Any UCLA premed's / cali college transferees willing to give advice?

[SnYpaJY]

I'm from Georgia, and am planning on moving to cali for my undergrad. I will be going to Pierce college (in the valley) and then hopefully transferring to a UC (more specifically UCLA)

I would like to know if this is a norm at UCLA, where you know or did transfer from a community college.

I am kind of confused with the entire process. I cannot take the assessment test which places me in either English 60 or 101 until I move there. (I will be there in early August)
I heard signing up for the Honor courses is a great way to standout from the rest of the transferees, but unfortunately I can’t sign up for the honor courses until I am placed into English 101.

I have no clue what my first semester will look like (fall 2007). But I know that I want to major in Physiological Science (part of the UCLA majors). Besides taking prereq courses for this major, I must also complete the IGETC program. This program is just General Requirements, so hopefully it wont take too long to finish these courses. I’ve been on www.assist.org. This site helps transferees pick corresponding classes for there intended major. This is the list of classes that I should complete. (the physiological science department chair gave me this in an e-mail)


Pierce/UCLA

Bio 6, 7=LS 1, 2

Bio 6, 7 (or Physiology 1)=LS 2

Bio 6, 7, 40=LS 3

Bio 46 =LS 4

Chem 101=Chem 20A, 20L

Chem 101, 102=Chem 20A, 20L, 20B, 30AL

Chem 211=Chem 30A, 30BL

Chem 211, 212Chem= 30A, 30B/BL (30C/CL)

Chem 221=Chem 30B, 153A, 153L

Math 261, 262=Math 31A, 31B, 32A

Physics 66, 67=Physics 6ABC

Physics 101, 102, 103=Physics 1ABC, 4AL, 4BL

Math 227 (until Fall 2008)=Stats 13



I’m not very sure, but with this list, I could very well be at pierce for 3 years….. I hope that’s not the case, but please give me some feedback on what you guys did (if you were on my track) and what I should be doing while at Pierce. Also, did you guys find the chem/bio/physics courses at your community college equal or more difficult than that of UCLA? Thank you so much for the help, anything will be greatly appreciated.

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[eonxblue]

the honors program at pierce almost guarantees acceptance into UCLA (if you maintain a decent 3.2 + GPA with some decent extracurriculars). so definatellyyy look into that. if you take winter and summer courses, you'll be able to get IGETC out of the way and matriculate in 2 years. just focus, but you might have a 16+ unit courseload. pierce is easy (i took a bunch of classes there during high school), especially for the IGETC classes if you use www.ratemyprofessor.com to find the easiest classes to take to get the requirement out of the way. remember, from a cc, UCs PREFER that you finish IGETC...but it isnt a requirement. i do suggest you finish it though, but dont stress if you dont. community college transfers under the honors program basicalllyyy get into UCLA. i promise. lol

 

[DocHeart]

I am attending a communtiy college in southern Califiornia, at my school theres a program if you complete the classes with a B+ average you are granteed a place at UCLA. Go to the transfer center of your college and talk to the people there. Most of the time they are really helpful, and will even guide you with the process.

 

[Ibn Rushd]

I also went to a California community college. I got accepted to UCLA, but ended up going to UCI. I think completing the honors program is essentially a requirement for transfer, especially to a school like UCLA. Also, most community colleges have various "guaranteed transfer" programs. I'd look into that as soon as possible. Good luck!

 

[Lukkie]

hey buddy,

I just graduated from PhySci (Physiological Science) at UCLA class of 2007 so if you have any questions i'll be happy to help. I did my entire undergrad at UCLA so I'm not an expert on transfer students and the exact protocol, but from the list you gave, you have the whole lower div prereqs covered. also, you don't need stats 13 if i remember correctly.

Life Science Core Curriculum
Required: Life Science 1, 2, 3, 4
Chemistry 14A, 14B, 14BL, 14C, 14CL,14D OR
Chemistry 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL, 30B, 30BL*
Math 3A, 3B, 3C OR 31A, 31B, 32A
Physics 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL OR 6A, 6B, 6C OR 6AH, 6BH, 6CH**


http://www.physci.ucla.edu/ugrad_major_reqs.php



Hopefully you'll be able to finish in 2 years at Pierce, so you can get started at UCLA in the Fall. the thing with PhySci is, you HAVE to start in the fall. there is a series of courses that only starts fall quarter, and you have to take em in order

regardless, i'm glad to see you're interested in the PhySci program. its really awesome and i had a great experience. many of my friends in biochem and other majors wished they picked PhySci after i told em about the things i was learning, and how good a lot of the professors were.

again, let me know if you have any questions! 🙂

 

[JaggerPlate]

I'm a UCLA pre med, second year Biology major. If you have any questions about anything, PM me and I will do my best to answer. Best of luck!!

 

[DrBubbles]

Hi, there. I was a college transfer student, but from one four-year to another. But if there's anything I can help with, let me know. The one thing that got me thinking though is: if you're interested in med school later, you might want to check in with a few med schools you're thinking of regarding how they view pre-reqs taken at community college. Maybe if UCLA approves them somehow you'll be fine, but I feel like some med schools prefer that the pre-reqs (I don't know if they require them, though) to be taken at a 4-year university. Hopefully I'm not throwing in a huge wrench--that's not my intent. Just look into it if it's in the cards for you. Best of luck!

 

[dannieloco]

I couldnt Resist


"Go Bruins!"

ps. I did my last year of undergrad and Grad at ucla.. will they accept me for medical school too?? haha , I wonder...

Good luck with your transfer!

 

[Foghorn]

the honors program at pierce almost guarantees acceptance into UCLA (if you maintain a decent 3.2 + GPA with some decent extracurriculars). so definatellyyy look into that. if you take winter and summer courses, you'll be able to get IGETC out of the way and matriculate in 2 years. just focus, but you might have a 16+ unit courseload. pierce is easy (i took a bunch of classes there during high school), especially for the IGETC classes if you use www.ratemyprofessor.com to find the easiest classes to take to get the requirement out of the way. remember, from a cc, UCs PREFER that you finish IGETC...but it isnt a requirement. i do suggest you finish it though, but dont stress if you dont. community college transfers under the honors program basicalllyyy get into UCLA. i promise. lol

SnYpaJY,

The above is terrible advice. Doing honors program doesn't guarantee a transfer anything and completing only IGETC is a big mistake especially if you intend to major in a science. You want to finisth as many lower division requirements for a science major since many upper division courses are impacted at UCLA, especially the Biological Sciences. Maintaining a high gpa in your intended major is the primary criteria for UCLA accepting transfers. The more competitive the major, the higher gpa you want to earn in your CC classes e.g. Engineering, Computer Science. I recommend finishing all your lower div major requisite classes AND one year of English with a few IGETC classes thrown in.

Pierce has a notoriously terrible reputation in preparing their students for the sciences . I suggest you try to find good instructors at Pierce. Or better yet, you might want to attend Santa Monica College because their sciences department is one of the better ones for CCs in southern CA.

Since you want to be a Physio Sci major, you should complete your Math, G-Chem, O-Chem, Bio, Statistics and English coursework before matriculating into UCLA as a transfer. Physics is not critical since you'll be able to take the series at UCLA. If you begin taking a series of classes at Pierce, e.g. O-Chem, make sure you finish the series at Pierce because it will be difficult having to get the equivalent series at UCLA since practically all the lower division science classes are impacted.

If you want to get a feel for the quarter system, look into this website: http://www.uclaextension.edu/. Ask an advisior about concurrent enrollment for non-UCLA students.

Hopefully you'll be able to finish in 2 years at Pierce, so you can get started at UCLA in the Fall. the thing with PhySci is, you HAVE to start in the fall. there is a series of courses that only starts fall quarter, and you have to take em in order

Transfers, except those applying to the School of Engineering, are only accepted for Fall quarter matriculation.

 

[xxbruinxx]

SnYpaJY,

The above is terrible advice. Doing honors program doesn't guarantee a transfer anything and completing only IGETC is a big mistake especially if you intend to major in a science. You want to finisth as many lower division requirements for a science major since many upper division courses are impacted at UCLA, especially the Biological Sciences. Maintaining a high gpa in your intended major is the primary criteria for UCLA accepting transfers. The more competitive the major, the higher gpa you want to earn in your CC classes e.g. Engineering, Computer Science. I recommend finishing all your lower div major requisite classes AND one year of English with a few IGETC classes thrown in.

Pierce has a notoriously terrible reputation in preparing their students for the sciences . I suggest you try to find good instructors at Pierce. Or better yet, you might want to attend Santa Monica College because their sciences department is one of the better ones for CCs in southern CA.

Since you want to be a Physio Sci major, you should complete your Math, G-Chem, O-Chem, Bio, Statistics and English coursework before matriculating into UCLA as a transfer. Physics is not critical since you'll be able to take the series at UCLA. If you begin taking a series of classes at Pierce, e.g. O-Chem, make sure you finish the series at Pierce because it will be difficult having to get the equivalent series at UCLA since practically all the lower division science classes are impacted.

If you want to get a feel for the quarter system, look into this website: http://www.uclaextension.edu/. Ask an advisior about concurrent enrollment for non-UCLA students.

Transfers, except those applying to the School of Engineering, are only accepted for Fall quarter matriculation.

Having attended SMC for two years, and then transferring to UCLA, I definitely agree with this post. Just some points that come to mind (some of these may have already been stated elsewhere).

1. SMC over any other CC if possible. They also have a Scholars Program which helps you distinguish yourself from the rest

2. You don't need to take ALL your pre-reqs at a JC. I agree w/ keeping Physics for UCLA. One reason is b/c med school adcoms. like to see that you can handle the pre-med courses at a 4-year....though if you're planning on majoring in Physci at UCLA, you'll have plenty of upperdiv. science courses to show them you can handle it

3. at this point, don't just think of these classes as pre-reqs. Think of them as MCAT prep...meaning that if you aren't taking decent quality classes (regardless of whether you get the "A" or not), you'll have a tough time with MCAT prep.

4. also, coming from a JC, you'll have to adjust to the quarter system...not too bad, just keep your first quarter light. One issue for me is that some people prefer to take their MCAT right after their Junior year or so, right after finishing those core pre-req. courses. I found that as a transfer, this is difficult since things can get a bit hectic after transferring (adjusting to a new curriculum, planning your next two years, etc.), so just keep that in mind

5. if you need help w/ anything, there's plenty of great advice on these forums...but definitely talk to multiple people

best of luck! If there's anything i can do, you're welcome to PM me.

xxbruinxx

 

[Lukkie]

The second course in the PhySci core series (PhySci 111A, taken Winter quarter) requires Physics 6B to be completed prior to enrollment. So you'd have to at least finish up to there at Pierce or do it Fall quarter.

 

[SketchLazy]

SnYpaJY,

The above is terrible advice. Doing honors program doesn't guarantee a transfer anything and completing only IGETC is a big mistake especially if you intend to major in a science. You want to finisth as many lower division requirements for a science major since many upper division courses are impacted at UCLA, especially the Biological Sciences. Maintaining a high gpa in your intended major is the primary criteria for UCLA accepting transfers. The more competitive the major, the higher gpa you want to earn in your CC classes e.g. Engineering, Computer Science. I recommend finishing all your lower div major requisite classes AND one year of English with a few IGETC classes thrown in.

Pierce has a notoriously terrible reputation in preparing their students for the sciences . I suggest you try to find good instructors at Pierce. Or better yet, you might want to attend Santa Monica College because their sciences department is one of the better ones for CCs in southern CA.

According to their information guide for international students [http://www.studyusa.com/factshts/lapierce.asp], people in the honors program from Pierce have all gotten into UCLA. But I'm guessing since they know they are talking to international students, they exaggerated their claims a little because this isn't on Pierce's website at all.

But I agree with the other two posters about the reputation of SMC. When I was looking at cc's in the LA area way back when, SMC and Pasadena City College were two of the best in the area and had (and advertised) the highest rates of transfer to UCLA. I can't attest to the quality because I didn't go there myself, but they definitely have the reputations. With community colleges you really have to be sure that you are going to a good one because unlike the four-year universities, they are extremely varied in quality of education. Some focus more on the vocational aspects of their curriculum and neglect the other aspects, while others have lower-div science classes that are arguably even harder than the ones at four-year universities. But hell, if Pierce really has a 100% transfer rate for UCLA, then go there. It's stressful enough trying to find your way through community college, let alone worrying about whether you will be accepted.

 

[Long Dong]

It can be done. I went to long beach city college, then ucla undergrad, then ucla med.