Hello I am a desperate college freshman that currently attending CSUF.
My goal is to transfer to UCSD as a junior, and live my happy life there.
Of course, I will do my best to get A’s and make perfect GPA on any campus.
I was thinking about CSU to CC to UC, since it has best chance, but as everyone knows by now, UCSD is one of the school that does not participate with TAG program anymore. At that moment I thought it can be better to take CSU to UCSD since CSU is better school than CC. I know that there are Assist website that helps CC to UC and CC does not have to worry about the Upper-divisions and matching the units from semester to quarter. I am not sure about the upper-division stuffs because I don’t really understand how it works.
So, my question is:
Is it better to take CSU to CC to UCSD (w/o TAG) or CSU to UCSD?
(If CSU to CC to UCSD is better:) I believe most CC is also has semester system. Why is it better?
(If CSU to UCSD is better:) What is going on with upper-division and lower-division requirements in relation of units? I generally do not understand the upper-division and lower-division.
Is there anyway that I can talk to the transfer admission office or counselor that can help me find the matching courses and answer my questions on UCSD?
Is it possible to change my major after I got accepted and attending UCSD?
Thank you so so so so very very much for reading all of those and also thank you so so very too much for answering my questions.
Please give me any comments or Tips for transfer.
A CC to UC transfer has a better defined pathway in regards to transferable courses and CC transfers get priority over CSU transfers. UC does not have transfer course agreements with institutions other than California community colleges. However, using ASSIST and/or referring to any UC campus’ general catalog can provide guidance on the likelihood that courses from other institutions would transfer to UC.
See # 1
Limitations on Transfer Credits
Students will be awarded up to 70 semester/105 quarter units of credit for lower-division coursework completed at any institution or any combination of institutions. Subject credit only will be awarded for appropriate coursework taken in excess of this unit limitation and may be used to meet requirements.
• Units earned through: AP, IB, and/or A-Level examinations are not included in the limitation and do not put applicants at risk of being denied admission.
• Units earned at any UC campus (Extension, summer, cross/concurrent and regular academic year enrollment) are not included in the limitation but are added to the maximum transfer credit allowed and may put applicants at risk of being denied admission due to excessive units.
• Note: if all courses are completed at one or more 2-year (community) colleges, a student would never be in danger of having too many (excessive) units.
Many of the UC’s will have a cap on the # of upper division courses you can transfer and some UC’s will not accept upper division transfer students.
You can check with a transfer advisor at CSUF and contact your CC transfer advisor to aid you in your transfer questions.
You would have to check UCSD’s change of major criteria as a transfer student since you will be required to take specific major course requirements to apply in the first place. If you plan to change your major, you should do it before transfer.
Tips for CSU to UC transfers:
Get informed and and make a plan.
Use assist and college confidential to get informed and go out to look for any answers you might have. From ASSIST you will get all the information you need for the prerequisites you need for your major. Look up the major prereqs for every school you are interested in transferring to. When you know all the information for which classes to take, make a plan. Plan out which classes you need to take each semester before you transfer and how you will reach those mandatory 60 semester units needed to transfer to a UC. This is probably the most important part of transferring. The faster you have a plan the faster you get to transfer and you will have a easier and clearer path. And look through all the threads on the website and get a sense of what you need to do and what it takes to get a UC.
Don’t lose sight of the goal!
I know how hard it has been for me to keep my grades up and take enough classes to stay on track. So when you are striving to get As in those classes and you want to give up, don’t lose sight for what you are doing this for. CSU students probably have to the most to transfer because the odds are against us. If you are not willing to put in the work and you do not have the heart then trying to transfer is not for you especially if you are a CSU student. If you do put it in the work, trust me it will be worth it.
Applications have to be perfect.
When you are finally applying to those UCs, make sure they are perfect when you submit them. Call all the schools you are applying, talk to some counselors, going to workshops if you can… do everything to make sure they are perfect. And for your personal insight questions, start early and and get some expert advice on them. Every CSU has a writing center to my knowledge, go to them with your essays and have them go over it for you and they’ll help you. Talk to counselors because they know what schools are looking for in a good essay and what an applicant should write.
Plan for the worst.
The truth is that CSU students have last priority for transferring to UCs right after 1st) CC and 2nd)UC students. Some of us will not get into the schools we want or might not get into any that we apply to and that is the sad truth. So make a plan for every outcome that is possible. You might go to a UC that you did not expect or you might have to stay where you are now.