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Money is always a factor, but I doubt I’ll find a better deal than the UCs. Really, I’m just looking to maximize my options. I live fairly close to the Claremonts; I’d give some serious thought to them.</p>
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I’m well aware of this. I’m walking a tightrope, but I’m able to work it out where I’ll complete all IGETC GE requirements, plus the major prep requirements for political science at UCLA and UCSD (and a few others, merely by chance), and end up with 61 CCC UC-transferrable units. Adding the 27 units from the LAC gives me a total of 88 units (though I suspect some of those 27 units will be deemed non-transferrable). Doing it this way keeps me under 90 in a worst-case scenario (I’d love for all those units to be determined to be non-transferrable, and therefore not factored into my GPA, but that’s just wishful thinking), but above 60 in case my wishful thinking comes true.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it means I can only take 10 units this fall, and none in the spring. I literally can’t, or I’ll be ineligible for UCSD, UCSB, UCSC, and UCD. I’ll have to explain that in my application for UCLA’s sake.</p>
<p>And yeah, I realize a lot of CCC counselors don’t know about this. I spoke with a counselor who several professors recommended highly as an “expert,” and she told me not to worry about UCSD’s unit maximum. I know she’s wrong, and that’s been confirmed both on UC’s website and by a UCSD admissions representative.</p>
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Stanford a reach? Don’t they have a 1% acceptance rate for transfers? If Stanford’s truly a reach, I’ll definitely apply, but I thought Stanford would be impossible for me. Do I have any chance at McKenna?</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I have some pretty unique soft factors I can include in the application essays, such as testifying for the prosecution in the corruption trial of a sitting city councilman, and giving on-record, published statements to the media regarding the activities of an elected office. As a political science major, I think I’d be able to bring a unique perspective to whatever university I attend. </p>
<p>I’m debating how to work this sort of thing in, if I should at all, but I think it may be a way to make my application stand out. Any advice on this would be appreciated.</p>