The Basics in Transferring from a California Community College to a University of California Campus
California Community College
to a University Campus
Last week I attended the Ensuring Transfer Success conference in Anaheim and thought that I would take this opportunity to pass along some basic information to keep in mind when planning to transfer to a University of California campus. This process can feel overwhelming and stressful, but planning ahead can help to make this transition go smoothly. The minimum admission requirements to be considered for UC admission are:
- The student must have at least a 2.4 GPA in UC-transferable classes.
- All students must complete the required seven courses with a minimum grade of at least a C in each class. The seven classes should include: two courses in English composition, one class in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, and four classes in at least two of these subjects: Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Physical and Biological Sciences. These need to be completed no later than the spring semester prior to Fall admission.
- The student must have earned no less than 60 UC-transferable semester units to be considered for admission.
- Keep in mind, that these are all just minimum requirements. Admission is extremely competitive, and to have a better chance at admission to a UC, students should strive to achieve well beyond the bare minimum.
- Students should take lower division courses in their planned major. Competitive majors will factor in completion and performance in these courses into admission decisions. This is especially true with impacted majors. Standards and level of competition may vary from campus to campus.
- General education requirements at University of California are also known as “breath” requirements.
- UC will be paying close attention to any gaps in education and will be looking for an explanation of why there is a gap, during which time the student was not attending school.
- Generally speaking, UC may award credit for AP scores of three or better to go toward major prep or GE courses.
- There is a maximum limit of 70 semester/105 quarter units of credit in lower division coursework completed at all institutions.
- If you are unsure what will transfer, it is advisable to look over the Transferable Course Agreement. There are also UC-CCC Course Articulation agreements.
- Seven UC campuses currently offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee program. Students should preselect the UC campus that they are interested in (can only submit a TAG to one UC). The deadline of September 30th is prior to that of regular applications.
The good news for transfer students is that at some of these campuses, community college students can account for as much as 93% of the transfer students that are admitted. Even though there is a minimum GPA of 2.4 required to qualify for admission, the average GPA of admitted students, ranges from 3.25 to 3.77, depending on the campus. The admit rate ranges from 24% to 60.4 % depending on the campus, and can also vary by major. Some of the campuses do use wait lists and some do take appeals. Many of the campuses guarantee housing for transfer students for at least one year. Admission decisions for transfer students can also be issued later than for incoming freshman. Lastly, it is important for all supporting records to be submitted by the deadline, or an admission offer can be cancelled. It is equally important to finish and pass everything stated in the application.
Community college students should utilize their counseling office for any questions that they may have and to make sure that they are on track to transfer to a four year college or university. If you have additional questions or need assistance in the transfer process, please feel free to contact me.