<p>Getting accepted into a UC isn’t just about having 60 units. 60 units is an absolute, definitive requirement, but what’s going to determine whether you get accepted or not is if you can complete all of the major pre-requisite courses in the narrow timeframe you’ve set yourself. Furthermore, bear in mind UCs don’t factor in your winter or spring grades of the year that you intend to transfer before they make their decision. Ideally, you’d want to finish all of your pre-reqs and have a competitive GPA by the end of this Fall. </p>
<p>Realistically, I would say the most sensible option would be to transfer to CC the year after so that you’d be enrolled for Fall '14. The strategy you’ve set up for yourself to transfer for Fall '13 isn’t impossible, but there are a lot of potential hang ups. First of all, you’re not only assuming you’re going to be able to handle all of those units, but you’re also assuming there’s going to be 18 units of open courses for you to sign up at a local CC without having priority registration. Remember community college is the entry point for many people for higher education. If you think it’s hard to get classes at now a CSU because of the budget cuts, think about how many people have gone back to school because of the economy. Where do those people start off? At a community college. If anything of the the tiers of public education between the UCs, CSUs, and CCs the budget cuts have hit CCs the hardest. CC schedule of classes have been scaled back severely and many don’t even offer winter or summer sessions any more. For many of us that have been in CC one, two, even three years it’s still hard registering for classes because they fill up so quickly. Business is a pretty popular major so there are a lot of people that need the same pre-req courses that you do and those classes fill up in just a matter of days. Unless you get some sort of priority registration I have no idea how you can expect to enroll in what’s beyond a full-time course load every semester. I’ve taken courses at six different CCs in the greater LA area and I know for a fact there’s no way you’ll be able to enroll in 18 units at one CC without priority registration. The only feasible way would be to sign up for courses at multiple CCs. I’ve taken 18 units at 3 different CCs in one semester and it’s exhausting. I’m not saying don’t try it because if you can do it, it’ll be worth it. But be sure you can handle the pressures of commuting all around LA and in addition to the strain of an 18 unit course load. </p>
<p>Secondly, you have to be sure that your CSU classes are all UC transferable. If any of them are not then you’re setting yourself up for an even greater course load in the next year. Maybe 21 units for Fall? Or maybe 12 units this upcoming Summer? Remember you don’t want to leave your units for Winter or Spring because the UCs need to see that you’ve made progress on your pre-reqs and that you’ve had a significant academic history that shows you’ll do well in whatever classes you have left. Effectively, based on your plan if you want to be in the best position to get accepted you need to finish all your pre-reqs by Fall 2012 along with the Math/English requirements because UCs hold those in high regard. If you can manage to do all of that in just Summer 2012 and Fall 2012 in CC you’ll be in a favorable position at any of the socal UCs. </p>
<p>Honestly, no one wants to stay in CC. Most of us have been in your position before and wanted to get out of CC the quickest way possible. I went to CC out of high school to save money and when I first started I looked to take the maximum amount of courses I could every semester. I hated the thought of being a “community college” student and felt like I was missing out because I wasn’t at a major university. As a Biology major, overloading each semester with Physics, Calculus, Biology, and Chemistry and then cramming in whatever ECs and English courses I could get for IGETC during winter/summer was ridiculous. Ultimately, I ended up with a handful of Ws and a lower GPA then I was capable of and now I’m in my third (thankfully final year) of CC. My best advice would be to be efficient and know your limitations. For me that was a maximum of three 5 unit courses per semester. If you try and cram everything into one year not only do you risk dropping your GPA and spending more time in CC if you find out it’s a course load you can’t handle, but even worse is that you miss the material and all of that time you spent rushing through courses is lost when you move on to a UC. If you get to UC and find out you don’t remember anything from the blur of the year you spent in CC you’ll be in trouble and will end up doing poorly or repeating courses you’ve already taken at an institution where it’s going to cost you a lot more money. </p>
<p>Anyway, whatever you decide good luck to you. I would say try to max out those units for the first semester, but be honest with yourself if you can’t handle it. If you can good luck finishing everything in time and hopefully you’ll get into a UC for Fall '13. If not though don’t be too bummed out, absorb everything CC has to offer and make sure you’re prepared to move on and do well at a UC in Fall '14.</p>
<p>One note, as someone mentioned before the length of time you stay in a CC has nothing to do with your class standing. It’s determined by the number of units you’ve completed. As someone that’s already been to a 4-year university 60-89 semester units = junior, 90+ semester units = senior UCs don’t allow senior transfers so you’ll have to be sure you don’t complete more than 90 units before you transfer or you’ll be ineligible to attend at a UC.</p>