Hi!
I just read a post from 2016 about a guy that had a 3.8 something gpa with good ECs and his TAG application to UCSB got rejected. He’s a bio major like me so I’m just a little bit concerned now because I have a 3.55 and I’m applying for TAG this semester. I was confident that I had a good chance because one of my buddies from chem 2 last semester got into UCSB with a 3.5 as a chem major. So what do you guys think? Should I go for UCD instead?
btw I have a huge grade trend- went from having a 1.5 gpa after my first 3 semesters (all basic igetc classes) to getting 4.0s in my last 4 semesters where I’ve done heavy courseloads of all stem classes (calc, bio, chem) as well as retaking the easy classes I got D’s in at the beginning. I’ll be done with every single prereq except physics by the end of the spring 2018 semester prior to transfer
He obviously was missing a requirement such as total units, major requirements or didn’t qualify as a CCC student. You need to look closely at the UCSB TAG rules. It isn’t only about GPA.
He mentioned that he had finished all major requirements besides physics which is the same boat I’m in. Hopefully it was just a mistake or maybe he overlooked a requirement in the tag matrix.
He might not have had the appropriate 30 units when he applied in fall - back then some UCs had complicated rules re what qualified as those initial 30 units that have since been discontinued (AP can’t be applied, the 30 can only be from a CCC, etc); he possibly did not have 30 CCC units by end of spring; he could have gotten a D; he may have lost units due to something out of sequence. There are a lot of possibilities. If it was a couple of years ago, the biggest UCSB TAG disqualifer was not having the stats class done by fall. Up until a year or two ago, UCSB was the only TAG program that required stats by fall and ppl were tossed out right and left (although if he was bio this was likely not the issue). So, as I said, it is not simply GPA. If you follow the rules, you should be fine.
FWIW, I got kicked out of UCSB TAG due to stats course in spring, although i rolled into regular admittance and got in. So TAG disqualification does not mean you’re doomed.