<p>I decided at the beginning of my junior year that thanks to slacking off in freshman and sophomore year...I wasn't going to get into a 4-year university straight out of high school.</p>
<p>Ever since then, looking into colleges outside a 10 mile radius of my home, Berkeley and UCLA have become my dream schools.</p>
<p>I finished up junior and senior year with 7 APs total, passed the exams on all of them (with only one 3). While my GPA in freshman and sophomore year were in like the 2.x range, junior year was a 3.6 and senior was a 3.9. SAT score was 2240 as well, which was great. Still, all those nasty Cs and Ds on my transcript from earlier years discouraged me from even applying.</p>
<p>I'm in community college now, just doing general ed, but decently ahead of the average kid because of all those APs. I want to get into my dream schools, and realize the fact that I don't live in California is a huge obstacle. How can I best raise my chances of getting accepted?</p>
<p>Just do your best to stand out in any way. This involves participating in unique ECs and writing a really strong personal statement (on top of a high GPA of course). While your upward high school grade trend and high SAT score shows maturity, the UC admissions unfortunately doesn't look at any of it for transfer students. Still, those APs will definitely give you some nice breathing room. Good luck.</p>
<p>Jamjam2, I applied as a transfer for the Fall 2009 semester too with a 3.86 GPA with 75 credits amassed to Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD. I am coming from a community college out of state too, so it will be very competitive for both of us, due to the California community college first dib's preference/other California schools (articulation agreements). Then second preference is saved for UC transfers (other UC schools). So with this being said you and I are last on the list. Here are my stats listed below.</p>
<pre><code> Stats = 3.86 GPA, worked at a neuroscience lab, advertised and marketed for a sports company, participated in Hurricane Katrina gives back, tutored math/chemistry, camp counselor, and all of this was during my college yrs. The only thing is I haven't been in school for two yrs. since summer 2007 due to financial hardships/family reasons, but what I did with my time off (listed above should definitely help me significantly).
</code></pre>
<p>Those are very impressive ECs and I do think you have a good shot, only thing is that I heard they prefer focused ECs towards a specific major (such as biology research for a biology major, etc) as opposed to the well-rounded profile of freshman applicants.</p>
<p>But you certainly sound competitive anywhere!</p>
<p>your concern is close to mine, a UC is both of our dream schools and we are both OOS.</p>
<p>from what i've learned so far from advice/info gathered: if you have your heart set on a UC and your doing cc, move to california! go to a California Community College and do an honors transfer program for two years (its gen ed stuff). google "UCLA TAP" (transfer alliance program) and theres a few others. not only will you have priority as a CCC student, you will also be more competitive when you are a part of an honors program like TAP which is partnered with UCLA.</p>
<p>another bonus is while your in Cali you can apply for residency, its hard, but no impossible, and so not only will you have a better shot at a UC, once your in you'll pay in-state tuition!</p>
<p>but hey, i'm 20 and moving to another state on my own doesnt really scare me, as long as i have a well thought out plan.</p>
<p>It's not as simple as just moving and going to community college here. You do have to establish California residency, which I believe can take a year or so.</p>
<p>Yeah, residency takes at least a year but it's certainly possible. I think the biggest barrier is that you can't be declared as a dependent on your parents' taxes for 2 or 3 tax years prior to the year you are applying. If you don't have that, you can't become a resident. Being financially self-sufficient isn't too hard as long as you work full time and you can even go home every so often, as long as it isn't for that long.</p>