Wait but also, I will have 4 units from an upper division math course. So will how will that work out?
Edited: @Gumbymom it’s ok! no worries at all. I was just super confused and all of this is SUPER confusing.
Upper division courses will be added to the unit limit (if there is one??) so +4 to your lower division units.
@Gumbymom so I will have 105 lower division units from UCR completed by the end of spring prior to my transfer (does not include AP units) and then 4 units from an upper division math course so total will be 109 units earned at UCR.
I am just really confused about my AP units. I spoke with UCLA today and they said units earned from AP exams can only help you. For instance, if the AP units you earned goes over the 129 unit maximum cap, then they will not include AP exams in the unit limitation and will only consider your undergraduate coursework. I also emailed them earlier and they said this “Units earned through AP, IB and/or A-Level examinations are not included in the unit limitation for transfer applicants.”
UCI however is saying this “By going over 105 quarter units coming from another UC you are in jeopardy of being considered at senior standing.”
So i think UCI does consider AP units in the unit limitation?? but according to the application guide, the unit limitation doesn’t apply to me because I have credits earned from UC courses??
I am VERY confused now…
@samkr14: I agree about the AP units since the post/discussion you cited did not clarify the situation. To me, seems it is at the discretion of each UC campus if they will consider the AP credits in the maximum or not. I really do not know what to tell you other than contact UCI Undergrad admissions and ask for the Manager/Supervisor.
@Gumbymom I utilized UCI’s chatbox since they are not accepting phone calls due to COVID. I will try to email them instead and see if I receive a response. Once I receive that email, I will post it on this discussion page so people can use it as reference if they’re deciding to do a UC to UC transfer to UCI.
Meanwhile, here is what I received from UCLA (some information pertains to those who are apply to UCLA as a biochemistry major):
UCLA is committed to being a transfer-friendly institution. A strong academic preparation and performance make you a more competitive candidate during the admission review process. The average GPA of admitted transfer students is above 3.5, and admitted students have completed most or all major preparatory courses. We give highest priority to applicants from California community colleges and other UC campuses. UCLA admits students for fall quarter only. Sophomore and senior transfer students are not eligible for admission.
Students interested in transferring to UCLA from another UC campus must apply for admission to UCLA and go through the same process as any other transfer applicant. To be considered for admission to UCLA, you must be in good academic standing at your previous UC campus.
Academic Criteria
Junior-level standing (60 semester/90 quarter transferable units completed) by the end of the spring term before you transfer.
GPA of 3.2 or higher earned in transferable courses.
Progress towards completion of major preparation requirements by spring prior to transfer. Please consult the Transfer Admission Guide (TAG) to determine which courses to complete for major preparation. Requirements for the Biochemistry major can be found on page 13: http://www.admission.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_tr/UCLA_TAG.pdf.
Completion of the following course requirements by spring prior to transfer:
Two transferable courses in English composition/critical thinking and writing.
One transferable math course that has a prerequisite of intermediate algebra or higher.
Four transferable college courses in at least two of the following subject areas: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences.
In addition to the above requirements, we also encourage you to complete the General Education (GE) requirement of the UC campus you currently attend before you transfer. If you do this, you will be exempt from UCLA’s GE requirements.
Comprehensive Review
Our selection process is thorough and comprehensive. In addition to academic criteria, we also consider the following personal criteria. The personal insight portion you submit with the application is the best place to discuss the following information more in depth:
Employment while attending school
Family responsibilities
A return to school where early grades are not indicative of strong academic performance
Involvement in campus organizations and community service
Military service
Circumstances that may have prevented you from achieving your highest academic performance
Units earned through AP, IB and/or A-Level examinations are not included in the unit limitation for transfer applicants.
Students that earn between 90 to 129 quarter transferable units will be eligible to transfer to UCLA. Please note, for transfer applicants coming from a UC campus specifically, no more than 24 of these units may be from upper-division coursework. Students transferring from another UC campus will be at risk of being denied admission if they exceed the total 129 units limitation OR exceed the 24 unit upper-division coursework limitation.
I know it’s a bit long but this is the information I received from UCLA by email and they said the same things when I spoke with them by phone earlier this morning. Hope it’s helpful to those who are planning to do uc to uc transfers.
@samkr14: Thank you for posting the comprehensive response from UCLA. Hopefully, UCI will also respond with their specific information.
Oh also, UCLA said: “Units earned through AP, IB, and/or A-Level examinations can be included to meet the unit minimum for junior-level standing, but do not apply to the unit maximum.”
Have not heard back from UCI yet.
@Gumbymom I didn’t receive an email from UCI yet. However I did speak with them via their chatbox online today and this time they said that AP units don’t count towards the maximum unit cap. Additionally, UC students are exempt from the unit cap since all UC courses are transferable to another UC + you are completing these courses at a UC so the unit cap doesn’t affect any UC student. In conclusion, UC students are exempt from the unit cap.
Thanks for info and update. Best of luck to you.
@Gumbymom thank you! and thank you for the help and advice! 
@guest14567 Sorry I’m jumping into this late but some UCs will not accept you with too many lower division credits from a 4 year. I believe the figure is over 80 semester units for some UC majors — or maybe the entire UC. AP units are never factored in. If you have 100 units from a 4-year you may be in jeopardy even if they are all LD.
@Ohm888 that seems different than the policy UC has on this page
This makes it sound like you can have as many lower division units as you want, at a CC or any other college (as long as it isn’t a UC)
@mikemac I think it’s different for every campus because UCLA said this in their email when I emailed them “Students that earn between 90 to 129 quarter transferable units will be eligible to transfer to UCLA. Please note, for transfer applicants coming from a UC campus specifically, no more than 24 of these units may be from upper-division coursework. Students transferring from another UC campus will be at risk of being denied admission if they exceed the total 129 units limitation OR exceed the 24 unit upper-division coursework limitation.” And UCI said “UC students are exempt from the unit cap since all UC courses are transferable to another UC + you are completing these courses at a UC so the unit cap doesn’t affect any UC student. In conclusion, UC students are exempt from the unit cap” So I am guessing that 105 quarter unit cap is only for CC students but tbh I am confused because I got 3 different responses from UCI LOL
@mikemac sorry this is late. I was away. From my understanding if you are applying directly from a four year (circumventing a CCC), there are possible limitations if you have over 80 units. I have seen this noted on a UC page but could not find, it but found this instead (excerpt refers to Berkeley).
https://www.cabrillo.edu/services/articulation/PDFs%20for%20Site/ucunitlimits_4yr_2yr.pdf
Hi all,
So I think UCI gave me the wrong information (what I posted above 2 weeks ago).
Ms Sun elaborately explained in this video (I am linking the video) about the unit caps and who is/is not exempt from the policy.
In short,
people who ARE subject to the policy meaning the unit caps do matter for them are:
-Students with any upper division coursework from any 4 year college
-Students with any UC coursework
people who are NOT subject to the policy meaning the unit cap does not matter for them are:
-student with only community college coursework
-students with only lower division coursework from a 4 year college that IS NOT A UC CAMPUS
Clarifications:
-Community college students can take as many units as they like, however they can only apply 70 semester/105 quarter units for graduation.
For UCI, I don’t think they count AP units towards the maximum unit cap which is 135 units because I was just talking to another person who did a transfer from UCR to UCI and they had 144.5 units in total which included AP credits + 1 CC course but they only took 96 credits at UCR. Since the 96 credits is under the unit cap of 135 units, they weren’t at risk of denied admission.
In my case, I made a 2 year plan and I have 24 AP units + 109 of my units will be completed at UCR because I am planning to get UC reciprocity. In that 109 units, 4 units are from an upper division math course. So I will have a total of 133 quarter units. For UCLA, I am not at risk for denied admission and the same goes to UCI as well as I am below the unit cap and they don’t count AP units towards the max unit cap.
You can refer to the maximum unit caps for each UC campus that @Gumbymom posted earlier in this thread (I think it’s on the 1st page).
IN CONCLUSION: UC to UC transfers, are NOT EXEMPT from the Unit Cap. They have to comply to the unit cap policy. Please disregard what I said above about a few weeks ago when UCI told me that UC students are exempt from the unit cap. THAT IS FALSE! It also makes sense why they put the unit caps on page 34 of this pdf for all the UCs because UC Students are NOT EXEMPT FROM THE UNIT CAP. I am linking that pdf below.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference.pdf
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