S has to withdraw TODAY! Can he transfer ANYWHERE with 90.7 units??

Colleges & Universities University of California - Berkeley
1

My son is in his 3rd year at CAL. He has 90.7 units. He has to withdraw by the deadline March 10th. I’m flying up there today. He’s been struggling with grades and he was put on term probation in January. They’re saying he can come back. Hi options are, to go to a CC and take all new LDs for a new major and then come back or to go to a different University and take 4 classes of his current major UDs (that’s the max they’ll transfer in) and then return to Berkeley. His current major is Applied Mathematics. I think the major is just too difficult for him, or more likely the school itself is too difficult.
He didn’t get into HAAS, and then because he had a 2.9 he didn’t meet the 3.0 GPA requirement to get into Econ.
AP Math is his only option in College of LS. I don’t think he can graduate if he goes back and we’ll be in the same spot as we are right now!

I want him to just transfer to another university and get his degree and go on with his life. But he wants to go back and struggle at UCB. It’s a pride thing!

My question is: Is it possible to transfer to UC Riverside or Cal State Fullerton with 90+ units? will they even let you in?
He says NO they won’t, and I can’t find a whole of info online.

I didn’t go to college so please excuse my ignorance but what exactly is happening??

Did my son just go to one of the top universities in the country for 3 years, then withdraw with a 2.388 GPA and now he can’t get into a State school? If he can’t handle the rigor of UCB then he can’t go to college? Can’t get a degree?
Is that what is happening right now? PLEASE HELP!

2

Why not try for ucd or ucsb, which have good math departments without being designed for the math brain genius (think Katherine in Hidden Figures).
He could try to major in statistics?

3

well the problem is now money$$. He used his financial aid for the first 3 years, and now I don’t think with a 2.388 he will qualify for any. If he goes to UCR or CSUF he can live at home and get loans for the tuition

4

He was going to do Applied Math with concentration in either Actuarial Science or Quantitative Analysis.

5

but my question is with over 90 units… will ANYONE
even accept him??

6

He still qualifies for three more years of the federal financial aid he qualifies for now. If your income’s not changed, he’d still qualify for
If he got Regents obviously he’s lost it.

7

I thought he only gets 4 years? and he used 3! so 1 left, right?
But he received the Cal Grant $12K, but you have to have a 2.4 to renew and he has a 2.388
We are hoping that if he can get his GPA up after 1 semester,
than he can reapply for the last year of the cal grant.

8

he did get the federal pell grant as well, but idk how many years he gets that? only 4 i thought??

9

12 semesters/6 years.
Cc->another UC would be a possibility.

10

So you think he would be accepted into another UC with 90+ units? When I go to their websites it says nothing over 60 units can transfer but i think that’s for all students in general. If the student is from UCB do you think it’s an option?

11

@Kids2smart4Mom I think your best move here is to call the counseling office at CSUF and see if they could walk you through his options. Your son should put pride aside for a moment and focus on finishing somewhere with with his stress level in check. Just get the degree!

12

Check page 33 of this UC guide regarding high unit transfers:

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2016.pdf

13

Tell your son to speak with a counsellor to reset his GPA. It’s doable at Cal. I had a friend who failed his classes in MCB and he changed his major to an interdisciplinary major (you basically make your own major) with 0.00 GPA and started over again. The zero GPA thing is probably for upper dev classes - I’m not sure what happens to lower devs (my friend was a transfer, so he did his lower devs in a CC).

14

I would do everything possible to stay at Cal and change majors. There’s got to be someway to do that. I would not have him withdraw.

15

@Kids2smart4Mom : What did you decide /did you find a solution?

16

Hi All, first of all THANK YOU for your advice!! And the support, I have been soooo stressed out!

OK, I went to CAL!
Met with his Academic counselor, his Major counselor, EOP Adviser, DSP Adviser, Financial Aid counselor, Student Advocate, Mental Health Counselor…you name it and I talked to them!!! YAY me!! LOL

Found out some great information. First the date I was stressed out about was March 10 that was the withdraw deadline, but that’s ONLY if he wanted to come straight back in the fall.(Only if readmit accepted him)

And IF he choose that date then I would have to pay back some of the fin aid money!! A prorated amount, TBD later…(yikes!) But, if he waited till March 24, then that’s over 60% of the semester and he doesn’t have to pay any money back, BUT he also has to sit a semester out! Not being able to apply for readmission until January.

So, while we were weighing those options, we found out that because he is in DSP, he had legal rights to make an appeal. So with help from his DSP Advisor and his Dr. they submitted letters attached to his appeal!

And today we found out that CAL accepted his appeal and let him drop a class after the deadline so there will be no F grade! He will be able to stay at UCB, continue with the other classes he is in. And retake the other class in the summer session which HAS TO be taken at UCB. The will not accept the regrade from another school.

I mean it’s still a difficult situation that he is in…but at least he didn’t have to withdraw!! PRAISE GOD!!

In addition to all this, I did find out that he would NOT have been able to transfer to another school!!

He has been at UC Berkeley for 3 years and has over 90 units (120+ with AP classes). But because he is on TERM academic probation, and with such a high units too no school with accept him as a transfer! He would have to bring up his SAP, and then try. But like I said before. He would even consider leaving CAL. And EVERY SINGLE counselor and adviser agreed with HIM!! Told me NOT to pull him out after he brings up his GPA.

He will have to stay on a lower number of units per semester so he won’t put himself in this situation again, which is good. And they are willing to work with him with resources and help him in every way, so I really couldn’t asked for anything more. I am sooo very grateful!

We will have to find him a tutor for a little while I think to bring up his self esteem again. He’s very disappointed in himself. I think that will help too. And, it will take him 5 years to graduate, but that’s ok!! :slight_smile:

It’s all up to him now, Mom is all checked out!! LOL

THANK YOU AGAIN MY CC FRIENDS!!! I really appreciate your help!! And I wanted to make sure I just gave you all the information so hopefully I can help someone else!! Everyone enjoy your Spring Break!!

Take Care and GO BEARS!!
xoxoxo

17

OP - THANK YOU for posting a follow-up! I love one people complete the circle of reaching out for advice, getting it, and then reporting back on how it went. Your son is fortunate to have a parent who values his education and was able to be by his side through this. His instincts (and some posters here) were correct - do whatever you can to stay put. This was a real wake-up call for him - now he needs to work hard to prove he is deserving of the faith everyone has put in him to get his degree. It’s OK to make mistakes, if we learn from them. That degree will be all the sweeter for knowing what you all went through.

Good luck!!!

18

So wonderful that he can stay! Good Job Mom! Your son owes you a big hug!!!

Staying is the best option and hopefully a little more time and maturity of the brain will enable him to be a strong student again. They all have bumps in the road. Sounds like it may work out well.

19

THANK YOU!!