UC Berkeley vs UChicago Guaranteed Transfer for Physics/Astrophysics Major + Any Way to email UChicago AOs to get in for this year

I committed to Berkeley L&S (for Physics/Astrophysics), and I recently got a guaranteed TO to UChicago. Is transferring next year to UChicago worth it next year? Also, is there any way that emailing the admissions office about my interest or something would make it possible for them to consider admitting me for Fall 2024 as opposed to a guaranteed TO for Fall 2025?

Maybe if I emailed the admission office about my interest in transferring but also my interest in attending this year if it was possible, I might have a chance? Especially if anyone decides to commit elsewhere after committing to UChicago if they got off the waitlist someplace else? I don’t think a great number of people did get the guaranteed TO offer, so would an interest email like that potentially help, and if so, what should it include?

For context, I pay in-state tuition for UCB so it would be 50k cheaper than UChicago. Cost is not a required determining factor, but obviously if the quality of education is basically the same, it’d be nice to save money.

I like the atmosphere of UChicago and I do understand its commitment to the CORE and would be glad to take the humanities classes considering UChicago’s classes are known to be thought provoking, discussion heavy, and intellectually challenging. I am looking to go to grad school, specifically to do a phD in either theoretical astrophysics or particle physics. I’ve heard UChicago students do particularly well with grad admissions as well. I know UCB is extremely good for physics and astrophysics, but would the opportunities and preparation for grad school outweigh that at UChicago? Would it be annoying when considering the credits transferring if I attended UCB the first year and transferred to UChicago the next year?

Seems like in any case, you do not have to decide whether to spend $150k + uncertain transfer credit issues for Chicago until later.

My son also got the guaranteed transfer offer for next year. I would think if spots open up for this year they will make offers to people on the TO list first. Seems like the 2028 class is probably full, otherwise why would they do the TO offers?
It probably doesn’t hurt to send a LOCI reiterating that you will come this year if a spot opens up but I don’t think you should try to ask for them to change their offer.

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I do know that id have time until next year to decide this but since Chicago is so strict on transferring credits, I thought knowing if id wanna go through with transferring rn would help me gauge which classes i should take thus year to be able to transfer.

You should talk to someone at UChicago about creating a courseload that will be transferable.

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Why not save the $50,000 per year difference for grad school expenses ?

I don’t see much issue with obtaining transfer credits. As a STEM major, you won’t be taking the “light” sequences with premeds, but the math and science courses for major students.

The concern I woudl have is completing the Core and whether the courses you take at Cal would fulfill Chicago’s CORE requirements. As late summer rolls around, you could reach out to Chicago – they are on the Quarter system – and inquire if your English or History or Social Science class would fulfill the Core.

That said, unless Chicago is offering you any aid, can’t see the value in spending an extra $50k.

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What would be the reason for transferring from Cal to Chicago?

As a bt of unsolicited advice - I would start UCB with the idea of staying all four years. Otherwise it will stand in the way of your developing friendships, creating relationships with professors, getting involved in ECs, etc. If you are not happy at UCB you can consider the transfer option to UC.

FWIW I dont see where UC is worth the additional cost if you are happy at UCB. Can your family comfortably afford (no hardship, no loans) the price differential plus any grad school you might consider?

And agree with @eholl comments above regarding your UC admission status.

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Why? Berkeley’s physics and astrophysics program is at least as good as UChicago’s, and just as prestigious. Unless you can attend UChicago for a lot less money than you would pay at Berkeley, I cannot think of any reason to transfer.

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If I was set on transferring, Berkeley may not be where I would go.

My son turned down Berkeley because when we went to Cal day, the tens of thousands of people swarming the campus was not a good vibe for him. He went inside a bathroom in Engineering and came out asking me if the duck bill shaped urinal doubled as a toilet. The displays they had looked like no one touched them for over 10 years. I get this is Big Public and he did live a sheltered life.

I get why Chicago, with a freshman class size less than 1700 will be attractive, compared to Berkeley where you will be in a class size much much larger and you will get treated as a number.

But back to my first sentence, OP will be a physics major at Berkeley competing with engineering, and pseudo engineering students as well as chem, pre-med, pre-business people who are still fighting to get into the major they didn’t get into. Trying to maintain a 3.5 GPA to be eligible for Chicago’s transfer agreement may not be as easy as you think.

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Physics majors at UCB are recommended to take the Physics 5 series, like an honors calculus based physics series. The regular version is the Physics 7 series, which is where most engineering and chemistry majors are (but is accepted for physics majors). Most biology majors and premeds take the less-calculus Physics 8 series. Pre-business students are unlikely to take any of the above.

So are you saying 3.5 is not that hard?

edit. to erase my ignorance on physics series at Cal.

3.5 college GPA should not be considered easy anywhere.

Grade distributions for UCB classes can be looked up at Berkeleytime

Actually, the Physics 5 series recommended for physics majors is like an honors course with harder material.

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Right. OP needs to maintain a 3.5 to be eligible for Chicago transfer. That will not be a cake walk at Berkeley as a physics major. That’s what I think people have not pointed out.

I appreciate all the responses.

I understand that maintaining a 3.5+ GPA at Cal as a physics major isn’t necessarily gonna be easy. But putting this aside, because by the time ill even have to make this decision, I’ll pretty much know if I’ll have meet this requirement. So, most of the things I want to know is gonna be assuming I do. At the time I’ll need to decide, I’ll also know what kind of aid I’ll get since I did apply for aid this application cycle. I’m not expecting much though.

In terms of why I’m considering UChicago given its price bump and the fact that Id have to go through the transfer process which may be a hassle, I’m looking to go directly into a phD after undergrad (as of right now) and from what I’ve heard UChicago has better graduate outcomes in terms of further education after undergraduate. I obviously know Cal would have great grad outcomes too, but given that UChicago would have smaller class sizes, would this not be a better option in terms of when I’m applying for phD programs? It’d be easier for professors to get to know me especially when I go to office hours. In terms of research as well, there’d be less competition at UChicago than Cal as well, but I’m not too worried about this aspect since there’s competition everywhere and Im confident I’ll be able to do research at both places.

You are right about comparing Big Public and “small” Private (technically U Chicago is by no means small, but 1600 freshman per class is smaller). Everyone I know who went to Chicago all have great things to say about it. Whereas Cal is hit or miss.

Again, it’s a preference issue. You pay for what you get. No question if you can stomach the chaos of big public like Cal, you will do great.

One of the reason my son declined Cal was because at the student session, the question on internship came up. The panel students are all still looking for a spot, whereas the small private son ended up choosing, they all already have things lined up. That made a big impression.

But as to your original question, I don’t see why or how it will hurt to even call them about a spot this year. I mean, what are they going to do? rescind your transfer offer, which is unlikely.

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Is there any college in the country where office hours are so full of students that professors don’t have the opportunity to get to know you? Usually the issue is that no one shows up to office hours.

And in terms of research, if you want to be an academic, then it will be intensely competitive. Better to start that competition now: standing out at Cal will be as or more impressive than standing out at UChicago.

Where UChicago tends to win vs publics is with professionally focused internships: they ensure all students get one whereas at Cal you’d be left mostly on your own. But the advantages for a student planning to do a PhD are less significant.

U Chicago does not provide students with internships, students are on their own to get those. Chicago, like most schools, does have a career center that helps with resumes, and runs programming like interview training, employer panels, career fairs, access to Handshake and such. But getting/guaranteeing internships and jobs isn’t part of their services.

For OP it would be a good idea to check to see what courses at UCB would fulfill Chicago’s core requirements to maximize transfer credits in case they do make the move soph year. I agree with OP they’ll be able to do research at both schools.