<p>Hello all. I am currently a freshman at a private school on the east coast, but due to financial difficulties, it does not look like I will be able to stay here. I am now in the process or searching for a cheaper education but one that is still high quality. I am from Oregon, but am not to thrilled with the public education system there. Over the past couple weeks, I have looked extensively into the option of attending a junior college in California for a year, gaining my residency, and then transferring into a UC. I have talked with a counselor from Santa Rosa Junior College, and I was told that this would be very feasible, but I was hoping that you guys could give me a little more information on the admission rates, ect.
I was curious as to what the average GPAs were for transfer students into Cal and UCLA from California Community Colleges. I am a political science major, and I know that these two schools offer top-notch programs in Government. At the end of this year, it looks like I will have around a 3.6 GPA. If I were to go to a JC next year and keep these same type of grades (hopefully higher), would my chances of admission into a political science program at either of these schools be good? Is there anyone out there who has transferred into this program at either of these schools who could give me their stats? This is a big move for me, and also quite a risk, and I just wanted to get a general idea of what these two schools are looking for in terms of GPA. Also, what other factors do they consider? Thanks!</p>
<p>Cal is around a 3.8 for poli sci; UCLA is about a 3.5.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! Do you know how these schools evaluate applicants? Because so many students apply, do they base most of their decision on GPA. Is this the type of thing where with a 3.5 you're nearly guarenteed admission into UCLA where as with a 3.8 you are just about guarenteed admission into Cal? Also, could you recommend any other UC's with top-notch poli sci program? I believe I have heard that UCSD offers a very strong program. Is this true? Do any others come to mind? Thanks again!</p>
<p>UCSD has a fantastic political science program and the professors are fabulous..I go to UCSD, so this is not hearsay...Though, I am a Engineering major, I have taken a few pol sci classes and they r awesome...</p>
<p>btw, are you Indian coz ur id sounds like a indian food....lol</p>
<p>Honors Program + 3.5 GPA = ALMOST Guranteed Admission in UCLA.</p>
<p>gabew,</p>
<p>Do you have any sources for your figures? When I was admitted, back in the day, I was told that poli sci admits to both UCLA and Cal had similar GPAs. That's a huge discrepancy you're showing.</p>
<p>Transfers are almost 100% admitted based on their GPAs.</p>
<p>UCSD is a top 10 poli sci program, and right now, probably considered even hotter than UCLA and is hotter than Cal for comparative.</p>
<p>Yes I do, UCLAri.</p>
<p>UCLA Fall 2005 Transfer Stats
* Political Science, Pre: 3.54 (average GPA of admits)
<a href="http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof05_mjr.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof05_mjr.htm</a></p>
<p>Berkeley: Political science is in the College of Letters and Science and further subdivided (for the purpose of admissions) into the "Social Sciences" category (Berkeley evaluates based on categories in this case, not individual majors). That category had a 22% admissions rate for Fall 2005. The average gpa of admits for Fall 2005 was 3.52-3.9 (25% to 75%), the average GPA thus 3.71. We can conclude, since the 22% figure is one of the most selective (as opposed to 44% for arts and humanities for instance) that those admitted to majors within that category (including political science) have GPAs higher than the average (3.71).</p>
<p>gabe,</p>
<p>We can maybe conclude that. I don't doubt that poli sci is in the 3.7+ range, but it's a bit hasty to conclude that poli sci is 3.8 based on that fact. I'd say that odds are that it's 3.7+, but for all we know, it's the major that lags the most on GPAs while econ is extremely high. Averages don't always tell us the exact layout of the data. </p>
<p>Either way, odds are that we're definitely looking at around 3.7-3.8+. Thanks for the data.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that because applicants are reviewed based on divisions, all those econ and poli sci, as well as the other majors in the division, are considered as a group. The strength of the applicant pool in that division applies to all majors in the group. </p>
<p>But yeah, I said "around a 3.8," certainly higher than UCLA (perhaps partly because of the different process used by Berkeley).</p>
<p>Yeah, not entirely sure. But I'm fairly surprised how much higher it is. Eh, oh well.</p>
<p>Either way, if I recall correctly, UCLA is hot in comparative and American. Cal is great in American and IR (maybe theory? I forget) and UCSD is a superstar in Comparative and American.</p>
<p>I mean, they've got Gary Cox at UCSD. And IR isn't so bad there either, if you consider the presence of IR/PS.</p>
<p>What about comparing the STUDENTS though...I would argue that students at Cal and UCLA probably are more politically active than those at UCSD. For those poli sci majors interested in actual politics, that should be a factor.</p>
<p>That's true. UCSD, from what little I've heard, has a reputation for being somewhat apolitical.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great info. Could anyone tell me what way politically UCLA and UCSD lean? I know that Cal is far to the left, but are these two the same way?</p>
<p>UCLA has had a long historical tradition of being liberal. However, there is a significant Republican movement on campus if you feel out of place. Or, you can be a libertarian, socialist, or anything in between.</p>
<p>UCSD is fairly apolitical, but if anything, a tad conservative I'd say.</p>
<p>Don't be so fast to say Cal is completely leftist...</p>
<p><a href="http://www.calpatriot.org/index.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.calpatriot.org/index.php</a></p>
<p>It was mentioned previously that a 3.5 + honors would make admission to UCLA almost a guarentee. I was not aware the the Junior College system in California offered an honors program. Do all schools offer this? Is it a program that you need to participate in for two years to complete?</p>
<p>I've done a little more research into honors programs in California, and so far I have found only one at Santa Monica College. It seems like a pretty good one, and the website says that students that complete this program are given priority in admissions to UCLA. Does anybody know of any other programs like this in California, or is this the only one of its type?</p>
<p>SMC, Los Angeles Pierce College, Pasadena City College, and Valley College all have transfer programs.</p>
<p>Actually, I think almost all of the LACCD community colleges have something along those lines.</p>
<p>Do all these schools have the partnership with UCLA that SMC does where participants in these honors programs get priority in admission? Also, do most schools up in Northern California have these programs as well?</p>