<p>I am currently a freshman going into sophomore year at UCSC and I really want to transfer to UCSB for my junior year. However, I do not have the best gpa. My gpa is a 3.10 and my proposed major is Human Biology. I am also currently volunteering as well at an elementary school to tutor kids. I feel as if I am very average and I have little chances of getting into UCSB, but I'm hoping there is a chance and if there is anyone who knows of anyway I can increase my chances, or any advice on how I should approach the transfer application for next year please let me know!</p>
<p>The easiest way to increase your chances is to raise that GPA. You still have this quarter and Fall Quarter 2013 to do so. Another option is to take a couple of CCC courses during the summer, which will also boost your GPA. If you are smart about it, you can pick easy A’s that happen to satisfy your UCSC general education requirements as well (important for AFTER you successfully transfer). UCSC’s (or any of the other UCs’) summer session is also an option…but it’s much more costly. Make sure you finish all the pre-requisites required for the major at UCSB (call them). Also, if UCSB is your top choice, ONLY apply to UCSB. That may show that you are passionate about what UCSB has to offer, and that you don’t just want to transfer to a “better” school.</p>
<p>Thank you SOOOO much for your advice! I was wondering though, if I were to apply to some private schools as a back up, would UCSB know? Also, do the personal statements have any affect on increasing my chances of getting accepted? I’m really looking for a new start because unfortunately, UCSC is not the school for me.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much on the whole “Only apply to one college so it looks like you are more serious” route. The UC’s don’t care when it comes to that sort of thing. Otherwise you would see way more students getting denied from colleges such as UCR/UCM/UCSC if they are on par on getting into the higher tier UC’s. They are just happy to take your application fee :)</p>
<p>The first thing to do is raise your GPA. Your GPA really isn’t that bad for a transfer student applying to UCSB, but it could be better and you want to make yourself more competitive. Second, get some real world experience in your field. Interested in human biology? Try to get an internship in that field or volunteer in your department. If you can get some type of research experience, then you’ll be WAY ahead of most applicants (really take advantage of what UCSC has to offer). Finally, join some clubs and get involved in your school. I’m not saying join 15 clubs so you can put them all down on your app, but take leadership roles within 1-2 of those orgs/clubs (colleges LOVE this).</p>
<p>When it comes down to your personal statement, I would include some type of reasoning why you want to transfer. Don’t just write that UCSC isn’t a good fit for you or that you don’t like the campus. I applied as a transfer from UCSC and I included how I wanted a different curriculum and emphasis within my major that I knew UCSC couldn’t offer me. I also included a short background of this so it didn’t look like I just made it up, but actually needed to transfer to accomplish my goals. I wouldn’t focus too heavily on this though, it’s just a supplemental thing that probably only took up a few sentences.</p>
<p>For transfers, UCSB doesn’t really review your personal statement (look at the final page on this link)
<a href=“University of California Counselors”>University of California Counselors;
So I would focus on beefing up your EC’s and GPA. Let me know if you have any further questions on the whole UC-UC transfer process. I went through it a few years ago, but still help others on it.</p>
<p>Also as a side note- Even if you are set on transferring from UCSC, just know that you have one more year there, so please enjoy it. Your freshman and soph years are some of your most memorable years and UCSC really isn’t that bad. Sometimes it’s just the matter of finding the right group of friends there that might make a whole different experience for you.</p>
<p>With a 3.1 you are on the low side. According to <a href=“http://bap.ucsb.edu/IR/New_Stud_Prof/Profile,%20Trans2012-3rdWeek.pdf[/url]”>http://bap.ucsb.edu/IR/New_Stud_Prof/Profile,%20Trans2012-3rdWeek.pdf</a> in 2012 the median (half above, half below) GPA of transfer students was 3.37 I don’t know what percentile a 3.1 would be, but it is nearing the bottom since the same table says the percentage of xfers with a 2.99 or below was 2%. And another factor against you is that you are trying to come from another UC. By law, the UCs give preference to CC transfers. So it is entirely possible that a CC student with a 3.1 gets in but a UC student does not.</p>
<p>Which brings up another approach. You’d need to look into the rules to make sure you’d qualify, but one possibility is to go to a CC and apply via the TAG program for guaranteed admission to UCSB. You’ll need to research carefully if you would qualify for this program and understand exactly what they will guarantee, but a brief perusal of <a href=“University of California Counselors”>University of California Counselors; seems to show no roadblocks to you taking part in TAG. </p>
<p>And here is where it gets interesting. Nothing says you can’t go to SBCC. So this Sept you could be living in Isla Vista like other UCSB students, making friends and taking part in the UCSB scene. You’d drive or take the bus to SBCC, and your 2nd semester at SBCC you can even take 1 UCSB class for credit (and at SBCC rates I believe!) As mentioned, before you quit UCSC to do this be sure you understand the min GPA that will be required as well as making sure there are no rules that prevent you from taking part in TAG.
Not at all. And if you are sure that you want to leave UCSC, then you ought to have some solid alternatives in case UCSB doesn’t come thru (assuming you stay the course at UCSB 1 more year)</p>
<p>I am transferring from UCD-UCLA. So beware what i’m about to tell you might not be applicable. I’m a microbio major. I will finish my GE and all the pre-req (+recommended ones) by then end of spring. When i apply my GPA was 3.65ish. didnt do much ec in college.</p>
<p>all the things people said above are good. just make sure your gpa is up. also take summer school at ucsc to raise you gpa, as you may know when you apply in november you only have your spring quarter gpa, which may hurt you with 3.10. they dont see your fall quarter grades until january, so if you want a better chance do summer school. maybe some easier lower div requirement. However, if you are a strong applicant with great ec, personal statement etc then i dont see why impossible. Still you need to apply to more than 1 school if you are desperately out of UCSC. human bio with 5 spanish classes at ucsc is a killer and extra science classes. lol. i am molecular bio.</p>
<p>I thank you all so much for your help! I truly appreciate it! I will take the advice on some summer session to boost up my gpa :)</p>