<p>I am graduating from a Los Angeles private school. While my gpa was strong, my SAT scores were lacking. My dream is to go to either UCLA or USC. My intuition says I should go to CC, fulfill my IGETC requirements and put myself in the position of applying to both USC and/or UCLA. When I speak to the college counsellor of my private school, she has nothing positive to say about this thought. She says that better thing to do is to go to Chapman or USF (where I was accepted), and I could transfer from there to UCLA or USC. She is concerned I will not have the "college experience" if I don't attend a university. I'm worried I'll miss out on a great education, thinking I may become "comfortable" at Chapman/USF and stay, instead of pushing myself toward a top tier school.</p>
<p>Can someone help me reason this out?</p>
<p>1) Go to Chapman, have college experience, and work on transferring? Does anyone know statistically how probably this is?</p>
<p>2) Go to CC and have faith that I will integrate into college world when I get to USC or UCLA?</p>
<p>3) Go to UC Riverside (which I was accepted into), and work on transferring?</p>
<p>Any help will be appreciated! Thank you.</p>
<p>Your GC is right to an extent, most community colleges are commuter schools so most people just go to class and leave so the social life is lacking. Do you actually like Chapman/USF ? If you do, then ask yourself why you want to go to UCLA ? Have you visited all 3 schools ? A lot of times people pick schools just on reputation and rankings when in reality you should be looking at how the school fits YOU and your lifestyle. </p>
<p>I will say this, don’t go to a private college with the intent on transferring. $35k a year is way too much for lower division courses when you’re going to leave your friends behind in 2 years. It is harder to transfer from a 4 year because CC’s get priority for transfer students, then UC/CSU then privates.</p>
<p>If I were you I would visit all the school you were accepted to, and USC/UCLA and go from there. If you love UCLA and hate all the other schools then go for it (from a CC).</p>
<p>Dear andrewexd:</p>
<p>Thanks for your response. I think what you say absolutely correct. Someone also gave me a link to the UCLA site that tells you how many accepted transfers there were from California universities. As an example, Chapman had 12 students apply to transfer to UCLA but only two were accepted.</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>this one</p>
<p>2) Go to CC and have faith that I will integrate into college world when I get to USC or UCLA.</p>
<p>please go from a CC.
its much cheaper and easier. </p>
<p>whats your major btw?</p>
<p>im a prospective transfer student applying to USC fall 2010. so i can help you with this. Ive completed IGETC. and i can transfer to UCLA/UCB with a few more classes if i choose to…but im a trojan haha.</p>
<p>the college world will still be there when you transfer. keep in mind your future is much more important than a party at 2 am. but no doubt, college is a one time experience. but going to a cc hasn’t stopped me from partying my face off either haha</p>
<p>one option you can think of is transferring to USC as a sophomore. USC only requires 30 units to transfer! UC’s requier 60+ so…youd be entering as a junior. think about it</p>
<p>post more Q’s if u have any!</p>
<p>MissDayna, do you think you could post that UC link for UC statistics of transfer students into private schools, I am currently a student at University of San Diego looking to transfer to UCLA or UCB. let me know if you have any other suggestions.</p>