Chances at Physics or Applied Math major @ UC Davis?

<p>So, I was wondering what my chances are and maybe what I should include for my EC's. I will be coming from a CSU (although I am a senior transfer and my current CSU GPA is 0.00). I know that UCD, UCI (only place I've heard a lot about senior transfers), and UCR that will probably take me. I contacted all of them and they pretty much told me that it may be possible but it will likely depend on what the dean thinks. </p>

<p>I have all prerequisites completed, will have some upper-divison math courses taken, and my GPA will be around a ~3.2.</p>

<p>Got plenty of reasons why my GPA is low-ish, but I don't really feel like making a sob story out of it on my essay. It just mainly concerns my medical problems (was in and out of the hospitals probably at least 10 times a month), depression (best friend died of leukemia), relationship stuff (stress from long-distance, helping her with her coursework more than I helped myself and gave half-hearted performances in my classes). I do have an upward-trend. </p>

<p>I did Physics Club and Rocket Club this past spring. I was in Civil Air Patrol (got to fly planes) in high school. This fall I will probably be joining the Society of Physics Students this upcoming fall (as a math major). Should I still include HS stuff? I was also in National Honors Society.</p>

<p>I'm going to try and like this school (Cal Poly Pomona), but I did not really enjoy orientation all that much and felt like I didn't belong here. Especially around the students. I only applied and accepted their offer because at the time my dad was actually on strike and our financial situation was so rocky I ended up picking CSU schools and a few privates in November last year(didn't get enough FA). Now that my financial situation has changed dramatically, I find myself not really wanting to be there. My parents already leased an apartment, so I have to stick it out for a year. I also wanted to transfer schools because I wanted to do AFROTC and the only way I can do this is if I have two years of school left for sure (and that I have to apply before the summer of my "junior" (2 years worth left) year to get into a Leadership Training Course to get me up to speed with their 2 year program) so I can become a military officer. And I feel like if I transferred schools I'd have better research opportunities because to my knowledge the mathematics department and the biology department don't work together. </p>

<p>As hard as I've looked I only see programs that cater to minority students for my school that involve research. The particular research I want to do is in mathematical biology, but that's not offered here really. I don't know if this will help my application, but I will be doing free online classes in Bioelectricity: A Quantitative Approach through Duke and Mathematical Biostatistics Bootcamp from John Hopkins University through Coursera because I am interested and maybe thought about mentioning a little bit what I'd learn from it to display some passion.</p>

<p>Is there any advice anyone can give me that might help my application?</p>

<p>I’m sorry about your GPA and the only thing you can do is to write that sob story. I hate sappy personal stuff too but it will help you in admissions so I would just do it. You have a medium chance of making it into Davis in general, but not sure about your desired major. I would pick something completely unrelated to math, finish school (assuming you get into Davis), then try again for a physics/ math career plan in grad school.
In any case, good luck :)</p>

<p>:/ </p>

<p>What? Some of your advice doesn’t make much sense. Are you still a high school student?</p>

<p>Why would I major in something completely unrelated to math when I will already have 3 years of coursework in it by the end of this school year? In case you misunderstood, I am already a junior having done the college curriculum for transfer and will be doing upper-divison coursework this fall.</p>

<p>But thanks.</p>

<p>How are you a senior transfer from a CSU with a 0.0 GPA?</p>

<p>Because I do not have a CSU GPA yet. That is what it says on the website. It’ll most likely be 4.0 at the end of this semester (gone through 5 chapters of my textbooks each already, not really complicated). My Overall GPA (16 units of CSU + 90 UNITS CC) will be around a 3.2 by the time they read my app.</p>

<p>If you can get a 4.0 at Cal Poly Pomona it seems to me like it would be a lot easier to just do your senior there as well and then apply to a UC for graduate school.</p>