<p>I'm pretty sure I'm going to UCSC next year, which I'm happy about, but if I wanted/had to transfer from Santa Cruz to another UC after either my freshmen or sophomore year, how hard is it, in actuality? I know priority is given to community college/junior college students, but assuming I keep up a decent GPA, stay on top of credits, would it be doable?</p>
<p>I really like UCSC, and they have an excellent psych program, but it's very possible that I'll choose to go in the direction of poli sci or history instead, for which the options are very limited. Would it be easier/harder for me to transfer from UCSC to a private school?</p>
<p>I'm pretty clueless on this one, any input would be wonderful. Thank you!</p>
California Community College students get priority admissions.
It will be much harder for you to get a highly competitive GPA at a UC than it will be at a CCC.
It will be difficult for you to complete your prerequisites (important for admissions) if you end up changing your major.
You need to demonstrate a legitimate reason (need) to transfer UC’s.</p>
<p>If I were you and I were not completely happy with UCSC and I knew I’d be completely happy somewhere else and I also knew that I had the work ethic to get a 4.0 at CCC, then I would surely decide to instead attend a CCC for two years and then transfer to UC Berkeley or UCLA.</p>
<p>If you do decide to go to CCC, make sure you have access to a “good” CCC. If you live in LA, I recommend going to SMC. As in, I recommend commuting to SMC. (I have friends that wake up at 5:00 AM and commute from East LA just because SMC is so good.)</p>
<p>And remember, if you go to CCC, you will be able to do TAG and guarantee admission into UCSC, etc (I think even UCSD can be TAGged… Just not UCB or UCLA.)</p>
<p>The only thing you’d be missing out on is that first two years experience.</p>
<p>Yikes…that’s definitely something to think about. My local community college, unfortunately, is currently at risk of losing it’s accreditation it’s so bad. Argh. But it would be possible to commute to one with a better reputation.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I definitely have a lot to consider now…</p>
<p>You sound a lot like I did two years ago. I really liked Santa Cruz, but thought I would transfer after two years. I thought this was very possible because my brother did the same (UCSC –> Cal) several years before me. Then, I came to this forum, and super smart people started talking about how UC-UC transfers were impossible, and/or that you need a “legitimate reason (need) to transfer.”</p>
<p>Well, the fact is that it is not that hard. This is relatively speaking, of course. If you wanted to attend a mid tier UC + UCSD, somewhere around a 3.5 would be competitive. If you are shooting for UCLA/CAL, a 3.7+ in most cases is needed. These numbers obviously vary by major. </p>
<p>You don’t need a “legitimate reason (need) to transfer.” I listed no reasons for transfer on my app, and I am 2/2 so far. Even though this is stated on the UC website, all signs show that while providing a reason to transfer may help you, withholding your reasoning will not hurt you. </p>
<p>Honestly, yeah it is more difficult to transfer from a UC considering the three reasons that mikei listed. I have met many students who were excited to transfer their first year, and now have changed their mind because their grades are not competitive. You need to be driven and be smart about choosing your classes. It is a rather stressful experience if all you can think about is transferring. I have definitely been stressed for the last few quarters.</p>
<p>If you put your mind to it, you can make it, but from personal experience, I would recommend just attending your local JC. You will save a lot of money and will have a better shot at the big schools. The freshman experience is overrated, anyways.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, Cali Trumpet is correct, it’s definitely not impossible. (It’s not like you’re transferring from a PRIVATE 4-year.) But it is more difficult and pretty stressful. Last year I attended a 4-year private university and I didn’t like it so I decided to leave and go to a CCC before going to a UC. BTW, if you DO decide to go to UCSC and decide in your first year that you don’t like it… You can always do what I did and attend a CCC for a year! You are considered a CCC student if your last 30 continuous units were done at a CCC before transferring. (AKA, if you spent a dedicated year at CCC right before transferring.)</p>
<p>CCC is really not that bad at all… To be honest, I kinda like it. People are really cool so long as you join clubs and stuff.</p>
<p>The students at low tier UC’s aren’t workaholics. Expect class averages around 60-70%. This has been the case in my math and science classes at UCSD and I expect the same trend to exist at UCSC.</p>
<p>And no, the low averages don’t indicate that the professors are mean or the material is difficult. I have compared tests from my school to the tests given in comparable classes at UCLA and UCB and those tests are in a whole different league.</p>
<p>The average GPA’s between these schools is probably the same, but the difference is what’s expected of you. I feel like the professors dumb everything down here at UCSD, and even then, without fail, people **** up.</p>