I didn’t get into the dream UC school that I wanted to attend. However, I’m grateful that I was accepted to UCSD as a freshman applicant for Mathematics-Computer Science.
I plan on majoring in computer science for the transfer. I have a few questions below.
Yes the reason for transferring is gonna be probably one of the most important things, next to grades and requirements of course. You’re already at a premier UC so you have to properly articulate a reason for transferring there, something you would find there that isn’t in your current situation. And keep in mind it’s gonna be tougher to get good grades than your CC counterparts due to the tough “weeder” courses and the curving scale. But you also get less breaks when it comes to grades, despite it being tougher, since CCC students are the priority for transfer admission. In short, I wouldn’t go to UCSD with the mindset of transferring. Sure it can happen, but don’t go in with the expectation that it’s going to happen. If you really wanna transfer to a Cal or UCLA that bad, considering going to a CCC instead. I’m sure you’ll be able to transfer, since admission to UCSD from high school is tough, so you’re obviously a strong student.
One huge mistake that UC to UC transfers make is assuming that as long as they take the courses for their major at their home university, they’re doing what they need to do to transfer to the other school.
Specifically, I have seen many UCSD students trying to transfer to UCLA in CS, and many of them have taken no physics at all. I’m guessing this might be because CS majors at UCSD are not required to take physics. However, at UCLA physics is required of all majors. So I have seen many UCSD transfers with GPAs close to 4.0 get rejected purely because they did not bother to find out what UCLA wanted them to take.
@alicantekid I doubt ALL majors in UCLA require students to take physics. So you finna tell me people who wants to major in gender studies be taking physics class?
Let’s assume that you are a California resident. The vast majority of California residents who transfer into Cal or UCLA come from the CCCs. For Fall 2017, the numbers were:
3,439 from CCCs out of 3,602 transfer admits at Berkeley (or 95.5%)
4,395 from CCCs out of 4,594 transfer admits at UCLA (or 95.7%)
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfer-admissions-summary
This is partly because most transfer applicants come from CCCs, but it’s also because CCC applicants are accepted at higher rates. For Fall 2017, the transfer acceptance rates for California residents were:
CCC applicants: 26% Berkeley, 28% UCLA
Other applicants: 11% (both)
The UC system gives priority to CCC applicants, because they have an obvious need to transfer to a 4-year school in order to complete a bachelor’s degree. If you are already enrolled at a 4-year school (like UCSD), then you are already in a position to complete a bachelor’s degree. You don’t “need” to transfer, like the CCC applicants do.
So while it’s possible to transfer to Berkeley or UCLA from UCSD, the odds would be significantly better for a strong student at a CCC. The CCC students get priority.