<p>My daughter ,who wants to major in English with creative writing, only applied to a handful of local colleges that were recommended to her by her counselor. Her top choice is USC but I know with her GPA and test scores that this school will be nearly impossible to get in to and is the only one we have not heard back from yet. She got accepted to University of Redlands and Cal State University Long Beach. UC Irvine was her next choice after USC and she was denied. Now we are trying to decide if she should go the community college honors program route and try to transfer to UCI or if she should enroll at Long Beach. She really doesn't want to go to community college but said if she had a chance of transferring to USC that she would but not to UCI. She doesn't want to put the two years in at a CC and then have a chance of being denied again at UCI. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Thanks!</p>
<p>What does your daughter want to do with her creative writing major? If she wants to teach, she would do very well attending Long Beach. She would be able to get a teaching credential after her degree from L.B. too, if she chooses. If she intends to go to graduate school in creative writing, UCI probably has arguably best graduate program in Southern California.<br>
I think if my Dd were in this position, I’d encourage her to take the spot at Long Beach (if denied at USC) with the option after graduation of applying to UCI, USC and Long Beach for a M.A. in creative writing ; if teaching high school is her plan, Long Beach will be a fine option for her credential, as would UCI or USC, for that matter.</p>
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<p>Both USC and UC Irvine take students as junior transfers from community colleges. She would have to apply and get accepted, but most good community colleges help students with this plan arrange their coursework so that the students do get accepted to one of their choices. I don’t think there are guarantees at any of the colleges, so she would have to take the chance of being denied at any transfer school. </p>
<p>Generally speaking transfer admissions are more selective than freshman admissions. If your daughter has the same GPA at CC as she did in HS I would not expect admission to UCI. Obviously getting better grades at CC would increase her chances .</p>
<p>I didnt hear that money was an issue, so consider attending Redlands/CSLB and transferring from there. </p>
<p>It also may be time to help her let go of UCI/USC. She tried, didnt get in, so its time to move on. A transfer will add more work and stress to her college life and as you said, she may get denied again (and again jr yr). </p>
<p>Generally speaking transfer admissions are more selective than freshman admissions. If your daughter has the same GPA at CC as she did in HS I would not expect admission to UCI. Obviously getting better grades at CC would increase her chances .</p>
<p>I didnt hear that money was an issue, so consider attending Redlands/CSLB and transferring from there. </p>
<p>It also may be time to help her let go of UCI/USC. She tried, didnt get in, so its time to move on. A transfer will add more work and stress to her college life and as you said, she may get denied again (and again jr yr). </p>
<p>UCI has a transfer admission guarantee if the student completes specified course work with a 3.4 GPA:
<a href=“Apply | Office of Undergraduate Admissions | UCI”>Apply | Office of Undergraduate Admissions | UCI;
<p>Of course, if she does not want to attend UCI, then she would have to apply elsewhere (USC, UCLA, etc.) with no guarantee of admission. The California publics do take large numbers of junior transfer students from community colleges. This is the way the California higher education system is designed. USC appears to be much more transfer friendly than most private schools.</p>
<p>For community college to university transfer credit, see the following:
<a href=“http://www.assist.org”>http://www.assist.org</a> (California public universities)
<a href=“USC-Articulation Agreement”>Error; (USC)</p>
<p>@moonchild, I don’t think she’s interested in teaching but said she wouldn’t mind looking into professional writing jobs, creating slogans for companies possibly or editing, working with authors and other writers. She wants to be a writer herself but knows that she cannot make a living at that so she’s trying to find a career where she can make money at doing something she likes. I think having her to go LB and then get her masters at UCI is the way to go. She was disappointed in not getting accepted there because of their strong writing program. @mitchklong, her GPA wasn’t bad, a 3.8 but after reading some of the stats of the kids who did get in, I realize she was nowhere in the ballpark. LOL Thanks for your suggestions and help!!</p>
<p>Thanks, @ucbalumnus!</p>
<p>If finances aren’t an issue, and she REALLY wants USC, I’d have her make an appointment with USC to talk about their transfer admissions. Our D was a transfer from CC to USC and did very well in their cinema program. Her HS GPA was far lower than your D’s as well. Her CC GPA was pretty good, which was helpful.</p>
<p>When a friend’s S toured USC with another friend, USC told them that they accept more students from CCs than as transfers from 4-year Us. They suggested that the legacy friend that REALLY wanted to go to USC turn down the 4 year Us he was accepted to and go to CC and transfer to USC. He did and happily transferred.</p>
<p>The downside has been discussed, that she will have to have a backup, since you obviously have to be connected to a 4-year U to get a BA/BS, and will have to transfer after CC.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the California system, which is a world unto itself, but I’d be inclined to go straight to the 4-year school rather than gambling on a junior transfer. (Is there something wrong with Redlands? Ironically, I am right now reading a novel where a character is a professor of English at UC Redlands. 
) HImom obviously tells a story that contradicts me. :)</p>
<p>I do know something about MFA programs. It is almost certainly more difficult to get into a funded MFA program than it is to get into medical school or an elite law school. It pretty much depends on the portfolio, period. Grades aren’t important, except in some cases to determine eligibility for TA jobs that help pay the way. Many applicants apply several times before giving up or getting in.</p>
<p>There is no “UC Redlands”. There is a private University of Redlands.</p>
<p>USC is also not part of the CA state school system and is a private U, just as Redlands is. The UCs have specific agreements to take CC transfers that are CA residents and meet criteria. We are not CA residents, so I don’t know these details, but you could speak with the CC and UC counselors about these programs to get more details.</p>
<p>I know that USC was helpful in working with my D to choose courses that would transfer and provide credit when she was considering appying to USC. All but one of her courses did transfer.</p>
<p>I guess I’d talk with all the Us you were accepted at as well as those you MIGHT want to transfer into and then weigh your options. If you are considering, you may wish to visit the campuses you are most seriously considering as well.</p>
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<p>Well, duh! I knew USC was private, at least. 
The book just talks about “Redlands” and I just made the wrong assumption.</p>
<p>So, is Redlands not well regarded in comparison to CSU Long Beach? Or much more expensive?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input, you all have been most helpful!! Sounds like I need to give USC a call and get more details before she commits. Redlands is a good school, it’s just a lot more expensive. Close to 35K more a year. If we are going to be paying that much in tuition, I’d rather pay it to USC. lol</p>