Mythbusting!

Transfer is an overwhelming process! Researching information can often get convuluded between what is true or what can be false! 

Clarify any misconceptions or myths down below from student experiences below!

What's a myth you found out about 

transferring or college in general?

Jhoana : That you’re less intelligent by taking an alternative route or detour by going into community college. I think it’s stigmatized to attend community college because of its accessibility to everyone, making it seem less than because it's not as selective as Privates or UCs, which I personally believe is the beauty of attending community college. Besides, California has one of the best, if not the best systems and resources available to community college students. I often felt like I was insecure attending CC because of borderline traumatizing commentary from my high school peers, but now I’ve ended up in a place where I am able to thrive with a top institution’s academic resources and network. 

Dylan: Prior transferring to Berkeley Haas, I thought they would admit students based on professional experience and holding the most prestigious business leadership positions on-campus. However, as myself being evidence and meeting a great amount of other students from the same pathway, that thinking was immediately debunked. I was proud to see my peers being admitted with having only experiences in fast-food services because this shows that the admissions team does evaluate on a holistic review. 

Rhianna: That transferring means you took the ‘easy’ route to get into a UC. Many people transfer because they’re facing their own personal hardships and/or don’t have the opportunity and privilege to go straight into a UC after high school. Many people just have very different paths in life, and I think that the idea that transfers got here the ‘easier’ way is absolutely not true. I’m happy and proud that I took the transfer route and many traditional students I talk to tell me that they wish they did the same. 

Sammy : That club culture at a 4-year institution is largely against transfer students. Prior to transferring I had heard that club culture was largely hostile to transfer students, preferring to take freshman or continuing students vs transfer students. This notion made me worried about finding space on campus for myself but was completely washed away once I expereinced club mixers. The Paglipat initiative ensured the inclusion of transfer students within Pil orgs guarnateeing a sense of belonging for me and other Pil transfer students. PASS was one of the clubs that immediately gave me that sense of belonging particularly through its inclusion of transfer components and programming!!

Shawn : There's a common misconception that clubs on campus, especially Berkeley are unwilling to accept transfers. This is not entirely true because while it is definitely more competitve for transfers, there are some organizations on campus who are receptive to accepting transfers! In Pilipinx organizations, there is the Paglipat initiative to make transfer students in clubs and organizations in PIL-orgs more inclusive!

Does prestige of a school matter? 

Why'd you choose Berkeley and major?

Jhoana : I chose Berkeley because to be brutally honest, I was a crash out who thought going to Berkeley ( 1 hour away from Stanford) was somehow going to help me get back together with a villainous situationship. But also because I wanted to move away from home and Berkeley had the prestige like UCLA to satisfy my parents’ academic validation who set UCLA as the standard, and I liked the forestry bay area vibes. But then I pivoted to UCLA my sophomore year because that was the target school of my current (amazing) boyfriend and I wanted to continue my stable career with my old job at Miniso. Eventually I got waitlisted at UCLA so I pivoted to Berkeley. DON'T CHOOSE YOUR SCHOOL FOR A RELATIONSHIP, GOOD OR BAD. The prestige mattered to me not on my account but for my parent's. I would advise to always choose yourself!

I chose my major because I loved business administration as I did DECA in high school and had my own small business, but I chose Economics because Berkeley HAAS is so competitive (go Dylan!!). To be honest, I didn’t even know what I would even learn from Economics, but I’m too far along in my major to back down now and I can see its relevance to learning more about our government’s public policies. 

Sammy: I chose Berkeley both on reputation and on the history department. The emphasis on social justice and the history of the freedom of speech movement, the South Africa Apartheid protest, etc., pushed me here. I thought of the reputation as both a prospect for job applications and also an opportunity for me to build up an advocacy background in preparation for maybe public defense!! The big sway for me was with the history department, as it was ranked #1 ahead of schools like Princeton and Stanford!! After more research, the history course catalog, roster of professors, and opportunities for history research supported that ranking and locked me in.

Rhianna: Cal had always been my dream school when I was younger. I applied out of high school ‘just to see if I could get in,’ though I already had plans to go to CC. I got in, but I didn’t submit my FAFSA in time to get a financial aid offer, so I ultimately declined my admission. During CC, I sort of gave up on going to Berkeley thinking that UCSC made more sense since it was closer to family and I had family members hoping I would go there. But when I got my Cal admission, I was sort of stuck on the fact that I had gotten accepted twice and still would’ve declined admission when this was clearly another opportunity. It wasn’t until Transfer Weekend where I became more serious about changing my mind to commit to UCSC. I realized the abundant experiences and connections I could have at Cal and in the broader Bay Area, not only for my major but also with building a Pil community. And I knew I would regret it if I didn’t go and try to make the most out of going to what I considered to be my ‘dream school’ for so long.

Want to know more about UC Berkeley specifically?

Check out the pages below!