<p>So according to a couple threads I've read, the Biology majors at UCSD are NON-impacted until Fall 2011. So does that mean that as long as I sign a TAG with UCSD, and stick to the agreement, I'm guaranteed into UCSD and as a Bio Major? This sounded too good to be true, so I gave the UCSD counselor a call.</p>
<p>The counselor said that as long as you are TAG certified and don't break the contract, you will have guaranteed acceptance to UCSD. </p>
<p>Then I asked her "What if I took only one Chemistry course or none out of all of the pre-reqs?"</p>
<p>She kept replying with “We accept you because of the agreement, not under your major. It doesn't matter; we will accept you matter what. However, if you don't do the pre-reqs, you'll be extending your stay at UCSD which means more classes and more tuition.”</p>
<p>Now we all know that UCSD is known for majors related in Sciences like Biology, and but it baffles me how Biology is still a non-impacted major. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. What’s the catch? What am I missing here?</p>
<p>And if its all true, and say I do get accepted into UCSD for Fall of 2010. How much am I going to spending to make up all of those pre-reqs while at UCSD. Currently I’m in my 2nd year at community college but have barely gotten rid of any of the Bio pre-reqs.
By the time I transfer I’ll have completed the following courses:
-General Chemistry 1A
-Pre-Calculus
-Cellular Biology
-Genetics and Evolutionary Biology</p>
<p>That still leaves me 1 GenChem course, 2 O-Chem courses, 3 Calculus courses, and another 3 Physics courses. How long do you think it would take me to finish those courses, and how much will it cost me? (guestimate)
I know that was very frickin long to read, and a lot of questions but it’s very important to me and I know you guys can help me out! TIA.</p>
<p>I think it could take you a while. Those are a lot of pre reqs to get done, then you will have to complete all upper div classes plus your upper div electives. Also, I would put the time of graduation at least 2.5 years, maybe even 3. It will also depend on what college you choose at UCSD because there will be more GE requirements to finish as well depending on what college you choose.</p>
<p>Hah did my thread spark this question from you? :)</p>
<p>I was going to ask this exact thing but I guess you already did it. And yeah pretty much people were telling me that it’s better to just finish your pre-reqs at a CC bc otherwise you have to take them at UCSD anyway and it will be more expensive. If I transferred in 2 years, I would still have to take about 3 more biology courses and some physics. I don’t know if it would be worth it.</p>
<p>But I did have this problem. If I don’t apply in 2010 then I would have to apply in 2011 and according to a poster here, Bio will become impacted in 2011 and then I would no longer be able to get the guaranteed admission. I don’t know how much of a problem that would create but it would definitely be nice to get in with a guarantee.</p>
<p>Oh and how much of your IGETC have you completed?</p>
<p>No offense but those stats are pretty bad. If you transfer like that I going to guess it will take you 3+ years to finish. Your equivalents to UCSD so far is</p>
<p>1 quarter of g-chem (since you didn’t finish 1b you get only 1 quarter unit, finish 2 semester you get 3 quarters, that’s how it works)
2 quarters of bio BLD 1 & 2 </p>
<p>the typically students takes in first two years
1 year of g-chem (3 quarters)
1 year of o-chem (3 quarters)
2 quarters minimum of bio
1 year of calculus
GEs</p>
<p>if you fall off this track in first two years that means it will be unlikely you will finish in 4 years unless you make up for it in the summer. </p>
<p>I suggest you just stick it out at community college for an extra year. Finish your calculus, physics, and o-chem there because when you transfer you will be taking the exact same courses anyways but paying a lot more for them. There is no need to transfer early too. It may make you FEEL better about yourself but it doesn’t matter seriously. I would transfer only when you have enough pre-req’s done because whatever you don’t finish you are going to have to take in the future anyways.</p>
<p>I see your guys’ point, but heres the issue. I’m a VERY borderline student. My GPA is barely above a 3.00 but thats because the first year I was messing around and didn’t have my head on straight.By the 2nd year I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, I realized I hadn’t started on ANY of my math, so it took me all of this past year to catch up. Had I already been in Calculus, I could’ve been taking Physics, more Calc, Bio, etc. So I understand and completely agree with those that point out my currently completed course work isn’t too hot. </p>
<p>What I’m trying to say is, my grades are so bad that I won’t even be able to get into most UC’s as a Biology major in the first place. I’d have to choose a major such as Anthropology or Psychology and and keep taking Bio classes since my plan is to eventually pursue med school or pharm school. This just seems like a fresh start to get into a UC (ucsd of all places!) and as the major that I want. Sure I’ll be spending 2 years worth of tuition to catch up, but it can’t be more than the 2 years students straight from HS spent right? Since I won’t be paying for all those dumb GE’s courses and dorm. I’ve finished my IGETC so I’ll be able to focus 100% on getting my pre-reqs done.</p>
<p>Does anyone think is is a do-able idea? Or am I just getting in way over my head.</p>
<p>sorry to hi jack your topic but iTransfer what do you think about my stats?</p>
<p>by the end of next spring I will have done:</p>
<p>1 year of Gen Chem
1 year of O-chem
1 semester of Bio (i have done more but this is the only one that UCSD will take)
Maybe 1 semester of Calculus (if I decide to take it in Spring)</p>
<p>I can’t take the Physics they want yet because UCSD wants Calculus based physics from my school and I can’t take that until I take Calculus. Right now I’m taking Trig based physics which might be a waste of time but UCSB accepts it so I’m taking it as a backup. I still have quite a few classes to take for IGETC (like history, art, etc) but those are not too bad and I can load those all on during the Spring of 2010 and Summer (I can take them in the summer and still apply for Fall 10’ right?)</p>
<p>If I decide not to apply for Fall 10’ and instead wait until 2011, Bio will be impacted by that time. I will have finished all my pre-reqs but what happens to my chances of getting into UCSD? My GPA will be around 3.5 by that time (so long as I don’t fall off track) so would that be good enough to get into UCSD as a bio major even if it’s impacted?</p>
<p>After giving the topic some thought, this is what I’ve come up with.</p>
<p>UCSD is up there with UCLA and UCB in the Biology department. My view is: sure, you might have to spend a little more taking those lowerdivision classes, but you already saved yourself a lot of money by going to CC. Not paying for room/board, not paying for those stupid IGETC classes that you can pay $20 a unit instead of $6000 as a fulltime student at UC’s per quarter. </p>
<p>Sure its a lot of money to fork over, but if you’re majoring in biology, you’re most likely going to attend Med-school or some sort of graduate school. There’s not many jobs you can get with a B.S. in Biology… So fork over the money now, invest in your education, do well, get into a gradschool, find a nice job thats secure and pays well.
You’ll be glad you took the risk and invested in your future.</p>
<p>Feel free to share your point of view. I’m very interested.</p>
<p>Those stats are good. Really I see that students who have finished 1 year of bio and at least 1 semester of O-chem get in the top UC’s easily. I have a friend who had only 2.7 gpa but had finished o-chem and bio and got into UCSD. I have friends who have low 3.0’s but have finished o-chem get into UCLA.</p>
<p>not to ruin your day, EJ20 but if you’re in your second year and only have barely above a 3.0 at a COMMUNITY COLLEGE, I don’t think med school admissions are going to look very kindly at you.</p>
<p>iTransfer: really? are you referring to people who finished IGETC and applied with TAG and got in? </p>
<p>if i applied for Fall 10’ I would hopefully have finished IGETC but I won’t have any Calculus based Physics done and maybe not even any Calculus (again, I haven’t decided whether I’ll take the 1st semester of Calc in Spring yet). And I also won’t have 2 quarters of Biology done either. Or even Statistics if that’s necessary. So it seems like a lot to me but I figured if I transfer I could do all of that in my 1st year there and then do some summer courses to catch up a little bit.</p>
<p>Yea, ppl with no TAG. You shouldn’t be worried about physics. Most people don’t take it until their junior year anyways. Concentrate on finishing as much bio/chem classes as possible and IGETC.</p>
<p>But assist.org says you need Calc. based physics to transfer to UCSD and most other UC’s? Or is that just like a recommendation? This is really gonna suck if I don’t need physics bc I already signed up for it and all the bio classes are filled up already.</p>
<p>@RileyJohn: I totally agree with you. My current grades are not up to par. But the grades to not depict what I have in store for the future. Another member on his named themacattack510 had 1.6gpa his first year turned it around, got accepted as a biology major and attending UCLA this coming fall. It’s been done before as iTransfer says, he’s known applicants with even lower GPA than mine and still got accepted.</p>
<p>I know what I’ve been doing wrong, and I know what I got to do. I just hope this UCSD TAG agreement is true to its word.</p>
<p>It will be fine. You’ll get into to UCSD. Just make sure you know you’re looking at pretty much only straight A’s for the next to years to make up for your current GPA as far as med school admissions go.</p>
<p>Seriously I would change my major if I were you. I would go to grifith observatory out in LA, take shrooms and think really hard about what else I could do with my life. Thats just my opinion because math is really the boring-est subject on the planet. I get sleepy just reading your posts about how many math classes you have to take. haha</p>
<p>vintij: Trust me, I don’t like math. But if thats what its going to take for me to do something I enjoy and feel is right then so be it. And I’ll pass on the shrooms. Had a pretty bad trip last time hahahaha</p>
<p>upper: check Little_Duck’s previous threads. Theres a lot of info on how UCSD will be making Biology impacted in Fall 2011. Only 200 applicants will be accepted.</p>