Personally I think it would be unethical to not read personal statements, because then you’re not evaluating the entire application. I think UCs put different amount of consideration into them, but’s there’s no way a school wouldn’t read them at all…
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2018.pdf
Page 44 states that UCSB does not take into consideration the personal statement for decisions.
@ucdochopeful2k19 I applied to UCR , UCI ,UCSD, UCSB, UCLA
Accepted by UCR (Biochemistry), UCSB ( Decision Pending ), the rest havent been released. Anxiety is at an all time high lol
@ashyashy @ilovemydog2019 – @Joseph590 is right. UCSB has never ever read nor considered personal statements for transfer apps. The only ones that do are UCLA, UCB, UCSD, and also UCI now that it’s more competitive.
That’s interesting. Did not know, thanks for the info guys.
that is so insane and almost even insulting that some UCs just dont even read or consider your personal statements. honestly it seems like so many colleges nowadays are businesses and not instituitions for academics.
After the recent college scandals, yeah lol.
I find it weird that UCSB doesn’t read personal statements… I got accepted without TAG with a 3.5 GPA and only two prerequisites done and i thought my essays were the reason… oh well
This actually makes me so mad. I spent over 300$ just on the UC applications. I spent weeks stressing, crying, and freaking out trying to write the perfect personal statements. I hired a bougie tutor for 50$ an hour just to go over my essays. I slaved away on these applications and paid dearly for them with my hard earned money and my santiy. To find out that some of these colleges dont care and wont even bother reading my essays is baffling.
I mean you didn’t have to go to those lengths for the application… I don’t know where else you applied but hopefully one of those schools do read the personal statements.
Do you think the UC’s communicate about applicants, because I’m pretty sure they can see where we applied.
They can probably see where we applied. There are so many transfer applicants that I don’t think they would spend time talking about them to each other. They all view applications differently anyway.
@Joseph590 Thanks for posting that link, super helpful. I’ve heard before that some schools don’t read them but it’s nice to have an official source.
@ilovemydog2019 the lengths i went to are pretty normal for competitve students
Accepted! I don’t know when mine came out, because I never got an email. I just checked my portal today cuz I heard they don’t email first. Poli Sci major btw.
Has anyone who’s heard back gotten an email about checking their portal?
I’m not certain how you consider this a slight, it’s common knowledge some UCs don’t read essays, or how working hard on your PIQs was worthless because one school didn’t read them. If you applied to UCB, UCLA, SD, or Irvine then your essays may still help your case. Good luck with the rest of your applications; I hope you land on your feet! Keep on the sunny-side!
I’m still pending for Pre- Bio 3.98 GPA… getting worried.
Only prereq i’m missing the Math 3B requirement but took 3A. Do you think they would reject me for that?
@AntoniusBlock i consider it a slight because at the end of the day, personal statements are on the application and should be considered. can you really blame me or anyone for being salty that we payed 300$ and dedicated hours on the application to only recently find out they dont care abt the essays?
@kim1298 I’m wondering too how much they are factoring in pre-reqs… I have a 3.93 for geography which is well above the range to get accepted but I’m also missing just one prereq. Still pending for me as well