Should I stay another year to have a strong application for UCLA?

I’m a econ major that was planning on applying to UCLA. Something happened, and it severely affected my grades last semester dropping my 3.7 to a 3.53. I’m on track to get all A’s in my classes (17 units) which would raise my grade to a 3.66. I’ve calculated that getting A’s in all my classes, if i ultimately decided to stay back, would measely raise my grade to around a 3.73. I’ve already been accepted into UCSB, and waiting to hear back from UCI, UCSD, UCD. Should I try and stay back another year and strengthen my application to apply to UCLA or nah?

My two cents is that you shouldn’t stay back a year and take any chances while you have any. Every year, the competition grows, so it doesn’t always guarantee that you can make it into UCLA next year. Unless it’s your dream school, you can stay back and try if you really want to. I had a friend who was rejected from her dream school and was accepted to another UC, that they attended and now really enjoy the school there.

In your other thread, you’d indicated that you have no means to pay for ANY UC, so please clarify what is going on.

You have a high EFC, even once dad’s income is removed. Your mom won’t pay. At most you’d get from the Middle Class Scholarship is about $6k.

You can only borrow $7500 as a junior.

$7500 + $6k = $13,500. How would you pay for the other $15k-20k for a UC???

Is your mom saying that she’ll cosign loans for the remaining amount? You, by yourself, cannot borrow the additional amount without an income-qualified co-signer.

And…as an econ major, surely you know the risks of big debt…

I think some parts of the story have not been told, or they were not told sincerely.

@mom2collegekids What do you mean I can only borrow $7,500? Aren’t I just using loans to pay for it?