Should I take an extra year in CC to raise my GPA from a 3.44 to around a 3.6?

I did some calculating for my GPA and I can get a 3.44 by the end of this fall if I were to get all A’s (I currently have a 3.02). If I were to get all A’s until the end of next year fall (2020) then I can get exactly a 3.6. I know though that this might not be plausible because I will be taking mostly STEM classes but I’m looking at this as the best case scenario. Also this means I could TAG into UCR or UCSC as a computer science major with all my prerequisites and IGETC done. My target college is UCI as a computer science major. Another thing about taking an extra year is that I can save money taking more additional approved courses, rather than spend thousands at a 4 year university. I can also have more time to build up my EC’s. There’s also the possibility that I get lower than an A in the STEM courses and make my 3.44 GPA lower.

So should I take my chances and just apply to the UC’s this year or should I take an extra year and try to increase it?

Odds are low you’d get all As.
I think you should take the extra year since costs don’t seem to be too much of a problem and might actually be advantageous.

That best case scenario probably isn’t a likely scenario.

Why don’t you stay long enough to get your Associates, then find a school that will take you as you are. Work hard to improve that GPA, but don’t assume that it will necessarily play out the way you hope.

I would not recommend this. You don’t know if the extra year will get you in to UCI.

I think it is a good idea to spend another year at the CC since it gives you a chance to finish the prereqs and use TAG. If you’re a 3.0 student now and haven’t been taking CS and STEM classes then it is unlikely that you’ll get a 4.0 here on out. But not impossible. You need to have a specific plan. Vague exhortations like “work harder” or “study more” don’t cut it.

You need to identify why it is you haven’t been getting mostly A’s and then come up with concrete ways to prevent them. For example if you decide you haven’t spent enough time studying you need to commit to something like “I will go to the library for 3 hours 4 times a week.” You need to figure out what you’ve been doing with your time instead and have plans of how you’re not going to keep doing the same thing. Decide in advance what you’re going to do when a pal calls, etc.

You might also want to visit the campus study skills center and work with them to improve.

I got into UCI Computer Science and Engineering with 3.3 GPA and if you want to go to UCI your major requirements classes should be B and above. I think you could still apply for this year and see if you could get in with your current grades and even if you don’t get in you could still apply the following year