<p>A friend of mine was ecstatic to be the first of her family to get into a four-year institution. She loved UCI and it was her first choice, and there were many reasons UCI might have found her a good candidate: academic excellence despite minority low-income status, the huge medical challenges she overcame, and a strong interest in science and engineering. But, you can imagine how it felt to hear that her admission was rescinded because of a change in one of the grades she reported when the transcripts arrived.</p>
<p>I know this isn't unprecedented. I know it's a UC policy, and that students are warned of this when they apply. But this friend tells me her teacher changed her grade without telling her. She wrote a heartfelt letter to the dean of the campus and even had her teacher call, but was told the decision was final. Does this seem.. fair? I'm not clear on the details, and I don't know exactly when the grade was changed, or if my friend could have been more vigilant. But I'm wondering what can a student really do in certain cases, and how the UC system deals with their policy.</p>
<p>Can my friend do anything more in this situation? In case you're wondering, she is now looking at community college and because registration started a while ago, she'll have trouble getting the classes she needs. It particularly pangs my heart because she was looking forward to escaping her unhappy family environment and building her success and future on her independence. UCI symbolized so much to her; it's like a tragedy.</p>