Next semester I am transferring to BCC from Umass Amherst (I am from California) because I ultimately want to transfer to a UC (yes I know i should’ve just started out at a CCC, but i didn’t, and can’t go back into the past to change that lol). I took 14 credits this semester and I plan on taking 16 for the next 3 semesters until I can hopefully transfer to Cal, which will put me at 62 credits by the spring of my sophomore year. I know that the minimum amount of credits is 60, and that’s just to be considered—so doing 62 isn’t really that much greater. Should I try to take summer/winter classes as well to boost my application and receive more credits, or would you recommend that I just do more credits per semester? What other things can I do to make sure my application makes me a strong candidate for admission to a UC, particularly UC Berkeley?
Sidenote: does anyone know if the UC Berkeley Extension courses are transferable to Cal also for undergrad credit? Would taking any of those benefit me? Thanks!! Hopefully this isnt too confusing to follow
Use http://www.assist.org to help you select courses that cover the prerequisites for your major and other requirements (general education or IGETC) at each target UC and CSU. You do not need huge numbers of units (and huge numbers of units may be detrimental if you have any upper division course units), but you should make sure to cover any course requirements that you can.
Regarding UC Extension courses, check the course numbers, as described at https://extension.berkeley.edu/static/studentservices/transcripts-details/#prefixes . The courses prefixed with just X may not transfer or be given subject credit; those prefixed by XB are considered equivalent to regular UCB courses.
Do you have AP credits? If I’m not mistaken, these count towards the 60 as well. not sure though.
AP credits count too.
The main thing you should focus on is earning great grades and taking all of the courses required for your desired major. I wouldn’t really recommend taking too many units, unless you know you can handle it. It doesn’t matter if you take more than 60 units – what matters is that you’ve taken 60 units by the end of your last semester in CC. Having more units won’t make your chances better.
I transferred to Cal from BCC, so if you’d like help navigating BCC or anything, feel free to message me!
“I am from California” doesn’t necessarily mean that you will receive instate tuition rates.
Did you graduate from a California HS? Do your parents live in CA now? Will they be moving into CA? Are you financially independent?
Before deciding on coursework, first you should determine if you will be considered instead or Out of State for tuition purposes and, if the latter, whether you can afford to pay sticker.
https://registrar.berkeley.edu/tuition-fees-residency/residency-tuition-purposes/basic-requirements-residency
@bluebayou But why would I be considered out of state? I was born and raised in California, I went to high school (and elementary and middle school) in California, I will be moving back to my mother’s home (and the home I grew up in) in california after having lived in MA for 4-5 months. That is the only time I ever lived out of state, during which I was financially dependent upon my mother, who lives in California and pays taxes to the state of CA. What would make it so that I can be considered an out of state student at a UC?
@ProfessorPlum168 unfortunately, I don’t. I didn’t take any APs (probably one of the main reasons I didn’t get into any of the UCs I applied to, especially cal and ucla) except AP French, but I didn’t pass the AP test (I wasn’t really aiming to, I just wanted the AP point for my gpa).
If you graduated high school in California after a sufficient amount of attendance, you can use the AB540 provisions to get in-state tuition and financial aid if, for some reason, they decide that you are not a California resident due to one term of out-of-state college attendance.
http://ab540.com/What_Is_AB540_.html
The web site focuses on DACA-type students, but US citizens and permanent residents are eligible and probably are most of the AB540 students. The provisions of AB540 and similar laws in some other states effectively mean that students who graduate high school in a state but whose parents move out-of-state can still be in-state for tuition purposes.
I was just asking a question since your OP was unclear. It just said that you were moving back to California, but did not say how long that you were gone. (We get a lot of students on cc who are moving to CA with the hopes that they will automatically receive instate tuition but then are surprised when they don’t.)
If you gradated from a California HS, you should be in good shape.
@calioutofstate well good luck to you. Hope things work out. My oldest went to UMass-Amherst, CS major, and thoroughly enjoyed his time there and decided to stay out there to work after graduation. But I can also see why people would want to move back as well.