<p>Currently I'm attending a CC in norcal, and like many others, I've just started my spring semester. This will be my third year and am carrying a 2.0GPA. Unfortunately I knew very little of college or the school system in highschool, and this carried all the way until my second year of college, until someone happened to set me straight. Needless to say there was the moment where I was regretful of the lack of effort I put into school since high school.</p>
<p>My problem is this: I'm very sick of community college. The atmosphere, the fellow students, or lack thereof, the fact that I'm still in this dead-end town, and just many social factors. Also the budgets cuts and losses towards the school and the relative difficulty in getting classes. As you can see I'm desperate to get out of here as soon as I can.</p>
<p>I'm majoring in business and am planning to get an MBA, and I've heard about many schools that are quite good for this route. Though where I truly want to attend is UC Berkeley. It's traits appeal to me the most along with the fact that I love the bay area and it would be a dream to live and study there. If it came down to it I'd be alright with UC Davis, but if I'm not mistaken they don't really have a business undergraduate program and it's more of an economics + accounting deal. Would this work for what I'm trying to do?</p>
<p>Also what my counselor has told me is that I'd have a chance at USC through influential factors as I have two close relatives that are professors there. But I have been to the campus and the vibe I got was that it would definitely not give me the college experience I was looking for. I'm not really fond of the layout of the school, as well as the dorms and places outside the campus. I've looked up the demographics and quite honestly I'd prefer a school with a much larger Asian-American population. The same relatives have also told me that USC has also one of the largest population of foreign exchange/international students which, for many of us to put it basically, are a lot harder to associate with socially. It has always seemed like UCLA has been my type of school between the two, and frankly I'd be just as satisfied going there as I would Berkeley, though from what I've heard it's even more far-fetched. </p>
<p>Anyone with estimations on when I would reasonably be able to apply to the schools above, and chances on getting in at those given times? Or suggestions at all on anything or corrections to any misconceptions I might have?</p>
<p>First you need to show an upward grade trend to strengthen your chances of being able to transfer to UC Berkeley or UCLA. 2nd, you are looking at college as if you are a freshman, but you will be a transfer. So thinking about the atmosphere, layout of the school and dorms are not as important as the academic fit for you, especially given the fact that you are just now seeing the value of higher education and your GPA history. In regards to internationals at these schools … you are just going to have to get over that. The world is international and if you are going to grow, you need to be able to socialize and hang out with all kinds of people. If you want to stick with only Asian-Americans and your close circle of relatives for advice, then you are missing out of many opportunities, not only academically but also in expanding your horizons in life and your eventual career.</p>
<p>My suggestion to you is to 1) get your grades up … don’t even consider transferring realistically until your grades are A’s and B’s for more than 1 semester. 2) Finish an associates degree, work for a year or two. You may just need more time to see where you want to take your academics.</p>
<p>I am curious about your GPA. When you state you have a 2.0 GPA is that your transferable GPA or your overall GPA? This is important to understand because you may find your GPA is higher than you think. As for your cc counselor, they should be out of a job. You can’t tell someone they have a high probability rate of getting in somewhere because a relative works there! My girlfriend has two relatives who are professors at Cal and one is a department head. They have no “juice” when it comes to getting her admitted. That being said, she did get in with a 3.7 to major in French. One thing you mentioned is that you’re trying to get an MBA. If you want to do business and you’re worried about GPA try to go to a CSU like SDSU. They have a great business program there and after undergrad you can always apply to graduate school somewhere else.</p>
<p>Echoing the recent two posters, you’re rather picky given that you’re not a prize yourself. I commend you on pushing onward but your 2.0 isn’t going to make any college admissions officer jump out of her seat – especially UCB and probably USC too. Your citing social goals is perhaps some of the same issues why you’ve only gotten a 2.0 at a relatively easy institution. Perhaps you should eschew the social side of things and really bear down. If pursuing “fun” keeps you a 2.0 student, then you’ve not progressed as much as you think you have. In fact, you need to ask have you even gotten better recently. Are you currently producing 3.0 or better school work? </p>
<p>I agree that it would be good for you to complete your associates. The “best school” for you may be the one who will take a chance on you for a BA program. Best of luck to you but you need to have a realistic perspective of how you look to potential colleges.</p>
<p>You do not have to major in business as an undergraduate to go to an MBA program. But MBA programs do often want to see good work experience after whatever bachelor’s degree you complete.</p>