UCLA - Should I bother?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>I'm a very non-traditional student. I'm 33 years old now, and when I started school, I had NO idea what I was doing at community college. My first experience was at Citrus Community College, I took a couple courses, dropped most, got an A in one. Then I had a period of about 3 years where I didn't go to school. Then I went back and STILL didn't know what I was doing. I screwed up royally, but fortunately this was at SMC. B's, C's, and a few F's and D's (I'll get back to why this is fortunate later.) I then stopped again, and after a few years attended Pierce for a single semester, failed my stats class, and got a B in Poli Sci 101. Still realized I had no idea what I was doing. Wasn't completely prepared and stopped going again.
Now, two years ago, I finally figured out what I wanted to major in. Linguistics. Since then I've received 2 B's, and the rest A's while attending both Santa Monica College and Pasadena Community College (get the courses where you can). Now, back to the Santa Monica College aspect. I have successfully applied for and was approved for both an Academic Renewal, and a Progress Renewal. The Academic Renewal modified my transcript at SMC only of course, annotated classes that I did not need for my IGETC or for transfer or for my major that I got a D or worse in and removed them from my GPA. The Progress Renewal modified my transcript annotating 6 of the 8 W's I had from SMC removing them from my attempted units. The only two W's not removed from SMC's transcript were the two times I previously enrolled in Japanese II and withdrew. They were not annotated because I am again taking Japanese II only this time with a completely different mindset and totally different study habits and I am rocking the course so far. </p>

<p>Here is where the problem comes in. Currently at SMC I have a GPA of 3.21 of UC transferable courses. When I factor in the Pasadena Community College Grades 4 A's and 1 B (Stats), I have a 3.15. At the end of this semester I expect to get A's in German I, Japanese II and Nutrition 7. This will put me at a 3.29. When I factor in Citrus Community College, I have a 3.325. All well and good, but when I factor in Pierce where I took Poli Sci and got a B (I have retaken Poli Sci since and gotten an A. I wanted to forget that Pierce ever happened) and the F in stats which I retook and received a B, it drops my GPA back down to a 3.16.</p>

<p>Since I started going back to school at both PCC and SMC, I have received 2 B's and the rest A's from that point, but it that one semester from Pierce drops me below the 3.2 min requirement for UCLA. That semester was before I realized I wanted to be a Linguistics Major. Once I realized what I wanted, my entire outlook on school changed and I am driven to achieve an A in EVERY class I take, not just ones related to my major. Stats and Psych were not my strong points, but I still did well and was literally points from an A in both classes, but the CC system does not calculate B+/A- just solid letter grades.</p>

<p>My question is, will UCLA even care because I am below the 3.2? My major is not impacted and last I looked at the Linguistics department, the Average GPA at Admissions for Linguistics majors was interesting in that in one of the majors, the Average GPA for accepted students was actually below 3.2 with 100% acceptance for that specific major, and another was extremely close at 3.26. </p>

<p>What my transcript looks like at the moment since Pierce follows. </p>

<p>SPRING 08
PSYCH 1 - B
RELGS 1 - A</p>

<p>SPRING 09
POLSC 1 - A
STAT 50 - B</p>

<p>SUMMER 09
ENGL 2 - A</p>

<p>WINTER 10
MUSIC 32 - A</p>

<p>SPRING 10
LING 10 - A
ANTHRO 7 - A
BIOLOGY 15 - A</p>

<p>SUMMER 10
HEALTH 10 - A</p>

<p>Currently Enrolled in for FALL 10
GERMAN 1
JAPANSESE 2
NUTRI 7 </p>

<p>I expect to get A's in all of the above courses. </p>

<p>During all of the time up until Summer of 09, I was working full time while taking classes on the side. At present, I am not working, just going to school, which accounts in my mind for the difference in Grades. I can take a larger load and still get A's. </p>

<p>I was considering taking two Winter courses to help boost my GPA, but two things have me reconsidering this decision at the moment. One, UCLA if they accept you sends out the request for GPA in Feb which probably won't take into account the Winter Semester yet, though that would get me back to a 3.21. Two, when I add up my completed units, after doing this, it brings me to 89. UCLA has a cut off of 86 for units attended at Community College AND a 4 year. While I have not attended a four year, and my counselor assured me that I could take 200 units and apply, I had a friend who attempted to get into Davis after spending time at both Community Colleges and Texas Tech and was denied because Davis' cap is 80 and he had more. He did not tell Davis the schools specifically he attended just the units he had completed and they denied him based on units... (Probably GPA too, but the official reason was Units Completed.) This leads me to believe one of two things, that my counselor is either wrong, or UCD vetted him and found that some of those units were from a prior 4 year university. I have as many units as I do from a few false starts and making sure the way was paved to both the CSU system and the UC system. IGETC is complete. UCLA's requirement of taking Ling 101 is complete even though my main school didn't offer it, I went to PCC to get it specifically for them. </p>

<p>So many questions, such a long rambling post. I Apologize in advance. If anyone has any advice on whether I should even bother to apply to UCLA and if my Personal Statement will make any difference at all, I'd appreciate it.</p>

2

<p>[Profile</a> of Admitted Transfer Students by Major, Fall 2010 - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr/Tr_Prof10_mjr.htm]Profile”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr/Tr_Prof10_mjr.htm)</p>

<p>The average admitted GPA for linguistics last year was 3.57. A few of the linguistics fields with high numbers of applicants (Asian/Scandinavian) have similar stats. I don’t know anything about the different fields in linguistics but most of the sample sizes are too small to use any of the data, so don’t even bother looking at the ones with 100% acceptance rate and 2 applicants.</p>

<p>You’re a non-traditional student which is going to benefit you greatly, but you will need to somehow incorporate that into your personal statement. UCLA will definitely care that your GPA is below 3.2. GPA is the most important factor in determining admissions. Even though linguistics is not impacted, you are still fairly far below the average admitted GPA. Unless the cost of applying is an issue for you, there is no reason not to apply. With a very strong personal statement and an upwards grade trend, you can definitely have a shot at getting in. Be sure to write about your full time job or any other factors that may have attributed to your poor grades.</p>

<p>Winter courses will not boost your GPA for your application. Fall semester/quarter 2010 will be the last grades they include in your GPA.</p>

<p>As for your friend who was rejected by UCD, it was because of his units from a 4-year. Your counselor was correct.</p>

3

<p>The reason for unit caps is so that students complete at least one full year of upper division coursework at the final school. E.g., UCLA’s 86 semester unit limit is roughly one class less than being a senior (90 units). </p>

<p>However, community college students, by definition, don’t take upper division classes. So, at every UC, students who have only attended CCCs do not have any unit cap. You could take 500 CCC units and be fine–it would raise other questions, but you wouldn’t be automatically disqualified.</p>

<p>For students who have both four-year and CCC units, the situation is more complex, and varies between the different UCs. The “San” campuses (San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz) set a firm limit of 90 units. If you take one 3-unit lower division class at a CSU, then switch to a CCC, and you end up with 91 units total, you can never transfer to a “San” UC.</p>

<p>UCLA has what I think is a more sensible policy. So long as you complete fewer than 86 units at a four-year institution, you can take as many CCC units as you like. So, you could have 85 units from a CSU, and 500 at a CCC, and you’d still be eligible for admission to UCLA.</p>

<p>The other campuses have different policies, but all follow, more or less, one of these two patterns, just with slightly different numbers.</p>

4

<p>Yup, what nick says is true. A CCC student can still get into UCLA with a 3.26 but you wouldn’t want to go below this. UCLA understands that SMC uses UCLA books and many SMC academic classes are challenging so B grades are more typical than A’s. PCC is my other fave high quality CCC in so cal where the classes tend to be a bit more difficult as well. What helps younger transfer is doing the scholastic honors program but that won’t matter in your case. UC’s understand that people have lives and some have to work through school so make a note of that if had a bad semester economically but never provide excuses for B grades, it’s unbecoming. You should always retake a substandard grade unless absolutely don’t care about the class.</p>

<pre><code>If you are interested in Linguistics why not just go for an Anthropology major then? I may even return to SMC this winter and take both their Archeology classes which are great. If you want to apply Linguistics in a non math fashion then Ethno/Linguistic and other Cultural Anthro classes are really useful and more interesting than just Linguistics.
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5

<p>One of the reasons I’ve been stuck a sophomore was due to each time the State of California has had a severe budget crisis starting back in spring 2001. They slashed funding in the departments so that either the program was crashed or had to wait sometimes years to take the advanced classes. When I started JC’s it was more traditional and common to obtain an AA/AS/AAS degree plus maybe a certificate or two. During the 1990’s there were more 30-40 somethings in CCC’s than teens-20 something either reconsidering a career change or already obtained a BA and wanted a more work oriented certificate. Colleges are still about a 1/3 to half 30+ students but there is just more overall students due to the anchor babies and out-of-state/international students. </p>

<pre><code>From 2002-2006 all the CCC’s grew and made many bond based physical and technological upgrades to accommodate a growing younger student body. They primarily rely on marketing to incoming freshman paying higher tuition. Since 2008 the CCC system has more streamlined students towards transfer without a degree. The CCC’s are impacted and so are forced to concentrate on foundational classes before the more advanced ones. This always isn’t the best route to take but does depend on ones degree. A AA/AS degree still opens up many doors and adds value to a similar BA/BS since is at least an extra year worth of work. The main issue for me is if you don’t break enrollment time limits, stay at least part time, never attend a CSU or out of state school then they don’t use anything against you. The problem occurs with some students is if they just transfer and don’t complete their upper division BA in 3 years there lower division units can start to run out on an institutional level. If one obtains an AA Degree then all those classes and units are locked in forever and bachelors granting institutions have to accept them no matter who, what, where, what or when.
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<p>That is one of the reasons I am going to return to SMC. They had many UC transferable classes available and a great department and degree at the time before got de-funded. Environmental Biology wasn’t available at SMC so the degree lacked the proper Biology class at the time to qualify on the curriculum in conformity with the state. Many schools are now more in line with each other on many classes so are more transferable between nor and so-cal. Once they worked out state curriculum standards SMC now offers what I believe is more fair and fitting but knocked some sub core to electives in the process. </p>

<p>What is now offered is either Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. I already have everything complete for a Env.Studies degree but the Env.Science degree requirements are more in line with UC requirements if want to obtain my BS without having to take extra classes. All that means an extra year of Math, Chem, Physics, plus Botany+field studies at SMC which is still challenging! I even got a B in Environmental Studies because the school, program, and material was all new to me. SMC was one of the better and more challenging CCC’s that was consistent in following relatively high academic standards they expected from students.</p>

<p>I have like at least a 3.5 GPA total but closer to a 3.33 of UC transferable classes at SMC and would like to get that over a 3.5 before apply. If I get a B or better in all the Math, Chem, Physics, and Botany I know I can still get into any of the UC’s but not all the departments. My SMC’s GPA is what I call flat on the border and could use improvement but what matters more is getting the sheepskin. Even if took a few years off, was going through tough times, or changed majors it still feels good to have made the decision to knock nearly 60 units out in 18 months even though would have done better if spread out over 2 years. When I spoke to people from the UC departments they didn’t care that I got a bunch of B’s as long as I completed as much as I could prior to transfer. They were more impressed than concerned that I had my ups and downs living in California and going along on such a bumpy ride but still managed to accomplish quite a bit.</p>

<p>Environmental Studies 3 units B
Urban Studies 3 units B
Weather and Climate - 3 units B
Ecology - 3 units A
Geography of California - 3 units A
Physical Geography with lab - 4 units A
Geography Field Studies (CSU only) 1 unit A</p>

<p>Physical Geology w/o lab - 3 units B
Earth History with lab - 4 units B
Physical Oceanography w/o lab - 3 units A
Geological Field Studies (CSU only) 1 unit A</p>

<p>Phil 1: Knowledge and Reality - 3 units A
Business 1 - 3 units A
Argumentation I - 3 units A
(Early) Western Civ I - 3 units B
English 1 - 3 units A
US History II - 3 units B
Econ 1 - 3 units A
Music 1 - 3 units A
Surfing (PE) - 1 unit Cr</p>

<p>Web Design (CSU only) 2 units A
Typing 1 and 2 (CSU only) 2 units A-A</p>