<p>@Psydoneum</p>
<p>When a UC runs your name, SSN, DOB through the National Student Clearinghouse and are told that there is a FERPA block in place on information about you, that will generate an immediate rejection letter to you. The UCs know people only apply a FERPA block when they are trying to hide something from schools they are applying to. And no, you can not challenge the rejections on legal grounds. There is no right to be admitted to a UC and a college or university can reject you for any reason they see fit and that is the end of it.</p>
<p>Man, you dug yourself deep.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to go to a community college and transfer. You need to get your cumulative GPA to around a 3.0. This means you’ll have to go to a CCC and do very well for 2-3 years. If say you hover around a 3.7+, complete IGETC, and prereqs for your major, I’d say you have a decent shot at some of the UC’s. </p>
<p>The UC’s do forgive. I happened to have 3 F’s from my first semester at my CCC…which is now really destroying my GPA for med school…but alas.</p>
<p>Your best bet is seriously to evaluate if you’re willing to be in undergrad (CCC + university) for another 4-5 years because that’s what we’re talking about if you want to transfer to a UC. </p>
<p>I really think you can do it; just grind it out and hang in there.</p>
<p>i am in the same situation. My first semester is a total disaster. I took 5 classes, drop 1 with out W, other 2 was accidentally got F’s due to the idea that i thought my professors would do it for me. ■■■. Second semester made the same mistake again. In my transcript i got 2 D’s for NON TRANSFERABLE UNITS,2 F’s and 1 W in transferable (i did not retake the W course) for transferable units. But i retook them all and i got A’s, B’s. Should i really need to explain this in personal statement? Will those F’s and D’s hurt my chance? It does not count toward my gpa since i retook them, but it shows in my transcript. </p>
<p>The class that i got a W, should i retake it? but i have already taken other class to fill in the area. one W is fine right?</p>
<p>@ Ferrari: 100% absolutely mention those in the personal statement. If your an adcom reviewing an app, obviously it’s best to not have any pressing questions about the person whose app you just reviewed. By owning up to what happened, as well as writing about how it affected you and how you learned and brought your grades up, the admissions committee will understand where you’re coming from. They’ll understand that some crazy stuff occurred that semester and will be far more forgiving than an app with no explanation.</p>
<p>All I will say is that a student who is willing to continue their education deserves a second chance. What has been done prior to an upward grade trend shall be disregarded in my opinion. GPA are holding certain students down, but if they are willing and determined, they will beat the odds. In addition, many of them are under special circumstances and hostile environments. Therefore, they should not be accounted for such misfortunes. As someone already stated, “UC’s are forgiving.” </p>
<p>Keep up the good work, and you’ll be surprised of the outcome…</p>
<p>Same situation as many of you, however instead of trying to hide it I think the best thing you can do is fully own up to it. I went to college right out of HS and was a total slacker back then with zero motivation and terrible study habits, left after 2 quarters with a 2.2gpa. Since returning to school after almost 10 years, I’ve got 4.0 for 3 semesters now, and my total gpa is a respectable 3.5 now even with the bad grades. Far be it from trying to hide my past mistake, I wrote about it in length for my personal statement. The way I see it, if they can’t understand how much someone can change in 10 years that’s their problem, not mine.</p>