Transferring from a California CC to an out-of-state University

Transfer Students
1

As strange as it might sound, I actually want to transfer to a University out of California. My family moved here back when I was beginning my Freshman year seven years ago, and I’ve been missing the East Coast for the past few years (obviously this isn’t my main reason for an out-of-state transfer, but location plays a big part in my choice of college).

In short, how difficult would it be for a Californian CC student to transfer to, say, Georgetown or Penn U? I currently have a 3.75 GPA, and if everything goes to plan, I’d have a 3.85 GPA by the time I transfer after Spring 2018. I’ll have around 75-80 credits and 3 AA degrees in History, Humanities, and Journalism.

Is it likely that most of these credits will transfer to East Coast universities, and if not, will my AA degrees make up for the missed credits? I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to college transfers, so I’m not even sure if what I’m saying has any truth to it at all.

I hope I described my situation clearly enough. What’s your take?

2

Yes you can transfer out of state. Yes some students from CA CCs transfer into places like the ones you have listed.

You need to communicate directly with the transfer admissions offices of your target institutions so that you can find out how they handle things. Each place sets its own policies. Some will consider a AA or AS degree to have fulfilled gen ed requirements. Some will only accept credits on a course-by-course basis and you will still need a bunch of gen eds.

Your CC probably has a Transfer Advisor whose whole job is to help students find good places to transfer to. Go meet with that person and ask about recent transfers to the places on your list, and for other suggestions that could work for you. If you are a woman, you could consider Bryn Mawr. That college has a strong interest in transfers from CCs and offers decent financial aid.

3

Georgetown is an extremely competitive school so I hope you’re crafting a full list of schools that include safety and match schools.