Some Serious Help/Advice Needed for Extenuating Circumstances.

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hi guys. I am new here but I have some questions that I really need answered. I’ll try to summarize as easily as possible.</p>

<p>I have never failed a class in my life. In fact I have only received around 5 C’s, since the beginning of 9th grade until now. I am just about to finish my Freshman Year of College in about 2 weeks. </p>

<p>I attended CSUN for Fall 07, as my first semester of College. I am 18 years old. I am just finishing my Spring 2008 semester at Santa Monica College.
The reason I am not at CSUN anymore is because I have decided that I want to go to school where I have always wanted to go since I was around 5 years old. I have always wanted to go to UCLA. My whole family is UC graduates. My parents went to UCLA. My sister went to UC Berkeley. And my brother went to UC Santa Barbara. As such I want to finish up the tradition, as well as many other reasons as to why I want to go to UCLA (Or a UC for that matter).
I am a Business Economics Major and am planning to hopefully attend UCLA’s Anderson Business Graduate School or USC’s Marshall Business Graduate School so I can receive an MBA, after I receive my Bachelors. I want to do something in the Investments field. Stock Broker is what I want to do currently, but anything in that field works.</p>

<p>The UC schools that I am applying to this upcoming Fall for the Fall 09 semester are in order of importance/choice:
1.UCLA
2.UCSB
3.UCSD
4.UC Berkeley</p>

<p>I am also planning on applying to SDSU as a backup choice.</p>

<p>As I said before I have never failed a class in my life. Well I am going to Fail my Math 2 (Pre-Calculus at Santa Monica City College) which I am taking right now. I actually took this class in 11th grade but they only allowed me to take it again for this Spring as opposed to being eligible for Math 7 (Calculus 1 at SMC). So I am failing it right now and am going to have to retake Math 2 for Fall 08. And then take Math 7 in the Winter and Math 8 (Calculus 2 at SMC) in Spring 09. I am getting all My GE’s and Pre-Major course’s done. But Math 2 is actually not a Pre-Major course. It is a requirement to get into Math 7 (And then Math 8), which are Pre-Major requirement courses as opposed to GE’s. </p>

<p>Now for the extenuating Circumstance. I was diagnosed as a child with ADHD, and as I am growing older, it is apparent, that I do indeed have it. So for the past 4-6 months (I have been on Medicine since I was very young), my Doctor’s, parents, and myself have been changing my medicines because of various issues associated with them in which I needed to change it. Because of this, I have been having a lot of trouble focusing in classes which is why I am doing this bad, and should not nearly be doing this bad. I have always been a A-B student with a few occasional C’s.</p>

<p>So here are my questions.

  1. Do any of the 4 UC’s I listed, care if I retake Math 2 in the Fall and receive an A (ideally) after receiving an F in it this semester? I talked to them and they said they take the A and don’t really care as long as it is not a consistent trend or anything. Im assuming the F does not calculate into your GPA, but does it still show on the official transcript?</p>

<li><p>An F is an F any way you look at it obviously. Would it be wise to keep the F for this spring and retake the course in the Fall for the possibility of hopefully receiving an A, as opposed to possibly risking receiving a D or C and having it either calculate into my GPA OR making it so that I may not be able to retake the class for a better grade and having the D or C count? I cannot possibly receive B, let alone an A at this point for this class. So what should I do?</p></li>
<li><p>How many F’s are “allowed” to the point where they the Admissions departments of the Colleges, do not really consider it as a factor for Acceptance/Rejection? Obviously I dont plan or want another F. I am just curious.</p></li>
<li><p>What would be the best way to let the college know about the Extenuating circumstances regarding my medicinal changes and how it relates to my academic performance? Do I put it in the Personal Statement? Or what?</p></li>
<li><p>Heres the thing. I am also somewhat struggling in my other classes, which I can end up with ok grades in. An A in Econ 1, and A in Astronomy 5, and a C in Accounting 1. One would think that if I was just doing bad in the Math class, it may just be a math issue, but its not. I received 3 A’s and a C in my first semester of College (at CSUN). So it is really just something happening this semester, as my study habits are pretty much the same. So what should I do about this and how do I let the UC’s know when I apply?</p></li>
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<p>If I have any more questions I will post them in a reply here. Also if you guys have any questions that could help you help me, please dont hesitate to ask. Thanks so much guys for the help! I appreciate it!</p>

2

<p>Hook me up with some Ritalin and I'll help you :P</p>

<ol>
<li>The F will still show on the transcript.</li>
<li>If you barely pass, you'll probably have trouble with the next math class, since it's a pre-req for the next one. How bad would a C lower your GPA? If it helps, they don't even look at your application until the Application Update (where you input your Fall grades and planned courses).</li>
<li>No idea, but they look at UC-GPA primarily.</li>
<li>If you opt for receiving an F for that class, definitely explain it in the personal statement.</li>
<li>Personal statement.</li>
<li>GO BRUINS!!!</li>
</ol>

3

<p>Ok. Thank you. Is there any other opinions? I am trying to get different views and stuff so that I can evaluate it as a whole. Btw as an F is an F any way I look at it, Im just curious, is it wise to still go to class/take tests?</p>

4

<p>If it's not too late drop the pre-calc class you are failing, a W is way better to have then an F...</p>

<p>Also, UCLA business econ is very competitive so you are gonna want to get rly high gpa for the rest of the classes you take.. Also, how is your algebra? You are going to want to be a master at algebra before taking calculus...</p>

<p>Also, I don't know, I've been diagnoed with ADD (I don't take meds though) but I never mentioned it in my personal statement because lots of people dont even believe its real... I suppose you can mention it in the second prompt if you want ur theme to be that you overcame ur learning disability or something like that</p>

5

<p>I cant drop it at this point. So I think that just missing the class and just taking the F is gonna have to do. Until I can retake it and get a better grade that is. Also, if I can provide them with Medical/Legal documents would that prove to them that the diagnosis is real?</p>

6

<ol>
<li><p>IS math 2 transferable?
The F stays on your transcript forever. THe UCs calculate just the A into your GPA but they do see the F.</p></li>
<li><p>Is there anyway you can talk to the teacher or councelor and take the incomplete? I suggest that it is much better
to either have the college give you an Incomplete or a W. Go to the counceling office and to the teacher with a note from your doctors
explaining the situatuion. You could nip this in the butt in the community college rather than having to explain it come application time.
Seriously you might get them to drop it after the fact even.
If you get a C in the course you can not take the course over- in most community colelges.</p></li>
<li><p>I dont know, an F is bad. It is much better to get a W. I had 19 W's and no Fs (in transferable courses-i had an F in excel but no one cared)</p></li>
<li><p>You can write about it in one of the 3 prompts or in the "is there anything else you wan to tell us section"
Ucla likes to see you overcome challenges so if you blow this ADD thing out of proportion in your essay and then show how you overcame it- it would be good for you, but you are going to have to really be describptive and make it more challengening that people assume ADHD to be.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>5.Your major is Biz Econ for UCLA? ANd you are getting a C in Accounting 1- your Major GPA seems to be low. That will hurt your chances for admission.
For biz econ you want at the very least a 3.5 and in most cases 3.8+ is needed. </p>

<p>DO you plan on doing TAP?</p>

<p>You will get into UCSD and UCSB if you sign the guaranteed admission agreements and maintain a 2.8 GPA. So you do not have to worry about those two schools and your F.</p>

7

<p>Well heres the thing. My finals are in 2 weeks (the first week of june). Do you think its still possible to get an incomplete or W at this point with only 2 weeks left? Also I had a few questions about TAP and the Guaranteed Admission Agreements.</p>

<ol>
<li>What are they?</li>
<li>How do I get in them?</li>
<li>Can I still do TAP and the Guaranteed Admission Agreements at this point in my college career? Like after already completing two semesters? Also one of those semesters was at CSUN (look above). Does that matter?</li>
<li>What do I need to get/stay in them?</li>
<li>Do all the UC's pretty much have the same pre-major class requirements? Like I was doing my pre-major classes with intent to transfer to UCLA. Therefore I was doing their pre-major classes. But do all the UC's have the same pre-major class requirements for Business Econ? Give or take a few classes?</li>
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<p>Thanks again guys! Your really helping me out alot!</p>

8

<p>BTW I do know all those questions can be easily found. Its just easier to have it all in one post/thread/area. Thanks!</p>

9

<p>1-3. TAP gives you priority consideration for UCLA if you take x amount of honors classes. You go to your Community college transfer office/counceling office to pick up the forms - fill them out, etc, it will tell you the exact requirements and what you have to do .</p>

<p>Guaranteed admission programs are available for all UCs except Berkeley and LA. Go to your transfer office/counceling office- get the forms, usually you sign them a year b4 transferring, you have to have some work done b4 you can sign them so no it is not too late. </p>

<p>You can sign them as long as you will complete most of the units at that community college- they will go over it with you. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>You will have a list of courses you must take- Usually they will overlap with IGETC courses - maybe a few extra or more specific. For example for math you would probably need to take 2 calculus courses or something to that effect. </p></li>
<li><p>Not all UCs have bizEcon. If the other UC you are considering has BizEcon then most likely the prequisites will be similar. You need 60 units at min to transfer so satisfying the Preqs for various UCs is not a big deal if your major is in the same department at all the UCs.</p></li>
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