In a terrible position, not sure what to do, Please Help!

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello everyone, thank you for reading. I've had a terrible experience with admissions in the past couple days, and finally notice my mistake. At this point, I'm just wondering what I should do from now.</p>

<p>The situation:</p>

<p>My mistake was that I had ONLY applied to UC's, and expected to get into at least one of them (applied to five).</p>

<p>SAT I: 2030
GPA: 3.71</p>

<p>My test scores and GPA weren't the best, but they were almost average. I had applied to UCSC, feeling it as a safe option. My two schools that I had hoped to have a chance at getting into were UCD and UCI, which I'm not feeling too good about anymore.</p>

<p>My cousins, who are UCB and UCD alumni, had told me that I would have a solid chance at making it into UCD and UCI, considering my experience with graphic design, creating logos, shirts, and more for my school and senior class, and freelancing for a total profit of over $4,000. .</p>

<p>I had applied to UCSC, UCI, UCSD, UCD, and UCLA. UCLA was a long shot, but I just decided to throw it in there. </p>

<p>Throughout the past couple days, I had received two disappointing decisions:
[ul]
[li] UCSC: Waitlisted (I had thought that this would be a safer choice)[/li][li] UCD: Rejected[/li][li] UCI: Pending, not sure but expecting rejection, based on SC.[/li][li] UCSD: Pending, expecting rejection.[/li][li] UCLA: Pending, expecting rejection.[/li][/ul]
I'm not feeling too good about UCI's incoming decision, after seeing UCSC's decision. I'm afraid that I won't be accepted into ANY university. Not only that, but I'm not sure how to carry on through applying for community college, while UCSC holds me on their wait list. </p>

<p>**What if UCSC, by some stroke of luck, takes me after I've applied to CC?</p>

<p>Why was I waitlisted for UCSC, a school that I felt I was qualified for?</p>

<p>If I'm in the top 9% of the state, and I'm not admitted into any of these colleges, how will the UC guarantee work out? Will I be placed in Riverside/Merced?**</p>

<p>I'm sorry for sounding like I'm complaining, when it's entirely my fault. I'm extremely distressed about being rejected from my lowest choice. Should I even have hope for any acceptance anymore?</p>

2

<p>Space permitting you would be offered acceptance at Merced, you will only get an offer at Riverside if they have excess room. Last year they didn’t; I believe the year before they did. Obviously if you start at Merced you could apply to transfer. If you apply to CC you can rescind if you are accepted off the wait list for Santa Cruz; you might lose some deposits if they are nonrefundable. </p>

<p>You might still get into UCI, it independent of SC. Yes, UCI is generally more selective, but any given student might get in there and not get into UCSC because they might look at different factors. I’m not saying you WILL get in but I agree that by your stats I would consider you a fair match. Here are their stats for acceptance from last fall:<br>
<a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/files/freshman-profiles-ca/freshman-profile-ca-uci.pdf”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/files/freshman-profiles-ca/freshman-profile-ca-uci.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>for reference, here are UCSC’s stats from last fall: <a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/files/freshman-profiles-ca/freshman-profile-ca-ucsc.pdf”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/files/freshman-profiles-ca/freshman-profile-ca-ucsc.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>NEITHER accepted everyone who had your stats last year, but both accepted a bunch with those stats, and that UCSC waitlisted you has nothing to do with how UCI will look at you. Yes, they waitlisted/rejected fewer with your stats than UCI did, but nothing guarantees any specific person being the 70%+ they accepted. Whereas nothing says you will NOT be in the 40%+ UCI accepts with those stats. </p>

<p>It isn’t as if all UC admissions officers from all UCs get in one room and all agree on the specific ranking of all applicants and allocate the universally agreed upon applicants to specific schools. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Thank you so much! </p>

<p>Are you aware of whether appealing a “waitlist” decision would work? If my appeal is dismissed/rejected, would I still be on the waitlist?</p>

4

<p>I would think you would still be on the waitlist, but my understanding is that appeals have to be based on new information or a mistake in the record, not just on wanting them to think about it again. I don’t have official information on that, but I have read that over and over. </p>

<p>However, I have also heard that being put on a waitlist is a good excuse for sending an update reiterating your interest in the school and telling them good things about what you have been doing this year… have you had accomplishments that would enhance the record they saw? Good grades? Honors? Achievements?</p>

5

<p>UCs admit primarily based on an algorithm in which GPA and test scores are the most important. ECs aren’t weighted as much as they would be at private schools.
You are far from hopeless. At the very worst, you would go to a CC and transfer. California is <em>the</em> best state for CC transfers as there is a very good system with even the top UCs sometimes even preferring to admit CC transfers over freshmen. If you did very well in CC it would be very possible to get a UCLA degree, and for a fraction of the cost.</p>

6

<p>You can always apply to a few more schools…
<a href=“College Search | College Finder | Colleges by Major & Location”>College Search | College Finder | Colleges by Major & Location;
Agnes Scott (if you’re a girl) is a very good women’s college in Atlanta; Albion and Hendrix are both strong LACs. Juniata, Drew, Flagler would all be safeties.
If push comes to shove and you’re “shutout” from all UCs, you can wait for the May2 Nacac list of colleges that miscalculated yield and still have some places. And if that isn’t enough, you can definitely apply to community colleges in May.
Re: the waitlist: send new information - new grades, new accomplishment, and reiterate your interest. UCSC may have felt that you treated them as your safety and they preferred admitting students who really want to attend: reiterating interest and explaining what you’d do (dept/major, professor…) may help.</p>

7

<p>If you do not get in at UCI, and do not want to go to a CC, CSU Channel Islands says they are still accepting applications for Fall 2014. Other CSUs will start accepting applications for Spring 2015 on August 1st.
We know many students who have gone the CC to UC route very successfully however so you have options. </p>

8

<p>Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for your replies! All of the advice is taken into account and I’m planning to try out an appeal to SC (My cousin, who is now graduating from SC, got in through appeal from waitlist). It couldn’t hurt, right? </p>

<p>I have already written the appellate letter, stating that my poor performance in the 10th grade was due to my transition from being simply a student, to juggling both my drawing schedule and schoolwork. I was judging the situation based on my ambitions, and let them overtake my academics. By the end of the semester, I straightened my priorities (and began an upwards trend in grades). I take full responsibility for my low GPA!</p>

<p>Hopefully it’s a valid reason.</p>

<p>Thank you again for all your help, otherwise it will be the CC path. I don’t think I can afford to pay OOS tuition for rolling admission schools.</p>

9

<p>As a last resort, check out Ole Miss. Admissions for Fall 2014 are open until June and they auto admit Out of Staters with a 2.5 GPA and a 20 ACT.</p>

10

<p>Hey, don’t be stressed… I had a GPA of 2.7 and SAT’s 1720 I have been accepted to 6 colleges and still waitinh on some others. Truth is if you trust your guts that you might have not made the right decisions then consider applying to a few more schools, remeber its a lot of work but it is worth the shot. Apply to a CC if you should, they are not always bad and you can make easy good grades before transferring to top ranked school. </p>

11

<p>Thank you for the reassurance.</p>

<p>@Mandalorian I can’t apply for out-of-state, because I’m not sure if I could pay the OOS tuition. My CalGRANT has been declined for having too high of a household income. </p>

<p>@lavish12 I think the CC is the best option for me at this point! Thanks! The only reason I’m striving to go to a UC still because I felt that I had spent time and money on these UC apps for nothing!</p>

12

<p>“OOS” extra charges only apply to public universities. Private colleges actually <em>like</em> having students who apply from far away since you’d bring geographic diversity, and it’s especially true in States that aren’t widely popular or colleges not located in big cities. Plus you have excellent stats. So the colleges I quoted above would not charge you extra OOS tuition and may even reward you with a nicer financial aid package. There’s not much of a risk to try and see.
Same thing applies to private colleges on the May 2 Nacac list (which may be better to wait for - you’d be sure to get a spot at your chosen colleges and you could still apply to community colleges. Remember, CC’s are open enrollment, so it’s not like you have to hurry, except for choosing classes, which won’t happen till June or July anyway.)</p>

13

<p>Be sure to read their appeal process carefully - <a href=“http://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/appeals.html#appealofdenial”>http://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/appeals.html#appealofdenial&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

14

<p>Merced could actually work in your favor if you go for a year and try to transfer. I was talking to a girl I know who is in aerospace and mechanical engineering at UCD and she was telling me that one of her roommates always brags about having a great GPA (he’s in the same major), and she gets annoyed because she says everyone knows thats only because he went to Merced for a year and had a 4.0 before transferring. She said he may even graduate cum laude. </p>

<p>So it could work out well for you in the end. You may even be able to get into UCLA after a year if you really want!</p>

15

<p>To transfer to a UC you usually have to be a junior, not a sophomore. </p>

<p><<<
Obviously if you start at Merced you could apply to transfer.
<<<</p>

<p>It is hard to transfer from one UC to another. </p>

16

<p>@mom2collegekids weird my sister goes to UCD and she told me transferring between was easy. She also gave me the impression that you could do it whenever, but she never transferred (although she almost transferred to CAL) </p>

17

<p>UC to UC transfers are not that easy but can be done. If you check the UC website under transfers, it states preference is given to CC transfers over UC-UC transfers. It also recommends that you fulfill the GE requirements for the that particular campus before transfer, which means your lower division (approx. 2 years). The best way to do a UC transfer is using the TAG through your CC. UCLA/UCB and UCSB do not offer this program but the other UC’s do. You complete the TAG program requirements and you are guaranteed admission. Check the UC website and do some more research. Do not rely on myself or anyone else’s opinions. You need to verify everything yourself. Good Luck</p>

18

<p>Thank you so much everybody for the help and comments. At this point, I’ve decided on what I will do. </p>

<p>**1. Wait for Irvine and San Diego’s results SD Rejected
2. If accepted, yay for me! If rejected, send in Santa Cruz appeal
3. Simultaneously take Community College placements and registration
4. Hopefully transfer to SD
**
Just a couple questions. </p>

<p>I’ve heard it’s increasingly difficult now to transfer from CC to UC, from previous years. Is this something I should be worried about?</p>

<p>And also, would I have to take the SAT again in order to transfer? Maybe my old 2030 isn’t high enough or got too old? (I’m afraid I’ll forget too much highschool stuff when I take it again)</p>

19

<p>Oregongirl,</p>

<p><a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/index.html”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

<p><a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/requirements/index.html”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/requirements/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

<p>(there are specific requirements for lower division transfers to UCs, but these are infrequent).</p>

20

<p>Don’t forget that TAG does not apply to all all of UC. Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD have discontinued their participation. UCSD is on the list on this link but candidates had to apply Fall 2013.</p>

<p><a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;