Hi everyone! I am currently going to be a freshman at UCR and my major is biochemistry. I would like to transfer to UCI or UCLA in Fall 2022 as a junior. I know people generally discourage UC to UC transfers and say it’s much easier to transfer as a community college student but when I am looking at the transfer admission profiles, it doesn’t really seem that UC to UC transfers are impossible or difficult (just about a 6% difference according to the fall 2020 UCLA transfer admission profile). Obviously CC students are at a priority but next priority is UC to UC and also UCLA seems to give equal priority for UC to UC transfers and CC transfers. I was wondering if anyone can share success UC to UC transfer stories as a biochem major/any life sciences major or actually any major in general. Can anyone share tips? I know it’s a bit early but UCLA has always been my dream school and I’d really like to hear input from anyone who has experienced the process of intercampus transfer. I want to have a chance to attend my dream school and would like to start preparing now so I can successfully gain admission.
Also I have a question regarding UC Reciprocity. Do you need to have all your GEs completed by the time when you submit your transfer application or do you need to have them done by the end of spring prior to the term you will transfer to another UC?
Please let me know. Please don’t say go to community college because that’s just not going to happen for personal reasons. Any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated!
S’ friend was at UCSC and had a 4.0 in biology in her freshman year. To assure a high chance to transfer to UCB, she decided to attend a cc in her sophomore year. She had a 4.0 at the cc and is now at UCB. Not to give up hope, what I am implying is that UC to UC (especially to UCB/UCLA) transfer is not guaranteed, even with a high GPA.
A second friend, also at UCSC, had a 3.7+ GPA in computer science tried to transfer to UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCD, UCI or UCSB (or any higher tier UC), was denied. Granted that computer science is a very competitive major.
A third friend at San Jose State University, with a 3.7+ GPA in engineering, tried unsuccessfully to transfer to UCD. Again the engineering major is very competitive.
@UCBUSCalum Is there any reason that your friend at UCSC may have gotten rejected? They have a great GPA but could it be maybe be that they didn’t get involved in clubs on campus and didn’t have a legitimate reason for transfer? Or maybe they didn’t finish all their lower division major pre-reqs? I know Cal States generally have a lower chance for Cal State to UC transfer.
I know UC to UC transfers aren’t guaranteed but I’ve been looking at past threads and forums and it doesn’t seem difficult for transfer especially if you have a strong resume, a competitive GPA, finish all major pre-reqs and a legitimate reason for transfer. I know a family friend of mine who transferred from UCSD to UCLA and they were on the pre-med track (I’m not sure exactly what major though but it was definitely a life sciences major).
Also, UCLA claims that it’s a transfer friendly institution as in they prioritize both CC & UC to UC transfers. Is that statement true by any chance?
I have no answers to your questions. Obviously the higher the GPA, the better your chances. Other factors would be impacted/competitive majors, etc. Of course, the 2 flagship schools, UCB and UCLA, in general, would be harder to transfer to than the next tier of UC’s. I believe doing your 2nd year at a CC would increase your chances than 2 years at UCR, but it depends on your GPA. You probably want to discuss with your counselor.
@samkr14 if your transfer is not successful, depending on you goals, graduate school and getting a Masters at one of the UC’s, like UCLA, is another option. Good luck.
@UCBUSCalum thank you for the advice! I hope my transfer will be successful and actually I am not planning to go to a UC for med school. I want to get out of California haha!
@Gumbymom@UCBUSCalum
Also, what are good reasons as to why you would want to transfer? Could I say like my current institution isn’t as academically stimulating and there are more opportunities that I would benefit from in the next institution I would transfer to? Also, I was comparing the majors and minors between UCR and UCLA and UCLA has a more variety of them. Could I talk about this as well?
I understand that you want to desperately get into UCLA and I assume that you were rejected when you applied, because you wouldn’t be asking about transfer so soon, before having even attended UCR.
You could say it, but your excuses would not be sufficient, especially since UCLA could look up previous records and fit. Your best transfer option is one that you don’t want to attempt-going to CC then applying for transfer. No one here can say what you want to hear-that your chances for UCLA transfer are good-because no one knows. Your chances are better at a CC because this does and has happened.
If you go into UCR with an attitude that the school is beneath you, then you will have issues. The university is competitive because a number of students are focusing on the UCR medical school. These students are bright and competitive. You can’t forecast what kinds of grades you will get at UCR and/or if you will even qualify to enter UCLA in two years.
@samkr14: I would focus more on what UCLA has to offer academically in the way of majors/minors, specific research opportunities etc… vs. transferring from a non-stimulating college environment.
@auntbea thank you for the information! I definitely agree with you that I can’t predict the future regarding my grades at UCR. I definitely also agree that my chances would be better as a CC transfer however my parents look down on attending a CC and I personally don’t want to attend a CC either so I absolutely can’t go to a CC. I’ve said this many times throughout this thread. I hope you understand. One of my family friends who was pre-med at UCSD and she transferred to UCLA so it’s definitely doable. I just personally believe that UCLA/UCI is more fitting for me because it will open up so many opportunities for me compared to UCR and their med school is fairly new. My aim is not to go to UCR’s med school. I really want to transfer out of here as soon as possible because like I said, UCI or UCLA is much better for me for my pre-med career as they have a lot of alumni and many people from these 2 schools usually are mostly pre-med. They have better research institutions and I’ve researched into it and there seems to be more resources and more faculty at these schools compared to UCR (I think I could add this as another reason for transfer) Additionally, even getting into UCI from UCR is fine for me at this point as UCI is much closer to home for me and financially would be a relief as well compared to UCR where I would either have to stay at the dorms (too expensive) once COVID is gone or drive up and down from home to UCR (which is a waste of gas and money, etc). All in all, I cannot go to a CC so I have to go to UCR and then transfer.
@Gumbymom thank you for the suggestions! I will make note of it.
My DD’s friend attended UCSB for just one year in 2019 and was able to transfer to UCLA this year. She has many AP credits, had couple GE CC courses and also took one online class from UCI. She has strong GPA and was able to transfer UCSB to UCLA. Another friend of mine, her DD also transferred from UCR to UCI after one year. So I know it can be done, best luck to you!
@user_476840 Hi! Thank you so much for letting me know! Yeah UC to UC transfers are definitely possible and aren’t completely impossible like people say it is.
