<p>There people who got in the top UCs and they have a ton of Ws. If they had not withdrawn their GPA might be lower and they might not have been offered acceptance. I don’t know how these people will do once they transfer. My guess is they will have a hard time and the nearly 4.0 GPA will drop like a rock. </p>
<p>@Annie2015 </p>
<p>How nice and thoughtful of you to say, but did you ever consider that many of us are merely taking advantage of the rules that exist, and will have no problem adjusting to a new set of regulations? Btw, I have a 4.0 and 8 Ws. Thanks though.</p>
<p>@lindyk8 </p>
<p>Some good points, but I would add that summer classes are often much more difficult, since they are compressed.</p>
<p>I think summer classes are easier. Every one i’ve ever taken or my daughter has taken are easier, but they are not STEM type, which might make a difference.</p>
<p>I’m going to agree with @Annie2015 in part. Not the number of Ws, but rather how they are distributed. If you took a semester or a summer or even a year and tanked that’s one thing. Those Ws represent a time period when there was a stress of some sort. To have them scattered all over the place, singly or in pairs, tends to imply that the classes were too hard for you and you didn’t step up to the plate. Not a good sign and not a good candidate in my mind. This might explain why some of the high GPAs get rejected. If I were on the admissions committee, I would see Ws scattered all over as a negative. If there were equal or even slightly less equal candidates but without that W pattern, I would go with them.</p>
<p>An exception might be if it was a very high unit semester.</p>
<p>And it isn’t true they don’t care. They do want an explanation. They are easy-going in general, but if they didn’t care at all, they wouldn’t ask for an explanation.</p>
<p>@bomerr I know you did not get accepted and were upset that ppl with lower GPAs got in. If that’s what you did, question probably answered. </p>
<p>And @music1990 I can tell via our interactions you’re really smart, so however yours were situated, you obviously had other strengths. </p>
<p>I agree with @lindyk8. It doesn’t matter what community college you attend, what only matters is that you attend one that has the major prerequisites for you to take. </p>
<p>Also, TAP for UCLA is not crucial at all. If anything, I only think it benefits those who are applying for highly impacted majors (Biz Econ, Econ, Psych) and those who are borderline applicants. Tons of applicants, including myself, are admitted to UCLA without TAP.</p>
<p>And I know this thread is super old…lol </p>
<p>By chance I just happened to see a thread from 2009 that was showing up (I guess someone recently commented). Anyway someone on it said they had direct word from UCLA admissions that they DO look at pattern of Ws and want a good explanation. I have attached link. It’s the 3rd and 4th comments down.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/822181-how-many-w-s-begin-to-affect-a-transfer-student-i-have-4-or-5-right-now-p1.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/822181-how-many-w-s-begin-to-affect-a-transfer-student-i-have-4-or-5-right-now-p1.html</a></p>
<p>@music1990, why so defensive ? I never said that taking advantage was wrong. I just said some people do it and it works. Your 8 Ws tend to prove that point. If you were honest in your explanation “taking advantage of the rules that exist” for your 8 Ws then, that also supports my point even further , that UCs don’t care. I also said , that I did not know how people would do once they transferred, but was guessing their GPA would drop. If you are able to maintain a 4.0 at the upper division UC level without the ability to retake classes where you are getting a B , that will be wonderful. Good Luck! You are welcome anytime! </p>
<p>I went to SMC and was TAP-certified.</p>
<p>One need not go to SMC or be TAP-certified to do well and get admitted to any of the UCs. Your local CC should be just fine.</p>
<p>TAP is very helpful, but not really necessary. as @ocnative said before, it’s most helpful to borderline applicants and those applying to heavily impacted majors. For me, TAP was just a nice insurance policy to make sure I got in at UCLA. :)</p>
<p>Although TAP is not a guarantee the way TAG is…</p>
<p>@lindyk8 </p>
<p>Well, UCLA doesn’t have a TAG program, so…:D</p>
<p>I’m aware of that but I just want OP to realize TAP is an aid but not a guarantee… :)) </p>
<p>@Annie2015 </p>
<p>Oh alright, sorry I must have misunderstood your post. I didn’t mean to be defensive. You’re right that I don’t expect to keep a 4.0 at UC. I guess I just thought you were ranting about people with Ws, as many do. But my mistake.</p>
<p>@lindyk8
I think you completely missed point, meaning, sub-text, whatever you want to call it of my post.</p>
<p>1) While the CC itself doesn’t matter ECs sure do (for UCLA and Cal atleast) and going to a CC like Coastline where over half the students are online or older/working is going to make it very difficult to get involved with ECs.</p>
<p>2) It doesn’t matter if you have to take remedial math BUT it can be multiple semesters worth of wasted time and a few weeks of prep are the difference between placing in trigonometry and elementary algebra. </p>
<p>4) Lots of people get low grades like Cs and Bs in English because that is one of the most subjective classes in the transfer curriculum. </p>
<p>8) TAP is pretty important for UCLA. It’s incredibly important for the highly impacted majors and TAP + ECs can let a 3.4 or a 3.5 into a major where the average GPA is 3.7+. [Seen it myself]</p>
<p>9) Major related ECs aren’t imported; They are looking for well-rounded–not pointed–students.</p>
<p>@Cayton</p>
<p>Not every CC offers TAP tho.</p>
<p>Well @bomerr we need to agree to disagree on some stuff. For one thing, I believe the most impacted major at UCLA is communications - and it does not allow TAP (which is not the point) - but what is the point is it also specifically says it would like to see ECs related to the major to show commitment to the career. I’m not talking every single EC, but I think it goes without saying that any internship or outside activity that connects to your planned major only enhances the application. I also don’t think I said ECs are not important as that is a continual drum beat of mine. But I don’t remember what I wrote up there. And re: Ws, I was referring to your comment that if you’re going to get a B withdraw from the class and you reiterated that the UCs don’t care if you do this. I personally think a ton of Ws dotted all over the place with no rhyme or reason (except you were getting an unsatisfactory grade) does not look good. But that’s just me - and who knows, I could be wrong.</p>
<p>So we will agree to disagree. That’s what makes the world exciting… ;
</p>
<p>I see your point that TAP can help, esp. in impacted majors. I was just saying (or meant to say) it isn’t crucial if you have a strong GPA. When someone is applying to UCLA I always, I guess erroneously, assume they’re coming in pretty strong, but your point is a valid one.</p>
<p>I have one other question about TAP. I really would like to see some stats from UCLA. TAP is not a guarantee, it simply gives you what they vaguely call “priority”, whatever that means. And if they’re letting 3.4s in with it - unless it’s a major where all applicants have lower GPAs, does that mean they’re shutting out more deserving 3.8s? Why would they do something like that when they aren’t obligated to? I guess my point is I’m not sure TAP is letting low GPAs in as much as maybe using it as criteria to separate more or less equal players? </p>
<p>Are there stats somewhere?</p>
<p>@lindyk8
Aww, thanks for thinking I’m smart 
I wonder myself whether they considered my Ws a negative or not. My case is different than many, because all my Ws came from a few years ago, when I first attempted college. I had Fs from those same terms, which I got academic renewal for. I haven’t had any Ws since coming back and trying again. But yeah I really wish I could see a video or transcript of what they discussed when they accepted me. It would be so cool to see what they said about my application. Actually, it would be cool to see a video of them discussing any application, just to see what they talk about and how it all works. I imagine they vote on it or something?</p>
<p>@music1990 </p>
<p>This is a good money making idea for the UC’s. If you send them 500 dollars, they’ll send you a 2 second clip of them dragging your application to the “yes” folder on the left side of the screen. </p>
<p>1000? You’ll get a screen shot of it along with the 2 second youtube clip w/ a 30 minute advertisement for viagra playing before it.</p>
<p>1500? The UC rep who dragged your application to the yes folder will personally send you a nude photo of him smiling candidly at the camera along with everything else I mentioned.</p>
<p>This is not a joke. I’d love to spend 1500 for a sexy pic of a 70 year old balding man accepting my UC application.</p>
<p>@lindyk8 </p>
<p>“And if they’re letting 3.4s in with it - unless it’s a major where all applicants have lower GPAs, does that mean they’re shutting out more deserving 3.8s?”</p>
<p>Average GPA applied to UCLA increased this year while accepted GPA decreased so yes they are decreasing the amounts of higher gpa applicants being accepted. </p>
<p>From what I saw this is for two big reasons: ECs + TAP.</p>
<p>My friend applied to Biz-Econ with me, He had Bs in the major pre-reqs like Macroecon and Calc 1 whereas I had As, his GPA was 3.7, I had a 3.8, He got in while I didn’t. Do I think TAP was the reason he got in over me? Yep, in fact he said the samething too. </p>
<p>From UCLA’s POV a person with lots of ECs or who completed the [supposedly] more rigorous TAP program is more deserving. </p>
<p>@bomerr </p>
<p>Well, mathematically, I’m not sure that the increase in average applied GPA coupled with decrease in average admitted GPA means they’re accepting fewer high-gpa applicants. It just means that they’re accepting more low-gpa applicants. The number of accepted high-gpa applicants may have stayed roughly the same or increased, but not enough to offset the effect of increased admission of low-gpa applicants.</p>
<p>It would seem unjustified to argue otherwise unless you can show empirical evidence support that claim.</p>
<p>@lindyk8 </p>
<p>TAP seems to increase one’s chances of gaining admission significantly, but there may also be some selection bias going on since a lot of people with TAP have very high GPAs as well at te time of admission(In my case, my GPA was a lot higher than the average for my major, so I doubt I needed TAP to get accepted).</p>
<p>TAP does seem to make it easier for people with lower GPAs to get in, though. A 3.5 GPA applicant with TAP may have the same chance at being admitted to a certain major, all other things being equal, as someone with about a 3.8 GPA applying to that same major.</p>
<p>TAP will always be seen with a higher preference, unfortunately. </p>
<p>Most of the time, TAP is kind of a guarantee instead of the “priority” that it’s supposed to be. There’s no stats on TAP applicants and it would be useful if they had it. One thread (<a href=“UCLA TAP and rejected? - UC Transfers - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/913629-ucla-tap-and-rejected-p1.html</a>) shows a trend of students with TAP getting rejected because they didn’t have an alternate major, they chose an equally impacted major as an alternate, or they didn’t do prereqs. There are applicants with low GPAs (3.2-3.4) that get in with TAP but I doubt this is to highly impacted majors. </p>
<p>@ocnative </p>
<p>I once read on this website of people getting admitted to my major with 3.1 and 3.2 GPAs…that’s the power of TAP for you.</p>