Academic Update (Future Courses Question)

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I’m a current freshman currently enrolled at a 4 year state university and I’m applying for a transfer for Fall '13. I’m shooting for Berkeley or UCLA but I also applied for UCSB and UCSD. Though I am a freshman, I’m technically a junior. Through a lot of AP credits + 40 semester credits between the fall and this semester, I think I satisfy the requirement of being a junior next fall.</p>

<p>I’m not sold however, that I am in the best situation I could be. Because I’ll only have been at college for one year, I won’t have taken as many classes in my majors(Electrical Engineering and Computer Science). While I have previous experience, I basically retook those classes this year. And while I know that some schools start their engineers in their major classes their sophomore year, I know that a lot of people trying to get in will have two years in their major by the time they get to UC. And my school’s English requirement is really weak for engineers; I only need one English class to graduate so I didn’t take any classes this year but I doubt the UC’s will accept past credit in a similar fashion.</p>

<p>I’m not really sure what my plans for next year are. I’m applying to 10ish schools on top of the UC’s that I should satisfy course requirements. But for the UCs I feel like it might be good to knock out an EE, CS, and and English course in summer session. Even if I don’t go to a UC I might do this regardless but I’d mainly do this with a UC in mind. Money is a slight problem because I wouldn’t be getting financial aid. So my question is this, should I put it on the academic update if I’m not really sure if I’ll do it? Or more so, will my application be looked bad upon if I decide not to take these courses a few months from now and my app would then be weaker because I’d be lacking in a few classes that others might have taken? They can un-admit me because I didn’t do my future planned courses, right?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Most UCs have unit caps for transfer applicants coming from 4-year colleges. Check <a href=“University of California Counselors”>University of California Counselors; page 14 for campus-specific restrictions.</p>

3

<p>I’m running dangerously close to some of those credit admittance maximums even though I’m really only a freshman. Is there any way I could “get rid of” some AP credit that probably wouldn’t transfer anyway to graduation requirements but still shows up on my application as credit?</p>

4

<p>Chelseaanderby, if you have that many credits, you are NOT a freshman…</p>

5

<p>It depends on how you count them. I guarantee you I am a freshman though haha. My college gave me 49 credits for AP courses going in (Not all my AP’s) and then my 40 credits from this year (I overloaded). And that’s before summer courses. Do UC’s rely on the credit count from your college or does it use it’s own counting scale for application limits?</p>

6

<p>AP credits can only benefit you and will not be used towards your limit unless they are being utilized towards requirements.</p>

7

<p>Best thing in this case is just to ask one of the UC’s how they count that. Good luck!</p>

8

<p>Any planned courses you put down for summer aren’t going to affect your admission decision for better or worse. They don’t take into consideration anything after the spring term prior to you transferring. AP credit doesn’t count toward the unit cap, so you’re fine in that regard.</p>

9

<p>@Chelseanderby, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. AP credits do NOT count toward the maximum unit cap regardless of whether you use the credits to meet requirements or not. Your actual college units (not including AP) must stay under the maximum unit cap to the day you enroll at the UC campus. So everything you have now plus whatever units you take after you submit the UC application (Winter and/or Spring, plus the Summer before you transfer) must total BELOW the maximum unit cap.</p>

10

<p>MsSun wins!</p>