Hi, I successfully transfered and start this fall, and having a place to discuss the process, ask questions, and monitor acceptances was very useful, so I’m starting this thread for the fall 2017 cohort. I’ll answer any questions I can, but mainly this is for you guys to have an open line of communication. Please include your stats when you post updates about your acceptance status, and please keep off topic discussion elsewhere. Best wishes and good luck !
Here is what providing stats usually includes
Your major
Your transferable GPA (UC Transferable courses are all that counts)
Your major GPA
Your ECs (Extra Curriculars) (volunteer work + time, clubs, experience etc)
Schools applied for and the status of accepted, waitlisted, rejected, pending
Personal Statements (Were they reviewed by a counselor, tutor, or UCI transfer rep?) if so, did they come out ok?
The process from start to finish went like this for me
Make UC TAP account and plug in all my info, check what classes transferred using ASSIST
Make appointment with a UC Irvine transfer representative at your local community college transfer center, if this is not possible then work with transfer center counselors or counselors at your college. You can get some amazing help in making sure all your ducks are in a row and have an edge on other applicants through work with them, especially the UCI transfer reps.
Try to join clubs, some don’t even require you to attend meetings but you can put it on your application
Begin working on personal statements as early as possible, have these reviewed by the above people or tutors
Apply through the UC application link, you can transfer information from your UC TAP account into that application.
You will be asked to submit your Fall grades as soon as the semester is over, and if they are good it improves your odds of being admitted, these are the grades that admissions really cares about apparently.
We started hearing back from the honors to honors “H2H” and TAG applicants first, but with TAG some didn’t hear back till the very last day and some were even rejected or wait listed, it all depends on your major. That reminds me, include if you are TAG, H2H or both on your stats !
You can make a UC Irvine admission account at some point which is your portal for updates
You wait for what seems like an eternity and see others posting their status on hopefully this thread, you begin to think you wont be admitted or something must surely be wrong, but don’t panic yet ! Some people don’t find out till after what is supposed to be the last day they will inform everyone of decisions.
If admitted you will be asked to send in your Spring grades once you get them and to SIR
you will be able to make a UCI email at some point after this
you will be required to attend a transfer student advising session by your school, this is when you register for classes and you cannot register until you show up there and go through the process
you will need to get some things done such as verify you have health insurance and that you are up to date with all your vaccinations. If you need any of these, I suggest you see if your community college health center can perform them, the cost will be minimal if you take this route. If you don’t have a physician you can go to the UCI health center to have an interview with a nurse, I believe the cost is about $15
All orientations are optional besides the advising session
Parking permits wont be available till late August
Your classes may not report what books to get till a few weeks prior to the term start
Financial aid will be updated numerous times and reviewed, you wont get the final final word till August
I may have left some things out, but this is at least all the key areas.
Background Information: I was a terrible student in high school. Grades started to diminish the later part of freshman year. Recieved straight Fs my sophmore year. Sent to a continuation highschool for my Junior year. Graduated in the 250’s out of 300 in my class. Tried to discipline myself and attend Orange Coast College for 2 semesters. Succumed to my old habits and ended up getting Bs in two classes and withdrawing from five.
Joined the military and straightnened myself out. Came back to OCC last year and raised my GPA from a 3.0 flat to a 3.67. I plan to apply to transfer for FALL 2017.
Your major: Business/minor in Accounting
Your transferable GPA: 3.67 (trying to shoot for a 3.7/3.8 before I transfer)
Your major GPA: 4.0
Your ECs: Mandatory community service at the public library. Accounting Society/club. Veterans/Business honor society at OCC.
Work Exp: 3 years active duty military. 9 months in combat. Leadership position.
Schools applied: I plan to apply to USC, UCLA, UCI, CSUF, CSULB, SDSU.
Personal Statements: In progress. Writting about my shitty record in highschool and terrible influences. Joined the military to find a sense of purpose and direction. How the military changed me and instilled values in me. Honor, duty, etc. Relate that to business and accounting.
I have come a long way. To get into any college listed above would be an amazing opportunity for me.
Check with ASSIST, it’s one of the web sites above, enter your school and then UCI to reveal the matriculation agreement. Each school has its own agreement with UCI. Ive never heard of someone transferring without finishing the classes described on assist.
Thank you for serving our country, and in combat no less, my hat is off to you. It sounds like you are kicking ass and doing great, the admissions people seem to like stories like yours. You came back, overcame the odds in academics and the challenges of military service in war time, and are a totally different student and person today. I would suggest not describing your community service as mandatory, don’t give them reason to discount anything. You appear to be a competitive candidate to me, just from what I’ve read about other applicants in the past and my own experience, keep the group posted of your progress if you don’t mind, and I trust you should have more company as application time nears. Just get your personal statements reviewed, and apply for TAG.
Jebron, I suggest you TAG for UCI. Also, join a club like a psych club for your EC it might help. I was a Psychology and Social Behavior transfer, not a regular Psychology transfer so I don’t know about who got in with what GPA for Psychology, however you can check on this link to my cohorts transfer applicants for all the recorded GPAs and majors and find those for regular psychology http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/1819143-official-uci-fall-2016-transfer-thread-p121.html. I suggest you apply as a regular psych major and maybe alternative as a PSB. As a PSB applicant I would say you have a good chance of getting in, provided you write up a sound set of personal statements and whatever grades you have that are less than As or Bs aren’t in really important classes for psych majors.
Please chance me - what major would be more suitable for my current stats?
I am currently bringing my major GPA up due to family issues that contributed to a rough spring semester however I am recovering (3.33 gpa Fall semester, 2.73 gpa Spring semester, 3.54 gpa Summer session - I even overloaded my summer courses to bring up my GPA). When a UCI counselor stopped by my school; I made an appointment and she said my GPA as of right now is okay and I should keep my major as Bio. I am worried however that it is too low for Bio; should I switch it to Public Health B.S. to increase my chances and make Bio my alt. major instead?
Major: Biological Sciences or Public Health
Your transferable GPA 3.22 (Will most likely go up ~ 3.3-3.4)
Your major GPA: 2.74
Your ECs:
Will get two AA degrees by this Spring (one for biology and natural sciences and another for chemistry), volunteered at UCI Medical Center, currently volunteering at Kaiser Permanente hospital, IVC Research Club (presented at SCC & UCI symposiums as well as moderate events), outside orchestra, planning to take EMT classes, annually volunteer at the Gianneschi Summer School for Nonprofit at CSUF.
IGETC: will complete by Spring
Pre-reqs: will complete by Spring
TAG: UCD
Applying to: UCI (goal), UCLA, UCSB, UCD
Was accepted to UCR, CSULB, CSUF in high school
Major: Economics
Current College: Moorpark community college
IGETC: done
MAJOR PREP: just 2 classes to go. will be completed spring 2017
GPA:2.56
EC: BSA club, work as caregiver 14 hours a week, volunteer at local temple and related events,
IN-State
I’m also doing the AS-T in both Business admin and Econ. What might my chances be for getting into this school?
@jmatharu23: If you check this link for transfer GPA by majors for 2015 (most current data), for UCI the admit transfer GPA for Business Economics was 3.62-3.90 making it a High Reach for you with your current GPA. What other schools are on your list?
jmath some CSU have deals with local CCs where a lower than usually accepted gpa is ok. I suggest looking at CSU or UCR, but unless you can get your gpa to at least a 3.0 by the end of this term you probably wouldn’t get in. That would only be untrue if you had like excellent grades now and your past was keeping your gpa down. They look for an upward trend in your gpa.
Community College transfer
Major: Art History
GPA: 3.92
Major GPA: 4.0
ECs: Work, Law Office. Miscellaneous volunteering.
Pre reqs: done as of Summer 16.
TAG: Yes UCI
Honors program (TAP - only for UCLA?)
Various times on the dean’s honor roll…
Phi Theta Kappa
Several APs through high school (does this matter)?
Currently working on my personal insights some things I’ve read online is that the UCs want people who are generally wholesome and like to help others, and offer something to the community within which they live. Also I read that they like students who will pursue post grad degrees, I want to become a professor one day so should I express that? One major negative that is on my record is Ws from a full time semester… I was totally confused as to what I wanted to do in college so ibascialy dropped out. I worked at a law office during this time full time. Any other suggestions as to what to explain this gap with? I’m trying to go the route of ‘I found myself’ but honestly they probably get that a lot.
I understand my major isn’t selective at all but this process is so freakin nerve wracking. Also good luck to anyone here (I hate saying that, but honestly with these things you need a little of it!) look forward to talking with you all through here!
Santa Monica college transfer
Major: sociology
GPA: 2.95
Working Two jobs , volunteer at pet shelter,Adelante club
IGETC: will complete by spring
Prereqs: will complete by spring
Applying to UCI, UCR, UCSC, UCLA, SDSU ,CSUN, Humboldt, CSULB
My gpa is low because my first semester I had a 1.0 gpa have been rising it since by the end of fall semester should have 3.05 UC and 3.15 CSU gpa because I’m obtaining an AA-T. My other big issue is that I want to do biology but I am too deep into the social science. If I decide to pursue bio I would have to stay two more years at community college. Does anyone know if they would let me switch majors once I’m there if I get accepted ?
major: Applying a Business admin (ill try to switch to Biz econ if i go to UCI)
UC transferable GPA: 3.35
major GPA: (2.8 i think, trying to bump it up to a 3 by end of fall) ( got a C in CALC 1 and 2)
ECs: secretary of buisiness club, volunteer for 3 np organization, worked at safeway and doordash, in a few club inside and outside of school
Ill be applying to most of the UC and a few private and out of states… (UCLA, CAL, USC, SCU, UM, UCSD, UCI, UCD, UCSB (TAG) and maybe CAL Poly)
Personal Statements: I’ve done some of them. They look alright for now
Could someone chance me? I’m really worried that I won’t get accepted anywhere since I have such a low GPA for a bio major :-/ I had a rough Winter & Spring Quarter because a few of my relatives passed away so I had my lowest grades in those two quarters
Foothill College Student
Major: Biological Sciences (will switch to Microbiology if accepted)
Transferable GPA: 3.52 (currently since Summer '16), hopefully can raise up to 3.60 by end of Fall Quarter
Major GPA: (I’m not sure but slightly lower than overall GPA)
ECs: currently volunteering at a hospital, was part of a medical club at De Anza, was a volunteer camp counselor at Humane Society
Schools applied for: UCI (TAG), UCD, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, SDSU, CSULB
Personal Statements: currently working on them but will go to counselor, previous English teachers and UCD rep to review before turning them in.
Bus admin is pretty competitive, and even if I wanted to minor in it there is a fairly selective application process for that Paul merge school. I think you should apply, do your best, and trust that you will get in somewhere. Worst case scenario you go to a UC you don’t like as much,may UCR and after a year of good grades there, maybe even sooner, you reapply to UCI. CSUs are everywhere and dome I would imagine have good business programs. Now the thing is this, you gotta find some faith in yourself, some hope, and see how it goes. I had a low gpa 3.3 after the fall 15 grades were posted. I know others who got in with lower gpas. I applied to most the local CSUs and UCs and took the best offer which was UCI,. Good luck, don’t put yourself though he’ll worrying about it…
San Diego Mesa College Student (CCC)
Major: Political Science
Transferable GPA: 3.27 (will likely be 3.33 at end of fall)
Major GPA: Competitve GPA past 2.8 (UC Info center shows most people admitted to the major were 3.31-3.70 Fall 2015)
IGETC: Will complete by spring
Major Prep: Have all done, just need to do Macroeconomics
ECs: VP of Student government (member for two years), Congressional campaign Intern 2014 and Congressional Campaign Staff member 2016, Campus Ambassador to the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), former SSCCC Director, Worked part time as a manager at hotel, Honors program, Deans Honor Roll
and other memberships.
Schools Applied: UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCR, SDSU, Cal Poly SLO
Personal Statements: Finishing them and sending them off for review.
Could someone chance me based on my stats? I’ve always wanted to go UCSD for the past four xD and UCI has become a fast favorite since my start at CCC.
