Chance Me for Transferring to UCs [3.66 college GPA at a CSU, criminology]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Hi! I’ll be applying as a transfer student to a couple of UC schools. I know for sure that I’ll be applying to UC Irvine and UC Davis, but I’m open to other UCs as well! Please chance me, and any additional advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you!

Demographics

  • US Citizen
  • California resident
  • Currently attending California State University, Fullerton (CSUF)

Intended Major(s)

  • UC Irvine: Criminology, Law, and Society
  • UC Davis: Sociology (Law and Society emphasis)
  • For other UCs, anything related to law / criminal justice!

HS Stats

  • 3.0 GPA
  • No AP classes
  • One honors course (Spanish Honors)
  • No SAT or ACT
  • I took a course on Criminal Procedure at the local community college the summer before 12th grade
  • Graduated Spring 2024

HS ECs

  • Flute all four years (I’ve been playing for a total of 9 years now)
  • Nominated four years in a row to play the flute at Carnegie Hall in an ensemble
  • President of two clubs, one of which I founded (11th + 12th grade)
  • Theater for two years (10th + 11th grade)
  • Seal of Biliteracy (Spanish)
  • Worked for the local live theater as a ticket scanner for about six months (10th grade)
  • Backstage crew member for the elementary school theater program (10th grade)
  • Safe School Ambassador (11th + 12th grade)
  • Member of the Improv team (11th grade)
  • Playwriting / Directing / Producing (10th + 11th grade)

College Stats

  • College GPA: 3.66
  • Criminal Justice major
  • 60+ units completed before transferring (30 units currently completed)
  • Started Fall 2024

College Coursework

SUMMER 2023

  • Criminal Procedure (A)

FALL 2024

  • Myths and Realities of Crime and Justice (B+)
  • Preparatory College Writing (B+)
  • Introduction to Human Communication (A)
  • Elementary Statistics (A)
  • Elementary Statistics Supplement (CR)

WINTER 2025

  • Introduction to Music (A+)

SPRING 2025

  • Beginning College Writing (A-)
  • Introduction to Geology (A)
  • Introduction to Logic (C+)*
  • Introduction to Acting (A)

FALL 2025 (Planned)

  • Introduction to Ethnic Studies
  • Elements of Biology
  • Elements of Biology Lab
  • Concepts of Criminal Law
  • Survey of American History
  • Personal Health

*Just a note: I was doing really well in my logic class, but not even an hour before my final exam, I found out my grandfather passed, and I ended up failing the exam.

Awards

  • Dean’s List (Fall 2024 + Spring 2025)

College ECs

  • Member of the Criminal Justice Honors Society (Spring 2025)
  • I work on campus as a call center representative for the department that handles university tuition and fees (Started Spring 2025)

Essays/LORs/Other

  • While school was still in session in the Spring, I worked 17.5 hours/week (maximum allowed during school is 20), working Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
  • Over the summer, I’ve been working 37.5 hours/week (maximum allowed during summer is 40), working five days per week (Monday - Friday)
  • I honestly have no idea how I want to approach the PIQs yet
  • At my current university, there is only one lower-division course for my major (Myths and Realities of Crime and Justice), and since I just completed my first year there, I wasn’t able to take any other courses to prepare for my major. I did attempt to enroll in the next criminal justice class, which was a 300-level course, but the class was closed.
  • My post-undergrad plan is to go to law school
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Have you visited this info page?

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I’ve been trying to find this page forever!! Thank you!

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As a Junior level transfer, your HS stats will not be considered only your College academics and EC’s for transfer.

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A slight nuance here is that college courses taken while in high school do count, and AP scores will be reassessed based on the target campus’ equivalencies, which may not necessarily be the same as you current college.

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Note that students in any major can apply to law school. College GPA and LSAT score are the big factors in law school admission.

Be aware of the differences between criminology (typically research based) and criminal justice (typically pre professional based) majors, and note that some programs are combination or hybrid of these.

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Please also remember to look at your budget. Transfers tend to get less financial aid and the UCs are more expensive than the CSUs.

Financial aid dollars are disappearing. What you received in the past may not appear at your transfer school.

Law school is ridiculously expensive. You will be in the hole for 100’s of thousands of dollars, after law school.

Clerking is uber competitive as is finding a position. It’s also about connections and who you know. At my sister’s law office (corporate), they only accept people who have clerked for them or are “family” members. They rarely have positions open now.

If your finances are set, then continue on your educational journey, if not, ask your parents about the budget.

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