<p>I go to De Anza Community College in CA. I have what I think is a relatively unique situation, my transcript:</p>
<p>FALL 2009
EWRT 1A A
ICS 44 A
MUSI 21 A-
PHTG 7 A</p>
<p>WINTER 2010
EWRT 1B W
MATH 114 P
MUSI 21 C
POLI 1 F
SOC 1 F</p>
<h2>SPRING 2010</h2>
<p>SUMMER 2010
PHIL 2 A+</p>
<p>FALL 2010
ASTR 4 A
ELIT 22 A
SIGN 1 A</p>
<p>GPA: 3.14</p>
<p>Looks awful, right? I have diagnosed depression and anxiety. In winter 2010, my psychiatrist at the time switched me to an old tetracyclic medication that had nasty side effects. I was unable to tolerate it and failed most of my classes. She was unhelpful, so in spring I took a break and found a new more competent doctor. Ive made an improvement since, obviously.</p>
<p>This quarter Im taking intro to psych, child development, sign language 2, and intro to speech, and I think its likely Ill have similar grades what I had last quarter.</p>
<p>Im hoping to retake SOC 1 and POLI 1 next quarter, since I know the UCs at least will not count the old grades. I dont know about CSUs or privates, and Id really like to try for a private college. Does anybody know if the CSUs and privates in CA have the same policy? Can I fix my GPA by retaking it? Do the privates accept academic renewal, if I can get that?</p>
<p>I was looking in the area, and I saw theres a womens college called Mills decently close to me. Is there any way, if they dont accept re-takes, to make my GPA competitive for that school? I cant seem to find their average transfer GPA, so I dont know what to do. I know 3.1 is very low. Are there other small colleges in NorCal I don’t know about that may better fit my GPA?</p>
<p>I think if you keep up the good grades that Mills and other privates will definitely take a look at you. Be sure to explain briefly the issue of the one semester and what you did to resolve it.</p>
<p>There is St. Mary’s of California that has a lovely campus and is co-ed. U of SF is also a good school. The biggest issue will be money – while you can get into these schools, it is doubtful the financial aid package will be that huge.</p>
<p>A 3.1 isn’t that bad – what kind of experience do you want in your transfer college? How important is the financial aid package?</p>
<p>Money isn’t the biggest concern. I doubt my family is eligible for financial aid under most circumstances. If I get it, that’d be wonderful, but I expect there’s students who need it more than me.</p>
<p>I’m a little more concerned, to be honest, about an overly religious setting at college. I prefer unaffiliated, or at least, a college that if I go visit won’t make me feel out of place. It’s one of the reasons Mills was appealing, that and proximity. I haven’t heard of St. Mary’s before… it’s close by enough. I think I’d need to visit it before I could feel comfortable with it.</p>
<p>I may be able to get a letter, but I’m not sure that doctor will say anything useful. She wrote me a letter in the middle of that bad quarter telling me I was be uncooperative and she was no longer willing to see me. I was late to an appointment because of the side effects, and cancelled another. I think she was just baffled by why her medications weren’t working and wanted an excuse to stop seeing me. I don’t know if I can get that letter. My psychologist may be able to write me something, or at least talk her into it. I’ll give that a shot.</p>
<p>It feels like it would be a lot more doable to retake the classes, if the GPA would be fixed that way, like with the UCs, and maybe write a note in my application. Would that work?</p>
<p>You are not your ugh. Anyways de anza spring schedule is posted. I studied depth psychology and the educational system for over ten years so assist many students who really appreciate it. If you need help with any questions about colleges, majors, classes, prereqs, transfering, scholaships, internships, job market or employerslet me know. I am very resourceful and on de anza campus monday thru thursday.</p>
<p>Secondly, without even having gotten to your explanation of why some of your grades were low, I immediately saw a pattern where your grades are EXCELLENT except for one quarter. I can’t speak for Mills (or any other Admissions officers), but I’m willing to bet they will notice the same pattern.</p>
<p>I don’t think you need a letter from an MD. I’m not even sure that would be a good idea if you <em>could</em> get one. Rather, I think you should explain in the Additional Information section of your application that you have one quarter of problem grades due to a health issues and problems with newly prescribed medications, which are now resolved.</p>
<p>For answers about UC/CSU policies, I suggest you post this question on the UC Transfer sub-forum. The UC/CSU transfer system is a world unto itself and there are lots of posters who know all of the ins and outs on that forum.</p>
<p>Once she retakes us gov and intro to soc her gpa will bounce back up again especially if aces them. Colleges understand students have bad terms at times.</p>
<p>Repeating a Course:
Students who have received a passing grade in a course are not allowed a reexamination therein, nor may they repeat the course. (Certain graduate-level courses may be repeated for credit, as noted in the course description in the catalog.) Students may repeat any course in which they receive an “F.” Although the “F” remains on the record, the second grade is also recorded and calculated into the GPA.</p>
<p>Can I assume this applies for transcripts from a cc as well? I hope so. That makes me feel a lot more hopeful, if I can just put a small note on my transcript and the GPA still looks good. :)</p>
<p>The law allows a repeat on a substandard grade. If you pass 21 consec units you can request academic renewal as well. Id advise to retake those 2 fundamental classes first tho asap.</p>
<p>kmazza - What LAW are you talking about??? If you are talking about some CCC policy, fine – but that is not the LAW on what colleges in general will do in evaluating transfer grades.</p>
<p>I know for a fact it’s not just 21 consecutive units for renewal It needs to be with a certain GPA depending on how many units it’s been and 2 years need to have passed. I talked to a counsellor about it. But seeing as my problem is basically just 2 classes rather than multiple quarters, I was advised to just retake the courses. I know for De Anza the policy is that the grades will be replaced for GPA. I’m pretty sure that’s a policy that’s up to each individual college/university. I don’t even think all colleges take renewal.</p>
<p>California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 5 section 55761 and 55763 for retaking a class with a substandard grade. CCR, Cali Code of Education and Title 5 are the law in California education that no federal funded institution can deviate.</p>
<p>California Administration Code for academic renewal is section 55764 and 55765.</p>
<p>Yes Foothill-De Anza does the multiple quarter/2 year rule. You don’t have to go down that direction. Just repeat the classes. No need to worry about this sort of issue. If a school wants you then they will accept you.</p>
<p>It is standard protocol that a repeat class nullifies the previous for being included in ones GPA. Substandard grades just count towards attempted units.</p>
<p>Kmazza, I just checked Westlaw and both those sections were repealed effective 2007. The CCCs can compute GPA anyway they want. Doesnt mean anyone else has to acccept it. Go to USC website if you want. As to what a “federal funded institution” is defined as, but I refuse to beleive that even before 2007 the California law could tell the private schools what to do.</p>
<p>Yes, I agree if a school wants you they will accept you. But dont kid yourself that they all accept retakes.</p>
<p>Being able to retake a class still stands no matter if they changed the section number or not. GPA is calculated in a standard way. Yes a private school can calculate both grades if they choose.</p>
<p>GPA is NOT recalculated in a standard way by every school being applied to. Every school which recieves a transfer application can recomute how it wants.</p>
<p>I’m not talking about every school being applied to. There has been no schools mentioned here besides what you brought into the equation. Jumping the gun with your remarks is only causing confusion. If you mess up a class and repeat the course the forgiveness policy applies and ones GPA will be recalculated at the home institution. </p>
<p>This students situation is not unique nor would she be punished for one bad quarter, even if applied to USC. The only thing unique about her transcript is taking some rather esoteric classes and if she continued to do so for her duration at De Anza. Some may see that as taking classes for enrichment purposes while others would allow dabbling and experimenting until one found their calling. It is good that she is finishing up her IGETC but is expected to seriously think about a major while in sophomore status. If she does not want to get a AA degree then needs to work start working on transfer prereqs before accumulates too many units and has to stay another year, which she mentioned she really didn’t want to do that. She would be appealing to a LAC but may run into trouble with a CSU or UC or private. That may be the fastest route to a bachelors so could make more of a career decision at the Masters level. </p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with that and would work out fine. For this person, completion of a bachelors within a certain duration of time with flexibility may be more important. That is, she may be better served to obtain an overall well rounded educational experience which is essentially what the bachelors degree was primarily geared for anyways minus the regimented professional route. </p>
<p>No one is going to know besides her without more insight and feedback.</p>
<p>Good possible LAC transfer options:</p>
<p>Whittier
U of Redlands
Claremont Mckenna
Sierra Nevada</p>