Course "break" in transcript affecting my admission?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hello, I am starting my second year at a CC and applying to UC this fall. First, sorry for the upcoming long, winded post but I just want to articulate it the best I can, so thanks to anyone who reads this!</p>

<p>To explain my situation: I enrolled in UCI my first year as an undeclared physical science major. Due to personal and financial reasons, I withdrew and am doing my second year at a CC, but I hope to transfer back into UC.</p>

<p>I am planning on applying for Applied Mathematics majors in UCs. I think I have a good chance with a 3.86 GPA, 3.92 major GPA (as of now). Thing is, I didn't take math in my spring quarter at UCI (I didn't know what I wanted to do and I didn't think I would want to do math, but after some re-evaluating and soul searching this summer I am set on going into it). Because of this, I technically did not complete the entire Calculus series. I am only missing one more course to complete it, which I am knocking myself on the head for not taking in the spring. But eh can't cry over spilled milk.</p>

<p>With that being said, I'm going to be concurrently taking two math courses at my CC (Mt. SAC) this coming fall, one of them being the latter course of the Calc series [Math 280 if anyone wants to know]. But because it's on a semester system, there will be overlapping with course material at least in the beginning (not that I mind, it will be nice to refresh myself). I'm just worried about how admissions will view my one quarter "break" from math. Since I'm going into math, I know it is crucial to take math courses every quarter/semester. In fact a basic prereq for any math transfer hopeful is 4 semesters or 6 quarters worth of math by the end of your second year. I'm hoping that doing two semester courses of math concurrently will make up for my break? :S</p>

<p>To make it neat as I can:
- In UCI, the calc series composes of Math 2A, 2B, 2D, and 2E (no C, got squished into D). I got AP credit for 2A and I took 2B and 2D in fall and winter quarters respectively. But I did not finish up with 2E (argh stupid me)
- According to assist, Mt. SAC's Math 280 = Math 2D/2E. So if I had done 2E I would not have to take Math 280, but I will have to now to make up the missing quarter of math, even if there is some overlapping.</p>

<p>I guess to sum up my concerns:
- How much will this impact my application/admission, a quarter break from a major course?
- And lastly, is this something I should explain on my application in the little text box that says "any other info you'd like to explain about your academic history that you could not mention elsewhere" ?</p>

<p>Again sorry for the long and winded post, but it's something that has really been biting me and I wanted to articulate it best I could. Thank you to anyone who took their time to read this!</p>

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<p>Here’s your real problem… Courses that are offered in a sequence, need to be finished all at the same school. If it’s not, you run the risk of not receiving credit for the entire series. You really need to call whichever UCs you are interested in transferring to, and ask this question directly to them. Perhaps because you originally took the first part of the series at a UC there may be some additional options.</p>

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<p>Yeah, agree with candles. And you have the added quarter/semester overlap issue. However, the UCI sequence is the same at any UC. It seems to me you should see if you can apply with calculus 3 missing, and do it at your new UC, if accepted. You need to talk to someone, but taking it at a CCC seems like it won’t really work… </p>

<p>Other option is trying to take at a UC by itself or UC online.</p>

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<p>Oh no that was indeed a major worry I had looming at the back of my mind…I guess I’ll call to make sure. Thank you guys for replying!</p>

<p>(if onlyy I had just taken one more quarter bsadflkjd)</p>

<ul>
<li>nvm, got it! -</li>
</ul>

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<p>I would start with Admissions. If they aren’t the correct dept, they should be able to direct you to the right one.</p>

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<p>Ah yes, they are closed at this hour but I will definitely call them the first thing tomorrow and see what they say. Again thank you!</p>

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<p>hey @bearly, whatever happened with this? I just saw this from way back and am realizing I think I have to amend my comment as math is a validation subject, meaning you are at whatever level you’re at and once you’re there you don’t have to prove the lower classes. I think this would mean the partial sequence at another school would not be an issue. You test out at the final level and that’s all they want to see. (Same with language, they don’t care how you get there, as long as you get there). So, I guess the issue might be the 2D overlap, but my instinct is you can get away with Math 280, even if the earlier ones were taken somewhere else, because Math 280 validates everything earlier. </p>

<p>What did you find out?</p>

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<p>Ah thanks @lindyk8 for your concern! Well, I decided to still enroll in Math 280. I just didn’t want to take any chances since I was missing an entire course back at UCI, and multivariable calc is a big major prereq. I was even more spurred to do so after reading on this UC Transfer FAQ page (don’t remember where but I do remember reading) that if you were transferring courses from other colleges, to try to take all the courses in a part of a sequence, or else you might risk having to take the entire sequence over. I’m ultimately deciding to reference this on my app in the “additional info about educational history” part just to clarify:</p>

<p>“While I took a multivariable calculus class (Math 2D) at UC Irvine, the school separates their multivariable calculus into two quarter courses, only one of which I took. Because of this, I chose to take my community college’s semester version of multivariable calculus, (Math 280) even though there would be some overlapping of material. This is to ensure that I learn the full curriculum that encompasses lower division multivariable calculus, instead of potentially missing a quarter worth of material.”</p>

<p>On the bright side, hopefully that’ll make me look more dedicated? Haha</p>

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<p>At least this is my current re-analysis of the situation. :slight_smile: I think you made the right call. </p>

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<p>I think/hope so too! Thanks again!</p>