Senior Standing

<p>Hi guys, so I am still kinda confused about senior standing and how it works. Basically I went to a CSU after high school and have completed a year there. However, I wanted to transfer so I dropped out and went to a local CC. From that CSU that I have attended, I have completed 36 quarter units, which is equivalent to 24 semester units. By the end of CC I will have completed around 45 units, plus the 24 I will have around 69 units. However, I am trying to take more classes to boost up my gpa, so can I go pass 70 combining both CSU and CC units? I saw that there's a 90 unit cap but I dont know if that's combination of both CSU and CC or just CC. I only plan to tak 45 units at CC in total because my counselor told me that I should not exceed 70 units in total, but I wasn't sure if she meant in total or just CC. So can I have more than 45 at CC or should I really stop at 69? (CSU + CC). Would UC consider this as senior standing?</p>

<p>Depends on each UC. For UCSD, for example, you can have a limit of 70 ccc units, OR a mix of up to 90 units from 2 and 4 year institutions. For UCI, on the other hand, it doesn’t matter, since they don’t limit how many units you can transfer. Some UCs don’t accept transfers in senior standing, such as UCSD, but really, it depends on each UC. I think you’ll get a clearer picture if you call admissions at each UC you want to apply to, explain your situation, and hear what they have to say. :)</p>

<p>The chart you want is at <a href=“University of California Counselors”>University of California Counselors; I’m not sure where your counselor came up with the 70 semester unit advice since the lowest number where you are in danger or actually prohibited from applying is 80 semester units. </p>

<p>The counselor may have been confusing the limit of lower-division transfer units they will apply towards your UC degree (which is 70, as shown on the left side of the chart) with the number that puts you in danger of having too many units to apply. Not exactly confidence-inspiring. </p>

<p>There is something I have to admit I’m not sure about. In the left side of the chart they say that starting in Fall 2014

The way I read that is that starting in Fall 2014 they don’t care if you earned the lower-division units at a 2-year or 4-year college. No matter how many lower-division units you have when you apply you will not be considered to have excessive units, although they’ll only allow you to apply 70 units towards the total needed for your UC degree. The excess units rule only applies if you have a combination of lower and upper division classes. This modifies the current policy, in which you can have an unlimited amount of units if you took them all at a CC and not be prohibited from applying to the UCs. </p>

<p>At least that’s how I interpret it, but I wouldn’t want to promise that to you and you ought to seek reliable advice. But if I’ve read it correctly, and if all those units you took at the CSU that year after HS were lower division, then you face no limit and can take as many units at your CC as you desire. </p>

<p>I suggest you seek out a better informed counselor. Also, as suggested, you can talk with admission reps from the UCs directly – by phone, email, or if they visit your campus.</p>

<p>Engineers have a higher unit limit of 84 or 86 for UCLA and Cal. I’d stay under 80 units to be safe. I transferred to UCLA with 79 units.</p>

<p>what about for UCLA school of letter and science? do they have a cap? I’m planning to transfer to UCLA or CAL, I’m worried cuz I need to take more classes go boost my gpa to 3.9</p>

<p>i’m going to UCLA this fall. i had 31 units at a CSU and 65 at CC.</p>

<p>But i should also add that i switched from music major to math when i started at CC. Not sure how they went about figuring out which units to count, etc.</p>

<p>@mikemac whoaaaa I had never seen that chart. When did that happen? Does that mean that they can’t deny people for high unit count? I don’t get it.</p>

<p>so I talked to my counselor and he told me that, I CAN transfer with no more than 86.6 units to UCLA, BUT UCLA will only take 70 units as transfer units. Is this true?</p>

<p>in reply to post #8: the link I gave earlier seems to say that if all of your units are lower-division, then no matter whether you earned them at a 4-year or 2-year college there is no limit to how many you can have when applying to any UC campus starting in Fall 2014. But I’m not a UC adcom; if I were you I’d check with one. </p>

<p>As for the 70 units thats kinda the rule. What they say in more detail (to my understanding, again I’m not promising you this is true, you need to verify it yourself) is that they will only give you 70 units towards the units you need to have earned in order to get a UC degree. However if you have taken any classes that are not part of those 70 units but that satisfy some requirement for your major then they will consider the requirement satisfied even though you don’t have any units for it.</p>