How will this look?

melbusefi · 02-02-2007, 06:17 PM

I already have 49 units from a Kansas CC (ugly trascript: 2.73 GPA & many Ws -- financial issues). The last time I took a class was 2005. I really prefer not to stay in KS since..well, there is NOTHING here.

Foothill College in CA has a nice and challanging honors program which - if I complete with 3.8+ GPA - may enhance my acceptance chances at many private universities not only in CA but even in the east coast. So I'm seriously thinking about relocating to the bay rea, start from scratch at Foothill's, then apply as a junior transfer to - mostly - private universities (though many on my list are very selective) which are less expensive than many state schools, in my case that is.

I know the UCs call anything over 70 or 90 units (I don't remember) subject credits and those extra units aren't transferable, but does having so many units over 60-70
pretty much kills me (academically, though i'm pretty much dead with 2.7GPA)? If I remember correctly, Yale clearly state that they won't accept any junior transfer who spent more than 2 yrs of full time in college, and they state that credit relinquishing isn't possible.

I was at Foothill's yesterday (visiting) and spoke with a counslor, but she didn't seem very receptive to my plan. after talking with her, and seeing how skeptical she was, I started to think that I may have to settle for KSU.

The question:
How will those pickey adcoms. view my profile if I followed the aforementioned plan? i.e. How will my application look with 100-120 semester units, 49 of which from one CC where I performed poorly, and 60+ from Foothill's honors?

lostincode · 02-02-2007, 06:56 PM

might work. write good essays.

mojojojo69 · 02-02-2007, 07:08 PM

i think thats a great idea...relocation + change in life + good grades = the new and improved you haha. I think admissions will definately notice the improvement and it will work in your favor. Also, it depends on the university that you apply to. Good luck!

nuveen · 02-02-2007, 11:25 PM

Well for the elite privates, the odds will obviously be against you with your 49 units at a 2.73. But if the UC's are your goal, then by all means, its a great plan. But, you said that your previous low GPA was caused by financial issues. If those aren't worked out by now, I'm not so sure how good of an idea moving the bay area would be, given the cost of living here. Furthermore, at least at first, you will be paying out of state tuition at Foothill. A girl from Indiana who goes to De Anza told me she pays around 9,000 dollars per year on tuition alone (vs about 300 dollars per quarter that I pay). I don't know how long you have to be here before you're considered a resident, however.

ilovecalifornia · 02-03-2007, 12:02 AM

dont count on great privates...but theres always the UCs

LaxAttack09 · 02-03-2007, 01:17 AM

You wont get into the elite privates w/ that initial gpa...unless u cure cancer or something. If you wanna hit up the uc's come to cali (it's what I did), if not i'd stay where u are.

dmsurfr101 · 02-03-2007, 02:01 AM

i don't know i mean saying ya i'll get above a 3.8 (honors classes) is one thing but actually doing it is another. Put into consideration if you want to transfer in 2 years that is approx. 15 units a semester (honors) and you'll be living in a totally different area. i would say just work on your GPA at your school and kick ass and you'll score big all over the country.

p.s they are not going to be stoked with 120 units some you can't apply with that many.

LaxAttack09 · 02-03-2007, 02:11 AM

Not to mention it's nearly impossible to get into the ivies to begin with, especially from a ccc, and especially w/ that many credits w/ that low gpa to begin with.

melbusefi · 02-04-2007, 05:51 PM

thank you all for your input.

nuveen, I would have to work as a transporter while I'm in CA for at least 366 days to establish residency. I can use that time to imrpove my English.

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I hope you guys know what I'm trying to say, 'cuz I don't know if there of a technical term for it: never use those 49 units toward a degree, though I would have to produce the transcript, but I just want to forget them. Am I making sense at all?

skinnyfists · 02-04-2007, 09:29 PM

I'd just go to KSU and work your ass off, then go to a good grad school--it's all that really matters and it'll take less time than starting over.

mildred · 02-04-2007, 09:36 PM

Ahh 10 characters?!

melbusefi · 02-12-2007, 04:18 PM

I finally got an answer on this. Every time I call, I get someone who either doesn't know or doesn't want to give a clear answer.

After I explained to him my case, J..f at Stanford U admission office said I would have to spend a minimum of 2 years as a junior transfer anyway, and as long as my new grades (and he used this word) "mask" my older ones, there would be no problem. "The mere fact that you [meaning I] have this many units" doesn't make a difference. He also confirmed that having so many units "is not a factor in the admission decision" (at least in my case where i would have to spend min of 2 years there, if accepted).

He alos confirmed that the only reason they would have a restriction on # of units is because they don't want someone to spend a year only in their university and get their degree.

Now, one can safely assume that this is a fairly common approach among privates, though I wouldn't be interested in many privates than I would be in some of the UCs (UCSD psyc. program competes with Yale's and Stanford's for the top spot. Harvard's is a great one, but UCLA's is a good to)

That very much does for me: since Stanford is my first choice (assuming I have any) UCB & UCSD are second.

Thoughts?

melbusefi · 02-12-2007, 04:22 PM

Oh, yah, forget you KSU

maximinusthrax · 02-12-2007, 06:29 PM

to be perfectly frank, even if you get a 4.0 at foothill or whatever, you have about a .05% chance at stanford.

melbusefi · 02-12-2007, 06:46 PM

great!! 0.05% is great, I don't need more than that. I was counting on 0.005%.