Side effects may include imposter syndrome, burnout, and pressure to perform. If you're interested in applying to or have already been accepted to UCLA or UC Berkeley, congratulations! This is an incredible accomplishment, and you should definitely be proud of yourself. However, there are a few things you should prepare for during the transition to your new school that don't get mentioned in the admitted students packet. Imposter Syndrome According to Stanford's Center for T

Most students go into college with a "Plan A" major, but the UCs give you the chance to have a "Plan B" major with an alternate major, and even a "Plan C" with the undeclared option. Today, we'll be discussing how to maximize your chances of admission with an alternate major and breaking down which schools allow undeclared majors for first years. What is an alternate major and which UCs consider them? An alternate major is a secondary major listed on your application that mos

Image Courtesy of NPR Are you a community college student looking for a university home, or are you a university student looking for a more challenging curriculum? Transferring to the UC system might be the right choice for you. Why Transfer? Some common reasons students transfer after one or two years at a community college or other small institution are to earn a university degree. Others want access to more specialized majors or programs, while some prefer a larger school

When you imagine a well-rounded student, you're probably picturing a Disney-channel style "popular kid" who's student body president, has A's in every subject, and is in every activity from archery to the school paper. The good news is that you don't have to be well-rounded to get into a good school, including the UC system. The bad news is that you have to do something else to be the kind of student top universities are looking for. Image Courtesy of BBC Glasgow What makes a

Image Courtesy of Highland Park High School The UC activities list is particularly generous, with a 350 character description for each activity, and 6 categories with up to 20 total activities. Today, we'll learn how to maximize this space on your application to give you the best shot at your dream UC. Categories The UC extracurricular and activities list includes several drop-down options to specify what kind of activity you did. These include: coursework other than A-G , ed

If you're applying to college using the Common App, chances are you've come across your "preferred major" section that lets you rank a few majors you're interested in. Most schools consider this, but it's not a deciding factor for admission. However, the UC Application is different, with more weight placed on your major and alternate major selections. This article breaks down how the major selection system works and how you can maximize your chances with it. System Overview O

The UCs are rather transparent about the type of students they look for, laid out in the system website. However, some of these criteria are somewhat vague or seem subjective. Today, we'll find out what they criteria really mean and how you can meet them in your application. Here's the full list of the criteria: Academic grade point average in all completed A-G courses, including additional points for completed UC-certified honors courses. Number of, content of and performanc

The UC Personal Insight Questions are unique in that they are some of the shorter college essays you may have to write when applying to American universities, but they also give you freedom of choice in what topics you prefer to write about. You can take a look at our previous post to get the best "dos" for PIQs, and today we're diving into the "don'ts". Rule #1 Many English teachers and writing instructors say, "Show, don't tell!" and while this is good advice for writing a

Do you have what it takes to be a doctor? That's the question the pre-med track hopes to answer in undergrad. If you want to try, the UC system has many programs that can support you on the pre-med path. Best Overall UC Berkeley is often considered the best pre-med program due to its combined BS/MD pathway for exceptional students and a robust collection of courses in Biology and Chemistry. There are dozens of student groups for pre-med students and those interested in health

Are you an aspiring lawyer wanting to prepare for law school and beyond during undergrad? The UC system has several schools with great programs that will help you understand how to get into law school and how law works in the world today. Best Overall UC Berkeley has one of the widest ranges of offerings for students looking to get involved in the law. They have a large pre-law advising program at their career center, and they have both a pre-law society and a pre-law (coed)

Are you an entrepreneur at heart? The UC system has several schools with strong business programs to put you on the right path. Not every UC campus offers a traditional undergraduate business degree, but many do have related majors such as business economics, management, or entrepreneurship-focused programs. California’s thriving startup ecosystem and proximity to Silicon Valley make for the perfect business environment, even if you don't get an undergraduate business degree.

Image Courtesy of Berkeley News Are you a "go big or go home" type of person? UCLA and UC Berkeley might just be for you. Known for their ambitious student bodies and high standards of admission, these two schools are the "cream of the crop" of the UC system. Read on to find out how to get in to these schools UCLA vs UC Berkeley Comparison Both of these universities are urban and large, enrolling around 33,000 students at any given time. UCLA is slightly harder to get into ov

Image courtesy of Unsplash The best UC for engineering really does depend on your engineering specialty and this is actually great news! It means there's a UC out there that's a perfect fit for whatever you want to study. Whether you already know exactly which branch of engineering you want to pursue, or you're still figuring it out, the UC system has something for everyone. Here's a breakdown of where specific campuses shines so you can find your best match. UC Berkeley: The

Image Courtesy of UC System As one of the largest public university systems in the US, the University of California system has 9 separate universities for you to choose from: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, and UC Merced. With so many options, you may be wondering how to choose the right campus to apply to. In this post, you'll learn about which UCs have the most emphasis on your desired major, what costs lo

Image Courtesy of UCLA The University of California system has some interesting supplemental essays: with only 350 words to express who you are in one area of life, you answer four self-selected questions from a set assortment of 8. This year's questions are in alignment with the general trend of personal and education related questions. Let's take a look at each and how you can stand out in your answers! From the UC Admissions Website, here are the questions and directions f