<p>Well basically I'm a Biology major at Community College. Been there for 2 yrs now and have only done 1 Biology class(Intro. To Bio). Before you ask what I was doing all these semesters basically I was an international student who had no idea what I was getting myself into going to CC and now I'm stuck in the system and have more or less wasted 2 years. To make matters worse my grades are getting lower and lower each semester. Last I checked I'm at 2.75(but with a couple Incomplete grades from the last semester that could either bring it down or keep it at 2.75). I been thinking of changing majors and transferring and then switching my major back to biology. I don't even know whether that's possible but it's something I'm willing to blindly try.. Another thing that's kiiling me is the pressure from my folks to apply to transfer for the fall semester this year, and I've been made to fill out applications for Stanford, USC, UCLA, Princeton and the whole while I'm thinking that ain't no way in hell I'm going to be able to transfer with these grades. I did turn a new leaf this semester so hopefully the grades are going to be on the rise but for now I'm still screwed.</p>
<p>Any help on my situation would be gravely appreciated?</p>
<p>I know so many people who are in their 3rd year at community college. I'm in my first and dont plan on staying till 3, but in your case, you didn't know what it was all about so you were rightfully confused. Just do one more year and get your gpa up to like a 3.4 and you'll be set. Maybe even just one more semester.</p>
<p>there's a teeny bopper chance that you'll get in if you work on your essays and start buffering your studying.... but other than that, i'm sorry.</p>
<p>Corleone, it almost seems like your at a breaking point. I attend a community college and I been there feeling frustrated and inferior because you like your trapped and on top of that you add the pressure and stress of doing good because that's the only plausible way out. Hang in there, just try your heart out and in you want to major in biology keep that major I don't see apoint of switching majors. In my community college thay have a policy if you recieve a unsatisfactory grade in a course you can take it again and the better grade we replace the previous grade on your transcript. You can try that, it'll take some time.Plus, try to study hard.</p>
<p>hmm, well 2.75 at a cc is bad news, but the end isn't near. With a 3.0 at a CC you can get into most state schools. Getting into Stanford (nearly impossible for anyone to transfer to) would require a 3.9+ and you being a urm and/or athlete, UCLA 3.5+ and your cc has to be in california, otherwise the standards are similar to Stanfords, even USC will require a gpa of like 3.3+. Princeton is impossible, not just for you but for anyone to transfer into since they don't accept transfers.</p>
<p>You can forget about the IVY leagues and Stanford. You'd have to be practically a celebrity or make some huge discovery or get a science paper published to get into a top school with a 2.75 GPA.</p>
<p>If you applied to UCLA for Fall 2006 with a 2.75 GPA and only intro to biology, it's not looking good for you. The only miracles I've heard of were students that had a 3.2 or so that got in. To even get considered, I'd get that GPA to at least 3.0. There's a big difference between 2.9 and 3.0 when applying for UCLA.</p>
<p>I don't see you getting into any UC's for Fall 2006, so I suggest you take the next academic year and get your biology, and chemistry done to boost up your GPA. If you can do TAP at your CC, and get certified, that'll be your ticket to UCLA. </p>
<p>USC might be the easiest to get in out of your choices. But it's still quite a stretch.</p>
<p>Can you elaborate more and your courses completed and ECs?</p>
<p>2.75 gpa for 2 years will be hard to push up to the 3.5 gpa range in one years time. Now that you're more focused, I suggest declaring academic bankruptcy and then spend the next 2 years trying for that 4.00 with ECs.</p>
<p>It's kinda hard to boost to a 4.0, cuz there are a lot of killer courses in bio major, such as organic chemistry and calculus 1,2,and 3. Anyway, try your best!</p>
<p>Yeah it'll definitely be hard. But there is always a way, but since you slacked in first 2 years, the way is a lot longer for you than for others on this board. I suggest that YOu WORK YOUR A$$ off for the next two years, find something that you are genuinely interested in and spend some time on it to make yourself a pro :D. Then if you can get 3.5 next year and then a 3.75+ the year after, maybe you can apply to some better schools, but as it stands, applying to stanford and ivies is just a waste of app fees. You might as well use the money to donate to the needy in africa, but if you are rich enough to donate and pay for app fee, give it a try, chances aren't great though.
Hopefully you'll focus more on your interests and school in the future. Best of luck in your future endeavors :D</p>
<p>also, tell your parents to stop being unrealistic. No offense but unless your parents donated a lot of money to the ivy's or stanford your chances are really low. Work hard and try your best to pull 4.0's for the next year - colleges love seeing an upward grade trend</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies especially the harsh reality ones cause I know it's damn near impossible to get into some Ivy league school with my GPA but for some reaosn the folks still wanna try. Those damn essays I have to write and all for nothing because I know in the back of my head I'm going to be in CC next semester. I've been thinking of transferring to some regular UC like Riverside or San Diego but at the same time their Bio programs are not really up to par. I most definitely am going to pull those grades up and luckily even though I've been in CC for 2 years now I'm just 18 so I still got time but I still want to leave ASAP. I'm not trying to boost to a 4.0 because realistically I know that's not going to happen but at least a 3.5 will be good considering the classes am taking now are not that hard I think the road to my goal is not going to be too tedious.</p>
<p>Can you elaborate more and your courses completed and ECs?</p>
<p>Well let's see I got all my Gen Ed. classes out of the way so now I'm only focusing on core subjects like Math(currently taking College Algebra), English(currently taking Composition), Biology(Only taking Generak and I'm now enrolled in "Antomy & Physiology) and finally Chemstry(currently enrolled in Intermidiate Chem.). What is a TAP though? Don't think I ever heard of it.</p>
<p>In my community college thay have a policy if you recieve a unsatisfactory grade in a course you can take it again and the better grade we replace the previous grade on your transcript. You can try that, it'll take some time.Plus, try to study hard.</p>
<p>The problem is at my CC you can retake classes were you got a D but not classes with C's. And most of the grades that pulled me down were C's so I'm screwed on that part again.</p>
<p>Once again thanks for all the previosu replies and any future replies would be appreciated because this transfer thing is really killing me.</p>
<p>UC San Diego's biology program is not up to par? It's one of the best in the nation dude (i don't know anything about riverside). If you really want to go ivy but worry about your GPA, just declare academic bankrupcy so you start fresh with a 4.0</p>
<p>Just checking, Corleone. Is Biology what <em>you</em> want to major in, or what your parents want you to major in?</p>
<p>I completely sympathize with the pain of all those essays for Stanford, etc. when it certainly seems impossible that you will get in. My S <em>has</em> to transfer, as he is at Tulane in Engineering and they are closing down that program. Writing the essays for the uber-selectvie schools is a very daunting task and I wouldn't want him doing it "just for the exercise." If I were you, I would share with your parents the "harsh realities." You can get the statistics for transfer students on Stanford's own website, common data set, etc. and show them the futility of spending your time on applications like that for this year. Show them the typical GPA, SATs, course preparation etc. Stanford et al expect.</p>
<p>You should be spending your time on improving your academics, not useless applications. That way you can select realistic transfer possibilities and go for it when your academic record matches your goals.</p>
<p>I am not very knowledgeable about CCC to UC etc. transfers, so just checking on some seemingly sensible advice another poster gave above: if you stay a 3rd year at your cc to get your GPA up, would you then transfer as a junior to the UC or other uni? As most schools seem to want you to spend at least 4 semesters there after transfer.</p>
<p>Best of luck. If I can help any further with a parent perspective, let me know.</p>
<p>You're still young and you have a lot to learn in life which is okay. Parents can have an unhealthy influence at times due to misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations. Decisions like these aren't always easy. It is essential that you stay focused and start getting real about things. The issue here isn't whether or not you can get admission into ivy caliber colleges - you already know the outcome and I don't need to waste my time commenting on it. Furthermore, even if you miraculously made it in; you'd most likely flunk out as the difficulty level is exceedingly hard even when compared to state schools.</p>
<p>The tasks which you'll have to focus on are more sophisticated and mature than just "what college can I get into". It is critical that you learn how become a more efficient student. Start honing your study skills; work with professors and sincerely ask them to help you; triple your study hours and always ask questions after class. At a community college, many professors are accessible after class (I know I've taken courses in the summer at cc's before). My advice would be stay back for at least 1 to 2 semesters and get your GPA up to at least a 3.0. </p>
<p>Following this; apply to state colleges close to your area and you will get accepted. If you do well in a state college; you have a shot at going to great grad. schools which they will fund. Stay focused, work hard and transfer to a decent state college.</p>
<p>I'd consider moving and starting fresh at a new cc. You would just retake all the classes. Thats what i would do if wanted to get into top schools. Then u would have write how u were immature and etc in ur essays.</p>
<p>Looking at the classes that u have taken, looks like u need to stay at cc at least a year maybe even two.</p>
<p>U need 2 semesters of calc, 2 general calcs, 2 ochem, and physics, and bio of course... </p>
<p>Doesn't look like u have done many of these. So, u're going to have to do these.</p>
<p>To get into UCSD out of HS when i graduated, the average was like 4.05 GPA and 1360 SAT.... and at least several AP classes and great EC.</p>
<p>I know a lot of smart students who went to UCR. </p>
<p>The reason i bring up HS, u're as old as a HS senior... </p>
<p>Why did u go to cc at such a young age.... WOW... At 16 yrs i was not ready for college. I needed to develop study skills and habits. I needed to be introduced to calc, physics, chem, bio, etc... I needed to learn to write essays....</p>
<p>I would have done horrrible in cc as a science major.......</p>
<p>It is VERY possible for a person to develop the study habits and maturity needed to thrive in college. My friend is one example. He did poorly in highschool, only achieving an overall GPA of 2.0. He decided to graduate from highschool early and go straight to a CC because he knew that he would not be able to get into any schools with his GPA. Of course, he didn't bother taking the SATs. Basically, he kicked butt at his CC, achieving 45 units in one year with a transferable GPA of 3.8. Again, he did all of this in ONE YEAR! At the ripe age of 18, he is now a sophomore attending USC as a business major with a concentration in finance & real estate.</p>