Need some professional advice from a transfer professional!

<p>So I was wondering what exactly the transfer process is like if I want to transfer from a community college to a UC like UCLA or UC Berkeley. </p>

<p>I know you guys are probably thinking "why don't you read the appropriate posts? All the information is out there in the forum.." Well I know that. But some specific answers aren't out there. So I would greatly appreciate it if someone can please have some patience and help me out here. </p>

<ul>
<li><p>What I know so far: Obviously I have to fill out an application and send it in before the deadline, I know to fill out all my FAFSA information and send it in before the deadlines, I also know that I have to complete the appropriate classes before applying, and I also have to mail in official transcripts from the registrar office to the appropriate departments of the Universities I want to transfer to.</p></li>
<li><p>What I don't know is that how does the "transcript system" works. Can't students easily fraud the transcripts, print them on special transcript paper and mail it in themselves? I know community colleges allow students to deliver the transcript themselves. Do the universities I'am applying to ask the community colleges to send in 2nd official transcripts?
I'am just concerned because I work very hard in school and I have a feeling students do this kind of stuff to get into their dream schools..? I mean, if they are successful doing this "cheat" good for them, more power to them, but I am curious to know if there are securities in place for stuff like this?</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you all recipients</p>

<p>Well you know, it’s the principle. I just want some more information on such matters, so if you do know anything about, please do inform me.</p>

<p>What difference does it make? If I tell you yes, that people do fake their transcripts, will that stop you from working hard to get into your dream school? There will always be people trying to cheat the system but eventually they will get caught.</p>

<p>Unlike most people, curiosity does not kill me. I just want to be knowledgable in this subject. I have com across numerous cheaters in my educational life, and I ignore every one of them</p>

<p>The info you listed is mostly correct. Basically if you have a major in mind, then fulfill the pre-requisites for your intended major as shown on assist.org. See if your community college has agreements with the UC’s you want to go to and try to enroll in programs such as the Honors program, TAP, etc. You can also TAG to any UC except LA and Cal as long as you fulfill the TAG requirements. </p>

<p>If you’re coming from a California community college, you’ll have to complete the IGETC General ed courses on top of the pre-reqs as well as have at least 60 transferable UC credits. So if your major pre-reqs don’t require too many classes, then you’re going to be taking a lot of “filler” classes to hit that 60 mark. </p>

<p>Because you’re aiming for the top tier UC’s, you’ll want to stand above many of the applicants by demonstrating your interest in your major so that your chances will be improved. This can be fulfilled via extra-curricular activities such as internships/volunteering, club membership, and various leadership positions or whatever is related to your major. That way you’ll have something to write about in your personal statements when you fill out the UC application and admissions will see that you are a motivated applicant. Your personal statements are also a big factor for the upper UC’s so put a lot of effort into that. </p>

<p>Transcripts are sent to the UC that you want to SIR to after you have been accepted. At least for L&S, you will sent them an official transcript upon request. So that’s just for them to make sure that you were telling the truth in your application.</p>

<p>Your concern regarding transcript dishonesty has never even occurred to me, and there’s no reason for you to worry about it. The UC’s include some of the most prestigious and highly regarded universities in the world. I’m pretty sure the admissions officers are EXTREMELY thorough when it comes to grade verification. Every few years, the UC’s will go to great lengths to purge through the National Student Clearinghouse records to verify past grades and transcripts directly from all participating colleges. If any discrepancies are confirmed to be acts of academic dishonesty, you can damn sure that the unlucky perpetrator(s) is destroyed by either having his or her application rescinded, expelled if they are already enrolled, or have their diploma revoked if already graduated. And that’s enough of a scar on anyone’s career. Crime never pays.</p>

<p>So look into your major pre-reqs and plan out what you’re going to do. Your main priority should be to maintain high grades and to complete your pre-requisites. Anything after that should be done to add soft points such as EC’s, interest in major, etc etc. Good luck.</p>

<p>I your title you say you want information from a transfer professional. Do you know that every ccc has professional counselors, and specially transfer counselors, to help guide you through this process? On this forum you will get good general info, but meet with your ccc counselor for “professional” info. I have met with the transfer counselors at my ccc numerous times over the last two years and they have been extremely helpful with information and keeping me on track. I have also met at my ccc with a representative from UC Davis (my choice) and had the opportunity to talk to them twice. </p>

<p>So go to your ccc counseling center and set up an appointment. They will explain IGETC (the general education classes you must take at ccc to transfer to a UC or CSU), TAG and TAP (Transfer guarantee programs the UC’s have with ccc), assit.org (the website that guides you through pre reqs for your major at your UC of choice), etc, etc.</p>

<p>My transfer counselors really helped me out and as a result I applied with a TAG (transfer guarantee) to UC Davis in Sept. and that application has been approved. I submitted my UC app in Nov. and now I just wait for official admittance which is pretty much guaranteed as long as I complete my spring courses with decent grades. Good luck on your journey! And as everyone says, get the best grades you can, be involved on campus and with volunteering, and write fabulous personal statements when you apply.</p>

<p>transcripts are sealed after they come out of the printer of Admin and records office. You may be able to deliver them (i know all the schools i applied to don’t give any interest as this being an actual option) but they also must be signed by the admissions and records person from the CC. So they must be sealed,stamped,signed and you don’t get any ‘interaction’ with ‘official’ transcripts. It wouldn’t be easy to forge fake ‘official’ ones.</p>

<p>Official Transcripts come with cool gadgets to prevent fraud. They have holograms, heat activated ink, and etc. Forging it is nearly impossible. Mail yourself your school transcript and you’ll see what I’m talking about.</p>

<p>heat activated ink??? i guess the ol steam trick wont help haha</p>

<p>Thanks you Shibrang, Hsandovaljr fo ryour input!</p>

<p>KarmaGo - Thank you for the detailed reply to my question. I am definitely on track with all my classes, GPA, and EC’s ( I have a lot ). As for the transcripts, I know some people who are currently attending Berkeley and Yale who have “cheated” their way in (good for them) but that’s not my style, I want to know I got in with my countless hard efforts.</p>

<p>Inquiringmind2 - Thanks for your input as well, although I took your reply as kind of hostile and sarcastic; maybe you did not mean to come across like that. I know about the “professional” help my community college provides, I can safely say, it’s complete ****, hence the reason I came on this forum to hopefully get some insight from people like “KarmaGO”. Thank you anyway…</p>

<p>lawlking - What do you mean by “heat activated ink?” seems a little farfetched don’t you think?</p>

<p>When I say Heat-Activated Ink, I don’t mean the entire transcript is in that special ink. In order to verify its authenticity, there is a little spot on the paper where you place your finger or blow your breath on this spot. The special spot, which was blank, is now showing the message of its authenticity.</p>

<p>Also, some transcript also has its authenticity proof by bringing it up to a light and seeing a message within it. The same way you hold a $20 bill up into a light to see Jackson’s hidden face.</p>

<p>And lastly, they use special sort of paper. It has iron in it? Or some other substance. What happens is they would put the transcript in some sort of sensor scanner, like a Scantron, and the machine would scan to detect these substance. If it doesn’t detect what it was looking for, it alerts the person for possibly being a fake transcript. And no you can’t smear powdered iron/substance onto the transcript, because the machine will detect the irregular amount of those substance[too much or too little] and also alert the person for the possibility of being fake.</p>

<p>@Lawl…</p>

<p>Did you intern for the US Mint? </p>

<p>LOL</p>

<p>Nope, one of my buddy works there. And told me all about transcript! LOL funny stuff though, they made it look so serious.</p>