Getting Low Grades in Community College, trying to transfer!

Hello! To start things off I don’t know much about how the college system works. I’m currently a senior in high school taking community college classes in order to get ahead in credits so I can transfer. I am in California btw. From community college I want to transfer to a university like UCLA or UC San Diego. However right now I have a C in one of my community college classes. I heard that you need a 4.0 gpa in community college in order to have even a slight chance in transferring to major university. So I am really afraid of this C and it is too late to drop the class. I am also unsure if I can even raise it back up to an A. Will a C affect my chances of transferring? Thank You!

Try to get a B or B+! You can do it.

  1. Since you are a Senior in HS, if you are applying to UCLA/UCSD for Fall 2019, you will be a Freshman applicant with college credit and not a Transfer.

  2. UC’s do not see Senior grades since the application is due November 30th unless your college course ends before then, you will not have to report that grade until you are accepted and enrolled. Senior grades are not considered in the UC admission decisions but you do have to maintain a 3.0 GPA and no more than 2 C’s Senior year for UCLA which is part of your provisional admission contract if accepted.

  3. UCSD and UCLA are very competitive schools so make sure you do well Senior year. One C will not be an automatic rejection and not having a 4.0 will be an automatic rejection. You will be accepted based on the a-g courses you have taken 9-11th grades, your UC GPA including any CC classes taken 10-11th grades, your test scores, EC’s and essays.

Do your best and get that grade up to at least a B especially if it is a UC transferable class.

As usual, @Gumbymom offers wise advice. I might also suggest that you re-evaluate taking more CC classes as a high schooler. It might be too much for you right now, and it’s not necessary at the moment. You only have one senior year…enjoy it a little by not over-burdening yourself. You can always take a summer class if you’re trying to get ahead.

Also, double check the drop date. It may be too late to drop without a W, but I seriously doubt it’s too late to drop. I would ask @Gumbymom what she thinks about a W on a transcript in this situation, but I would guess that in this situation, one W is explainable. You can just say you thought it would be a good idea but then realized it wasn’t.

A W (withdrawl) will be much better than a C or lower grade. There will be no effect on your chances with a W on your record. Please check out the drop date. Also a typo in my original post. “ not having a 4.0 will NOT be an automatic rejection.” I agree you should reconsider taking CC courses if you are having some difficulty. These classes/grades will be on your college record in they are UC transferable and if you attend a UC or CSU.