Hello, I just wanted to ask how difficult getting back into the UC system as a community college student if I previously went to a UC, dropped out, went to community college, and then attempted to transfer? I saw a few personal stories that were successful but also some comments of people talking about how their friends were unable to transfer back.
I personally withdrew from UC Davis after my first quarter due to a financial issue and I want to go back to a UC eventually. However, I am scared that it will look bad that I withdrew. I also am an intended engineering major, which I know is extremely competitive. Overall I just want to know how if leaving a UC makes it harder to get back in.
Some other information about my personal circumstance is that I withdrew from Davis with a 4.0, but had only taken 14 units total. My current goals to transfer to UCLA or maybe back into Davis as an electrical engineering major.
As long as you left UC Davis in good academic standing, it should not be an issue. Best of luck.
Hey OP, I left Cal after one semester and my advisor told me that I’m eligible for readmission anytime. The only rule is I cannot obtain a bachelor’s degree from anywhere else. You should be able to transfer to another UC just fine as long as you meet the requirements, but you shouldn’t have to apply to UC Davis as a transfer, just readmission.
Keep in mind if you go back to the same UC, that campus won’t accept IGETC, although any other will. It sounds like you probably didn’t do IGETC.
@rednotebook3 Hi! I actually withdrew from Davis in 2012 after attending for one year. I worked for a few years and even went back to Davis but kept withdrawing before finishing any classes. I went back to school by enrolling at a community college in the Summer of 2017. I applied for transfer last fall and was accepted to UCLA, UCI, UCSD, and UCSB (tagged). I hope this gives you some encouragement that you can indeed go back to school.
My biggest piece of advice is to be careful with the high-unit limits placed on students who previously attended a UC or any other 4-year university. Each UC Campus has different unit limitations so it depends on what schools you are trying to apply to. UCLA, for example, won’t accept more than 86.5 semester/130 quarter units. As in, going over these limits places you ineligible for admission. Pages 33/34 will provide you more information on this topic: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2018.pdf
I also advise you to look at the Transfers by Major: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major
This helped me see which literature majors were in my gpa range. I actually was below the average accepted gpa range for my major so don’t be discouraged if that’s the case for you too. I truly believe the admissions officers placed more emphasis on my grades from community college than my UC Davis grades. I left Davis with a 2.52 gpa, got straight A’s at my cc, and applied with a 3.3 gpa. Looks like you left Davis with a great gpa so that’s great!
Make sure to complete the 7 course pattern as this is required for admission: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/glossary/seven-course%20pattern.html
IGETC is not required except at Berkeley I believe - but research it just in case. They also accept completing the breadth requirements for the college your applying to at Berkeley instead of IGETC. I didn’t complete IGETC and messed up on my breadth, so if it’s a school you want to apply to make sure to do your research. I did not get admitted to Berkeley. You’re an engineering major so they might have different requirements for you such as required math courses.
Lastly, tell your story through your essays. I found that the UC Berkeley TAP program was helpful. They reviewed my essays and gave me great suggestions. I also had my English professor read my essays and he has been a great mentor to me as well. Reach out to your community college transfer center and stay informed about when UC counselors attend your school. The UC campus websites also can provide you the emails for those UC counselors. Here’s the one for UCLA: http://www.admission.ucla.edu/meet-your-counselor.htm
**If you want to return to Davis, you just apply for readmission. I would check with them about any other requirements or if taking courses at a community college would have any impact on their decision. They wouldn’t require Igetc and unit limitations wouldn’t apply. I’m sure they would be happy to have you back. I was readmitted 3 times and it was always a simple process.
I hope I didn’t miss anything but feel free to ask me anything or send me a message!
The only thing I will add to above is IGETC is not required anywhere except I think it’s UCR Bus Major. Anyway, if you are social science/ humanities in L&S it makes you way more competitive to complete it. Just keep in mind, Davis — if you were to go back — will not sign you off on it, but instead will work off what you completed in terms of its GE track.
UCs usually do not recommend completing IGETC for engineering majors. This is mostly due to the number of high unit classes required for engineers + that UCs want you to be able to balance your upper division coursework with some lighter GEs.
The seven-course pattern is important though. Make sure you have all those classes completed as well as the required courses for your major.
@Ohm888 I can complete igetc at the community college level so I was planning to complete. If I planned to complete IGETC should I apply as a transfer instead of readmission?
@cloud7 I only need to take 2 more classes to complete my igetc and I am sure I can fit it into my schedule. Should I take them and finish my IGETC?
@StudentAgain Thank you for your story it really is inspiring and gives me hope. However I am very concerned about the high unit limit. If you could please look over my situation I would greatly appreciate it. I may have issues with having too many units because I am switching majors and want to finish IGETC. Right now I have 14 quarter units from Davis, 13 semester units from dual enrollment in high school, 18 semester units and 4.5 quarter units from spring 2019. I am also planning on taking another 24 semester units and 23.5 quarter units over summer and 2019-2020 school year. I’m going to have a total of 61 semester units and 42 quarter units. Is this too many units? Also I haven’t accounted for my AP credit either or additional classes I would need to take to get into college other than UCLA. Also some of my courses are repeats, so how does that affect my unit count? I took calc 2 at Davis even though I could use my AP credit to skip it. I also had to retake chem at my community college because my community college is semester system and would not accept my quarter system credit from Davis. Then I also have to retake physics because in high school I took the algebra based physics instead of calculus based physics. Basically I wasted a whole 9 units. Will they count that?
@rednotebook3 if by readmission you mean applying back to the same UC, that UC will not accept IGETC. Be sure the courses you take also fulfill the general breadth categories so you get the best bang for your buck when that UC calculates.
@rednotebook3 I completed IGETC (because I realized I had one course left to take) so there’s nothing wrong with having it finished. Just make sure to not go over the unit limit because you’ve already attended a UC. I would contact all the UCs you’re interested in applying to and asking them about the unit limit. Sometimes there are exceptions to the general rules.
Not going to be a problem. UCs cap your transferable lower-division units from all colleges except a UC at 105 quarter units. Assuming (1) your dual-enrollment was not at a UC (2) you do not have any upper division units from anywhere – then you just have 14 more on top of that. The max number you will have from a UC point of view is 119. So you squeek by since the lowest number to be considered a high-unit junior at any UC is 120 quarter units from page 33 of http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2018.pdf
@mikemac Right now with my current planned schedule I will have 61 semester units and 42 quarter units so would that out me over?
As the UC link above shows, they first take all your non-UC lower division units. You get subject credit for each and every transferable class, but they cap the number of these units they apply towards UC graduation at 105 quarter units if you’ve hit or exceed that many units. Next they add on all upper-division transferable units, and all units (lower or upper division) taken at a UC. This total is the number they use to calculate if you are a high-unit junior or a senior.
Use this formula to see where you stand. To convert semester to quarter units multiply by 1.5 If you are below 120 quarter units then you are fine at all UCs.
Also if they accept High Unit Juniors or Seniors, there are limited majors avaiable.
High-Unit Transfer Unit Counts:
Junior Standing: 80-89 UC-transferrable semester units
Senior Standing: 90 or more UC-transferrable semester units
Campus and acceptance of HIgh Unit Juniors and Seniors:
Berkeley
90 semester/135 quarter units or more
High Unit Juniors: Some
Seniors: Some
Davis
80 semester/120 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
High Unit Juniors: Some
Seniors: Some
Irvine
90 semester/135 quarter units or more
High Unit Juniors: Some
Seniors: Some
Los Angeles
86.5 semester/130 quarter units or more
High Unit Juniors: No
Seniors: No
Merced
80 semester/120 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
High Unit Juniors: Some
Seniors: Some
Riverside
90 semester/135 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
High Unit Juniors: Some
Seniors: Some
San Diego
90 semester/135 quarter units or more
High Unit Juniors: Yes
Seniors: No
Santa Barbara
90 semester/135 quarter units or more
College of Creative Studies will consider seniors on a case-by-case basis
High Unit Juniors: Yes
Seniors: No
Santa Cruz
90 semester/135 quarter units or more
High Unit Juniors: Yes
Seniors: No
Hey, is there any way I can message and chat with you StudentAgain. I have a very similar situation and similar experiences as you and I love what you said about it. I’m going through it right now and I wanted to ask your for your input if that’s alright 