<p>My daughter the HS junior messed up pretty badly last semester, and now it’s looking like she might have trouble making the 3.0 GPA cutoff for UC admissions. Since her PSAT and initial SAT scores have been fairly high, we’re hopeful she might be able to meet the criteria for UC eligibility by examination alone. I know that “eligibility” and"admission" are two different things, and I’m wondering if, in the real world, students with low grades but high test scores actually have a shot at getting in to certain UCs. This is not a kid whose grades were low because she was busy curing cancer in her spare time, by the way, so no mitigating excuses there. </p>
<p>I’d like to take my daughter on a tour of a few UC campuses (Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside) during spring break to motivate her, but I don’t want to raise her hopes about getting in to these schools if there is no hope to be had. Do any of you have any experience with UC admissions “by examination alone”?</p>
<p>Thank you, CEman. I have a daughter at UCSB, so I'm well aware of those schools' average stats. I know the rumor is that certain UC campuses admit "just about anybody" who's eligible (and I know that last year when the GPA requirement was lower, a few kids from our HS with surprisingly low GPAs were admitted even to SB and Davis). My question is really directed to anyone with experience of "eligibility by examination alone". Anybody out there get admitted to a UC -other than Merced, which I do not believe offers my daughter's intended major- by this route, or do you know someone who did?</p>
<p>It is correct that being eligible doesn’t guarantee selection. Students who are eligible by examination most likely will be missing important information for the selection process. However, there is only way that I can guarantee a student won’t be admitted to a UC campus and that is to not apply at all.
Please encourage your student to visit the different campuses to see which one is right for her. Apply and see if she is admitted. I’m sure she realizes her mistake and the consequences. When you visit the campuses she might even want to discuss it with an admissions adviser. Only then can the best decisions be made for her. If she is not selected as a freshman applicant there are plenty of opportunities to be admitted as a transfer student. Overall, it is too difficult for anyone to determine her chances of being admitted without an application.</p>
<p>Thanks, UCD Admissions. Your school's admissions criteria are more transparent than most, and unless DD wins the Nobel Prize between now and next year it's pretty clear she won't get in to Davis as a freshman. Her options at this point are to skip senior year and start afresh at our local community college a year early (she's taking the CHSPE next week), or complete HS, apply to colleges (she REALLY wants to attend a UC, and Davis is currently her first choice), and have CC as a backup. I'm just trying to gather as much information as I can to help her make the best decision.</p>
<p>And thank you for joining this forum. I learn a lot from your posts.</p>
<p>If your daughter truely wants to go to Davis, and she ends up not getting accepted straight from high school, then going the community college route is a very viable option. UC Davis has a TAA (transfer admission agreement) program with 90 community colleges throughout California. Here's the full list:</p>
<p>I am currently a CC student and utilized the TAA to guarantee my acceptance into their engineering program at UCD. The TAA lays out very detailed requirements and is highly strict in that you must meet every single requirement of the program, or else you won't qualify.</p>
<p>I'm from the Bay Area, and UC Davis is also my 1st choice school. This is one of the few schools in California that offers the full college experience. The whole town caters to the students. It is a true college town and seems like it is something that would be situated out in the midwest, and not in California. It feels so peaceful and relaxed there.</p>
<p>The town of Davis probably wouldn't even exist if the university wasn't there. Here's an interesting fact......... UC Davis students make up over 50% of the entire population of the tiny town of Davis.</p>
<p>My sophomore year grades are very low, and my junior year grades are not spectacular either, so my UC GPA came out to be around 2.85 (I don't remember the exact number). My SAT scores were decent/average, but not high enough to render me "Eligible By Examination Alone." I applied to UC campuses anyway, despite my not meeting the minimum requirements, and have been accepted by UCSC and rejected by UCR and UCM. I am fortunate that UCSC accepted me (hopefully it was not an accident...). So, what I am trying to say is, I think you should go for it anyway, especially since her scores are high. Assuming that her grades in the prior two years are not horrible, I think that one semester would not hurt her too badly, as long as she brings them up again. The personal statement essays may also help, so I suggest she start thinking about possible topics to write about, if she has not yet. :)</p>
<p>Visiting the colleges will be a very good experience! I would suggest to apply to the schools anyway and cc will be her backup (a good backup i might add).</p>
<p>If she does end up at a CC, it does open a lot of options for her in terms of schools. As stated above, many of the schools have transfer agreements that guarantee admission as long as you complete and fulfill the requirements.</p>
<p>Even some CC's have an agreement with UCLA, and while it may not guarantee admission, it gives the students a VERY good chance (I think I read that it was 90%?). My CC didn't have that but if I had known about it I would've gone to another CC. I don't think anyone would have a problem at a CC as long as they have a plan and know their major.</p>