So yeah not sure if this goes here lol. But it seems like everyone here is applying for the same thing, and Im just curious what people do when/if they dont get into their top choice?? I mean I have a backup plan that would be the equivalent to a walk of shame, but i’m sure some people are more stubborn than that, so what do people do???
What would be your ‘Walk of shame’?
There are plenty of things to do. It is not a ‘be all, end all’ situation. Some people will spend another year at CC and re apply. Some will go CSU, some will go to another UC, some may go Private or OOS. Some will realize they need to take time off to work or get their life in order.
Its important to be flexible, since you don’t always get what you want.
Most ppl goto their number 2 college. Stubborn ppl like me stay at community college an extra year and reapply.
There’s no shame. If you believe there is shame, then u need to get a life.
Getting admitted isn’t the same thing as being able to afford it. I fully expect DS to be admitted into his 1st choice school. But if the school doesn’t offer enough money, he’s not going, period. There’s no shame; there’s just cold, hard economic reality.
@GMTplus7
LOANS
@bomerr where were you trying to get into?
@bomerr where were you trying to get into?
@chr1st1
Last year I applied to UCLA Biz Econ, Berkeley-Haas, and USC (withdrew after visiting Marshall). Berkeley-Haas was the only school I was really interested in attending. I got rejected because of weak ECs and bad personal statements. Since I knew I could give a much better effort than last year I decided to reapply this year.
This year I am applying to UCLA Biz Econ, Berkeley-Haas, UCI, UCSB, CSULB and CSUF thanks to fee waivers. Again I only care about getting into Berkeley-Haas. I’m also diversifying my strategy by applying to Harvard, Yale, Brown and Stanford.
@bomerr sweet, good luck. what did you do for the extra year at the cc? did you still enroll full time? can i be nosy and ask what your stats were last year when you applied?
Last year I had a ~3.77 GPA with As in every Haas pre-req except for the 3 IP (Econ, Calc 2 and English 2). I also had/have As in all the Breadth Courses. My “low” GPA was from courses I took part-time over 2 years ago. Since then I had a straight A streak.
I only had 2 ecs but I thought that wouldn’t matter because i had spent a lot of time and effort on them. WRONG!!! Quantity first then Quality.
My essays weren’t the awful cliche stuff most people write BUT they didn’t stress the qualities schools want in their students either.
So weak ecs + off-base essays were the reasons I was rejected.
This year I am focusing on well-rounded ecs, writing proper essays and taking non/CSU transferable courses.
quantity then quality? the only thing i have and i don’t even know if they count as ecs is working full time since hs.
in case i need to reapply, what are your tips regarding topics for ps? I read that article/ps about the bad mother and i wasn’t a fan. I stayed away from the tear jerking stuff but is that what they are looking for?
@gmtplus7 I think you misunderstood lol. Not getting into a top choice is not a “walk of shame” and i dont think anyone here is shaming the poor… soooo yeah.
@chr1st1 work definitely counts, and managerial positions are a plus!
@MikeSauce well i definitely have a sh*t ton of that. working hard has always been one of my redeeming qualities.
We roll over, cry and completely give up on life, letting our academic desires seep into the depths of despair while we spend the rest of our lives working double jobs at burger king and pizza hut, dwelling on what could have been.
I’m sure wherever you go will turn out great – that’s the beauty of life. Your life isn’t just a straight line, a linear progression leading from start to finish – your life is like a feynman diagram, you’re just bouncing back and forth on a grid in between two set points which are birth and death. Don’t stress your educational path, it’s going to end up how it’s supposed to be.
^ what a nerd. love it.
@MikeSauce: What would your backups be? I too am interested in Haas and don’t feel like moving anywhere for school as I’m a bit older and settled, so I’d only look at north Bay Area schools which doesn’t really leave me a lot of options. I’d probably settle on Sonoma State but if that’s the case.
I’d consider Cal Poly SLO though as I know my significant other (born down there and graduated from Cal Poly) would love to get back down there.
There’s always Electrical Trade school.
Those guys make bank.
@MikeSauce you never said what your ‘walk of shame’ would be.
Generally, ECs are most valuable if you achieve highly in them. Time spent on an EC without high levels of achievement, or being a “joiner” for lots of ECs, is likely to be less valuable.
For example, if you play a sport and place highly in the state championship, that is a lot better than playing the sport for an equivalent amount of time but not even getting to be that good in your school, or playing several sports at the beginner level.
@briank82 yeah I hear you man, Im in a similar spot, ive got a couple backups, Im gonna get a tag for davis in economics and apply to UCSB, and UCSD , but realistically Ill just go to davis if I dont get in to UCB. Im not applying to CSU’s since I would have to take an additional 5 classes depending on the school, not to mention I dont even want to go to any.
That Cal Poly idea sounds good 
idk about sonoma though… How are your EC’s coming along??