<p>As an CT High School student I've been looking at CA schools and so far the one best suited for me that I can definitely get into is Chico State. However, it is in the middle of nowhere and even though Chico seems like a nice town, I want to experience living in a city atmosphere as well. Santa Barbara is supposed to be paradise, but I would have no chance of getting in as of now. Would going to Chico for a couple years then trying to transfer to UCSB be a good plan, or should I keep looking around?</p>
<p>If you can get into Chico St. then you could probably get into some of the other state schools- Sonoma State, Monterey Bay, etc. I don’t think anyone can predict what your chances of transferring are with out knowing what your stats in college will be. UCSB is extremely competitive to get into, but with the budget woes, the UC’s are taking a much higher percentage of OOS in order to bring in the money. UCSB is a very cool campus and is right on the beach, but there are other UC’s that are just as beautiful. Have you thought about looking at some of the private schools in So. Calif.? Since you would be paying OOS tuition for state and UC schools, you might find that some of the privates are competitive financially, especially with possible scholarships?</p>
<p>The only one I’ve looked at so far has been University of Redlands which seems kinda small though it’s in a cool location. Are there any that you recommend I look at? My preference is a school with an at least decent political science program, an active nightlife, a and a non-commuter school preferably near to a beach. MY high school GPA is something like 3.1-3.3 and my original SAT score was 1750, though I’m taking it again and I think I’ll score in the 1800s this time around.</p>
<p>I absolutely would NOT recommend doing this. The CSU and UC systems are not particularly compatible and this will most likely add a 5th year to your degree. Additionally, the UC system is highly impacted, and transfers from California Community Colleges and UCs are given priority over all other transfer applicants. A UC to UC transfer would be more feasible, and you should be able to get into UC Merced, UC Riverside, and possibly UCSC, but that would be more of a stretch. I would apply to those 3. </p>
<p>A common “back door” way of getting into UCSB is to go to Santa Barbara City College (community college) for 2 years then transfer. Many out of area students do this. There are privately owned dorms available for SBCC students and most move to Isla Vista for sophomore year (from UCSB and SBCC), this tends to foster more of a college experience despite it being a CC. Additionally, community colleges in California have something called TAG (transfer admissions guarantee). You can undergo a process to “TAG” a particular UC, which gives you guaranteed admission to the school as long as you meet a certain GPA requirement (usually 3.0-3.3). </p>
<p>TL;DR Don’t try to transfer from a CSU. If you’re serious about UCSB, try UCR/M/SC or SBCC.</p>