I was thinking of graduating after first semester senior year and go to a CC in the spring.
I heard that you have to go to a CC for 2 years in order to transfer. If that is true, then is it possible to transfer after 1.5 years (2nd semester in the spring and 1 full year)?
Keep in mind I want to transfer to a good non-ivy college like UCI, USC, or NYU.
Depending on the schools you are interested in, you can transfer as soon as second semester freshman year.
Most schools, however, accept sophomore and junior transfers (with some seniors in the mix).
Also, how good are your high school stats? If you transfer after one year of college, many schools will want your high school transcripts and SAT/ACT scores. These factors become less important for junior transfers.
There is no rule that says you have to stay at a CC for 2 years full stop. Tons of kids transfer out of a CC after one year.
However, if you will not have junior standing (by college credits) by the time of transfer, your high school records and test scores will still be important. For junior level transfers, they may be less important or not considered, since you will presumably have enough of a college record.
You need to check each school’s policies on whether sophomore level transfers are admitted.
If you have good high school stats (GPA and test scores), merit scholarships for frosh tend to be more plentiful than for transfers.
UC’s only accept Junior level transfers (90 quarter units/60 sememster units) so you are looking at 2 years and none of the UC’s accept spring transfers. USC does not accept Freshman transfers or spring transfers. I do not know about NYU. You need to check each school specifically for all the requirements needed to transfer. Good Luck.
@camover
My weighted HS GPA is a 3.4 which won’t get me into a top college. The only good thing was that I got a 2310 on my SAT. However I don’t think I will be accepted into my college choices so I need a backup plan.
Could I transfer out after half a year? Like if I graduate after 1st semester senior year and then go to CC for just 1 semester which is the spring?
@ucbalumnus
So theoretically, if I go crazy and cram 2 years worth of credits during the spring and summer(same year), will it be possible to transfer after the summer?
Assuming that you are a high school junior, you do have some options for schools and scholarships. For example, Louisiana Tech has a full ride scholarship for a 3.0 HS GPA (probably unweighted) and 1400 SAT CR+M.
See the sticky threads at the top of the financial aid and scholarships section.
@ucbalumnus
Yes I am a junior but I’m not really doing this to save money. I know that I probably won’t get into a top college with a weighted 3.4, so hopefully going to a CC for a short while will make up for it and increase my chances.
I’m confident that I can get A’s in CC, since it’s mainly due to me slacking big time freshmen and sophomore years that caused my GPA to be so slow.
Since you are a junior, I would honestly focus on just doing well this year and your senior year. Colleges still like upward trends and you still have some time to recover.
Your SAT score is really impressive I think you can probably get into some decent schools with such a score (supplemented with teacher recs and essays, of course).
How much AP/IB credit do you have? These credits can be counted towards college transfer credit at many institutions.
@camover
Only 2 AP credits unfortunately. Got a C+ in APUSH this year so it hasn’t really been an upward trend…
I know but I need a back up plan, I have to go to an elite college. I might be able to raise it to a 3.5 Weighted but that is still very low for top schools. I only have 2 semesters left which doesn’t leave me with much time to raise my horrible gpa.
Why, exactly, do you think you “have to go to an elite college”?
If you do want that kind of college, you would be best off to spend a full two years at community college, and complete a full associates degree with a 4.0, participation in a strong EC, and excellent letters of recommendation from your professors.
Try here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/ for UC transfer stuff.
You can TAG to UCI after 30 units completed, which can take between 1-2 years depending on major and AP credit.
Have you checked any of the colleges you’re interested in to see if you qualify for merit aid for your stats? Merit aid is much better for freshman than for a transfer.