<p>I don’t know much about the California system, which is a world unto itself, but I’d be inclined to go straight to the 4-year school rather than gambling on a junior transfer. (Is there something wrong with Redlands? Ironically, I am right now reading a novel where a character is a professor of English at UC Redlands. 
) HImom obviously tells a story that contradicts me. :)</p>
<p>I do know something about MFA programs. It is almost certainly more difficult to get into a funded MFA program than it is to get into medical school or an elite law school. It pretty much depends on the portfolio, period. Grades aren’t important, except in some cases to determine eligibility for TA jobs that help pay the way. Many applicants apply several times before giving up or getting in.</p>