<p>I'm 24 now and have been in three schools already. I'm in NYC.
I was originally in a specialzed HS but left 1/2 way through senior year to work. I moved out when I was 16. I finished up 1 credit in a eve HS.
Then I went to one college, didn't like it because it turned out to be ghetto. Went to Queens College (both schools city universities) and then decided that I wanted to become a massage therapist and start my own business. I developed Carpal's Tunnel syndrome and had to quit after one semester.
I've been working full-time since I was 17 or 18. I am back in Queens College and hope to major in Biochem at UCLA, second choice UCI. MY GPA is not great but I know I can boost it with excellent Org Chem and Physics scores now that I have more motivation then ever. I have repeated three courses in college and usually only go part-time. Will that affect my transfer? My family is also in LA now and I want to be near them.
Should I transfer to a CCC to better increase my chances of getting into school? How long should I attend the CCC if yes? Will my age affect the transfer process?</p>
<p>Yes your age will affect your transfer chances but for the good. UCLA and other UC's like returning students because they see them as motivated and responsible individuals looking for a seconf chance. I am 21 myself and will start at UCLA this fall. </p>
<p>You should attend the cc as long as it takes you to finish your general ed reqs and your major pre req courses. Some of your Queens College units may transfer and count toward your cc degree and for transferring purposes.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how long it will take you to establish residency to be able to apply as an in state transfer (will highly increase your chances of acceptance at the UC's). If you really want to study Biochem here in Ca Id suggest moving here asap and enroll in a cc of your choice.</p>
<p>Worst case scenario if you are rejected from UCI and UCLA you could always apply to some of our CSU's which are equally great in the sciences. Look into San Diego State, Long Beach State, and CSUN.</p>
<p>I am not sure about UCLA, but I am a 27 year old who quit highschool at 16, I am now attending a community college, I was told that with a good gpa and some EC's it would be possible to tranfer to a school like Tufts or Wellesely next year. So I would recomend going to a cc for atleast a year. Also look into UCLA and see if they have a program specifically for students over 25, alot of schools have them. I think your age, will actually benifit you with a transfer because you have life experience behind you.....good luck!</p>
<p>What are some good CC's close to Fullerton and Avenue of the Stars in LA? What's a good, safe neighborhood to live in? Sorry, I've been in NYC for 95% of my life and have little to go on.</p>
<p>I'm 26 years old and I've recently transferred to Berkeley. I don't see how age is a concern. You're never too old to learn/attend college. I attended cc for a total of 5 1/2 years because I changed my major several times. There was even a two year gap somewhere in those 5 1/2 years, so it took a total of about 8 years to transfer! I applied to all UCs (except for Merced and Riverside) and got acceptances from all of them.<br>
You'll have to address the long road to higher education and through that experience how you've become determined to graduate and positively contribute to the campus. Get the best grades you can get (and they don't need to be all As) while attending part time or full time. Of course if you attend comm college part time it should be balanced with some other responsibility like family, work, volunteer work, etc. Then when it comes to application time pay close attention to your personal statement. Think about what you want to include and how that is going to help you get into the college of your choice.<br>
You have a good chance at success if you maintain good grades, plan your transfer well (e.g. get most reqs completed before transfer so u can begin upper div work after transfer, etc), and write a killer personal statement. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Cal State Fullerton is in...well, Fullerton. Thats definitely an option, though because its generally pretty impacted, transferring from a CC is advisable (and really not very difficult). I dont know how their science programs are, but Fullerton is generally one of the stronger Cal State schools.</p>
<p>Both UCLA and USC are options in LA, and going to a CC would definitely be the smartest option. I would suggest Santa Monica College if you're really interested in LA schools (and its close enough to where you could live with or near family). </p>
<p>Almost anywhere in Orange County is a "good neighborhood". How "good", ie- manicured, pretty, whatever, depends on how much you're willing to spend. In LA, anywhere on the West Side is generally pretty safe, but will cost more (even more than Orange County). Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, Culver City, Westwood, etc are places to look into. It gets cheaper the further inland you go. Living in New York you're probably more prepared for the cost of living increase than some, but from what I hear its still a pretty dramatic difference (than the suburbs, at least).</p>
<p>Your age is less of an issue that you think, really. As long as your grades are good and you submit a good application you have as good a chance as anyone. But attending a CC and transferring from there is going to be a really, really big deal, especially for the public schools.</p>
<p>Good Luck.</p>
<p>**** Oops, sorry, I missed the part where you asked which CCs were close to Fullerton and LA. For Fullerton, I would suggest Saddleback (a TON of Saddleback kids transfer to Fullerton. It's a feeder school), Irvine Valley College (Saddleback's sister school, closer to Fullerton but Im not sure of their transfer rating), or Orange Coast College. </p>
<p>For La, my suggestion for SMC still stands. I'm really not as familiar with the schools up there, and SMC is by far the most widely known. Very, very good transfer stats.</p>
<p>Check this out:</p>
<p><a href="http://www2.assist.org/browseColleges.do%5B/url%5D">http://www2.assist.org/browseColleges.do</a></p>
<p>Select a college and it will show you nearby ones.</p>
<p>Dude, Assist has gotten so much better since i first started using it. Which was like two years ago. Totally didn't even know that it did that now. Cool.</p>
<p>the closest cc to Avenue of the Stars is santa monica college or west los angeles college. i agree with everyone else and recomend santa monica college if you want a better chance at ucla. keep in mind though, it's probably far more difficult than a lot of other community colleges (like the los angeles community college district schools). just maintain good grades and you're practically guaranteed a spot at some uc. </p>
<p>also, why not apply to the other ucs? don't let distance be a factor in your decision. as an independent student, you'll have more access to financial aid. i live in los angeles, but i'm going to uc santa cruz because financial aid is taking care of everything. half of the money i'm getting is in the form of loans, but i consider it more of an "investment". :)</p>
<p>I think it's a good idea here to mention that the admissions people at UCs cannot differentiate between different CCCs as far as "oh he went here, that's a good school, better than this applicant who went here."</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, I have decided to move next summer and my parents, little brother and sister are thrilled. I am so thankful to have found this board. All your advice has saved me significant time, money and potential grief.</p>