Questions about Transferring to the CSU System.

Transfer Students
1

Hello all!
So I need your advice regarding transferring to the California State University System. So after years of attending community college, I thought that I was ready to apply for Fall 2017 transfer admission. Looking back at it when I graduated high school in 2010 I was not ready for college but I went because I felt like it was the thing to do. That mentality led to me completely bombing for years. You would think that after one semester of withdrawing from all my classes I would have learned my lesson but no I continued to sign up and drop my classes in the middle of the semester. I moved out for a bit and went to Fullerton College and basically did the exact same thing. Then I had a epiphany and decided to take some time off of school.

Life happened after struggling for a bit I had to move back home to Riverside. After working jobs that I hated I felt like it was time for to take another turn at getting a degree. So returned to Riverside Community in 2015 but decided to take it slower to really give myself time to focus on school. However the damage to my transcript was basically done and I knew that I had a bit of an uphill battle to fix it.

So here is why I need some straightforward advice. I spoke with a counselor yesterday morning to see if she could relieve some anxiety but she only kicked it up a notch by revealing some major cracks in my plan. With that being said I am planning on kicking it into high gear to complete all the requirements for Fall 2017 admission. So to end this long story, I would like to know with the statuses listed below could I get in to the CSUs I’ve named?

  • STATS - Term: Fall 2017 Major: Public Relations/Journalism AA-T (looking to minor/double major in film but not required) Current CSU Units Completed: 31 Current CSU GPA: 2.4 Goal CSU GPA: If everything goes as plan I would be leaving RCC with a 3.09 Golden Four: 2 down, 2 to be completed in Spring 2017 All CSU Pre-Reqs plus AA-T will be completed by the end of Spring 2017
  • SCHOOLS APPLYING TO - Most Wants: CSULB, CSUN, or CSUF Secondary: Cal Poly Pomona, SDSU, SJSU, SFSU, and possibly CSUSM OR CSULA

If the CSUmentor app had an essay component I would be abled to explain the Shakespearian tragedy that is my transcripts but being that everything is based off of my current GPA worries me. Please keep it honest and give me any advice you have! If you need anymore information I am happy to supply! Thanks so much

  • M
2

You want to go through the various links here, including each campus’ impaction information:
http://www.calstate.edu/sas/impaction-campus-info.shtml
http://www.calstate.edu/sas/impactioninfo.shtml

SDSU and SJSU publish past thresholds:
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/admissions/transfers/gpa.html
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultstransfer/

CSU San Bernardino (which includes Riverside County in its local service area) and the non-campus-impacted campuses should admit you at baseline CSU eligibility if your major is not impacted.

3

Thank you for responding so fast.

I really do appreciate those links especially the calstate.edu links as they gave me an idea of what campuses aren’t impacted. So basically should I give up on trying to get into the schools that I’ve listed? They all have programs that I really like and majority of them give me the option of minoring in film, which is another interest of mine.

I’ve been told because I am getting a AA-T in Journalism I have a better chance then those who don’t. That GPA though isn’t making this easy.

Are there any private university in California that I should try to look into?

  • M
4

Hello, I’m sorry to inform you that you won’t be able to apply to CSULB as far as I know. You need to have 60 units by spring and it doesn’t seem you’ll be able to do that. Your GPA is also relatively low

5

Thank you for your response! I really do appreciate your honesty. I will actually have 70 units by spring with 30 units still in progress/planned (5 class in fall, 2 classes in winter, and 4 classes in spring).

So is there still hope or does CSU make their transfer admission decision based just on my current gpa?

6

CSU will look at your current grades - then again at your Fall 16 grades for your GPA.

I haven’t seen enough AATs in place to see how it impacts admissions but, at a competitive school like LB and SD, i don’t think you’ll make it in.

In addition to your ‘local’ you should target one or more non-impacted campuses linked above

7

Thank you for your insight. I guess I will have to come to terms with the fact that I more than likely won’t be going to those schools. I had my heart set on them not because of the prestige or location but because I could see myself in their media based programs (especially CSULB and CSUF). As I look at the non-impacted campuses, majority of them don’t have what I am looking for in a journalism/comm program. But I guess that is the downfall of not having a higher GPA, you kind of have to settle for where you can get in.

You’ve all been a big help and I appreciate you guys “keeping it real”. When it comes down to it I’m still going to apply to LB, Northridge, and Fullerton. Just have to pray a bit harder before hitting submit and hope for a spot on the waitlist. You never know. I’ll probably have to look at the private school option as well where I can explain my record in a personal statement and supplement application.

8

For Fullerton, I believe you have a shot at however. I know people who got in around your GPA, so don’t lose hope.:slight_smile:

9

I’m so proud of you for going back to school and putting in all your effort & not loosing hope, that takes a very strong person. I myself have had a lot of issues I’ve transferred from Cerritos College to Santa Monica (which screwed up my grades royally) I left there with a 2.8 I believe, I took a semester off to peruse an amazing job opportunity, went back to Cerritos to wrap school up, and like you put every effort I had in & never gave up, and left with a 3.1. You can totally bring up your GPA, the CSU’s really rely on that as a representation of your grades (it sucks I know). There are no essay questions on CSU Mentor, so that’s another hurdle.

Anyway you can work with your schools transfer center, although you can’t trust everything they tell you, they’ll take you it’s necessary to take a b & c classes, just follow your IGETC or other program you’ve chosen. They can help you though, you just also have to do a LOT of your own research.

If your school has a Transfer Guarentee program definitley apply for that. Cerritos had one with Dominguez Hills. I applied to CSUMB, Humboldt State, CSUSM, & did the Guarentee program with Dominguez Hills. Always have an easy back up, ALWAYS! I had horrible anxiety between applying and waiting to hear back because I didn’t think there was a shot in hell I was getting into university, especially because I had a 3.1. I looked at transfer rates almost everyday, and totally thought I would never be within the 40% of applicants for CSUMB. I ended up getting accepted to Humbodlt State, CSUMB, and Dominguez Hills.

Anyway in the Fall of 2015 I started school at Humboldt State because I wanted a change of scenery. My GPA going in was a 3.1. I have had a horrible time up here, and my GPA went down to a 3.045 because I got one C, 2 B’s and an A second semester. I’m moving back to So Cal in November, so I applied to CSU Fullerton & CSULB in August for the Spring. I thought it was a guarantee that I wouldn’t get into either school because of how impacted they are, my GPA went down, I’ve transferred so many times, etc. I found out in late September that I got into Fullerton & 2 days ago found out that I got into Long Beach!

Long story, not short at all, you can do it! If I can do it you can totally do it, don’t listen to people who say you won’t get in because it varies so much! Also plan to apply for other schools too CSULA, Doninguez Hills, etc. which you are pretty much guarteed to get into. If you don’t get into any school the first time you apply (trust me, you will), apply again, don’t give up!