What would you do if you were in my shoes? Trying to get into UCI...

Applying to College Admission Stories
1

Hey fellow Collentials,

I recently moved down to California to help out my mother who was in a car accident.

Before moving down, I earned my AA in Business Administration at a WA state CC (3.7 GPA, Honors).

Now that I am a non-resident of CA for the next year I am not sure how to go about getting into a good school like UCI. In person, I spoke to an admissions counselor at UCI that basically said my chances of getting in are nil right now because of their priority/close ties with CA community colleges (last year they only took 7 non-res students!).

Should I go back to a local CC here in CA for the next year and a half (and kick ass on my grades+extras curriculars) so that I can have a better shot of transferring into UCI or UC Berkley?

What would you recommend if you were in my shoes?

2

That’s what I would do. Some CCs (like the one in my city) straight up guarantee admission to a UC if you meet their requirements. A lot of people even end up transferring to USC and Cornell after two years.

There are other good schools in Cali but if you are set on going to a UC, I would recommend CCs.