<p>Econ at UCB and UCLA are so heavily impacted, that even applicants with 3.8s and all of the pre-reqs completed are regularly rejected. You can check the acceptance/rejection threads from last year for that major to give you a better idea of your chances at those schools.</p>
<p>However, this shouldn’t dissuade you from applying. I have no idea what you life experiences are like, so who knows. Maybe you have killer ECs and a storied past.</p>
<p>As for UCSD, TAG will most certainly require a 3.5 and completion of IGETC. There is no way around this. You can apply as a non-TAG applicant.</p>
<p>You should be able to TAG for UCD, granted that you meet their GPA/Major requirements (if there are any - I’m not sure about Econ there). Some schools require that you pass Calculus I and II with a 3.0 GPA for Econ. You might want to check out the UCD requirements for yourself.</p>
<p>As for challenging your course grade with the professor: it’s worth a shot if it’s not too much trouble and you can do it. A GPA boost doesn’t hurt, but even a 3.3 or a 3.4 won’t allow you to TAG for UCSD (if that’s your goal with that endeavor).</p>