Re-posting this here as its the more appropriate thread:
Hey guys, so I’m applying to transfer this upcoming fall and incredibly scared because my chances of getting in are extremely slim.
I’m currently about to start my second year at a community college. I’m a psychology undergrad (incredibly impacted and incredibly competitive major I understand) and my dream college is UCLA.
It’s been the school I’ve wanted to go to since high school, but in high school it was just a “it would be nice if I get in”. My last semester here, however, re-kindled all passions and aspirations I’ve had towards education and academics in general and now I really, really want to get into this school.
I’ll get straight to the point. My specs are as listed:
GPA: 3.25
ECs: Model United Nations (for a few weeks, I went to one conference), student government publicist, 200+ hours of club hours, secretary of honors program club, and honors program member. Graduated from an EMT academy.
I didn’t work, but over the summer I took an EMT class along with my summer classes and passed the class. I just need to take the national registry to qualify as a nation approved EMT.
My GPA trend is as follows:
Fall semester was abysmal to say the least, I took four classes and got a D (4 unit class) and an F (3 unit class) in two, and passed the other two with B (both 3 units)'s. I retook the D class and got a B, and got academic renewal for the F class because it wasn’t offered this fall. My school operates on a two 16-week fall and spring semesters and two 6-week summer and winter classes schedule, so the second semester I took two classes in which I got an A and a B (both 3 units). My third semester, I took five classes in which I got two A’s (4 unit, 1 unit) and three B’s (4 unit, 3 unit, 1 unit). My most recent semester I took with the EMT class, which was a terrible idea as I didn’t have enough time to study. I ended up getting a B in both classes (4 unit, 3 unit). So my GPA trend is as follows:
3.0 (with academic renewal for the F, retake on the D) > 3.5 > 3.38 > 3.0
I’m aware that the UC personal statements have changed, and plan to write one on my passion in psychology, one on my backstory, and others on how I’ve developed a sense of time management and learned productivity, as well as the strong desire I’ve gained in academics and knowledge in general, as well as my ambitions to excel.
This has been a bit of a long post, but I have one more thing to add. This fall, I plan on taking six courses in total (two 4 unit and four 3 unit), and my main goal is to get A’s in all of them. I don’t want to excuse that possible “one B”, and have made plans on how I’m going to make it happen, but I cant guarantee anything. I would be able to pull close to a 3.5 if I did, but by then I would have already applied to transfer. I don’t want to sound like I’m being wishy-washy, I’m determined and I know that I am, and I know that this time its different because I’ve prepared, planned ahead, made goals, and actually researched and overlooked everything. I really want to do this.
I’m also listed as a treasurer for a club on my campus, and plan to work 12 hours a week as an EMT with my classes. There are a few clubs I want to join but I’ll have to wait and see how I can handle my course load first. I’m not intimidated by my classes at all, as this summer was probably the most rigorous in terms of class load I’ll ever have to deal with, but I still don’t want to put too much on my plate as GPA is the most important.
Also, I’ve completed all of my prerequisites for UCLA, and my grades for them are as follows:
Ethics Philosophy: B
Intro to Biology: B
Intro to Chemistry: A
General Psychology: A
I’ve completed my math requirements through AP tests in high school, and I got a 4 on the Calculus BC exam.
Sorry that I’ve written so much, I just want to give all the information I need in order to get a realistic, accurate idea of my chances of getting into this school. My school does offer TAP and TAG requirements, but as my GPA falls under 3.5 I wont be able to use them.
Do I have a chance of getting in? What can I do to increase my chances?