<p>I'm asking this on behalf of my boyfriend because he wants to attend the same school as me in the coming years. Even if we don't end up working out in the future, the UCs are still great schools to attend (especially Cal and LA) so it's not like he's missing out on anything.</p>
<p>His grades aren't stellar; they're at a low B average right now and he's raising them to probably a mid B average. He has literally no ECs for high school, but his ACT score is 28-30 (he's gotten as high as 34 on practice ones). Basically I want him to work for this company in the summer because he wants to go into business, then finish high school by January while also applying to good universities and some reaches, and fly out to California and start CC classes until his graduation. If things don't work out with 4 years, then at least he'll have a head start via the units. I know he'll get a 3.8+ in CC (most likely 4.0). He has the capacity to do the work - he just majorly slacked off in high school.</p>
<p>I guess my questions are:
1) is he eligible for TAP/TAG/etc. since he's from Illinois (does this even matter)?
2) (ties into next question) Does Berkeley/Merced allow transfer students for the winter term?
3) how would his 2 years residency in CA work? If he comes here in January for CC while he's waiting for his high school graduation date, and then comes back again in the summer and say he stays and keeps attending CC, can he apply for fall semester that very year assuming he has enough units (highly unlikely, but still)? By the fall semester he'd be living in CA for 1.5+ years. Otherwise he can apply for Cal/Merced (assuming they allow winter term transfers) and he'd be living in CA for 2 years by Jan, so would he be a resident (in terms of tuition and cost of attendance)? He mainly wants to go to CC and then transfer for cheaper tuition, and if he wouldn't be considered a resident of CA through the high school graduate route, then he wants to drop out altogether because he wants to finish school the same time I do...</p>
<p>Ultimately the question is should he stay in Chicago and finish high school, or drop out now so he can get a head start on everything. He's having problems at home and my parents are fine with him staying at our house if he wants to go to CC. I wouldn't be going to school with him; his goal is to transfer to the same school I go to, though I know it'll be very difficult for him to do so. :\ Don't know what else is there to add... OH he's also 17. Won't be 18 until September, so that might affect his residency because his parents are staying in Chicago should he come to Cali in January for CC classes. Any feedback is GREATLY appreciated!!</p>
<p>Hi.</p>
<p>1) TAP/TAG is strictly for California Community College students.
2) Berkeley runs in semester system and does not accept transfer students for the winter term. Merced, however does accept winter (spring) transfers.
3) Your boyfriend needs to be in California consecutively for 2 years to establish CA residency. Each UC abides by different rules when it comes to determining residency. Here’s a link that has information specific to each UC. [University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html)</p>
<p>He could drop from high school and take the GED exam. Then he could start attending community college. This could save some money and time.
One more thing, if your boyfriend attends CA community college for 2 or more semesters and complete 30 semester units or more, he will be considered as an instate applicant and will be able to reap CCC benefits. This means significantly easier admission. The last semester/quarter before transferring must be done at CA community College.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info!</p>
<p>Could you maybe elaborate on the semester system at CC? I was kind of under the impression that you could come and take classes whenever so long as you don’t miss the first class (hence taking it in summer and odd dates throughout the school year while I was in HS).</p>
<p>And while he wants to drop out, I absolutely will not let him. Even with his less than stellar GPA, he’s still being offered a scholarship to Northwestern for physics and an even better scholarship at Bradley. I am pushing for him to stay his senior year because I want to know how he does in the college admissions process (I think he can get into a top 30 school, but maybe I’m pushing it lol). He just wants to leave Illinois because of his family, the weather, and the fact that he wants to attend Cal with me (UCLA if I decide to go to USC, but isn’t likely).</p>
<p><em>Edit</em>
OH! And if he starts attending CC here in January, does that not count for TAP/TAG? And can you only do one TAP/TAG? I was briefly browsing through the topics here and it seems people could only have one transfer program?</p>
<p>1) He needs to attend CCC for at least one academic year to be considered eligible for TAP/TAG.</p>
<p>2) Berkeley only accepts applications for the Fall term. Merced may have spring admission, but that’s iffy depending on the budget crisis.</p>
<p>3) I’m not sure I understand the need to travel back and forth with regards to HS graduation. It is possible for him to drop out of HS and start attending CCC as soon as he turns 18 since a HS diploma is not required for CCC attendance. He can get a CA driver’s license, register to vote in CA, and get a job (thus paying CA state taxes); all of these things will help him get state residency.</p>