<p>i am ab540 and wont qualify for fafsa. is this $$ offer via fafsa or just a seperate academic grant, for which students like myself can qualify for?</p>
<p>thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Also, why did you choose LA over CAL?</p>
<p>Thanks again</p>
<p>How long did you stay at CC b4 transfer?
How old were u when u got to UCLA?</p>
<p>Thx</p>
<p>Hey JYTransferr,</p>
<p>I know that being AB540 changes things a little bit. I hang out with many Dreamers from IDEAS (Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success) which is one of most active AB540 group in the country. I can tell you that in my short time here at UCLA being an AB540 has gotten a lot easier. L</p>
<p>You will now able to qualify for some grants and are also eligible for some competitive scholarships. Plus the new president has pledge to fund a few million towards undocumented students. Those grants have already tremendously helped students.</p>
<p>If you want you can PM about it, I dont want to go too much into details here, because then you get trolls commenting that undocumented students should don’t belong at UCLA. Im here to discuss how to get into a good UC (hopefully UCLA). </p>
<p>Why did I choose UCLA over CAL?</p>
<p>For it was because I have lived in LA all my life. I already have a young family and for me to uproot my family and move to NorCal would have been very different. This is more true since I am had another child while at UCLA. Had I been at Berkeley then we would have been away from my extended family. However I now want to go to the Bay and I am considering Berkeley for graduate school.</p>
<p>to Alkanium:</p>
<p>I took me like 8 years (seems like 80 years) to get out of community college, I was on a on/off basis and I dropped out a few times. I was in my mid-late 20’s when I finally transferred.</p>
<p>Hi Dagoberto, if you have time, do you think you could chance me? I’m an aspiring linguistics with computer science major.</p>
<p>The prerequisites are apparently:
2 semesters/3 quarters in a foreign language
one course in symbolic logic
four computer programming courses
1 year of calculus</p>
<p>I only have 1 semester of Spanish, I’ve taken a symbolic logic course and have 5 transferable programming courses (only 2 are apparently the equivalents to UCLA’s requirement for the major though). The worst blow is that I don’t have any math higher than statistics. I do currently have a 4.0 that I hope to maintain during the Spring, but I’m essentially missing 3 courses (the two for calc and another semester of Spanish), so I’m not sure if even my GPA would help. </p>
<p>Thanks for any insight (even if it’s bad news).</p>
<p>Hey Yottalink, </p>
<p>Since linguistics comp sic is not an impacted major (that I know of). I think that having missed a couple of prerequisites is not going to ruin your chances of being a Bruin. The 4.0 definitely works in your favor, and if you can keep the perfect GPA then you could see yourself taking your services to westwood (warning: rent is expensive).</p>
<p>I do have to ask you a specific question, have you already completed your statistics class (or at least taking it this fall) or are you planning to take it in the spring. The reason that I ask is that sometimes admission reps are a little hesitant to admit students that have not completed UC transferable math. The reason being is because even through they have stellar GPA’s they will get stuck passing math. So if you got an A in statistics then you prove to them that you have a chance taking the higher math courses.</p>
<p>Speaking of math . I would strongly suggest that you take Calculus at the community college level. Taking Calculus 1/2 (math 31AB) at UCLA is going to be much harder. The reason being is not that many community college students even make to Calculus. The professors try to teach you and prepare you for the university.</p>
<p>At UCLA math 31ab is usually the first math class of a math/engineer/physics/ take and math classes here are graded on a curve. Generally on the top 25-30% get an A, and the competition is tough (not as brutal as premed), at UCLA a curve can either help you as well as hurt you (i have experience both scenarios) so even if you really earned an A you might end up with a B. Also at the community college Calc 1 and 2 are both one semester long whereas at UCLA they are 11 weeks, the quarter system can be brutal at times.</p>
<p>Hope that I answered your question, if not feel free to ask more questions.</p>
<p>The major I want to get into seems to have the opposite problem - I’ve checked the transfer rates and I don’t think I’ve seen over 20 students in any year try to get into the major, so that makes me wonder if they’re extra particular since so few people apply.</p>
<p>I took my stats class in the spring, but I do understand why they’d be hesitant. I was actually really nervous that by taking a calc class, I’d mess up my GPA, so I didn’t entirely want to risk it. </p>
<p>I’ve heard of a curve when looking up a few UCLA classes. I sometimes just barely get an A (like, 91.something percent). With a grade like that, does that mean it’s pretty much certain that I’d get a B with this curve system? I used to be pretty decent in math, but I’ve just gotten lazy with it. I figured I could take calc during the summer (if I got accepted) or something and not load up on too many other classes in hopes that I’d do okay.</p>
<p>I think that not too many people choose that major for 2 reasons:</p>
<p>1) Linguistics is such an easier major than linguistics with comp science, many pure and applied linguistic majors would not be interested in learning how to code. I took a computer programming class at ucla and many north campus majors (humanities) drop out. don’t want to say that south campus (stem majors) is harder than north campus, so I won’t. By far most linguistic majors at ucla are the linguistics with a language (applied linguistics)</p>
<p>2) people that are already good with computer programming then they might decide to become computer science majors. That major is more broad and marketable, especially with the technology firms that recruit at campus (Internet service starups, google, intel, oracle, etc). A com sci major is in way more demand than linguistics, in fact comp sci major are the ones that have the easiest time looking for jobs.</p>
<p>So I’m assuming that u want to develop the next translating software, which this major is perfect for you. Not too many people share your passion</p>
<p>One more note… Getting a 91% is not an A at UCLA, it’s a A- which is 3.7GPA.
However the amount of effort it takes to get a 91% for calculus 1 at Community college will not get you an A- at ucla, more like a B-/C+. The level of competition here is much harder and you will be competing with south campus majors (except pre- meds, they take calculus for life sciences.)</p>
<p>Also remember that you have to take calculus 1 and 2, if you are intimidated by taking calculus at community college then you are in trouble. Those computer science course (especially the upper division) are brutal, they very time consuming. You will be competing against computer science engineers of the Samuels school of engineering, people that have taken 4 courses of calculus plus linear algebra and differential equations. </p>
<p>Not to intimidate you, I just want to open your eyes to the world of uclA. It can get competitive. To put a baseball analogy (if u watch baseball) you will go from triple A to the big leagues. you have a 4.0 (way better than me) so it seems that you can be for he challenge.</p>
<p>Ps. You will certainly get admitted to UCLA, the advice I’m giving you is once you get here.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m mainly interested in the major because I had a tough time learning how to speak as a child (mean stutter, English language development classes for 3 years, etc.), so speech really interests me and I do like computers a bit as well, so I thought the major would be the best of both worlds. I’ve also seen MANY people drop out in the programming courses I’ve taken (and being a community college, I imagine the courses aren’t as intensive)! We would start the semester with more students than seats and well before the time finals came around, only 10 or so students remained in the class. It was especially bad in my Java class - only 7 students were left; it was so quiet in there. </p>
<p>I’m somewhat competitive (in the Java class I mentioned, I managed to get enough extra credit that I wound up with 106% somehow), but I suppose I haven’t been matched up against UCLA students. I do have to admit that I find the math daunting (especially after how cutthroat you make it sound), but I’m mainly worried about not getting accepted than anything else. I’m really hoping that if I do get in, I’d get into the groove of things and would be able to handle whatever courses I take.</p>
<p>Hey Jottalink,</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, what part of California are you from? The reason that I ask is that math 61 (introduction to discrete structures) is not offered at every community college. I found only 3 community college is southern california that offer it.</p>
<p>Also I’m glad that you passed Java, I’m assuming that you are taking or will take C++. If you understand programing Calculus should not be hard. I found programing harder than some upper division math @ UCLA. Don’t be scared of Calculus is not as hard as you think. If you still feel intimidated take pre-calculus/trigonometry. It should prepare for the next level.</p>
<p>I remember the good old days of community college, my calculus class started with 55 students and only 10 of us remained. It made me feel smart, i miss those days.</p>
<p>As previously mentioned you are almost a shoe-in at UCLA.</p>
<p>I’m from Southern California; East LA to be specific. I believe I saw Pasadena City College or something offer that course (or at least a course that was equivalent according to assist), but I’m almost positive calc is a prerequisite, so I haven’t taken that either - stats is all I have for math at the moment. </p>
<p>I’ve taken 2 courses in C++. I actually found learning C++ much easier than Java. I read that some UC’s prefer Java over C++, but I think I’ve read that UCLA likes C++, so that’d be good for me because I’m way more confident in my C++ abilities.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s mainly the trig stuff in calc that might give me trouble. Some of the videos I’ve seen of calculus 1 don’t look too bad, but problems with lots of trig scare me. I’ve never been in a class with more than 50 students. I understand that UCLA can have huge class sizes, so that’d be different if I get in.</p>
<p>is it hard to make friends as a science major? Also, do you recommend joining clubs right after you get accepted, or wait some time?</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I really hate asking you this, but have you heard of anyone getting into either Computer Science and/or Linguistics with Computer Science with low gpa and missing requirements?</p>
<p>I chose Computer Science as my main, and Linguistics with Computer Science as my alternate. The thing that concerns me is that I haven’t completed (nor planned on completing) the Chemistry requirement, and for linguistics I am not remotely close in finishing their foreign language requirements. How badly will this hurt my prospects in admission. Is it too late now to plan for Chemistry? I would have to petition at my school to go over the allotted units, and even then I think I’ll be waitlisted for chemistry classes at my school.</p>
<p>Also, my overall UC transfer gpa doesn’t look too great. On tap, I manage to get a 3.44 UC transferable gpa (however on my UC Davis tag agreement it says 3.46). However, the last 2 years I have been getting nothing but As. Though, I couldn’t take as many classes as wanted (needed to budget units and classes becoming full by the time I registered).</p>
<p>Any information would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>PS. Also here are some of my stats if helpful.</p>
<p>Calculus I - A
Calculus II - A
Calculus III - A
Linear Alg. - A
Diff. Eq. - in progress (probably an A)
Intro Comp. - A
Intro. C - A
Java - in progress (probably an A)
C++ - in progress (guarantee an A)
Data Struct - planned
Assembly Lang - planned
??? some comp class - planned
Mechanical Physics - A
Elec Mag Physics - in progress (guarantee an A)
Heat Waves Physics - planned</p>
<p>Whats hurting my grades is my record from Cal Poly Pomona (1.82), though I didn’t take any upper division classes so that might help.</p>
<p>I think my personal statements are written well, but lacks any defining features and overall a bit lackluster.</p>
<p>Prompt 1 -
Basically, a short anecdotal story where my employer help me guide me towards starting my education again and cementing my interest in computer science. Its lacking in showing any sense if I’m capable of programming (which I hoped my grades in math and computer classes will reflect that I am capable).</p>
<p>Prompt II -
My strongest essay. Briefly goes over certain hardships, but highlights my sense of responsibility towards my younger siblings.</p>
<p>@jonjon03</p>
<p>I have no idea about the UCLA’s process myself, but your GPA doesn’t seem super far off from the average of students that applied last year and you’re a heck of a lot more prepared than I am. I’d reckon they’d accept you over me with all that math.</p>
<p>Hey Jonjon03,</p>
<p>I have potentially bad news for you. UCLA only accepts alternate majors from people that are TAP certified. [Alternate</a> Majors - Transfer Alliance Program - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr/adm_cco/tap_alt_mjr.htm]Alternate”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr/adm_cco/tap_alt_mjr.htm)</p>
<p>The major computer science is one of the hardest majors to get admitted at UCLA because</p>
<p>1) its under the Samueli school of engineering, Samueli has its own admissions process and are more stringent than the college of letters of science (where linguistics department is located)
Tipically the GPA’s they admit are 3.7’s and up. </p>
<p>The good news for you is that Samueli focuses more on major GPA than overall GPA, since you have a 4.0 major GPA then you have a realistic shot.</p>
<p>However Computer Science is the hardest major to get admitted in Samueli, so even a high GPA is not a guarantee to get admitted. (they have rejected people with 3.9 GPA)</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to many people, UCLA offers computer science outside of the school of engineering. Its under the called Mathematics of Computing and is part of the Math department (which is part of the college of letters and science). Its not a well known major, so it does not get many applicants. Mathematics of Computation is more theory based and more for people that want to pursue a Masters or Phd in computer science. Its easier to get admitted than computer science.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply,</p>
<p>I wished I had known the info sooner, I would’ve been very much interested in mathematics in computation (planning on getting my masters). It seems I have only a sliver of hope for UCLA. Well no matter, just put my two years in at UCD and go on to graduate school. At the very least, getting a B in any of my classes this semester will have less of a sting.</p>
<p>IF you are TAP certified and get admitted to your alternate major (linguistics + comp) you can always switch to mathematics of computation. As i said not a popular major. most comp sci people want to get their bachelors and start making that $$$, so getting masters and phd is not as popular choice.</p>
<p>If you are not TAP certified you can switch to Math for computation, you can always tell the admission office a sob story (you got to sell it) that you clicked the major by mistake.</p>
<p>By any chance, are you civil?</p>
<p>Hoping to Xfer,</p>
<p>I try to be civil at times, so yes i consider myself civil.</p>
<p>jk, no I’m not civil engineering. I’m math/econ, I described myself at the beginning of the post. A few of my community college buddies got into electrical engineering so I’m a little familiar of how Samueli’s admission works.</p>