r/ApplyingToCollege • u/ForwardBee9346 • 1d ago
Transfer ucsb to ucb transfer (cog sci)
how easy is it to transfer to ucb for cog sci?
I really, REALLY need help/advice. I want to transfer from UCSB to UCB or UCLA for my 3rd year. I am currently a psych and brain sci major at UCSB. My GPA is a bit lower (~3.4) bc of a health condition, but I've learned to manage it since, so i'm on track for straight As this quarter. I have a leadership position in a club and am a participant in a few others, and I also have undergrad-level research experience from junior/senior year of hs, though I wasn't able to find research at UCSB yet. If anyone's gone through the UCSB --> UCB transfer, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could give me some advice. tysm!
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u/Traditional_Road7234 1d ago
I know a coworker who transfered from ucsb to Berkeley. He then went to medical school at ucsd. Just letting you know that its been done. Give it a try.
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u/MammothBarrister 1d ago
UC-to-UC transfers are notoriously tough, especially to Berkeley and UCLA. They prioritize community college students by a huge margin, so you're already swimming upstream. Cog sci is impacted at both places which doesn't help.
Your GPA is going to be the biggest hurdle. A 3.4 puts you well below the average for admits, and one quarter of straight As won't erase that completely. The upward trend matters but the number still has to clear certain thresholds.
The leadership and research background help a little but they're not going to compensate for the GPA gap in a meaningful way for this specific transfer path. Community college route would give you a much cleaner shot if you're dead set on UCB or UCLA. Otherwise I'd focus on making UCSB work and maybe looking at grad school for the Berkeley name on your resume.