Book a free call

I didn’t apply to a single UC in high school. Two years later: Berkeley, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

High school in 2022, community college until 2024, UC Berkeley in 2026.

  1. Me in my cap and gown at high school graduation

    2022Monte Vista High School

  2. Me on the beach at sunset, holding my Santa Barbara City College diploma

    2024Santa Barbara City College

  3. Me in a Cal hoodie and cap by a white fence at sunset

    2026UC Berkeley

I didn’t apply to a single UC in high school, because I thought I had no chance of getting in.

I remember watching my friends head off to universities while I chose community college. It felt like a risk. I didn’t know if my credits would transfer, whether I’d fall behind, or whether two years of work would actually get me anywhere.

A lot of that doubt came from how I saw myself as a student. My friends took AP classes, had high GPAs and were involved in all kinds of activities. I didn’t take a single AP, and I didn’t think my activities stacked up. Community college is where I found out I was more capable than I thought, and I grew into the student I’d doubted I could be.

The information you need is out there, but it’s spread across dozens of sites, data tables and forum threads, and none of it is written for someone seeing it for the first time. Requirements, deadlines, what each campus looks at: I pulled it all into one place so the next person doesn’t have to dig.

The community college path opened the door to UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. I chose Berkeley and studied economics.

I remember the uncertainty more than anything, because I lived it. It’s why I started Transfer Answers. I’m not a counselor. I’m someone who made this transfer himself, and I’ll walk you through how it actually works, step by step. I want to be the person I wish I’d had.

The details stay between us.

  • My GPA against the ranges I applied into
  • My activities and my plan, class by class
  • My four essays, and how I structured each one
  • How I got involved at community college
Book a free 15-minute call

The four essays that got me into Berkeley, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

  1. Required questionPlease describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.
  2. PIQ 4Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
  3. PIQ 5Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
  4. PIQ 6What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

We read all four together on the call. They’re never posted online.

Start with a free 15-minute call.

Tell me where you are. If a full session makes sense, the report comes the day after.

Book a free 15-minute call Questions first? Read the FAQ