How important is IGETC certification for admissions to UCSD?

[johndoe717]

Hello.
I will be a 2nd year CCC student this fall aiming to transfer to UCB/UCSD fall 2020 as a CS major, and I would like to know how important completing IGETC is for admission into UCSD. I will be applying to Berkeley as an EECS, so I don’t have to worry about IGETC there. I am specifically wondering about what UCSD thinks about completing IGETC before transferring, especially for CS/Math majors. I may be able to pull off a partial IGETC status by spring 2020. I’ve focused largely on prerequisites like math, physics, and CS courses, but I completely neglected IGETC. Do you believe not completing IGETC will hurt my chances of admission? If so, should I at least go for partial IGETC? Or do you think I should just complete IGETC (I only have spring and summer 2020 for this, however. This fall’s schedule is already packed)?

Additional information:
I have a cumulative GPA of 4.0, and I strongly believe I can maintain it until the end. I’ve mostly taken technical courses thus far. I will be able to complete all the required prerequisites except the non-articulated ones. I only took two English Writing classes and one Econ class as non-technicals. I am 3 arts/humanities, 2 social/behavioral, and 1 bio courses away from IGETC completion. Ran out of math courses, and foreign language is covered; did two years of Spanish in high school.

[mikemac]

Which type of student should not
Certain students, however, will not be well served by following IGETC. Students who intend to transfer into majors that require extensive lower-division preparation, such as engineering or the physical and natural sciences, should concentrate on completing the prerequisites for the major required by the individual UC campus. However, they can choose to follow the IGETC for STEM pattern of course work in addition to major preparation. IGETC for STEM is a pattern of courses currently only available to students earning an associate degree for transfer (ADT) at a California community college in a major that explicitly offers IGETC for STEM as an option.

Not a requirement, but a consideration
IGETC is not an admission requirement. Completing it does not guarantee admission to the campus or program of choice. However, completing the lower-division breadth/general education requirements — whether through IGETC or the campus-specific requirements — may be considered by the campus in selecting among qualified applicants.
University of California Counselors

So the UC web info is mixed. On the one hand they say focus on prereqs, but on the other they say IGETC “may” be considered.

I suggest calling or emailing UCSD admissions and asking if it is a factor for CS applicants.