<p>With admission decisions coming in the next few weeks, I wanted to pass along some advice to those who didn't get in. If ucsb was a top choice there is a "backdoor" way to get much of the experience of being a SB student. By experience I mean live in ucsb's vicinity for 4 years, get a ucsb diploma, take advantage of the social life, campus events, groups, etc. that ucsb students enjoy.</p>
<p>I'm posting this now so that you have time to think it over and investigate, since some of the deadlines are in March. You should consider an appeal, although the odds of this succeeding have historically been small (last year I read 750 students appealed and only 11 got in) and you won't know until for a while.</p>
<p>First off, don't take it personally. They haven't judged you and found you wanting. It's a numbers thing. Due to the boom in HS graduates and the increasing cost of privates, more students are turning to the UCs every year and they don't have room for everyone who's qualified. Students are being turned down today who would have gotten in even a few years ago. Although it stings to be turned down, you need to figure out your best strategy for what to do next, and that's the purpose of this post.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, the advice is attend Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) for 2 years, enrolling in the guaranteed xfer program. Live in the dorms in Isla Vista right by the ucsb campus the 1st year, in IV the next 3 (just like the 4-year kids do). Take part in campus life, and finish up with the ucsb diploma. And if you have a lot of AP credit it gets even better; you can spend just 1 year at sbcc and 3 at ucsb.</p>
<p>Many students don't consider a community college (CC) a valid option because they want the full "college experience", and also don't want to start at a college where everyone else has already spent 2 years making friends and learning the area. That's where ucsb is different, though. It's one of the few residential colleges in CA where students live on/near campus. So if you live in the community adjoining ucsb (Isla Vista or "IV"), you'll get a lot of the same experience the 4-year students get. </p>
<p>All CC's can participate in the ucsb guaranteed transfer program. But sbcc sends more than any other CC to ucsb, because it has students who enrolled to do exactly what I'm suggesting. SBCC has a Tranfer Academy (see <a href="http://www.sbcc.cc.ca.us/transferacademy/index.php?sec=825%5B/url%5D">http://www.sbcc.cc.ca.us/transferacademy/index.php?sec=825</a>) with counselors who know what you need to do. They offer honors course, as well as counseling and contact with ucsb. After you've completed a semester at sbcc you can take a ucsb class for credit each semester (paying a LOT less than the ucsb students, BTW!). And ucsb offers several classes each quarter you can attend to get familiar with the lecture format; they're not for credit, but it's the real deal. And its a chance to make friends with some ucsb students. See <a href="http://www.admissions.ucsb.edu/LectureExperience.asp?section=visitucsb%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissions.ucsb.edu/LectureExperience.asp?section=visitucsb</a></p>
<p>There are 2 private dorms right by the ucsb campus that house sbcc students. See <a href="http://www.sbcc.cc.ca.us/housing/index.php?sec=784%5B/url%5D">http://www.sbcc.cc.ca.us/housing/index.php?sec=784</a> Note, though, that some deadlines for dorms are in March. Even though they aren't the official ucsb-owned dorms, you'll still get a lot of the 1st-year experience they provide. And 2nd year you find an apartment in IV, which is what most ucsb students do after frosh year. Given the size of ucsb your neighbors aren't going to know you go to sbcc until you tell them; they'll just assume they haven't run into you on campus.</p>
<p>By living in the community you can take advantage of the social opportunities, you'll be living in the same place as ucsb students, you can attend campus events and activities. You can participate in intramural sports at ucsb at a slightly higher fee than students pay, and you can join many of the same clubs as a non-voting member. See <a href="http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/orgs/%5B/url%5D">http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/orgs/</a> to contact clubs you're interested in and see if they allow sbcc students to join.</p>
<p>The news is even better if you have a lot of AP credit. You can get in after just 1 year and spend 3 more at ucsb! To understand this, we'll need to talk about units. To get into ucsb as a xfer student you have to have what's called "junior standing", which means you have completed 90 quarter-system units of transferable credit as well as a specific pattern of 7 courses. Full details are on the ucsb admission website. It takes 180 units minumum to get a degree, and they put a cap of 200 on what you can accumulate to prevent students from hanging around forever without graduating. See <a href="http://www.advising.ltsc.ucsb.edu/graduation/units.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.advising.ltsc.ucsb.edu/graduation/units.php</a> The key point, though, is that AP credit does not count against you in terms of taking additional units at ucsb. Right on the official UC systemwide website at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nw6cn%5B/url%5D">http://tinyurl.com/nw6cn</a> it says
[quote]
The units granted for AP tests are not counted toward the maximum number of credits required for formal declaration of an undergraduate major or the maximum number of units a student may accumulate prior to graduation from the University. Students who enter the University with AP credit do not have to declare a major earlier than other students, nor are they required to graduate earlier.
[/quote]
Understanding this is really important. It means that even though by units you are considered a junior if you come in with 1 year of CC and 1 year of AP credit, you can act exactly as any other sophomore and take just as long as they do to choose a major or graduate. If you look at that page you can see how much credit you get for each AP test. </p>
<p>Keep in mind, too, that nothing says you have to take an AP class to take the AP test. If you are really motivated you could learn the material between now and May for a few of the easier subjects. All you're risking is your time and the test fees. If you don't have 1 year's worth of credit now, maybe you can take a few tests and get it.</p>
<p>What I've outlined above is an approach that allows you to get much of the ucsb experience the kids who are enrolled all 4 years get. Of course each person's situation is different. I want to post this now to give you enough time to consider it, to talk to the people at sbcc to make sure it'll work for you, etc.</p>