So I am currently In community college and applying to UCD and UCB in the fall 2019, and I have major gaps in education, as well as withdrawals and a couple C’s on non transferable credits. My UC-transfer gpa is a 3.9. Due to work and supporting myself I have major education gaps, I’m 27 and just applying for UCD. I had a good stable career for a while that required little schooling (I worked in Emergency medical services for 4+ years) but I wanted to follow my passion and finish school. Do you think I’ll get in either school? Being aware I started college at 18 and just now applying to UC’s at age 27. I know this is a loaded question so any tips or help is appreciated!
Yes, they will accept students with gaps in education. Just make sure you explain why you have gaps in your education and you will be fine.
You have a good UC GPA which is the only one that matters. I think you have a good chance being accepted at both UCB and UCD.
At your age you fall into the category of non-traditional student. According to UC
You should contact admissions at each campus you are considering to get in contact with the advisor.
I went back after 5 or 6 years off. First community college class was back in 2000!
UCD and UCB have been very encouraging and provided a lot of assistance. I did the TAG for UC Davis, and I have a decent shot at Berkeley. Couple things I would recommend is to meet with the transfer counselors from UCD and UCB. They usually have the best info and in my experience were very helpful. Second, look into UCB’s Experience Berkeley transfer programs and their Starting Point Mentorship program. I joined both and was able to attend workshops for application assistance and got to know other re-entry students who had transferred in after years in the work force. Good luck!
Hey there,
UCB certainly accepts gaps in education and they celebrate academic growth. I wouldn’t worry too much about your C’s because they aren’t transferable, and if they were in the past then it would be even better. My brother had a several year gap in his education and actually failed almost all of his classes his first year. After going back to school and maintaining a 4.0 GPA for transfer reqs he was accepted to UCB and will graduate this year. He was 25 when he got there. If you properly explain your gaps, and even the weakest aspects of your app then you have a great shot. Good luck!
Hey!
The best advice I could tell you is to write a genuine story using the essay questions on the application. Believe it or not, I had about 16 Ds,Fs, and Ws in my transcript…maybe more…and my last semester I barely passed my Ochem class because issues with a professor. This is after attending 4 different CCs from 2009 to 2018 and getting kicked out of one of them. When people say they care about your upward trend, they’re not lying and if you can properly explain that there were things hindering you from success in the beginning and show that you were able to overcome them, it might give you a better chance than the average student. I forgot to mention, I transfered with a 3.6 GPA, those Cs are killers! Best of luck, hope to see you on campus!