Difficulty of Computer Science Major Transferring to UC

Transfer Students
1

So I transferred to CSUCI this fall but my heart is still really set on going to a UC. I was wondering my chances of being accepted into next fall.

Right now I have a 3.76 but I’m taking 17 units this semester so I’m hoping it brings it up.
I have about 90 units completed but only about 60 are going toward my major. From the looks of things I still have about 2-3 more years left of school so I feel like it would still be worth it to transfer again.

I was thinking about applying to UCSB, UCI, UCSD, UCSC

And backups of CSUF, CSULB, SDSU, CSUN

Do I have a chance of getting into a UC?
Thoughts on the CSU backups or should I just stay at CSUCI?

2

Although this is 2018 data, this gives you an idea of your chances. I would give it a try and CSUCI can always be your backup especially if you are doing well there.

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major

3

the big concern is having too many units to transfer. You can take all the lower division classes you want and the total is capped at 70 semester units for purposes of admission eligibility, but the UCs will add any upper division units to that. If your total is too high then you won’t be eligible to xfer. See http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/2081175-uc-transfer-faqs-part-2.html and page 33 of https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference.pdf

4

As further advice, be sure you’re working on your plan B in case you aren’t able to transfer. CS is a high demand career field these days, so well prepared students are able to find good jobs from just about any school. You want to be one of those well-prepared students.

You should join CS clubs at your school so you can see what the best students around you and in the class levels ahead of you are doing. Doesn’t hurt to network either; maybe someone who had an internship at Facebook or Google or wherever can pass your resume on to the manager they worked for last summer. Similarly you should get to know some of your profs. Meet with the career center, the undergraduate CS advisor, etc. to find out what the students landing good jobs out of your school have been doing to prepare. And you want to be sure to master the material in your classes which may mean long hours doing programming assignments, both to get good grades and to be able to answer interview questions about the material.

5

How many of those units that you are taking currently are upper division units? You might be ok to possibly transfer with < 20 in your case, but beyond that you’re probably not going to be eligible.

6

So I see the transfer credits might be a problem at a UC. I know I have a lot of units but those are from when I was trying different majors. Im really more of a sophomore/junior for computer science. And also what would be a good CSU to transfer into because the transfer units wouldn’t be a problem there. I just feel like CSUCI isn’t going to give me the best resources.

7

I have few upper division units. Most units are GEs and im still working on finishing my lowet division courses