Last Friday, I took a day trip as an international student representative to Merritt College in Oakland for UARS’ Northern California Transfer Reception.  Amid getting up before dawn and flying on Southwest Airlines for the first time, I found plenty of time to enjoy the lovely weather in the Bay Area and the view from Merritt College (which is situated atop the rolling hills of Oakland).  The trip brought us into the Bay Area to our admitted transfer students in Northern California and to answer any questions they had about UCLA before making the decision to submit their SIR (Statement of Intent to Register) by June 1st.

It was a wonderful time for me to share my UCLA experience as an international student with those who were obviously torn between their decisions.  It was a refreshing reminder of the fact that we received more than 90,000 applications this year from increasingly diverse backgrounds (1), and yet maintained the high academic caliber of our applicants (measured by grade-point average, test scores, and coursework).

I even reconnected with someone who I had never met before but had heard of one another through our mutual friends.  We both attended International School Bangkok but at different times, and apparently knew the same people.  What a small world, and what are the odds that we would run into each other at the event that day!  The best part of it all was that he decided to submit his SIR to come to UCLA following the event. 🙂

To the new freshman Bruins out there who have already submitted their SIR, congratulations and welcome to the Bruin family!  We’re so excited to have you on campus this fall 🙂  To potential transfer Bruins who are still struggling with a decision, don’t forget that your SIR deadline is Friday, June 1st!  My biggest piece of advice to you would be to visit (if possible) the campuses you are deciding between to get a hands-on experience of the campus climate.  Choosing where to spend the next chapter of your life can seem daunting, but being there in person and talking to current students and department counselors will be a huge step forward in helping you find out whether that place is for you.  Good luck!

Eleanor Fang

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(1)  http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-receives-record-number-of-221695.aspx