Is it possible and if it is, is it really as hard as everyone is saying? Is there anyone with experience in doing anything like a state to UC transfer? I mean I might not even end up doing this because I might fall in love with SDSU by junior year but Im just wondering to see if I might be able to throw my name into the transfer pool if I ever want to. A lot of my friends will be attending UCSD so even if I transfer in later on, I don’t think I’ll be that lonely. I will be studying Mechanical Engineering if that changes anything since I heard it is a very impacted major. Thanks in advance!
Did you visit both?
Big difference.
You will end up liking SDSU. Everyone does.
CSU to UC transfers are possible but you need to cross reference your SDSU courses to a local CC and then try to match the courses to UCSD since some CSU courses do not articulate well with the UC courses.
Since it seems you are an in-coming Freshman, you should go into SDSU with the mind set that you will stay all 4 years and try to make the most of the opportunities available at SDSU. If after Freshman year you are not happy at SDSU, then consider a transfer but also do not just focus on UCSD since transfers to the UC’s are very competitive.
Some tips and words of wisdom from another CC poster attempting a CSU to UC transfer:
- Get informed and and make a plan.
Use assist and college confidential to get informed and go out to look for any answers you might have. From ASSIST you will get all the information you need for the prerequisites you need for your major. Look up the major prereqs for every school you are interested in transferring to. When you know all the information for which classes to take, make a plan. Plan out which classes you need to take each semester before you transfer and how you will reach those mandatory 60 semester units needed to transfer to a UC. This is probably the most important part of transferring. The faster you have a plan the faster you get to transfer and you will have a easier and clearer path. And look through all the threads on the website and get a sense of what you need to do and what it takes to get a UC.
- Don't lose sight of the goal!
I know how hard it has been for me to keep my grades up and take enough classes to stay on track. So when you are striving to get As in those classes and you want to give up, don’t lose sight for what you are doing this for. CSU students probably have to the most to transfer because the odds are against us. If you are not willing to put in the work and you do not have the heart then trying to transfer is not for you especially if you are a CSU student. If you do put it in the work, trust me it will be worth it.
- Applications have to be perfect.
When you are finally applying to those UCs, make sure they are perfect when you submit them. Call all the schools you are applying, talk to some counselors, going to workshops if you can… do everything to make sure they are perfect. And for your personal insight questions, start early and and get some expert advice on them. Every CSU has a writing center to my knowledge, go to them with your essays and have them go over it for you and they’ll help you. Talk to counselors because they know what schools are looking for in a good essay and what an applicant should write.
- Plan for the worst.
The truth is that CSU students have last priority for transferring to UCs right after 1st) CC and 2nd)UC students. Some of us will not get into the schools we want or might not get into any that we apply to and that is the sad truth. So make a plan for every outcome that is possible. You might go to a UC that you did not expect or you might have to stay where you are now.