I will be attending SJSU this coming fall, and to say the least it isn’t my dream school.
So, is it realistic for me to transfer in two years from SJSU to either UCSB or USC, or any school that is a UC. I still want to attend SJSU, rather than CC, because I just really need to move out as soon as possible.
Yes it is possible to transfer but since there is no specific articulation between CSU courses and UC courses, it can be difficult to determine if SJSU courses will fulfill the UC transfer requirements. Another disadvantage is that you cannot TAG to any UC as a CSU transfer. Some advice below by a successful CSU to UC transfer (not me):
** 1. 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.
You also mentioned USC. If you can afford the high costs, it is very possible to transfer. If you qualify, USC gives out financial aid. If you are serious about transferring, you should strive to get high grades (at least around a 3.7+ GPA, the higher, the better the chance), fulfill as many General Education courses as possible for 2 year transfers and fulfill the requirements for a major. Also required are a writing and a math course. In addition, USC has a articulation agreement which indicates transferable courses, such as from CSU’s to USC. You should review it. Also, you should contact and work with a USC camplus counselor that is on the USC website. Lastly, there is a USC transfer tread in this forum you might want to browse through. Some students post their transfer stats there. There are quite of few USC transfers from CC, CSU’s, UC’s other CA colleges and out of state colleges. Good luck.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/admissions-source-school
Great advice above. I’d add this can help you see the GPA it took to successfully transfer into a each UC from a CSU vs a CC, UC, PVt etc. Use the TRGPAbyYR tab then the radio to choose the source school type.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfer-admissions-summary
a higher level summary that show you see how admit rate by CCs vs other source schools.
S’s good friend at SJSU, with a 3.7 gpa applied, to transfer as a junior to a mid tier UC but unfortunately did not get accepted. He decided to finish up at SJSU and will be a senior this coming Fall. As mentioned above, the priorities for UC transfers: CC>UC>CSU. Because of this priority, I know of a few who have started at a midtier UC in the freshman year, then attended a CC in the sophomore year and successfully transferred to a higher tier UC. If willing, this can work for a person attending a CSU.