<p>I’m looking into transferring into a UC after 2 years, as I would like to go on to grad school in my field(poly sci), and the UC system is said to be excellent in preparation for grad school. I am wondering what I should do as of what college to choose before I transfer.</p>
<p>I have been admitted into San Jose State University, and am pending entry into the Humanities Honors Program. I also will be in the Spartan Marching Band. Both of these programs guarantee me academic priority, meaning I will get any class I need, when I need it. </p>
<p>I am wondering whether this priority makes SJSU the better choice compared to a CCC for transferring, as I know people at CCC’s that have either stopped going to college, can’t get what classes they want, or ending up going there for more than two years.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if the priority advantage is worth the decreased chance of transfer admission to a UC.</p>
<p>From what I have heard/seen it is almost impossible to transfer to a UC from another UC or a state school. CC transfers have priority, that much is certain. The UCs highly discourage UC-to-UC or 4-year institution transfers. I’m sure there are statistics to back me up floating around somewhere. Also, if you go the CC route, you can do TAG, which guarantees you acceptance at most UC campuses. </p>
<p>SJSU is a good school, if I’m not mistaken many people who graduate from there also go on to grad school. So it’s really up to you. But don’t go to SJSU if you aren’t comfortable with spending all 4 years there.</p>
<p>If you’re looking on transferring to a UC, forego SJSU and take the CCC route. Like sahalis stated above, you can sign a TAG agreement with the UC of your choice (LA/Berkeley do not have TAG, just TAP) and the likelihood of you getting accepted to a UC is MUCH higher. The majority (80%+) of transfer applicants come straight from CCC’s. It is typically extremely difficult to transfer straight from a Cal State to a UC because many of the classes do not usually transfer. If transferring from a california community college, you can look up which classes will transfer from your CC to any UC for each major at assist.org.</p>
<p>Like you noted above, the CC route is not without its flaws. If you are a new student, it can be extremely difficult to get the classes you need in order to transfer in two years. On the flip side, if you participate in the honors programs at your CCC, like SJSU, you can receive priority registration. In addition, once you have a few courses under your belt, you gain the upper hand in registration dates. </p>
<p>Anyways, my advice would to go the CCC route. Considering your contemplating being a PolSci major, those classes would probably be more readily available to you anyways. Its usually majors that require numerous math and sciences that cause people to get stuck for an extra year or so at a CC. If you need more information on the UC transfer process, the folks over in the UC Transfer sub-forum are excellent sources of information. I have learned that people here on CC are often times more well versed and helpful in the transfer process than community college counselors.</p>