Transfer Student Advice: UC Berkeley Students Tell All You Need to Know!

today I asked some of my friends to tell us about their college transfer experience: why did they transfer, what has been the hardest part about transferring, have you found a community at Cal, do you feel like there is a stigma surrounding transfer students, and advice for students who want to transfer!
Interested in having a Berkeley student read your college application essays? Check out Study Hall College Consulting at shcollegeconsulting.com!
add me on Instagram if you wanna! / xrachel_lin
Video Contents:
00:00 - Introductions
1:00 - Why did you transfer?
3:18 - Hardest part about transferring?
6:50 - Have you found a community?
8:57 - Is there a stigma around transfer students?
12:33 - Advice for students who want to transfer?
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If you are new here, hi! My name is Rachel and I am currently a rising senior at UC Berkeley where I am double majoring in cognitive science and legal studies. I am originally from Maryland!

[@rachel_lin]

Thanks for watching! If you’re interested in more transfer advice, I sat down with David from this video in 2020 to talk about his experience transferring, one year later! kzbin.info/www/bejne/noDTY31sobpqaa8 🐻🎊

[@gagazen3722]

It’s kind of sad that the stigma keeps transfer students away from making friends, ignoring the effort and passion they had put on to get in.

[@kanoacook]

Yes!! We need more transfer representation in university

[@rachel_lin]

Kanoa Cook 💯💯💯

[@User76324]

I’ve been watching lots of videos of transfers to top tier uni (and quite a bit of high school to uni). One difference that I noticed about those two groups is how transfer students much more mature, chill about life, confident and don’t put ambition on the highest pedestal. It also feels that true diversity shines there because people come from different walks of life. Totally type of people you want to hang out with. It’s so amazing. And so reassuring because it feels that when I go to 4-year college I’ll find friends who are like me in my weirdness and difference and actually appreciate it as much as I will.

[@marisolparisol4842]

so helpful. you really hit the nail on the head with this video

[@rachel_lin]

Thank you!! That means a lot 🥰

[@monicac6157]

Woahhh I got in as a freshman too but I want to go to CC to save money and figure out my major. It’s rlly cool to see someone like Ciara went through the path! +I really relate to her personality lol

[@wilfred5820]

Is it really that expensive?? And is it common for freshman to drop into a CC?

[@monicac6157]

@@wilfred5820 ahaha actually changed my mind and decided to go ...because of COVID, I stayed home and ended up not paying for this year at all (financial aid covered it). In a regular year, I would expect to take out a loan of 5k (assuming my financial aid and work study covers most of my tuition and housing), so assuming I start living in Berkeley next year, it’s likely that I’ll end up with 15k in loans (best case scenario since living there is EXPENSIVE but there’s affordable options if u look). If you’re really worried about loans + expenses, highly recommend going to CC for the first 2 years and transferring (I just decided not to because of my own reasons and goals). Worst case scenario for me, expenses wise, is that it becomes too expensive and I have to transfer to another college (it’s local and cheaper) since I would presumably already have my major and a CC wouldn’t help much that far in.

[@wilfred5820]

@@monicac6157 Thanks for your input. I was just researching and watching videos on if it's better to transfer. I want to go into Berkely's College of Engineering but feared I wouldn't get the financial aid/scholarship. I'm a junior in hs now and just trying to find the best path.

[@AlisonChin]

really love this, especially as someone going back and forth between uci and community. thank you!! hearing the girl in the pink hoodie's story especially helped.

[@rachel_lin]

Alison Chin thank you so much for watching!! I’m glad that it was helpful ☺️☺️

[@TheVintageAcademic]

Thabk you so much for making this video! It is so incredibly helpful and insightful to hear this kind of stuff from actual transfer students. It's that kind of thing that no one seems to actually talk about so it's really nice to hear it!

[@rachel_lin]

Katie Wright thanks for suggesting the video idea!! Glad it was helpful 😊

[@2313rafa]

Holy shit this video is extremely insightful. I feel as though transfer students inherently feel this way about the stigma anywhere they would have landed, and being out of place because of age, low grades, or whatever reason is how I have been feeling since I got kicked out of regular high school years ago. Imagine what people will think when I tell them I come from continuation school! Shit, only makes us stand out more! If people want to bring on that separation so be it, but I'll be damned if that keeps me from tapping in to my greatest potential. Nah, but all realness aside, I'm cool with everybody, and if they don't see that, then that's fine. Thank you so much for this raw and extremely informative video. It left an everlasting impression on me. Cheers!

[@rachel_lin]

Thank you so much for your kind words!! 10000% you have the right outlook, if other students want to be judgmental, that’s their problem- everyone goes through life differently so there’s no reason to judge others based on their path to college. Good luck in your future!! 💪🏻🤗

[@donnymiles2209]

Shandria is saying everything my heart feels about moving to the Bay from outta state!!

[@rachel_lin]

Donny Miles right! She is spot on 😜

[@vandres493]

I love watching these even though I graduated already (covid/ zoom c/o 2020 woot woot) mostly because it's so validating to know that there were other people going through the same struggles that no one was talking about... Even though my time at the school has passed there are still occasional feelings of inadequacy that videos like this help to address

[@rachel_lin]

Andres Villatoro thanks for watching 💝 I feel the same lmao, class of 2020 as well 😂😭

[@rachelnesheim1104]

Thank you to everyone involved in this. Will be a transfer Spring 21. So glad I watched this for some insight.

[@rachel_lin]

Rachel Nesheim congrats! 🍾 thanks for watching 🥰

[@paola1163]

Rachel Nesheim omg me too!!! Congrats!

[@delainegneco7352]

Congratsss! Do you have any advice for the transfer essay?

[@emiliaochoa3876]

very helpful thank you for this video :)

[@rachel_lin]

Of course! Thank you for watching!! 🥰🐻

[@Metamorph2]

Hey Rachel, I was wondering if you could make a video on how to prevent burnout and how to study when you feel overwhelmed in general :)

[@rachel_lin]

Giancarlos Lecca Anorga yeah! That’s a great topic to talk about :)

[@christinahu568]

I’m transferring from UCSB to Cal this fall! Thanks for this video, it’s very helpful :)

[@rachel_lin]

Just like Jett and David from the video! congratulations on Berkeley!! 🎉🐻

[@Kevin-xs1ft]

Hi Christina, what's your major and stats may I ask?

[@christinahu568]

@@Kevin-xs1ft I’m double majoring in Economics and Art History. My precious gpa at UCSB was 3.9. Hope this helps!

[@Kevin-xs1ft]

@@christinahu568 Thank you! Congrats on your admission to Cal. I’m currently enrolled in one UC (I’m Econ major too!) and I’m finishing up my UC transfer application. I really want to go to Cal and I’m nervous. Do you think the activities/awards are important? Do they expect you to participate many activities during college?

[@christinahu568]

@@Kevin-xs1ft honestly I wasn’t that involved and also felt like I didn’t do as much activities (but also most of my college career was spent in quarantine). So don’t worry too much! I definitely felt like extracurriculars wasn’t my strongest suit but they look at a variety of factors, not just gpa and activities. Best of luck!

[@tanyasorin4619]

girl in pink hoodie is so wise. I like her.

[@modafalla]

Could you do one about re-entery students ?, it'd be awesome and many would appreciate it. Thanks this is a great viedo

[@rachel_lin]

mohamed dafalla I can try! Shandria, who appeared in this video, is a re-entry student. I believe she took some time off in her early 20s.

[@modafalla]

Rachel Lin I’d appreciate it if you do,I too some times off in my 20s & 30s lol. It doesn’t seem to be enough info on how you get in as a re-entry either...thanks a lot!

[@Brainjoy01]

girl in the pink jacket has strong aspie vibes,,,,wanna be her friend

[@ericwhalen8022]

accepted through transfer for the college and letters of science in mathematics

[@belair3812]

A fellow Once who transferred into L&S, nice.

[@rachel_lin]

Congrats to both of you!! 🎉🥳🐻

[@belair3812]

@@rachel_lin Thank you Rachel!!!!! Feels good! Thank you for the videos and support.

[@NickK-mj7st]

Hi Rachel, would it be possible to get a list of classes that David took in his first two years at UCSB? I plant to take a similar route and transfer to Cal in the same major as him.

[@rachel_lin]

Yes! David was going to double major in Econ and Comms his freshman year, but switched to Econ and Stats his second year at UCSB. If you would like to discuss with David more about his transfer experience, I would recommend scheduling a College and Career Coaching call with him through Study Hall College Consulting (shcollegeconsulting.com)! Fall 2017: AS AM 2, AS AM 2H, Math 3B, Phil 4 Winter 2018: Comm 1, Econ 1, Soc 1 Spring 2018: Comm 89, Econ 2, Globl 1, Int 94SH, PSTAT 109 Fall 2018: ARTHI 5B, AS AM 5, CMPSC 8, Econ 10A Winter 2019: CMPSC 16, Math 4A, PSTAT 10 Spring 2019: Econ 140A, INT 197HC, PSTAT 120A, WRIT 105R

[@miyagiryota9238]

I know someone who transferred to UCB from a community college. Go cal bears 🐻

[@rachel_lin]

miyagi ryota go bears!!

[@NickK-mj7st]

Rachel, is there a way I can find out the classes that David took at UCSB in his first two years? I plan to take a similar route as him where I would like to transfer to UC Berkeley.

[@rachel_lin]

Yes! David was going to double major in Econ and Comms his freshman year, but switched to Econ and Stats his second year at UCSB. If you would like to discuss with David more about his transfer experience, I would recommend scheduling a College and Career Coaching call with him through Study Hall College Consulting (shcollegeconsulting.com)! Fall 2017: AS AM 2, AS AM 2H, Math 3B, Phil 4 Winter 2018: Comm 1, Econ 1, Soc 1 Spring 2018: Comm 89, Econ 2, Globl 1, Int 94SH, PSTAT 109 Fall 2018: ARTHI 5B, AS AM 5, CMPSC 8, Econ 10A Winter 2019: CMPSC 16, Math 4A, PSTAT 10 Spring 2019: Econ 140A, INT 197HC, PSTAT 120A, WRIT 105R

[@MrMiniPancakes]

Perfect video thanks

[@rachel_lin]

Alec G thanks for watching!! 😋

[@shujayethossain6554]

Hi, Does Hass School of Business offer full scholarships for out-of-state transfer students?

[@rachel_lin]

Hello, I do not believe there are any Haas-specific undergraduate transfer scholarships, but you should check out this site for some general Berkeley scholarships - financialaid.berkeley.edu/types-of-aid-at-berkeley/scholarships/

[@n2201]

Which community college have guarantee transfer to uc berkley?

[@michealwalsh3263]

none

[@PimpMatt0]

It mainly comes down to how you approach life. Being versatile with aptitude will get you here. You don't need to be a 4.0 student. Not everyone has that privilege and will face many obstacles outside of school. The people who know what a hard life is like and know how to navigate life likely has a higher chance imo.

[@dogguy8603]

None, there is no guaranteed admissions for UC Berkeley, UCLA or UC San Diego, but there is guaranteed admissions for, Davis, Irvine, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside, and Merced

[@savitrioswal6072]

Uc doesn't accept transfers in freshman or sophomore year right? It's only available in junior year?

[@rachel_lin]

Yes, there is a minimum college credit requirement needed in order to apply to transfer and there is a maximum unit cap. So the units typically translate to junior year transfers. For more information, you can check out the Berkeley transfer requirements here - admissions.berkeley.edu/transfer-requirements. Hope this helps!

[@sailuvijl6621]

​@@rachel_linohhh which year u need to apply transfer

[@rachel_lin]

@@sailuvijl6621 Most students apply to transfer in their sophomore year to start school at the new college their junior year!

[@Accnews_]

Hi I have a question can I trasfer CPP to UCLA , thank You

[@rachel_lin]

Yes, you would be able to transfer from Cal Poly Pomona to a UC, like UCLA. It would be a similar process to David (in this video) who transferred from UCSB to UC Berkeley, since Cal Poly is also a 4 year university and not a community college. David is a part of the Study Hall College Consulting team, you can hear more from him at our website: shcollegeconsulting.com. Good luck!

[@Accnews_]

@@rachel_lin thank You 😊

[@ashishc7900]

What about international students?

[@ashishc7900]

I was born in california but moved to india I'm persuing stem subject rn in india.

[@rachel_lin]

@@ashishc7900 the transfer process would be pretty similar if you are domestic or international! If you have US citizenship, then you won’t need to get a student visa to transfer. But otherwise, you would apply to colleges to transfer to the same way as domestic students would! A thing that may be more difficult/take some time to figure out would be transferring your grades/classes as your scale might be different than the CA colleges. Hope this helps! Let me know if you had other questions 😁

[@ashishc7900]

@@rachel_lin thank you so much !!

[@carolynn.2595]

ciara is woke