Chance Me/Match Me CCC Student in LA Low-Income [CA resident, 3.25 college GPA, comparative literature (French, Arabic)]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US domestic
  • State/Location of residency: California
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Santa Monica College
  • Other special factors: Comparative Literature Major with an aim on Grad School
  • Cost Constraints / Budget
    (High school students: please get a budget from your parents and use the Net Price Calculators on the web sites of colleges of interest.) Low-Income

Intended Major(s):

Comparative Literature (French and Arabic)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • College GPA: currently 3.25 for UC, 3.27 overall, when I apply should be 3.5
  • Class Rank: N/A
  • ACT/SAT Scores: SAT 1170 (literally had no preparation save for a weekend workshop with a program I was in at the time)

College Coursework (Transfer Applicants)
(Include college courses taken while in high school if not included above.)

  • General education course work: In Progress; English 1 &2, currently taking Math, Bio in 2026, U.S. History after Reconstruction for History, Com Studies 11, Philosophy, Women’s and Gender Studies, Astronomy 1 planned. Currently taking cultural anthropology as well.
  • Major preparation course work: In Progress–> World Literature 1 taken, Intermediate French 1 taken, Afro-American Lit Taken, Currently taking British Lit 1, planned World Lit 2, British Lit 2, Intermed. French 2, Elementary Arabic, Writing Courses (Creative and Advances Composition)

Awards

Gold Key Regional Award for Creative Writing (2018)

Two Bronze Medals in Academic Decathlon (2020-21?)

Extracurriculars
Currently founding a Literature club at my CCC with an educational track implemented—we will survey the Western Canon; will be President for two semesters, hopefully more. Volunteered at a cat shelter for a bit, have worked as a cleaner at a hot yoga studio for the past year, just got hired for tutoring on campus for writing, hoping to tutor in french as well.

Essays/LORs/Other
So far I have good relationships with professors, I could see myself getting good letters of rec when it is time to apply next fall/spring 2027.

Schools
UCLA (Will be TAP ceritified, in Scholars at SMC)

UC Berkeley (We hope, we pray)

USC

CSULB

SDSU

Bryn Mawr is a dream, but I’ve accepted my fate.

UC Irvine (TAG)

College of Wooster

If a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below; also, for colleges that admit by major or division, consider that in chance estimate.

  • Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): CSULB probably?
  • Extremely Likely: CSULB, SDSU
  • Likely: UCI
  • Toss-up: UCLA, USC, College of Wooster
  • Lower Probability: Berkeley
  • Low Probability: Bryn Mawr

I started out at SMC directionless and it took a bit of time to find my groove. I studied music (vocal performance) for a bit in their applied music program, but fell into weed use and had a psychotic break. After I regained my sanity, I jumped back into school pretty seamlessly with a new vision for Comp Lit. So far I have been getting As, but Finite Math is kicking my butt! I have been told a strong upward trend and essays will be my saving grace since my gpa is kinda cooked, 77 units in already, 65 more planned. Going to get two AAs upon grad and a Creative Writing certification.

Thank you! :smiley:

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Transfers by major | University of California can help see how recent past transfer admission at UCs went.

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Congratulations for turning things around and finding your passion. I would say it is a bit too early for a chancing but you are heading in the right direction if you will meet the 3.5 GPA goal at time of application

For CSULB, the average admitted Transfer GPA for the English Department 2024 was a 3.4 and SDSU was 3.5 so you are within range but I would not say Extremely Likely since you are a Non-local transfer but an upward trend will definitely help your chances.

For UCLA Transfers 2024, Comparative Literature had a 42% admit rate with a middle 50% GPA admit range of 3.68- 3.94 so Lower probability than a Toss up school.

@ucbalumnus posted the UC Transfer GPA by major site and hopefully the site will be updated by next admissions cycle so you have a better idea of your chances.

Best of luck.

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Why are you getting two AA degrees? My concern is that you might have too many credits and the institutions may not accept you. You need to be on campus, at least two years-equivalent of courses, taken at the site where you hope to get your BA degree. What has your transfer counselor at your community college advised?

“Students will be granted up to 70 semester/105 quarter units of credit for lower-division coursework completed at any institution or any combination of institutions. For units beyond the maximum, subject credit for appropriate coursework taken in excess of this unit limitation will be granted and may be used to satisfy requirements.”

The UC‘s may give you some leeway, however, given that they are so tight for spaces for incoming students you’re risking your admission chances.

How are you funding your education? If you’re using financial aid from the State, they may limit how many years you can access financial aid credit-like the CalGrants. If you use it up, you won’t have any money left over to pay your final years at the university level.

Speak to your transferred admissions counselor at both your community college as well as at your target UCs. All the UC’s are different in how much leeway they’ll give you.

Getting two AAs won’t significantly improve your chances.

Also, something else to consider is where these universities are located and what their housing issues are. Because California is such an expensive real estate market, the competition for housing can be brutal in certain university areas. Your financial aid dollars will only stretch so far.

Another thing to consider is what you hope to do with your degrees? Are you planning on continuing at the graduate level? Then what? Those of us with degrees in the humanities, have it a little bit rougher. Have you researched your occupational marketability?

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Yes, I am planning to get a master’s degree in Comp Lit after hopefully participating in TAPIF (Teacher’s Assistant Program in France) and I am an LA Native, so UCLA and USC I’m definitely hoping for. All of my units are from a California Community college, so I believe that they will automatically cap at 105 quarter units. I wanted to get my gpa up before I transferred, and I needed to get TAP Certified from my honors program as well. I can have down my plan though, if needed. It’s just major prep, IGETC, and language prep. I have some bit of a college fund as well as FAFSA. I’ve met with counselors and they pretty much say just remain successful and be prepared to tell my story. I also wanted to solidify my club before I left as well so it can remain strong after I leave. I intend to teach at the community college level, ideally in languages and literary analysis or academic writing. I am also looking overseas for my master’s as well, as I’d like to live in France.

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I will be working as a tutor at my CC soon, so hopefully I can continue that as well at the Uni level!

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If all of the credit is from community colleges, then the “too many units” problem would not be an issue for UCs where lower division units are capped at 70 semester or 105 quarter units (but all courses would count for subject credit).

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