I just moved to LA from Seattle and am nearly done with my AA and will be finishing my IGETC prep through WLAC, where I am also taking a biology class right now (my degree will be from my Seattle college since the vast majority of my credits are from there).
I spoke with an advisor this morning about my progress with IGETC/major prep and it looks as though I will only need four classes next semester to finish up the requirements for both. I have been taking the path to be a psych major, but as I had heard and my advisor confirmed, psych is by far the most impacted major. I will not be able to take part in the Transfer Honors Program since I came to WLAC near the end of my degree and I won’t have time to complete the requirements. That means that I will not be able to apply for an alternate major.
UCLA is my ultimate dream school. I have a 4.0 GPA and plan to work in Human Resources (getting a Master’s in Industrial Psychology after my Bachelor’s). I also have a few things in my favor: I worked full-time and attended school full-time while maintaining my GPA, I have 10 years of work experience, and I am a 27-year-old who returned to school and faced pretty extreme hardships to get to where I am today.
So, I ask you, UC Transfer Forum: Should I apply to the Psych major and hope that I compare well enough or apply to the less impacted Sociology major (which I could also use for my intended career path)?
Any input?
Bonus request: If you have any information/experience regarding transferring out-of-state credits to the UC system, I’d love to hear about it!
I have no practical experience in either sociology or psychology field but, if they are anything like applying to grad school for Economics, the classes you take during your undergrad have significantly more bearing than your major.
On the other hand if you have 30 units completed from California Community Colleges (CCC) to be considered a CCC transfer, you should be a shoe-in in either major.
With a 4.0 and all req met, you stand as good a shot as anyone to get into psych. If that’s what you want, I would stay with it.
The only red flag I might raise is if your Seattle classes are quarter term, moving into semester at a CCC. Just verify you are getting the units you think you’re getting. Many a person has lost tons of units going that route. Same indirectly with how the UC will parse it out.
@SDGoldenBear I won’t have 30 units at WLAC, unfortunately. I will be bringing 90+ quarter credits from my Seattle school over, though and my most recently attended school will be WLAC, which I hear looks much better!
@lindyk8 Thanks! My classes from Seattle are indeed quarter units, however, I will have over 90 by December, plus IGETC classes (giving me 14 semester units, or ~20 quarter units), so hopefully there won’t be any issues fulfilling minimum credit requirements!
@incogneato, I assume you are taking CCC courses just to assure you get your pre-reqs squared away. (Good move.) But without 30 semester units from a CCC, you will not be getting priority consideration as a CCC transfer. I’m not sure how they will calculate you, exactly. But you won’t be in that grouping. You might already know this.
I think you’re just about a lock for Sociology, and a very good chance for Psych. Just something to consider… Once you get into UCLA, Sociology is an academically easier major than Psych. Your GPA will likely be higher in Soc, and that may help your chances of getting into the best grad programs, and getting funding. You could use your elective classes to take Psych classes that may be necessary pre-reqs for your potential grad programs. Just something to think about.
@lindyk8 Thank you very much! I didn’t know about the 30 credit designation. Unfortunately, I can’t possibly meet that goal before spring semester is over, but I will be close! By the end of spring semester I will have 21 credits completed at a CCC.
@mikemac Thank you! I went over these before we moved down so that I would be sure to meet the requirements as soon as possible. Within a week of moving we changed over our licenses/car titles, changed addresses with our banks, etc. I’m also not a dependent, so that should make it a bit easier.
@2016Candles That’s a very good point! I suppose my debate was between the two because I felt like I might have a better shot at a less competitive major as an otherwise impressive student in limbo. As far as I know, my intended grad school program would prefer a psych degree, but I need to do more research. You present really great points, though, so thank you!
@BackNSchool83 Thanks! Unfortunately, I can’t apply for both unless I’m part of the Transfer Honors Program, which I won’t qualify for due to my late enrollment.
Thank you so much for the responses, everyone! I’m meeting with an advisor today to get a better idea of what I should do.
I didn’t know about the 30 credit designation. Unfortunately, I can’t possibly meet that goal before spring semester is over, but I will be close! By the end of spring semester I will have 21 credits completed at a CCC.