightly higher than UCLA’s released average.
Hello everyone, I’m planning to transfer next year (this year I’m a freshman). So I was wondering where can I check if UC Berkeley accepts credits from other universities ? I’m in Boston University, we have 4 units credits and I really don’t want to take courses again. Thank you everyone.
@Himech "Students from four-year institutions and out-of-state community colleges:
To determine which of your courses transfer to UC Berkeley, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions conducts in-person evaluation appointments Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10, 10:30, and 11 a.m. from May 1 through December 1. You may set up an appointment by emailing the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at admissions@berkeley.edu.
NOTE: Due to the high volume of prospective applicants, we are unable to accommodate this service through mail/email/fax/phone."
http://admissions.berkeley.edu/transferrequirements
I would email them mid January to ask - they’ll probably accommodate you.
Hold onto all of your syllabi and course descriptions.
You need to be at junior standing to be eligible - in other words, you will need 60 semester units or 90 quarter units (AP units can count towards this total) to be considered for admission. Even then, getting admitted into UCB as an OOS student can be pretty tough, for most majors.
I think today is the last day to apply for Fall 2016 admission. You probably know all of this. Make sure you complete the 7 course pattern and major prep, if possible!
You can use summer courses too! If you take classes during the summer term, it doesn’t count as one of your semesters
I got into Berkeley a couple of years ago as a philosophy major @Cheolf and my GPA wasn’t as high as yours. I think you stand a good chance of getting in. Good luck!
@cayton what are you up to now?
I still haven’t gotten an email from Berkeley saying to log in to My Application, anyone else go it?
Hi just want to know if anyone has any idea about this issue? I submitted a while before the dateline but then system went down and I wasn’t able to key in further details 
I’m really panicking now as I applied to 3 campuses.
This is from the application faq page for UCB:
"Q: How can I confirm that Berkeley received my application?
A: In December (for freshmen) or January (for transfers), UC Berkeley will email you a confirmation that we received your application. Please check the email address account you included on your My UC Application. Once we receive your application, you will be asked to log in to our campus application portal, MAP@Berkeley, to see the status of your application. If you do NOT receive a confirmation email from Berkeley in December, please contact the UC Application Center at 800-207-1710 (within U.S.) or 310-513-2715 (outside U.S.), or email: ucinfo@applyucsupport.net"
@Yuanqii Log back in to your application, and click Application Status. That will show you the status of your application for all UCs you applied to.
I visited Berkeley yesterday and the day before that for an admissions seminar. Was taken aback from how depressing it felt. The weather was cold, the sky was gloomy, and the campus just felt…well…dirty. A homeless man was yelling at himself on campus. And then I visited San Francisco and the mood was parallel. All the houses looked the same, and everything looked either dirt cheap or expensive like a ruby. Was not impressed at all. I couldn’t see myself spending two years there. I’ve visited all the UCs I applied to (Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB), and thus far, was only fond of UCLA and UCSB. The two other schools had gloomy clouds, an anti-social climate, and girls covered in endless layers. But that’s just my honest opinion. I was so pointed at Berkeley for so long, but now I’m directing myself at UCLA full force.
Did anyone else share a similar experience?
@solostish Berkeley, with this weather and the break, is bound to feel very gloomy. It’s not always like that, though.
In the warmer months, campus is ablaze with activity. Memorial Glade is an excellent place to sit or lay down and people watch, read, etc. - sometimes one can even spot people playing Quidditch (Berkeley has a team, something very endearing to Harry Potter fans), and people often play catch with frisbees, footballs, they play soccer, etc.
Another wonderful aspect of Berkeley, in my opinion, is the Campanile; being a clock-tower, it booms at every hour, and it plays wonderful, relaxing music (with chimes) certain hours of the day. The Bay Bridge (I think?) is visible from its steps, a view best observed at sunset.
On that note, Berkeley’s sunsets are brilliant and exuberant. From pretty much anywhere on campus, one can see them (as campus is relatively near the Bay) - they light up the sky in shades of orange, pink, and violet, and it’s all rather great. I grew up in Oakland, just a city over - and while our sunsets are great, there’s something distinctive and special about Berkeley sunsets.
At night, the air is generally crisp, but not overwhelmingly cold. Walking on campus at night is, in my opinion, rather nice in the Fall/Spring/Summer (Winter is awfully cold). Yes, there is crime in the area, and sometimes people get robbed on campus - even at gunpoint. It happens. Berkeley has a service (called Bearwalk?) that any student can have escort them home, which is a nice option for those who don’t feel entirely safe in the area.
Berkeley’s libraries are outstanding. East Asian Library is rather modern, Doe Memorial Library is old-fashioned and elegant, and Main Stacks is very well-lit, and particularly quiet (for the most part) - there are many others. Students spend a substantial amount of time in them, and they’re just excellent.
Berkeley’s environment is pretty social, in my opinion. People are generally friendly. The school has Greek life, too, if you’re into that sort of thing. There is more of a focus on academics before partying and things, which is to be expected, but I find it rather pleasant. I’m not the type of person who wants to party constantly, though, so I am a bit biased. If you want to be very socially active, you will be able to do so. Plenty of people go to clubs in the city (via BART) to enjoy themselves on the weekends.
I’m also a fan of the classrooms in general - I’ve been to quite a few, in numerous buildings, and they are just overall a good place to learn. The quality of education at Berkeley, naturally, is outstanding (generally). It’s a big step up from CC.
There are also plenty of restaurants to choose from - Thai food, Mexican food, Italian food, Sushi, Ramen, Pizza, Sandwich places, etc. You name it. Most others schools don’t have the same sort of diversity when it comes to food choices.
Supermarkets in Berkeley are also pretty great. Berkeley Bowl has fairly cheap produce of good quality. I’ve heard good things about Monterey Market, but I’ve never been. Nearby, there is a Safeway, Trader Joes, Walgreens, etc. in addition to the aforementioned - and all are accessible by different bus routes (Berkeley students have free access to AC transit) , or walking. Everything is very accessible.
In a nutshell, it’s generally pretty lively, and campus is beautiful IMO - but Berkeley students are generally very focused on academics. Homelessness is fairly big, yes, but it’s Berkeley. That is to be expected.
UCLA is very beautiful as well, and UCSB has its own beach for students - both schools are great choices, but don’t rule Berkeley out just because you visited it during the cold, dreary winter break.
@uctransfer2016
I’m in my final year at UCLA and am on track to officially graduate in September 2016. I’m also tutoring students at the local high school in preparation for a career as a teacher.
What are you applying for at Berkeley? What other schools did you apply to?
@solostish
I’m not particularly fond of Berkeley’s campus aesthetic(from what I’ve seen in the photos anyway) but @goldencub makes good points.
@Cayton Of course, it’s definitely not for everybody.
@SDGoldenBear I would be going in with 60 units. How would it work then if I want to declare Chicano Studies as a minor? I didn’t state anywhere in the application that I want to do so, but I will if there is an additional comments sections in the update.
Planning to visit Berkeley but it’s going to be raining all the days that I want to go Guess I will have to make a trek in the rain, sucks living about 2 hours away.
@Cayton just wondering, what was your GPA when you applied to UCB?
@lovelyyliz I’m pretty certain one doesn’t declare a minor. http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/major/minor.html
“After you finish all the requirements for your minor, submit a petition for Completion of L&S Minor.”
From what I gather, you simply take the necessary courses. Whether this is the case or not, you can always take the steps toward a minor once you’re there. Admissions don’t ask for this information because it doesn’t affect your admission status.