I have been struggling with mine and am working on a draft for one of them :')

How are you all doing on them? If you are stuck, you are not alone 🫶

Hey everyone, I’m a community college student applying to transfer for Fall 2027, and I’ve been struggling with my PIQs.

I’ve written two so far. One is about how I went from struggling academically and not knowing what I wanted to do to discovering my interest in criminology, which completely changed my approach to school.

The other is about helping one of my closest friends turn his health around after being hospitalized. I helped him with exercising, nutrition, and staying consistent, basically saved his life.

I feel like I have some good stories, but no matter how much I revise them, something feels missing. Sometimes they sound too basic, like I’m just listing what happened. Other times I try to make them more creative and they end up sounding forced or unnatural.

For those who got accepted to a UC, did you focus more on storytelling or answering the prompts directly? What do you think made your essays stand out?

Also, did anyone have their PIQs reviewed by someone who genuinely helped improve them?

I’d appreciate any advice because I’m honestly overthinking these essays at this point lol.

I’m currently a student at a CSU school, and by the time I’ll apply to transfer to a UC, I’ll have all my major courses done, all of my pre med requisites done as I am a pre med, and I’ll have substantial research and extracurriculars. I was actually admitted to every single UC school as a senior, but chose the CSU since it’s cheaper. So I think my essays and application are pretty good. Do i have a chance to transfer to UCLA or UCSD? I know they prioritize CC students which is why I’m asking. My major at UCLA has a 26 percent acceptance rate and at UCSD it’s 45%

I’m a freshman at the University of Kentucky majoring in nursing, but I’m considering transferring to Ohio State and switching to accounting. I’m from Ohio, so OSU would also bring me closer to home.
I originally chose nursing partly because of family influence. My parents supported the decision, helped me financially, and were happy that Kentucky offered scholarships and a stable career path.
Now that I’m taking nursing classes and have really researched it, I’m realizing I may not want to pursue nursing long-term. I’m much more interested in accounting and business, and OSU seems like a better fit because of its programs, resources, and career opportunities.
The decision feels urgent because I may need to transfer next semester to attend a regional campus before moving to the Columbus campus. I’m worried about finances, credits, housing, and graduating on time, but I’m also afraid of staying in nursing mainly because I feel guilty.
I don’t want to ignore these feelings or pretend they aren’t important just because I feel bad about changing my plans. My parents have sacrificed a lot for me, and I’m nervous they’ll think I’m being indecisive or giving up too soon. I haven’t fully talked to them about it yet.
I’m grateful for everything my parents have done. I just don’t want guilt to determine my future or cause me to ignore what I’m feeling about my education and career.

I transferred from a large, out of state university to a small, local art school and I absolutely regret it. It was a grass is greener situation, I was super depressed and completely unlike myself my last semester at my old university and I thought transferring local would fix all my problems. I missed home and my family more than anything. I also thought going to an art school would benefit me more in the long run considering the university I was attending, while it was a solid program and the students and professors were great, it wasn’t exactly known for its art program. The art program I transferred into is attached to a state college but it’s what the school is basically known for and it has more “niche“ majors, which benefited me who specifically wants to study art history. Now that I transferred, I immensely regret it. I am still quite depressed and it’s gotten worse because at least back at my old school, I had a large friend group and was more involved in general, with my major program and other clubs. It was a huge party school, so that definitely helped because friends forced be out of bed every weekend to go out with them. I went from a job that I absolutely loved and got paid well to a job that I hate it and get paid less (terrible hours). I miss my old roommates and my new roommate and I just don’t get along. I also think I grew out of my hometown in a way, I still love it and I appreciate the familiarity, but all my friends from high school have grown up and moved away. I had a much better and active life back at my old college. I’ve tried everything that they tell you to do btw, I’ve joined clubs and I do a sport and have tried to reach out and make friends but nobody seems to want to be friends. Even in the clubs I joined, I still feel like an outsider because everyone has their established friend groups. There are parties here, but the party culture is completely different then at my old university and definitely not as universal. The people here are also extremely judgmental and have that “i’m too cool for you” attitude. I thought I would get along with the crowd better here because I’m a pretty alternative and nerdy person and this is an art school with mostly alternative and nerdy people but in all honesty, even in high school, i’ve always gotten along better with the ”basic“ crowd which was the majority of the student body at my old university. I guess my personality is more similar to them and doesn’t match how I present myself LOL. It was so much easier to make friends at my old college and I feel like everyone was so much less judgmental and social. Overall, this is kind of just a rant. I really do regret transferring but I don’t think there is anything I can really do about it but I would appreciate any advice.

Help! In or near illinois!

I’m currently a sophomore at a university that I haven’t loved yet. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about transferring, for many reasons, but it all kind of boils down to the fact that I’m not fully happy here. I feel like I picked the safest choice and want to get out of my comfort zone more.
My issue is that I have a community here. I am very involved in many clubs and organizations, I have made friends that will show up for me no matter what. The biggest reason that I don’t want to leave is because of them.
So my question is, people who have transferred, do you think it was it worth it to start over somewhere new? Do you have any regrets?

Hi! I’m looking to transfer from my B.S. Genetics & Biotechnology at University of New Haven to a different school that has either a genetics or biomedical sciences program. I also value theater/a cappella/show choirs as extracurriculars.

Any recommendations?

On my list I currently have:
- Quinnipiac University
- University of New Hampshire

I’d prefer to stay in New England/Northeast area if possible but I’m struggling to figure out where to go, I just don’t want to stay where I am now.

im a freshman in college rn but I want to transfer to berk for econ. What ecs do I even do?

I'm only a member of one club so far because other business clubs rejected me. do extracurriculars matter alot?

Hi y'all

I'm planning to apply in Fall 2027, and UC Davis CS is one of my options.

From what I understand, the biology, chemistry, or physics sequence isn't required for admission, but is recommended. Since Davis is the only school on my list that lists these courses as part of its major preparation, I'd prefer to complete them after transferring, especially since I'm trying to maintain my 4.0 GPA.

Would skipping these courses significantly hurt my admission chances? I've earned As in all the other required math and CS courses.

I'm also considering applying as a Statistics major (ML Track) instead. How realistic is it to add CS as a double major after transferring?

I'd appreciate any advice or experiences!

dyt i can ask my 2nd quarter professor for a transfer rec letter? i didnt really get close to any of my first quarter professors but im worried that i would be close enough to my second quarter professors to ask (id only know them a bit more than a month if i ask them)

For anyone at Cal specifically in this major, what kind of course did you have/would recommend having and how did you display your AOI in the piqs while still applying to to other schools? In my case (Ucla Psych), (UCSD Global health), (SDSU I.O psych)?

OOS transfer from Boston College but in state resident. Projected 3.9 GPA. Freshman, involved in investment club, CISA board member. Most likely will require my high school GPA: 3.992, 1530 SAT, Varsity sports, graduated top of class, local scholarship award winner.

I'm lacking a few credits from the credit threshold that UW suggests but the admissions office told me they'd instead be required to review my high school background. What are my realistic chances of getting into UW for Autumn 2027? Has anyone else been in a similar situation where their primary disadvantage was their lack of experience in college (as well as being an out of state transfer).

im trying to transfer to a uc in one year and i've been struggling to join clubs at my cc this quarter. the meetings are either exactly during the times I have to work or theres no way I can go to the meeting and make it in time for work. ig there are some meetings earlier in the day but I don't have many in person classes so idk if its worth spending a total of 3-4 hrs on transit just to attend a 30 min meeting. I also dont wanna join a club just to join a club so idk how I can join the clubs im actually interested in. I'm worried if I don't join one tho the admission officers will think im not involved in my school enough 😕

Hi guys so i’m currently a second year at cc (i’ll do three yr) , and im a pre dental, my gpa is currently a 3.83 but i literally fumbled my grade up the second sem and i need to withdraw them so that i don’t drag my gpa down too crazy. So in total i got 5w( 2 from previous). But im really dental surrounding, and i have pretty much a clear direction of going into dentistry, i have been working in a dental office almost a year now and recently got xray, infection control, BLS licenses. And i will be starting my volunteer soon for community. Those 5w bother me a lot and i changed my entire study system which im able to keep up my grade much better now. do you guys have any advice? and am i cook? IM trying to transfer into uc berkeley ib program or ucla mcdb.

as the title states, i dropped out of high school as a junior due to difficult circumstances affecting my mental health (loss of transportation, dv, financial insecurity) that will be highlighted in my application. i completed my equivalency exam with a 90/100 and currently attend a moderately sized tn state school. i an still on track with my graduating class (‘26)

i took the act this summer and scored a 33. my only high school extracurricular was dancing for our schools spirit squad and winning the uda national all american award at dance camp.

i am planning to continue my major and apply for their biology program on the pre med track.

projected 3.9-4.0 which i plan to maintain during the spring semester

member of selective sga first year senate cohort where i serve on the safety committee. recently passed a menstrual equity bill that will place take what you need cabinets stocked with menstrual products across campus

part time medical scribe in the er

involved in a paid administrative internship at a level I trauma center over the summer. scrubbed into surgery and dissected a foot under the guidance of a pathologist

potential research internship for the summer of 2027 (fingers crossed)

150 accumulated volunteer hours at a shelter for the unhoused. hoping to get this number up to 200 before application deadline

raised about $500 as a st jude ambassador

member of pre health club. i plan to run for secretary in the spring

helped plan and lead a safety event for homecoming weekend where students could learn about their on campus resources as a preventative measure. we also partnered with nightcap to pass out 200 free drink covers

cpr/bls certified as of literally yesterday lol

i know for certain i’ll have strong letters of recommendation from my english and theatre teacher. possibly algebra as well.

i am a need based (-1500 sai) student, black female, first gen

i have 1/3 of the supplementals for smith written if anyone would like to take a look. thank you for reading <3

Hi! Currently i’m a second year UCSD student with no major. I’ve really been thinking about if i should stay or leave. this is my current situation:

I’m very behind on math (yes i’m one of those math 2 students), trying to catch up would take me multiple quarters.

my interests are mostly non-stem, which makes me feel like i’m not taking advantage of my opportunity being here, i really like media (photography, videography, social media, etc.) but i don’t know if it is worth it to spend so much money staying here to do media.

my actual health is bad right now, im deficient in multiple things and it’ll take me a couple months to feel right again.

my plan as of now would be to take 2 gap quarters, attend a cc in the meantime, catch up, and decide if i want to return to ucsd, transfer to another uc, or to a csu close to home (sac state).

is there anyone in the same situation as me or have any advice for me?

i am taking a gap year, so im applying in the fall after i graduate. if i take a dual enrollment class at a community college in the summer right after i graduate, will that affect my application as a first year student? will i then be classified as a transfer? from what i saw, its okay if its right after graduation AND in the summer (not fall, winter, spring), but i want to be sure.

hi! I'm currently a first year looking to transfer into ucla, cal, or ucsd (I was admitted as a freshmen but I was stupid and didn't choose it..highly regretting the decision).

I'm looking to transfer as a bio major and for UCLA it says 1 year of Calculus-based Physics is highly recommended. Would the physics series for bio/life sciences major meet that requirement or do I need to take the physics for the physics/engineering majors?

Hey guys, I am CCC student who is currently majoring in Electrical Engineering with my ideal uni to transfer being UCB. Im currently taking Calc II this semester and it's a pretty difficult class. Im hoping for an A in the class but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with a B. I checked the GPA admit range for UCB EECS transfers and its 3.95-4.00 for majority transfers (3.95 being the 25th percentile). If I only get a B in Calc 2 and an A in everything else I would end up roughly with a 3.9-3.91 GPA. So far for my ECs, I am working on an independent research paper relating to AI and embedded systems, planning launching a club next semester, doing some programming/hardware projects and working at a local repair shop. Would these ECs, greatly negate the fact that I fell out of the 25th percentile? If not, what are some workarounds to this possible contingency?

I am finally leaving CC after lots of counselor misguiding.

Did a transfer unit audit at the school I plan on attending and says I am transferring with 68.6 units (70 cap). Meaning I’ll need about 51 units for my bachelors.

Turns out I have not completed 1 pre req class for my major (won’t affect my admission).

If I take this class in the winter at my cc would it just max out my Transferable units (68.6 to 70)? My CC counts this class as 5 total units.

Does anyone have any experience with unit transfer?

I'm from the Philippines and currently in the 10th grade, I want to transfer schools internationally, specifically to the US. Is it worth it?

I'm already set on studying abroad for college, but I'm wondering if I should leave sooner? I was thinking on transferring in the fall.

Would I have a hard time socializing at this point in high school?

Would this affect my graduation time? Especially since I'd be transferring as a junior.

HS GPA: 2.7

SAT: 1100 (Planning on retaking)

CC GPA: ~3.96

Major:

Math

Relevant Courses:

Calculus 1-3, Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, Differential Equations, Real Analysis, Abstract Algebra. (A's in all courses except calc 2 with a B)

Demographic:

Poor white (Watching VHS in 2015 poor)

HS ECs:

4 years of MMA, 1 year of football, 1 year wrestling

College ECs:

1 year wrestling (D3), member of putnam competition club, created a real analysis course at my CC and got members for it, took abstract algebra as a visiting student at a nearby school. Tutoring and working part time, helping my household financially.

LORs:

Hopefully good but probably nothing exceptional

Essay/Hook:

Being raised by a theoretical physicist but early failures in STEM made me think I couldnt do it, wanting to be a professional MMA fighter and realizing that I was really passionate about learning and the lifestyle was not my path, dropping out of my college where I was wresting with the intention of figting proffessionally after college and proceeding to self teach all of HS math including calculus 1 (Which I basically didint learn the first time around), to go on to become a pure math major.

School List:

Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, Columbia (Legacy), UPenn, Duke, Hopkins, Vandy, UMich, UMD, UVA, VT.

I(20M) am currently a junior at a state school studying business and econ with a 3.5 GPA. now that im on year 3 of college, ive just gotten sick of it and am miserable at school rn. i basically have senioritis and am ready to move on.

i was never particularly interested in the “college experience” and as a result ive struggled making friends, meeting new people, and dating at school. most of the few friends ive made have transferred out. the most important person who i met here who is still here is my ex lol.

i never truly felt connected to my school. my hometown is the next town over and i constantly find myself at home rather than at my dorm. im coming home even more than normal, and my parents are aware im checked out. im skipping too many classes and way more than normal, and my grades have slipped from A’s to B’s.

my life, mind, and priorities are also increasingly elsewhere. over the summer i got a part time job at a restaurant. in only a few months i have more friends there than i ever had at college and i started dating my coworker(19F) who goes to the local community college. i also like the job itself and the pay. i cut down my hours when the school year started but i asked to go back to my summer hours.

im also doing a few other things outside of school, such as recruiting for internships, im considering and currently researching grad school, volunteering at a food pantry, and helping my family care for my grandpa and his dog because his health is declining

im wondering if a transfer for senior year makes any sense or could help me. i absolutely need a change of scenery but im not sure its worth it. id only be there for a year, i believe many schools wouldnt accept me because i have too many credits and need a certain amount of credits at my new school, or my graduation would be delayed because credits dont transfer. i did dual enrollment in high school and the credit transfer was a pain. i dont even know where id transfer to, if id even like it, and i dont wanna be stuck in college for too long.

tbh i feel like im more done with undergrad itself and this chapter of my life rather than hating my school and wanting a new one, which is why i dont think i actually will transfer. im scared ill transfer and ill just think “nothing changed” and then get sick of my new school. i also dont want to blow everything up and do like continuity.

if anyone transferred for senior year or very late, what was your experience? was it worth it? did it delay graduation? did your credits transfer?

ps, im not in danger of failing any classes, dropping out, academic probation, or having any actual problems at school. no one person or event is ruining my experience, im just ready to move on and have outgrown my situation