UC Lower Division Transfer Help!

<p>Hey everyone, i'm new here and I was wondering if anyone could tell me about his or her experience with transferring to the UC as a sophomore. I'm not sure about all the details of the transfer process. To my understanding if you were UC eligible at the time of your high school graduation, then you may be able to transfer as a sophomore. </p>

<p>Out of high school I was accepted by UCSB but due to financial restraints i'll be attending a CSU in the fall.</p>

<p>Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>PS. Anyone know which UCs offer the best financial aid? As I stated earlier, the reason i've had to settle for commuting to the csu is because of financial restraints.</p>

<p>Thank you all in advance.</p>

<p>Lower division transfer applicants only have a shot at Davis, Merced, and Riverside. I would imagine you would have to be extremely competitive to get into Davis or Riverside as a sophomore transfer. High school work may be considered, which should be to your advantage (if you did well senior year) as you were previously accepted to SB. Generally, transfers from non-UC, 4-year institutions have lowest priority, but I’m not sure how that affects you as a lower division transfer.</p>

<p>The UC’s have a Blue + Gold Opportunity Plan, which promises to cover all of your tuition and fees with scholarship and grants (gift aid, i.e. does not have to be repaid) as long as your family income is less than $80,000. People often get confused about this but “tuition and fees” does not include living expenses, which can be more than tuition in some cases depending on where you’re living. Any additional aid you get will depend on your FAFSA, and may include gift aid or loans. How much you get is up to each individual UC’s financial aid office, but it really should not be that much different between schools. </p>

<p>The cheapest and most advantageous way to get into a UC would be to go to a CCC and/or transfer as a Junior. It’s up to you. A CSU still offers a great education.</p>

<p>oceanpartier,</p>

<p>Let me start by saying thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.</p>

<p>I understand that it is more difficult to transfer as a sophomore; i was wondering if you had any idea how competitive one would have to be to have a decent shot at transferring as a sophomore? I dont think my weighted GPA is over 4.0…</p>

<p>Davis or Riverside would both be ideal as i have friends at both schools who i could easily arrange a living situation with. And yes, while i agree that the CSU offers a great education, it isn’t exactly where i want to be.</p>

<p>PS. Do you know if sophomore-level transfers compete against incoming freshmen? or against junior-level transfers.</p>

<p>^It’s no problem. Also, all the info you need can basically be found here:</p>

<p><a href=“University of California Counselors”>University of California Counselors;

<p>Your fall grades (semester/quarter depending on which CSU) are basically going to determine your success. The UC’s don’t consider Winter or Spring grades so you are going to be judged, GPA wise, on a single term of work. Obviously, getting a 4.0 this fall is going to be the best thing you can do for yourself here. </p>

<p>The more pre-requisite courses you have completed, the more competitive you are. There are some that require ALL pre-reqs to be completed before transfer. Make sure your prospective major isn’t one of them. It’s a good idea to finish the math and writing requirements before you transfer though because it’s hard to imagine the UC’s admitting anyone without those basic requirements done. Other general education requirements are less crucial, because as a sophomore transfer, you’ll have plenty of time to finish up when you get to a UC and there are no GE articulations between the two systems. GE’s are not a factor for admission. Also, because there is no official CSU-UC course articulation, there is no guarantee that the classes you took at your CSU will earn you any credit. This is why I suggest you either wait one more year or transfer to a CCC asap. </p>

<p>Still, it’s only about $70 per campus so if you feel like gambling, go for it. If you don’t submit an application than your chances really are zero lol. Also, Davis only accepts lower division transfers into the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences so that’s something you should consider. Merced is the only one of the three that will read your personal statements so if I were you, I’d strategically write about Merced specifically in the statements.</p>

<p>If finances are an issue, go to community college. It will be much easier to transfer as a CCC transfer, a lot cheaper, and you can get guaranteed admission into UCR/UCD.</p>

<p>oceanpartier,</p>

<p>I was under the impression that the UC reviewed only your high school work when applying at the sophomore level?</p>

<p>andrewexd,</p>

<p>Thank you for your input, as the plan currently stands, i will apply this November and if I’m not accepted, i’ll be transferring to a community college next year.</p>

<p>^^Well, since they only get to evaluate your college performance based on a single term, significant weight will be placed on high school work. That doesn’t mean your college work is unimportant. If you get lower than a 2.0, you will have no chance to be admitted. </p>

<p>[University</a> of California - Minimum admissions requirements](<a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/requirements/minimum-requirements/index.html]University”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/requirements/minimum-requirements/index.html)</p>

<p>If you are amazing during the fall, it could really highlight your ability to succeed at a UC.</p>

<p>oceanpartier,</p>

<p>Thank you again for the help; the problem is, my csu sort of picked our classes for us, and i have no idea whether they are transferable or not. For all i know they could be worthless and we begin fall quarter this week. If they do not transfer, do they cease to make an impact on my admission decision?</p>

<p>Also, would you happen to know if sophomore transfers compete against freshman transfers, or junior transfers, or are we in a league of our own?</p>

<p>^You should contact the UC admissions offices for a definitive answer.</p>

<p>oceanpartier,</p>

<p>I did but it’s ridiculous. I’m getting such inconsistent information. My high school counselor tells me one thing but the Davis office says another. No one seems to know exactly what to do.</p>

<p>Don’t listen to your high school counselor. Listen to UCD.</p>

<p>Shannon13,</p>

<p>Normally i would agree with you but even the office at UCD sounded unsure…</p>

<p>CSULB makes transfer admission decisions based on self-reported information. Admitted students will be required to submit official transcripts in order to verify eligibility. Admission decisions may be withdrawn for students who misreported or are not on track for meeting the terms of the admission offer.</p>

<pre><code>For Fall admission: Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts in April.
For Spring admission: Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts in October.
</code></pre>

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Additional documents may also be required:
Students who are eligible to receive credit based on Advanced Placement, CLEP or International Baccalaureate assessments will need to have official test scores sent to CSULB. Be aware that credit granted by another institution does not ‘transfer’ to CSULB for test credit.
For purposes of determining California residency, some students may be required to submit additional documents. For additional information regarding the establishment of California residency for educational purposes, visit the Residency information page.
Veterans of the United States armed forces should submit discharge papers (Form DD 214). This should include descriptions of the types of training you received while in the service. Such training, in some cases, may count as credit transferable to CSULB. Veterans and active-duty military personnel also must be sure to include any military transcripts (e.g., AARTS and SMART) displaying additional course work that may be transferable to CSULB.</p>