Official UC-Berkeley Transfer Thread Forum

[solidsnake]

Good luck guys. My rank absolutely plummeted but then so did the rest of my section. It is official that we were section stacked as well. Only 4 students in the top 16 are in my section. I think the first ranked student in my section is like 7th ranked overall. My rank puts me in the top 6% of my section but like top 15% overall. It is a very somber situation at my school right now for my section. Last semester, the other section was curved to a 2.9ish and we were curved to a 2.67. This semester, my section was curved to like a 2.5 and the other section was curved to a 3.0. I honestly don't know how a school can get away with this but meh, I'm ready to transfer to just about anywhere right now to GTHO of there.

Sorry to hear this, man. Just app-bomb as many places as feasible and work that PS into something triumphant.

[Rotor]

Good luck everyone! Looking forward to having you as classmates!

[kings84_wr]

So you guys think we may here next week?

Berkeley is realistically my target school, so Im pretty nervous right now haha.

For the Current students, what is OCI (or whatever its called there) looking like next year?

[A'nold]

Good luck guys. My rank absolutely plummeted but then so did the rest of my section. It is official that we were section stacked as well. Only 4 students in the top 16 are in my section. I think the first ranked student in my section is like 7th ranked overall. My rank puts me in the top 6% of my section but like top 15% overall. It is a very somber situation at my school right now for my section. Last semester, the other section was curved to a 2.9ish and we were curved to a 2.67. This semester, my section was curved to like a 2.5 and the other section was curved to a 3.0. I honestly don't know how a school can get away with this but meh, I'm ready to transfer to just about anywhere right now to GTHO of there.

Sorry to hear this, man. Just app-bomb as many places as feasible and work that PS into something triumphant.

Thanks man. Yep, just trying to turn a crappy situation into a good one. Tbh, t14, while a dream, was NEVER expected haha. It would honestly be a feat to hit up a school like WUSTL or Emory and I'd be very happy at schools in that range. I appreciate all my transfer peeps on here.

[solidsnake]

Good luck guys. My rank absolutely plummeted but then so did the rest of my section. It is official that we were section stacked as well. Only 4 students in the top 16 are in my section. I think the first ranked student in my section is like 7th ranked overall. My rank puts me in the top 6% of my section but like top 15% overall. It is a very somber situation at my school right now for my section. Last semester, the other section was curved to a 2.9ish and we were curved to a 2.67. This semester, my section was curved to like a 2.5 and the other section was curved to a 3.0. I honestly don't know how a school can get away with this but meh, I'm ready to transfer to just about anywhere right now to GTHO of there.

Sorry to hear this, man. Just app-bomb as many places as feasible and work that PS into something triumphant.

Thanks man. Yep, just trying to turn a crappy situation into a good one. Tbh, t14, while a dream, was NEVER expected haha. It would honestly be a feat to hit up a school like WUSTL or Emory and I'd be very happy at schools in that range. I appreciate all my transfer peeps on here.

I think you are a good dood (despite the incessant hedging -- which I would argue was the root cause of your 2d sem drop) and if even 1/10th of your personality can be communicated on your PS, you stand a good shot. You underestimate how incredibly boring the typical law student-applicant is.

[Rotor]

For the Current students, what is OCI (or whatever its called there) looking like next year?

The last official thing we heard was at OCIP orientation in early/mid April. At that time, there were as many reservations for employer slots than all of last year. CDO expected significant numbers more to register-- but who knows.

[A'nold]

Good luck guys. My rank absolutely plummeted but then so did the rest of my section. It is official that we were section stacked as well. Only 4 students in the top 16 are in my section. I think the first ranked student in my section is like 7th ranked overall. My rank puts me in the top 6% of my section but like top 15% overall. It is a very somber situation at my school right now for my section. Last semester, the other section was curved to a 2.9ish and we were curved to a 2.67. This semester, my section was curved to like a 2.5 and the other section was curved to a 3.0. I honestly don't know how a school can get away with this but meh, I'm ready to transfer to just about anywhere right now to GTHO of there.

Sorry to hear this, man. Just app-bomb as many places as feasible and work that PS into something triumphant.

Thanks man. Yep, just trying to turn a crappy situation into a good one. Tbh, t14, while a dream, was NEVER expected haha. It would honestly be a feat to hit up a school like WUSTL or Emory and I'd be very happy at schools in that range. I appreciate all my transfer peeps on here.

I think you are a good dood (despite the incessant hedging -- which I would argue was the root cause of your 2d sem drop) and if even 1/10th of your personality can be communicated on your PS, you stand a good shot. You underestimate how incredibly boring the typical law student-applicant is.

Haha, thanks. Not to hijack too much here, but that's what I'm hoping. Rolling the dice on the ps baby.

[transferhopeful12]

Is there a consensus on the proper page limit for the PS? Are people stretching theirs out to 4, or is 2 acceptable?

[A'nold]

Is there a consensus on the proper page limit for the PS? Are people stretching theirs out to 4, or is 2 acceptable?

I kept mine to two. It really is better to keep things concise. One of my UG professors once talked about how he had an 800 page thesis that he just KNEW he couldn't cut even a page from it and the doctorate committee told him that he had to get it down to like 250. He begged them for extra pages every time he cut more. When he got down to 250 after months of editing, he said it was the best thing he'd ever written or ever will write. That stuck with me, especially b/c I'm a hoarder (sp?).

[stinger35]

Is there a consensus on the proper page limit for the PS? Are people stretching theirs out to 4, or is 2 acceptable?

I kept mine to two. It really is better to keep things concise. One of my UG professors once talked about how he had an 800 page thesis that he just KNEW he couldn't cut even a page from it and the doctorate committee told him that he had to get it down to like 250. He begged them for extra pages every time he cut more. When he got down to 250 after months of editing, he said it was the best thing he'd ever written or ever will write. That stuck with me, especially b/c I'm a hoarder (sp?).

While I suspect this is true, mine is 3.5 pages that I am sending out to each school. Cutting it for NYU and UCLA have made me realize that it can be cut but I still think 1) that mine, personally, is better longer and 2) its still not that long and a fast and easy read. Thats just me though.

[kings84_wr]

Is there a consensus on the proper page limit for the PS? Are people stretching theirs out to 4, or is 2 acceptable?

I kept mine to two. It really is better to keep things concise. One of my UG professors once talked about how he had an 800 page thesis that he just KNEW he couldn't cut even a page from it and the doctorate committee told him that he had to get it down to like 250. He begged them for extra pages every time he cut more. When he got down to 250 after months of editing, he said it was the best thing he'd ever written or ever will write. That stuck with me, especially b/c I'm a hoarder (sp?).

While I suspect this is true, mine is 3.5 pages that I am sending out to each school. Cutting it for NYU and UCLA have made me realize that it can be cut but I still think 1) that mine, personally, is better longer and 2) its still not that long and a fast and easy read. Thats just me though.

Mine is almost 4 for berkeley, i just figured I needed to go all out for them.

[transferhopeful12]

Thanks for the replies. I think mine is going to end up just short of 3. If I had more to write I would put it, but I think it has just come to its natural end and I don't really see a point in adding fluff.

Also, I've seen some comments about sending unofficial grades. I won't have my grades either but can send some kind of unofficial memo. Has anyone spoken w/ the admissions office and been told they can make a tentative decision without official transcripts? Is anyone just sending their own excel-type of sheet with grades? It would be much faster than waiting for the registrar but not sure that's acceptable....

[Lawl Shcool]

I sent 2nd Semester grades in as a word document with a little chart listing the grades and a reference point for ranking purposes.

[A'nold]

I sent 2nd Semester grades in as a word document with a little chart listing the grades and a reference point for ranking purposes.

Good luck, I really think you'll get in.

[samiseaborn]

can you attach a file like that with unofficial grades through LSAC, or is everyone emailing them to admissions separately? I can't believe how much I've forgotten about how LSAC works in a year.

[Lawl Shcool]

I sent in my app the first day it was available so I sent the unofficial copy directly to the admissions office via e-mail. I phoned them last week and they confirmed this was the preferred method of updating them. I received an e-mail this morning confirming the receipt of the stuff. Berk's attitude towards this whole process is head and shoulders above any other school. They really seem determined to make this process as quick and easy as possible.

A'nold: thanks bro, hopefully we will both be tearing it up in NorCal next year.

edit: glaring typo

[stinger35]

I sent in my app the first day it was available so I sent the unofficial copy directly to the admissions office via e-mail. I phoned them last week and they confirmed this was the preferred method of updating them. I received an e-mail this morning confirming the receipt of the stuff. Berk's attitude towards this whole process is head and shoulders above any other school. They really seem determined to make this process as quick and easy as possible.

A'nold: thanks bro, hopefully we will both be tearing it up in NorCal next year.

edit: glaring typo

Good luck to you both.

As for their attitude towards transferring process, I couldn't agree more. I can't help but thinking "come on, we all are at the top of our class at our respective schools, we aren't going to lie about our grades...let us in if you want and then require everything get there for validation purposes"

[CMR]

Just received an email with instructions for financial aid.

[Journeybound]

Same. Does it want us to turn that in before our application is reviewed? Or just ASAP?

[schooliscool]

wow you guys are making me freak out. am i the only one who hasn't gotten grades in yet? this means i am probably doomed.

[Lawl Shcool]

Re: FAFSA

I am going to fill out it after work today and have it sent to all the schools im applying to, prolly should have done this months ago

[bkthunder]

Submitted LSAC app today along with a word doc with unofficial transcript and class rank (23/465), which my school finally gave us today.

Hoping for status checker info to be emailed to me soon.

[A'nold]

Got the financial aid thing too. I already put them under my FAFSA schools but have not filled out the need based form. I REALLY do not want to fill out the parental info thing......Married with a kid and I'm almost 27 years old......srsly? I didn't even get any financial help for UG!

[stinger35]

Any former transfers know about how long it takes before decision comes out after "under review"?

[EggShellPlaintiff]

Under review as of 5 p.m. EST today...hoping for a quick turn around like last year. Is anyone else under review?