<p>Hello, I am currently in my third semester of CC and I still have no clue what I want to major in, which is why the IGETC looked appealing. My ultimate goal is to get into UCLA or Cal, however I made the mistake of not taking math classes right away (I will need at least 2 more semesters) and I'm wondering if this will diminish my chances of getting accepted. Also my transcript is all over the place with 101 classes (theater, sociology, history, poli sci, cinema, photography, Spanish), it's completely random. My GPA is currently 3.88 with 1 B. </p>
<p>Have I screwed myself beyond repair? Could I still use the IGETC to get into UCLA? Thanks. </p>
<p>Do the igetc if you want to attend Cal or ucla, it is recommended for all majors except engineering. Sounds like you already finished your social sciences and arts/humanities requirements for the igetc. If possible, do not waste your time taking anymore of those classes. Go to your cc’s transfer center and look over your cc’s igetc. </p>
<p>About your major dilemma, i would that you check assist.org and browse the majors cal and ucla offer. Look at the prereqs of any majors that interest you, see if you had taken any of the prereqs, and cross reference it with the igetc so you can knock out both the prereqs and igetc requirements at the same time.</p>
<p>IGETC seems to require just one course in mathematical reasoning. How is that going to take you two semesters?</p>
<p>Also it seems you misunderstand the purpose of the IGETC program when you ask if you can use it to get into UCLA. As they say on their page “IGETC is not an admissions requirement. Completing it is not required, nor does it guarantee admission to the campus or program of choice. However, completing the lower-division breadth/general education requirements — through IGETC or the campus-specific requirements (depending upon the program) — may improve your chances for admission to a competitive campus and/or program.”</p>
<p>Okay I think I have the IGETC and major prerequisites fused together. Many posts talk about completing prereqs before transferring but I haven’t been doing that because I don’t know what I want to do. Now if I understand it, completing all prereqs is highly encouraged if one is not doing the IGETC, but it’s not required if one IS doing the IGETC. </p>
Still not exactly right. Think of the 2 things, IGETC and prereqs, as completely independent. </p>
<p>Prereqs qualify you for admission to a major. Some are required, they won’t even consider you if you don’t have them. Others are recommended, it is possible to be admitted without them but they would give preference to a similar applicant that has completed more of the recommended ones over one that has not. As you can see from the UC quote, it is a mistake to concentrate on completing IGETC if you are aiming for one of those majors because as they explicitly state you are not going to be a strong candidate without completing most if not all of the prereqs.</p>
<p>What, then, is IGETC good for? It is aimed at a completely independent goal. For students that are not sure about what they want to major in or (more importantly) what campus(es) they might want to attend, IGETC is a way to cover some bases in advance. Every UC has different lower-division breadth/general education requirements, and they also differ from the CSU requirements. It would be impossible to come up with a set of lower division classes you could finish in 2 years that would cover all the possible sets of requirements while also taking the prereq classes for the major you eventually pick. </p>
<p>In past years students complained that after they transferred their graduation was delayed because they were missing a couple of lower-division classes at the campus they enrolled at. IGETC to the rescue! All UC and CSU campuses have agreed that if you complete IGETC certification they will consider you to have fulfilled their lower-division breadth/general education requirements, whether you’ve actually met the listed requirements or not. IGETC also gives you some direction while at your CC rather than picking classes from the catalog at random. </p>
<p>UC says
The IGETC pitfall, as UC indirectly points out, is that if you end up deciding you want to be a science or engineer major and you take the IGETC courses then you’ll probably end up having to spend an extra year at your CC because you haven’t taken enough prereqs for your major.</p>
<p>So when you write “completing all prereqs is highly encouraged if one is not doing the IGETC, but it’s not required if one IS doing the IGETC” you are mixing apples and oranges. The 2 concepts have nothing to do with one another. As a transfer student you need to do 2 independent things [ul][<em>]be accepted to a major[</em>]finish the lower-division breadth requirements at your new school[/ul]Prereqs are for the 1st goal. IGETC is for the 2nd. The only linkage between the 2 is indirect; concentrating on IGETC may cause you not to have enough of the prereqs completed after 2 years at a CC to be accepted for science & engineering majors.</p>
<p>Thank you for that reply, it clears things up. Another question though: do the UC schools take into consideration the amount of time spent at CC? Is someone who spent 2 years more likely to get accepted than someone who spent 3? I’m sure it looks better to have taken 15 units per semester as opposed to 12.</p>
<p>^ MOST majors aren’t competitive enough to the point where units per semester really matters. But for the few that are --Business Economics @ UCLA, Engineering at any UC, Business Administration @ UCI-- taking more units per semester, assuming you are getting only As, would be preferable. </p>
I don’t know the answer. I suggest asking a xfer counselor at your school, a visiting UC counselor when they are at your CC, or using the “contact us” links at UC admission websites to ask. </p>
<p>Spending 2 vs. 3 years at CC has no discernible effects on your admissions as far as I know. I have worked at my CC’s counseling office for over a year and am quite certain that it doesn’t matter. However, I can’t say with the same degree of certainty that 6 years at a CC won’t impact your chances negatively. If a student only takes say 6 units a semester it might be interpreted that they are not as serious about school as an identical counterpart with 12 units is. Also, a student who is staying additional years because they have a pattern of W’s on their transcript would also be seen as less competitive. Your situation is much less dire than other students I’ve met. Unless I am misunderstanding, you just don’t know what you want to do. Career counseling or trying some internships might shed some light on your interests. Other than that keep up the good work; 3.88 is very competitive and you should be happy with that. Get started on that math ASAP because if you decide on a major in the STEM field you will most definitely need more math classes than the bare minimum to transfer. All the best. </p>