<p>Hi! I’m currently on my 2nd year in a community college here in SoCal and I plan to spend one more year just so I can finish all lower division courses that I need. I used to dream of getting into Berkeley and UCLA but chances are getting smaller. I am an immigrant who came here 2 years ago. My family earns just enough for a month and we have no savings whatsoever in our bank account. In fact, I can only go to school thanks to a very student-friendly tuition fee offered in my school and FAFSA. I have not spent a single penny on my college education because of these benefits (I am really grateful). Although I am aware that I can get a loan, I am afraid to say that it’s the last resort I have. There’s just no guarantee that I can get a job and pay back the loan the moment I finish school.</p>
<p>I have been looking for scholarship grants that might help me financially and I came across the Regents Scholarship offered in some UC campuses. Right now, I am eyeing on the Regents Scholarship offered by UC Irvine since that’s the campuses closest to me. I currently have a 4.0 GPA and I am really doing my best to maintain this GPA since it will allow me to qualify for the said scholarship. </p>
<p>However, my biggest concern is the selection process. At the moment, I am not involved in any organization both in and out of school. I have no volunteer experience and zero community involvement/ volunteer work. This is mainly because I really need a ton of time for studying. I guess you can say I have no social life but that can wait. Right now, school is my priority. </p>
<p>My question is, do I really need community hours/ volunteer experience in order to be accepted for the Regents Scholarship? Will being involved in an organization doing volunteer hours improve my chances of being accepted? Do you know of anyone who got accepted? Can you please tell me a little bit about the person’s background?</p>
<p>So far, the strengths that I have for transfer are my 4.0 GPA (which I can hopefully maintain) and my Phi Theta Kappa membership. I feel that these aren’t enough to get me into the Regents Scholarship. Is there anything else you can advise me? </p>
<p>My life really depends on this scholarship given the financial situation my family has. I decided to settle for UC Irvine since I will be living with my parents and it’s the closest to home. </p>
<p>Thank you for hearing me out!</p>