***UC Transfer FAQs, part 2 ***
How does the UC calculate GPA?
The UCs only count transferable GPA and they only count it through the fall when you apply. If you notify them of any winter grades before the admission notifications are out, it is up to that UC how they deal with it. They might take it under consideration, but the overall GPA will remain what it was after the fall term. And by the way, when you transfer to a UC, your GPA reverts to zero and you start all over.
Calculate GPA here: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/preparing-admission/transfer-gpa/index.html
How does admissions know your fall grades if they are not in the application?
In January you will be directed to go online to the *Transfer Academic Update page/i and enter your fall grades. You will also re-enter your upcoming terms, and note any changes from the November application.
What happens if I don’t complete all my major pre-reqs by fall?
As noted above, the more selective the major the more you should leave as few as possible for final spring. (You should try to get as many off your plate just in general.) However, the general rule is as long as you complete your pre-reqs by spring before you transfer you’re fine.
Bad grades and Ws
Best approach is to repeat or try and get Academic Renewal. (It may go by a different name, such as Grade Forgiveness.) You can repeat a course from another college at your CCC if it’s a clear match. AR needs to originate from the college where you got the bad grade. Google your school and see what can be done. The good news is bad grades from years ago are discounted to a large extent if the UC sees a strong upward trend.
Withdrawals, especially when bunched together, are not an issue. If, however, they are peppered all over the map, that might translate to admissions as a potential lack of follow-through, especially as it pertains to highly selective majors.
Do I need to report all colleges attended?
Yes. The UCs have access to the National Student Clearinghouse that notes all schools attended. If they find out you left a college out, you will not be admitted or will get rescinded.
How does the UC handle gaps?
Yes, admissions wants to know what’s up with that. It is not a big issue but expect a follow-up in January asking again even if you explained in the application. There are various theories for this concern: possibly to assess residency claims, maybe colleges left out. But it is not an issue if you just needed time to get your act together, work, etc. It’s a standard follow-up if you have gaps.
Can I transfer from out of state (OOS)
There is a cap on how many OOS transfers the UCs can admit a year but many still make the cut. Your best option is to go to assist.org and try to match the required courses.
**Can I have too many units to transfer?**
Without going into all the details, the simple formula is all lower division courses (freshman/sophomore level) will cap at 70 semester units no matter how many you take or where you take them. So you can have 100 lower division courses and you will still be eligible to transfer, as only 70 units will transfer. The complicating issue is if you have any upper division courses (only available at a 4-year institution), because those upper division are added on top of any lower division and can put you over the ceiling max. [If you are adding in UC units see next question.]
Current semester unit ceilings by campus:
—Berkeley, UCSD, UCSB, UCSC, UCI, UCR: 90
—Davis and Merced: 80
—UCLA: 86.5
Being over may or may not prevent you from gaining entry. Some UCs are more lenient than others. Best approach is to reach out to the UC for some feedback. And by the way, they do not count AP, so those units will not affect the ceiling. The UC only counts courses.
What if I have UC units?
In terms of calculating UC units, whether a UC-UC transfer, or just anyone with UC units (including transferable UC Extension courses), there are a different set of rules. Every single UC course is counted and lower division is not eligible to be included in the ceiling cap.
Example 1 - UC-UC transfer:
72 lower division from UCI (not capped at 70)
5 upper division from UCI
77 total units
Example 2 - UC-CCC:
70 lower division from a CCC (capped from 75)
10 lower division from a UC
80 total units
What is unit credit vs subject credit?
If the 70 unit cap is applied, you will still receive subject credit for all courses taken, meaning they are applied to course requirements or class matches.
What if I get accepted, then drop a class or get a D?
Each admitted student gets a unique Provisional Contract. Your rules will be spelled out in it. Some will say, if you get two Cs or one D contact us ASAP; another might specifically note an overall GPA that must be maintained for that final term; another might include a minimum grade needed for a course. A letter grade of D will likely get you rescinded, and if you are dropping a required course that usually also spells bad news. Contact UC admissions right away to try and work it out. They do often give options (such as taking a dropped course in summer), but the longer you wait the less accommodating they will be.
How do I transfer in one year?
It’s definitely doable if you have a fair amount of AP units. For a best outcome it’s wise to get two courses in summer before the fall application because the UC likes seeing coursework over AP, and with fall combined with summer that will at least be seven courses. Try to get as many major requirements in fall and then just finish up in spring. Most of the UCs offering TAG will let you include the AP in your 30 minimum unit count needed to apply. But check. That is not necessarily true across all TAG platforms.
Thanks to @ucbalumnus for assistance with these FAQs.
To view UC Deadlines, go here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/2081689-uc-deadlines-for-transfer-students.html#latest