What do colleges look for in a transfer applicant?

<p>I will be attending community college this fall. I'm sure you guys know a lot about the transfer applicant process. So any advice? Is the process quite similar to applying to college as a freshman applicant? What do I need to know? by the way congraduations for all those who successfully transferred to their dream school.</p>

<p>Hey sakura you are in good hands. I remember when I first considered transferring to ucla I stumbled upon this site and it has proven to be an invaluable tool for information and motivation. The trasnfer process has its similarities to hs but it is also very different. For one, (I am speaking mainly about the UC system btw which is the one I am most familiar with) the classes you take and the time frame in which you take them are tantamount when trasnferring. YOu want all or most of your pre reqs completed by the time you apply with a gpa in the range of 3.3-3.8 for most majors obviuosly some are very competitive and have higher standards i.e. economics, comp sci, and any of the hard sciences. You also want to make sure you pick a couple of safeties and a number of possible matches to apply to. Prepare applications early and have several people give your personal statement a look or two someone always picks up something new. Thats about all I can say. Good luck and thanks I we were all really fortunate to get admitted to our dream schools but you will too.</p>

<p>how do you know what the pre-requisites are?
and what pre-requisite is it for?
i am looking in to biology and first year, i am taking all bio and chem and calc. i don't think i even get electives</p>

<p>Money..........</p>

<p>The UC application process for transfers isn't very different from the process freshmen endure. Only thing is, if you're a junior transfer, you don't need to fill out your high school classes and grades, or record SAT scores (but you're welcome to if you have them). </p>

<p>You should check out <a href="http://www.assist.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.assist.org&lt;/a> and look up what classes are required to declare a major at your university of choice. See which classes offered at your JC are equivalent to the required courses at the four year uni. Then, proceed to take as many of these courses as possible, as UC's like to see that you are well prepared and involved in your major. </p>

<p>Try to do your best. Your grades from high school will no longer matter, so obtain good grades in junior college. To be safe, I would say stay above a 3.2 for the lower to mid UC's, but of course, aim higher if you're hoping for UCB or UCLA (think 3.5+, depending on major, of course). </p>

<p>Ask about IGETC - it's an added bonus (occasionally something the university will expect of prepared transfers) that if certified, allows you to declare yourself finished with your general ed requirements. </p>

<p>Write excellent personal statements - this is sometimes the deciding factor!</p>

<p>Research well and have an idea of your university goals. Visit the campuses you are interested in, talk to current students and admissions officers, if possible. CC is a great resource, full of really intelligent, helpful people, so take advantage of it!</p>

<p>Good luck; MexBruin was right, most of us were very fortunate to be accepted to our dream schools. But if you put your mind to it, and take the whole process very seriously, it's cake.</p>

<p>


I always thought that they didn't look at SAT or AP scores for admission. So if you decide to put them (both SAT I and SAT II), does that mean that they can help you for admission at the UC's?</p>

<p>Thanks guys for all your help and for taking the time to answer my questions.</p>

<p>I'm not sure. All I know is that there is a place to type your scores in. You can scroll over it without a problem, but you can also enter them in if you'd like to.</p>

<p>I don't think the scores really effect your admission. If you look up what factors go into your admission decision, it states that your college gpa, personal statements, major prep, job experience and ec's are what they look at.</p>

<p>hi guys another question. How much do colleges stress over ecs and volunteer work?</p>

<p>Unless someone personally knows an admission officer from each university in the country, none of us will ever really know for sure. The claim out there is that it's not a huge deal, when you compare it to gpa. But then again, the key to getting into some of these top universities is individuality. </p>

<p>Let's say Applicant # 1 has a 4.0, but not too much else.</p>

<p>Applicant # 2 has a 3.6, volunteers at a homeless shelter, started a garden project in her community, and has a full time job waiting tables downtown. </p>

<p>It is not unusual for a top university to vouch for the second student.</p>

<p>Wanna know my opinion? I think EC's and volunteer work matters, just like I think the personal statements occasionally seal the deal. My advice: don't feel like you have to go overboard with EC's and volunteer work that doesn't hold any sentimental value to you. These universities want transfer students that have shown commitment and passion over their time in junior college, so pick some activities that you love, and stick to them. </p>

<p>Good Luck! :)</p>

<p>I feel like it gave me a leg up. If you have time for any EC's go for it they don't hurt your chances.</p>

<p>It's all about the money.</p>

<p>Uh..sure. It may take money to actually attend college, but colleges do not look at a student's independent or dependent income when they are deciding which transfer applicants to admit, which was the OP's question.</p>

<p>BS... That's what they'd like you to believe. It's all about the money.</p>

<p>Hopefully you're kidding...</p>

<p>Thanks for answering my questions. I appreciate it. hope you guys have a great time at your new school. umm spyderman what do you mean by money? As in family income/financial aid?</p>

<p>Many private colleges have extremely limited financial aid available to transfers. You will need to look at schools individually for this. Even those that meet need for freshman often don't for transfers.</p>

<p>sakura,</p>

<p>I assume you're going to apply to publics, since you seem to be most interested in the UC system. Apply for a cal grant. I'm from an middle-upper middle class family but college is still a huge financial responsibility. I got a 6200.00 cal grant and ~ 6000.00 from Berkeley in Cal Bear Scholarships, University Grants, and Work Study. I was very, very suprised I got even one buck of free money. With a 3.8 gpa, you'll be eligible for a good amount.</p>