Just a quick question: I was wondering how much weight UC Transfer Admissions put on completion of an Associate’s of Art/Science Degree for Transfer? I understand that people traditionally pursue an ADT for transfer into the CSU system, but I was wondering how impactful it was to have an ADT for the UC system.
On the UC website ( http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/reviewed/index.html ), there is the Comprehensive Review. One of the portions that they consider as part of the overall review process is: “Completion of an associate of arts or science degree for transfer (ADT) offered by a California community college.”
Of course, it’s not weighed as much as Transferable GPA or completion of Major Pre-req courses. However, I was wondering exactly how much weight it has during the application review process. Rather, if there is any point in pursing the ADT, like strengthening your application. Would an ADT really tip the scale for an on-the-fence potential applicant in the eyes of the UC campuses?
Would prefer to hear from those with admissions experience or those who have gone down a similar path. Regardless, thanks to anyone for any insight.
Essentially, it’s not weighed at all. If you’re borderline, they may see that you’ve completed an AA, and they may be impressed by that. But it’s such an inconsequential amount of your application that completing the AA won’t give you any real boost.
So you should really only do the ADT for your own benefit. It may be interesting to see a humanities major complete a CS or Math AA - but even then, one cannot really know if admissions officers will care much. They see the courses you’ve taken anyway.
tldr; they absolutely take everything into account, but not doing the ADT won’t really affect you for the UC’s. Far more weight is placed on your GPA, completion of prereqs/GE, personal statement, and extracurricular activities. It seems that, for you, completing the ADT is an afterthought - if there were some interesting story behind it, then it may be worth it. But generally, I think it’s pointless - unless one wants to complete the degree, of course. I think the CSUs actually care about the sort of thing, but I’ve seen nothing that indicates the UCs give completion of an AA any substantial weight.
Furthermore, a huge negative of completing a degree is that it gives you less leeway with choosing classes - and you may need to take certain classes for the degree that don’t even count toward your major, or some that may not even be UC transferable.
Having or not having an AA or ADT does not affect your admission. Many transfer students have ADTs, many don’t. The ADT is a transfer “contract” for the CSUs. If you’re transferring you have enough units for one usually, at any rate.
@goldencub Thank you for your long and detailed replies, not only in this thread, but in the other threads as well. They’re very much appreciated! You are definitely right, the ADT is definitely an afterthought. To be honest, the ADT (and even regular associate’s degrees) have been near the bottom of my priority list. I have also been led to agree with you and believe that yeah, the degree is worthless to me since I don’t even really want it. If I were to pursue the ADT, it would force me to take some classes that wouldn’t fit into my designated scheduled semester plans, nor would they be identified as major pre-reqs at my target schools. All in all, to make an ADT my goal seems fruitless.
@Burdened That is what I am led to believe, too. I was just slightly concerned by the fact that an ADT is allegedly apart of the Comprehensive Review, but I also think it does not have any effect either.