How to Transfer from California Community Colleges to the UC System
California community colleges can offer you the opportunity to transfer to one of the best university systems in the United States. However, it can be confusing on what you need to do to transfer. This guide will cover the basics on how to transfer with tips from experience.
Step 1: Know the Requirements
To transfer to the UC system, you must meet the minimum admission requirements, which include 60 semester (or 90 quarter) units with a GPA or 2.4 or higher. The article mentions the 7-course path, but most people typically follow the IGETC path, which will be discussed in a moment.
Step 2: Decide which Major and Schools to Pursue
Because you are transferring as opposed to attending university straight out of high school, the major you apply for matters. Some majors are more competitive than others, and it is a good idea to know what is expected for each school. Luckily, the UC system releases all the GPA ranges and acceptance rates for each major by campus. You can explore the site to see the data.
One of the most unique opportunities California Community Colleges offer transfer students is the ability to receive guaranteed admission from one (and only one) of the UCs. This is known as a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) and is offered by the following schools: Santa Barbara, Irvine, Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside, and Merced. The more competitive schools, Berkeley, UCLA, and San Diego do not take part in TAG. Note the deadlines for TAG as they are earlier than the general application deadlines.
In order to TAG a school, you must make sure the major you are applying for is part of the TAG program, as some competitive majors aren’t part of TAG. There are specific requirements that need to be satisfied in order to TAG; here’s an example guide for TAG to UCSB. Each school has different GPA/course requirements, so look at the TAG requirements for the school you are applying for.
You can also apply for alternate majors at the following UCs: Santa Barbara, San Diego, Irvine, Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside, and Merced. Berkeley doesn’t consider alternate majors; and UCLA will consider your alternate major only if you have completed an honors program, and the alternate isn’t impacted. More on that later.
Optional Step: Alternatives to TAG
While Berkeley, UCLA, and San Diego do not participate in the TAG program; they do have alternative programs you might be eligible for. You are able to do these programs in addition to TAG.
For Berkeley, there’s the Transfer Alliance Project (TAP) at partner community colleges targeted for disadvantaged/first-generation students; around 80% of TAP students are accepted. They also offer the Starting Point Mentorship Program in which any California community college student can participate in.
For UCLA, there’s the Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), at partner community colleges for honors students. TAP certified students are given priority consideration for their first choice major (as long as it’s part of the College of Letters and Science) and are considered for their alternate major (also must be part of Letters and Science and not impacted).
For San Diego, the UniversityLink program at partner community colleges offers disadvantaged students guaranteed admission to UCSD if you fulfill the requirements.
Step 3: Create a Plan for Your Major
Once you have an idea of the major you want to pursue, you should go on Assist.org to see what classes are required. Assist contains the course agreements between each community college and the UCs for every major. It is critical you do occasional checks on Assist to make sure you are on track. The agreements can update every year.
When you have a general idea of the classes you need, you need to meet with a counselor to make a plan, as they will have likely have some insight. Try to complete all the major prerequisite courses by the fall of the year you transfer.
I also highly recommend that you complete your general education requirements before transferring, the most popular path is known as IGETC. Completing it will increase your chances of getting accepted and will save you from having to complete your general education courses at UC; which are usually more difficult and are curved to prevent grade inflation. Here’s an example IGETC form from the community college I attended.
Check with a counselor to see what general education should be completed for your major. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is people not checking what general education path is required for their major; most majors will accept IGETC but some won’t.
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For example, transfers who are interested in the Haas School of Business at Berkeley must fulfill the 7-breadth requirement. You will not be able to substitute IGETC for it and will probably get rejected without the requirement fulfilled.
Step 4: Keep Track of Your Progress
The UC Transfer Admission Planner (yes.. another TAP..) is a great resource to ensure you are staying on track for transferring. By updating your classes and grades in the planner, you will see how many UC transferable units you have completed and your current transfer GPA. Another benefit is you can apply directly to TAG through the planner when ready to transfer.
Step 5: Get Involved!
The UCs subscribe to a holistic evaluation of applications, meaning they care about everything, not just your GPA (though it’s still the most important). Involve yourself with extracurriculars like clubs (Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Gamma Sigma), student council, volunteer organizations, etc. This will not only make you a more competitive applicant, but it will also help make your community college experience more fulfilling.
Family responsibilities and working could be mentioned on your application because they might be considered extracurriculars for the UCs. For example, caring for a disabled or elderly family member while being enrolled full time.
Honors programs are also one of the best ways to help your application, especially for Berkeley and UCLA. They can help you with building relationships with your professors, developing your writing skills, and going more in-depth with your coursework.
Step 6: Begin Developing Your Personal Statements Now
Your personal statements are a critical portion of your application and it’s important to start thinking about them now. Be prepared to write and submit four different statements. For the first statement, everyone must answer the following and your answer can’t be more than 350 words:
- Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.
Then there are seven more optional essay questions; in which you will choose three to answer. Think about how your extracurricular activities will help you to answer them.
- Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
- Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
- What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
- Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
- Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
- What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
- Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Conclusion
There are many opportunities offered by California Community Colleges to transfer to the UC system. Using these tips will help give you options on deciding which UC is the best fit for you; as each of the UC campuses offers something unique and different. My final tip is to try and ignore rankings, as your school doesn’t determine your future. All of these schools are amazing options so go where is best for you.
I’d like to thank Ashneel Pratap for his edits and suggestions.
