A Special Thank You to Southwest Airlines

We would like to express our gratitude to Southwest Airlines for their generosity in donating round trip flights for 40 prospective entering freshmen!  Southwest Airlines’ charitable contribution allowed the students to experience the University first-hand by participating in "Black by Popular Demand" program.  The students participated in weekend-long activities, including AAP Scholars Day, a dinner in their honor, campus tour, workshops, and much more.

Web: www.southwest.com

Accepting UCLA’s Admission Offer:
Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) Deadline

Congratulations!  As this exciting time of year continues there are many steps that need to be taken as well as questions to be answered.  Here are some helpful links to prepare our new bruins for joining us this upcoming year:

The Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) is how students formally accept their admissions offer along with paying a $100.00 non-refundable advance registration deposit.  This must be done online.  Before submitting an SIR, students must activate their UCLA Logon ID and Password at https://logon.ucla.edu. Then the student must log in to the Web site www.ursa.ucla.edu to officially SIR.  The Freshmen deadline to SIR was May 1, 2008. Transfer deadline to SIR is June 2, 2008.

For additional information about the next steps for Freshmen please visit www.admissions.ucla.edu/NewBruins/NSG_Freshmen.htm

For additional information about the next steps for transfers please visit www.admissions.ucla.edu/NewBruins/NSG_Transfer.htm

Financial Aid

Upon the release of admission decisions, students who also applied for financial aid should be able to access their financial aid/scholarship award information at:www.fao.ucla.edu/myfao

For additional Financial Aid Information please contact the financial aid office at:

A-129 Murphy Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1435
(310) 206-0400
Email: finaid@saonet.ucla.edu

Scholarships

If students applied for scholarships listed on the UC application, they will be notified ONLY if awarded a scholarship.

Alumni association scholarships: www.uclalumni.net/Scholarships

Financial Aid Office Scholarship Unit: www.fao.ucla.edu/uclascholarships

Freshmen and Transfer Housing

Once students create their UCLA Logon ID and Password they can apply for housing.  The freshmen housing application deadline was due May 1, 2008 for fall admits.  The transfer housing application is due June 2, 2008. Late applications will be placed on a wait list in the order they are received. Admitted freshmen students who have filed the housing application on time are guaranteed 3 consecutive years of housing starting with the fall quarter.  Transfer students are guaranteed 1 year of housing starting with the fall quarter. For more information please go to www.housing.ucla.edu.

Freshmen and Transfer Transcripts

Once a student is admitted official transcripts are necessary.

Freshmen students must submit transcripts from the high school of graduation, inclusive of the entire high school program and graduation date. Freshmen students will also submit any college transcripts of courses taken at the community college or other college level.

Transfer students must submit transcripts from every community college or 4-year institution attended.

The deadline for Undergraduate Admissions to receive all official transcripts for both freshmen and transfer students is July 15, 2008. Transcripts for any summer courses should be received by September 1, 2008.

Mail sealed transcripts to:
        UCLA Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools
        Attn: Transcripts
        1147 Murphy Hall, Box 951436

Counselor Q &: A Day at UCLA

Please join us Tuesday, May 20th or Thursday May 22nd for the Counselor Admissions debriefing. Each year we welcome our high school and community college colleagues to campus and provide a breakdown of the previous year’s applicant pool and the resulting admitted freshmen and transfer class for the coming fall.

To RSVP your attendance please click on the following link,  https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/QandAEvent/Login.aspx.  The deadline to reserve your space is Friday, May 16th.

Summer Programs for Admitted Students: a Taste of Summer

UCLA offers multiple programs for students who would like to get a head start and take advantage of everything UCLA has to offer without having to wait until fall. Students can select from an array of disciplines such as science, art, humanities, or even business.  Students are encouraged to explore and immerse themselves in the endless possibilities.  Our most popular choice is to enroll in individual academic courses through our summer school.  Participation in summer school has a number of benefits such as getting acquainted with our campus and professors early on, earning credits, and classes are only 6-weeks long.  For more information please visit: www.summer.ucla.edu.

The Summer Institutes and Special Programs are amazing opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom in 12 different options.  Two of the examples are the UCLA Anderson School of Management Summer Entrepreneurship Institute, a multi-disciplinary approach focusing on the development and management of business ventures or the The Nanosystems Chemistry and Engineering Research (NanoCER) program where students can do hands-on team-based research and learn to be scientists and engineers.  For a complete list of programs please visit: www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/aap/summer.

UCLA also offers a summer bridge program for freshman called the Freshman Summer Program (FSP) and one for transfer students called the Transfer Summer Program (TSP). Both programs are designed to ease the transition of the new Bruins into the university and provide them with the tools necessary to succeed. Each program lasts for 7-weeks, and FSP/TSP students enroll in summer courses, participate in workshops, and are offered tutoring and counseling services. Students also receive personalized attention in their classes, familiarize themselves with the whole range of campus programs and resources and live on campus together with other students of diverse backgrounds.  Both, FSP and TSP are truly unique enriching academic residential programs. If you want to find out more about FSP and TSP, please visit: www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/aap/summer.

Students with a more adventurous heart can decide to do a travel study program, an exciting academic travel experience where students take courses abroad while experiencing a different culture. Programs can take place in Thailand, Hawaii, Washington D.C., France or Portugal just to name a few. To explore opportunities abroad please visit: www.summer.ucla.edu/Travel/GeneralInfo/studentguide.htm.

Frequently Asked Questions of An Evaluator

Q: Denied as a freshman how can I get admitted as a transfer?

A: Students can attend another UC or a California Community College for 2 years then attempt to transfer. We suggest another UC campus or California Community College because our admissions process maintains a preference for students in this population. The following are are basic requirements that students must meet in order to be transfer eligible.

• Junior-level standing (60 semester/90 quarter transferable units completed) by the end of the spring term before you transfer.

• GPA of 3.20 or higher earned in transferable courses.

• Progress towards completion of major preparation requirements by spring prior to transfer.

There may be additional lower division requirements that students may complete—either at their current institutions or at UCLA. Should a major not have specific prerequisites, we expect students to demonstrate interest in academic study by completing coursework related to the major.

• Completion of the UC English composition, mathematics, and additional subject requirements by spring prior to transfer:
• Two courses in English composition/critical thinking and writing.
• One transferable math course that has a prerequisite of intermediate algebra or higher.
• Four transferable college courses in at least two of the following subject areas: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences.

Q: What GPA do you need to be admitted to UCLA as a transfer student?

A: It is important to remember that while the minimum GPA for a student to be eligible to transfer is 3.2 the GPA to be competitive for a specific major will vary. Some majors are more impacted than others, which makes the review for admissions into the major more selective. In such cases as a major is more selective we look at major prep course work more stringently to determine eligibility along with the GPA.

An example of this would be the Psychology major. Generally speaking a 3.5 GPA is competitive along with completion of major prep. What does major prep mean? The Psychology major has (7) major preparatory requirements for eligibility: introduction to psychology, physical anthropology, biology, introductory physics, introductory chemistry [or one year of high school chemistry with grades of C or better], introductory philosophy, one quantitative reasoning course in statistics, finite mathematics, calculus, computer science theory, or programming in C++.

A student would need to complete all of this course work and have the 60 transferable units by the end of the spring semester of the year they are planning to transfer.

Q: What is the easiest major to transfer into at UCLA?

A: All of our majors have screening requirements. There is no “easy major” to transfer into. Our curriculum and teaching staff provide a rigorous academic experience in all of our major programs. Accordingly we are careful to select students who have prepared for their area of interest and who have been solid students. Each major will have different requirements to be competitive for that major. Each year our applicant pool is different. If a student takes their studies seriously and prepares for the transfer process by taking the appropriate courses, maintaining a competitive GPA for the major and meeting with counselors, and UCLA representatives they have done a good job at giving themselves a shot at admissions.

Recruiter Spotlight on Patricia Garcia

Why do you love your job as a UCLA Transfer recruiter?

I am passionate about helping college students transfer to UCLA. This passion comes from the fact that I am a transfer student myself and had to overcome numerous challenges before realizing my dream of transferring to UCLA.

I do not see my job as work, but as a way to give back and help others who might be facing similar challenges as the ones I faced. This makes all the difference in my attitude and willingness to go beyond my duty to help students prepare and transfer successfully. I see my job as helping students realize their potential and expand their choices by not limiting themselves and by encouraging them to become more competitive for admissions.

What was your experience like as a transfer student to UCLA?

Coming to UCLA as an undergraduate student opened the doors to new possibilities that in my life were previously out of my reach. I got rid of the idea that reaching higher academic goals was impossible. I became more confident that I set the limits, not my circumstances or background.

I joined the honor's program and took honors seminar classes taught by experienced professors who encouraged me to expand my academic comfort zone, and who helped me discover my academic potential. I participated in AAP (Academic Advancement Program) which made my transition to UCLA easier with free tutoring and mentoring. This program exposed me to many other opportunities at UCLA. Numerous workshops informed me of study abroad programs, honor's programs, internships, graduate school, and other special events.

My experience was very positive at UCLA. When I share my UCLA experiences with perspective students I talk from my heart. I let them know that you are only an undergraduate student once, and you need to enjoy the experience to the fullest by taking advantage of everything available to you.

What is the most common academic mistake you see hopeful transfer students make?

Not maximizing the opportunities they have once they transfer. Students must take the time to attend as many informational meetings as possible, and should participate in events and activities they are interested in. By doing this they meet other students who share similar interests.

To help students adjust academically, I suggest taking advantage of tutoring and special programs such as AAP (Academic Advancement Program). Students should also inquire about the School of Letters and Science honor's program or departmental honors program, learn the importance of forming networks through clubs and professors. Get to know professors. This should be a priority, especially if students are considering the possibility of graduate school. Most graduate programs will require students to submit recommendation letters from previous or current professors.

Another important opportunity that students miss out on, that is not necessarily academic, is studying abroad or participating in internship opportunities. UCLA’s study abroad program has travel options to several countries in many different programs. This is the time to expand your cultural experience and live in a foreign country for the summer, a semester or one year.  Another resource that students do not use thoroughly is our career center. This is free to all UCLA’s registered students and assists students’ with constructing resumes and proper interview guidelines.

I feel it is important to highlight that transfer students tend to have the same academic achievements and take advantage of the same opportunities as our freshmen student population. I know that transfer students are concerned that they are missing many opportunities at UCLA because they are transferring at the junior level, but this is a myth. Transfer students enjoy the same opportunities as our freshmen students. They only have less time to do everything, with two years instead four.

What service or services at the community college level do you wish more transfer students would take advantage of prior to transferring to UCLA?

I wish more students met with their counselor on a regular basis. Making sure they have an academic plan that will meet the admission's requirement for the perspective universities they are planning to transfer to is extremely important. I am aware that some community college students are able to figure out an academic plan and transfer successfully without the help of a counselor or university representative, but I feel it is important to meet with people who might give students additional information.