I am posting this for my girlfriend, who is an international transfer student from Asia.
She is absolutely devastated that she was recently rejected from five UCs that she wanted to get into for film production/visual arts: UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCSC.
She has worked her tail off to get a 4.0, has 61 transferable CCC units, and will have completed the IGETC by the end of this quarter. After speaking with universities, it appears that her foreign units from a 4-year university put her over the 90 unit limit (for UCSD, UCSB and UCSC – which all have the same policy – and also UCB) I now feel really guilty, because I told her that she needed to put her foreign credit on her application; however, she has told me that some of her friends had the same issue, but DIDN’T put the foreign units on their application and were accepted into said universities. So, should she re-apply next year, but omit that she went to a 4-year foreign university in her home country, or is it a lost cause? UCSD, UCSB, UCSC and UCB’s policies seem really unfair considering that she didn’t take upper division classes and didn’t have junior or senior standing at her home country’s university, but it is what it is.
On a brighter note, she did get into UCI for Drama (however, she is not so thrilled), but she has her heart set on film production and is willing to wait one more year to apply to UCs. She is also willing to apply to other prestigious film schools across the U.S. without the transfer policy – but given that she is an international student – it will be difficult for her to improve her SAT score to a high level. She has until June 1st to accept UCI’s offer, and we are desperately trying to come up with the best strategy.
So, what should she do?: 1) Should she just go to UCI (even though she thinks she will be miserable in Drama)?
2) Wait another year and reapply to said UCs without putting her foreign credit
3) Wait another year and apply to other universities across the California and the U.S.
You have to include foreign credits. ALL college credits really. Its not at your discretion. Failing to do so is falsifying your application and IF you got in and they found out you would be kicked out, or could even have your degree withheld.
Then really her choice is to go to a program she doesn’t want to be in, or to wait a year and try and improve her application (namely by getting some more film experience) and apply to schools without the same credit limits. She could also ask UCI if they might allow her to switch majors at some point.
First of all you need to put all universities and coursework in from all places, including international. Should the UCs check her friends, which they might, and find out they left them out, they will be kicked out. And they are super-cautious with int’l and really check records.
Next, a 4.0 is not necessarily the determining factor for film, esp for production, which is virtually solely-based on talent. UCSB and UCB do not have production, only theory.
I am also a CCC transfer that had 60 semester units from a private 4-year so I was definitely above the 90 unit cap, but was told that because I didn’t take any upper-divs at my 4-year then I didn’t surpass the 90, and I was just accepted to Berkeley’s College of Engineering.
Going by what you posted I would say that your girlfriend is in the same boat. But I’ll add that my 4-year was in the US, I was at a CCC for 3 years before transferring, and I was going into the College of Engineering, which has very different entrance criteria.
I would talk to counselors and admissions people to get a straight answer, especially if none of her college credit has been upper-division. Admissions reps and the like can be dismissive once they learn how many units you have, but I think that’s just because they’re so busy with other things and most of the time it seems like a lost cause, but you just have to keep digging. That and manage expectations.
Good luck!
She should have applied to USC, which has a FAR more prestigious Film programs than any of the UC’s, and accepts many transfer students. But realistically, getting into their film program is almost has hard as getting into Harvard.
I suggest she wait and apply there next year IF she can afford the USC tuition.
She cannot reapply and omit the foreign credits, since UCs will have some (limited) access to prior applications.