a few questions- work experience, online classes, UCLA, etc...

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>I've been reading the transfer board for HOURS in total trying to figure everything out, but I still have some questions that I couldn't find the answers...</p>

<p>I read on one of the threads that taking online classes at community college is a disadvantage when planning to transfer to UCLA. Is this necessarily true even if they were just to get some general ed/electives out of the way and had nothing to do with my intended major? I've taken two, psychology of human sexuality and intro to sociology. </p>

<p>Also, I've read that being employed is a huge determining factor of acceptance to UCLA. HYPOTHETICALLY, if one works somewhere for a couple years under the table, one wouldn't be able to cite this on his or her UC application because there would be no evidence, would there? Or do the UCs look that much into work experience? Do they verify the job by tax forms, or would they do that by contacting the employer? If one has a few other ECs, is work experience still a huge consideration? </p>

<p>Anyway, my GPA will be a 3.77 by the time I apply this fall. I will have no more than 70 units. Is my GPA so low that I should apply to a less impacted major, such as Global Studies? I really would love studying that major, I just don't see much of a future with that degree. I was originally planning on majoring in English, but I'm worried that I will get rejected because my GPA is low. </p>

<p>Also, I haven't been a part of TAP for the past year. I've only just learned about it recently. I'm planning on taking several honors classes this coming fall semsester, and I will fulfill the requirment of taking however-many in order to be a part of the program by the end of my spring semester (still gotta talk to my counselor about all of the details, so excuse me if what I'm saying doesn't make sense). But will it look bad to UCLA that I've only JUST started taking honors classes?</p>

<p>I'm sorry this is so ridiculously long and scattered, but I really appreciate everyone's help!</p>

2

<p>i dont think ec's matter as much as your general transcript/gpa. if you've finished Igetc as well as all your major reqs you should be fine.</p>

<p>w/ a 3.77 you have a good chance of getting in. the average transfer admit for english majors @ ucla this year was 3.52. they also have a 60% admit rate for that major.</p>

3

<p>thanks a lot bumbum. </p>

<p>does anyone else have advice?</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
read on one of the threads that taking online classes at community college is a disadvantage when planning to transfer to UCLA. Is this necessarily true even if they were just to get some general ed/electives out of the way and had nothing to do with my intended major?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think your transcript will indicate whether a course is online or not - as a matter of fact, all it's gonna have is the course name and number and the grade you earned. So I don't think it will matter. Whether you took the sociology online or in class, the only thing that the UCLA adcoms will see is that you got whatever grade you got for the course. </p>

<p>
[quote]
if one works somewhere for a couple years under the table, one wouldn't be able to cite this on his or her UC application because there would be no evidence, would there?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Adcoms have too many applications to go through in such short amount of time. They won't have time to check and verify every single ECs for every single applicants.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Do they verify the job by tax forms, or would they do that by contacting the employer?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Tax forms are only for verifying your FINANCIAL AID NEED. No, they will not contact your employer (at least on most occasions).</p>

<p>
[quote]
If one has a few other ECs, is work experience still a huge consideration?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes. Continuous work experience will make up for the lack of EC, especially when you devoted considerable amount of time in it. EC + Work Experience is always a Plus.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Anyway, my GPA will be a 3.77 by the time I apply this fall. I will have no more than 70 units. Is my GPA so low that I should apply to a less impacted major, such as Global Studies? I really would love studying that major, I just don't see much of a future with that degree. I was originally planning on majoring in English, but I'm worried that I will get rejected because my GPA is low.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Believe it or not, 3.77 is a solid GPA that'll make you a competitve candidate for pretty much all of the majors at UCLA, except for the majors in Econ dept and communication studies. With your gpa and the major you try to get into, TAP will help you at minimal level. I say don't even bother with it and instead take more relevant courses to your major.</p>

5

<p>online classes hurt me. I really enjoy them and I would take them year round(summer, fall, winter, spring) this added about 30 units on my transcript that I really helped my GPA.</p>

<p>THE PROBLEM: I ended up with too many units and UCLA said I am not eligible to apply as a transfer.</p>

6

<p>Aztec, you were a inter-UC transfer, correct?
I don't think there is a unit limitation for CC transfers.</p>

7

<p>The unit limit for CC transfers is just that they won't transfer over 70 semester units; you can still have as many as you want.</p>

<p>I got into UCLA as a transfer English major with a GPA somewhere in the range of 3.4-3.7 (depends on what they looked at/calculated, but I'm betting it's closer to the low range), IGETC completed, no TAP, not from a feeder school. Some of my units were from online courses, some were from a UC, some were from a CCC -- and they still admitted me.</p>

<p>I am not sure how the employer business would work, but you could pass it off as an "EC" rather than as work experience if you're really worried about it. Though the UCs don't seem to pay attention to ECs at the transfer level, since you have dedicated an appreciable amount of time outside of class to this job, it would be worth indicating such.</p>

8

<p>no, I am a CSU transfer</p>

9

<p>online classes, i don't see any good in. u have to read the lecture, so more reading..</p>

10

<p>the app/UC does not ask for proof of employment at all, so state whereever you worked honestly. it asks for extracurricular activities, community service, and work experience. each category asks for the name, years involved, hours per week, weeks per year, and short description. it also asks you for your earnings usage. the place where you can expand on your work experience is in your personal statement, which would probably be in the 'academic preparation' question if the work relates to your major. </p>

<p>online classes show up on your transcript???? i didn't know that. however, i doubt itd be a big disadvantage, especially if it's just a GE class.. plus, you're still completing those units.</p>

<p>your GPA is at very good standing, try to bump it up in your fall quarter, cuase it matters more when you update your transfer application in january. they don't look at your application UNTIL the app is updated, so they will see your fall grades, which is a good last chance to boost your gpa. </p>

<p>it isn't too late to be a TAP student, just make sure you will be TAP certified by the time you transfer (usually by the spring quarter). my friend from community college joined TAP at our sister college (foothill college) because the TAP program was not availabe at my comm. college (de anza). if you're under TAP, ucla WILL consider your alternate major. he got in under his alternate major because of the TAP program. plus, TAP gives you a hiiiiiiiiigh chance of admittance.. do it!! so consider applying for english major and global studies alternate if you go into TAP.</p>

<p>good luck!</p>

11

<p>ahhh thank you so much everyone! i REALLY REALLY appreciate all this, beyond words. i've talked to my counselors four times over the past few months and i haven't gotten half this much info out of them!</p>

12

<p>Hi there. </p>

<p>I was accepted to Cal and UCLA and 4 classes that were part of my requirements were ITV courses... which means they're offered through TELEVISION and then the other half is online.</p>

<p>What appears on your transcript is just a class name, not the style it was taken under. If I got in, you can do it too.. I wouldn't sweat it over online classes at all. The only disatvantage (the spelling looks weird...) to an online class is if your teacher ends up #$(<em>%&($</em> then... well, it's hard. Communication is key and for one of my online classes my teacher was a skunk. She wouldn't schedule time to see me, wouldn't change my grade, wouldn't make any suggestions etc. </p>

<p>Just know, if you're a sensitive person (like me :D ) to be careful in your online course choices.</p>

<p>Other than that, no harm done in apps :)</p>

13

<p>no prob, khumphrey! ask away. this forum and the members are extremely helpful. i know that many of us are more helpful then our college counselors, especially after going through the process ourselves!!</p>