College transfer eligilibity/transfers?

Unfortunately, once you've taken college classes after high school graduation, you are no longer eligible to apply as a freshman. You are transfer applicant. If she wants to come back to California next year and not wait to apply as junior, then her best bet is to do her second year at a California Community College, then transfer to a UC as a junior after completing all of the transfer requirements. She will also have a higher chance of acceptance at a UC if she is applying from a CCC than if she is applying from an out of state school. 

She should plan to spend a year at a California community college and apply to UC and/or CSUs for junior year as a transfer. The UCs are mandated to have 1/3 of their students be community college transfer students, and it is a much more straightforward process to be admitted as a transfer than as a high school senior. In fact, admission to many of the UCs is guaranteed if she meets a certain GPA and takes the required lower level courses for her planned major. Taking the required courses is very important because they want to see that she will have met prerequisites for required upper level courses and able to graduate in 2 more years. She can meet with a transfer admission counselor at the cc and at the UC she wants to attend to make a plan.

Five years ago I asked at a Cal Poly SLO admissions event whether my child could do this, apply as a freshman if he planned to take a a year off after high school and take a few classes at community college.  They were pretty snarky about saying No, he can't try to get in as a second-try freshman if he goes to community college to improve his GPA.  It was mean and unprofessional, in particular because I was asking because my child was seriously ill and hoping to recover during that year (he did), and I didn't want to drag all that into the conversation in front of him and all the other people there.  Their point, though, was true freshman or junior transfer.

Anyway, so a person you could talk to who is expensive is Rebecca Field.  But probably just googling will work, what with AI answers now.  An option might be to come back and go to community college and then transfer to a UC.  Or stay another year and then attempt a junior transfer.  Calif community colleges have the TAG program which is a sort of preferential application to UCs though.  Good luck!

100% agree with the previous posters' advice. Since you asked for referrals, you may want to contact Wendy Morrison if you need help from an excellent college counselor. https://wendymorrisoncollegechoices.com/ We have engaged Wendy for both of our college bound kids, including this application cycle, and I happen to know that she works with students in CC wanting the transfer path into a UC.  Best to your daughter!