I’m going to start community college this fall here in California and am planning to apply to several UCs (SD, LA, SB, Irvine). I know that admissions are very competitive and I’m afraid of getting rejected. So I have a few questions to all of you who may have some experience. Also, as a side note, I am going to major in psychology. I’m not completely sure what career I want, but I am leaning toward psychiatry or clinical psychology.
- My counselor recommended that I stay away from physical sciences or foreign language my first semester because it may be too difficult with my freshman english and precalculus class. This caught me off guard because I was going to choose a class or two from those areas. Should I take a science (like biology) later? I don't want to delay my progress of transferring, and I really am interested in taking a science and language class.
- What could I do in college to increase my chances of getting accepted into a UC? I'm thinking about taking some honors classes, but I'm worried that I will have a hard time keeping up.
- Do you have any advice for a freshman going into a community college?
I’d appreciate any other tips you have, especially regarding my major.
Hi, I am finishing up my last semester of community college at Crafton Hills College in California.
My advice.
- Plan out your ENTIRE time at CC. Sit down, with a counselor if need be, and find out what classes you have to take before you transfer (General Eds and major specific courses, assist.org can help you find classes that transfer for your major) and plan out every semester/quarter and what classes you will take. It doesn’t have to be permanent, but having it all planned out will save you a heap of trouble and stress down the road when it is time to transfer and you find out you forgot to take a course or two.
- Take as many classes as possible. If you don't work and have a lot of time on your hands, stock up on classes. Cut back on TV or video games or whatever and take classes. I gave up 95% of my gaming over the last 2 years and have been taking 18-23 units of semester units since then. It is NOT hard, you just need to DO all the material.
- Do EVERYTHING that's required for your class. Go to class, take notes, do the homework, projects, etc. It's not hard, it can be boring, but if you make sure to do every single assignment given to you classes become a lot easier. Doing this and not putting in any extra effort has given me a 3.9 gpa and trust me when I say I am not a model student.
- Be active on campus, volunteer at events, join clubs. UC's love this and it will stand out on your application.
- Take honors courses. You have to write like an additional paper or do an extra presentation + community service hours usually but it's not hard and UC's love honor students.
I am no expert, but I hope this helps a bit. Study, work hard, and you will go great places.
@sethwilliam Thank you! I don’t hear much, if anything at all, about students’ experience at community college/transferring to a UC so this actually helps a lot. I will probably make another appointment with a counselor because I don’t think I was clear enough with my goals the first time.
Which community college are you planning to attend? See if they have a transfer center and talk with a counselor there. Also, get familiar with the TAG program:
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/index.html
No problem, if you need anything else feel free to message me 
@sethwilliam wow!!! This is so helpful!!! Which UC have you been accepted to? So encouraging! I’m a freshman too and trying to save money by going to cc than -4yr university path!
@sethwilliam offers good advice. The main thing is to just do the work. I don’t really think most CC classes are hard–it’s just that it’s so easy for commuter students to allow life to get in the way. You have to have the same mindset as a residential student. That includes staying on campus long hours and getting your homework done at the library whenever possible. There’s something that happens when you go home where you mind often shifts away from work and it’s too easy to drift. Also, make connections with faculty in your field, and go talk to them in office hours. You may be surprised at their diverse professional experiences, and you will likely learn a good deal about your professional options–plus they can help with those transfer apps. For courses like freshman English, you can go to the CC bookstore now and see what books people are teaching, and choose a professor based on that. You might want to confirm that they are teaching the same thing next year. Also, read Rate My Professor with a grain of salt. If your aim is a UC, you don’t want the guy everyone says is the easiest professor in the world. You need someone who will challenge you and really teach you the material. It is quite easy to spend two years and get a crappy education–there is an immense pressure to grade inflate, particularly on adjunct professors. Challenge yourself. You can get a fantastic education at a CC, but you have to actually want a fantastic education. It seems like you do! Good luck!
Good advice so far! A couple of additional points:
Don’t just choose classes; choose instructors. There are some wonderful instructors at CC’s who will go above and beyond to mentor you if you show genuine interest in their class and subject area. There are also duds. This is true at top universities too, of course; but at cc you’ll be able to pick and choose if you register early, so take full advantage of that ability - register as early as possible and look up all the info you can on who the best instructors are. Prioritize this over choosing a class at the most convenient time, or taking your classes in the exact order you planned on. RateMyProfessors isn’t a perfect tool - you have to be judicious about which reviews are credible, especially when opinions are mixed. But when dozens of reviews show an unambiguous trend, it’s definitely worth noting.
Join an Honors program if you can. Certainly you can get where you’re going without one. But CC’s in general are strongly oriented toward articulating with CSUs, whereas Honors programs have stronger relationships with UCs. There will be more know-how as far as giving you the right advice, and there will be more of a well worn path to UC admissions, especially the more competitive ones. (For example, the Foothill Honors program has a particular relationship with UCLA.)