Work hard and do well in your program of study. Get to know your teachers. Ask questions. Get involved in campus life to whatever extent possible. Develop your leadership skills. Volunteer and pursue causes you believe in. Distinguish yourself, particularly if you intend to be accepted into highly selective, competitive, or impacted programs.

Complete the English Communication and Mathematics requirements early in your program of study. Putting this off can delay your transfer to the university by at least a semester or, in some cases, an entire year.

Visit the Transfer Center for an appointment with the representative from the university to which you want to transfer. This representative is great source for information about your university of choice. You will also want to visit your university of choice before applying, if at all possible, to get a sense of its academic and campus life. The Transfer Center organizes free tours throughout the year so sign up and go with a group of fellow students.

Know the application filing deadlines and plan accordingly. The Transfer Center walk-up desk can supply you with applications, deadline dates and answer quick questions. Workshops, open to all transfer students, are also held to provide more in-depth assistance. Counselors can also help answer your transfer questions.

Toward the completion of your program of study be sure to get your General Education (GE) Certification. Do this before you transfer to save yourself the possibility of an additional unit requirement at the university.

Complete the admissions application, providing all information requested in the instruction packet. You will receive notification directly from the university as to your acceptance, provisional acceptance, or denial.

Application filing periods for UC Systems:

You can apply for admission on the Web at: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply beginning with the Fall 2009 term.

If applying after the initial filing period, consult the campus Admission Office for current information. You may also visit the CSU Mentor website: www.csumentor.edu click on “Apply Online” and then “Application Filing Status Report.”

What is the best school for my major? How can I find the best schools?

Resources exist in the Transfer Center reference Library which ranks colleges and universities by major. There are books available that contain lists of top ranked schools in specific fields. Research in these books can give you a better understanding of where to receive the best education in your field.

Talk with faculty here who teach courses related to your selected major to get their ideas about the best schools. Visit universities and talk with the faculty and teaching assistants from the department offering your major of choice.

Do I have to declare a major before transferring? Can I change my major after I transfer?

For the UC system you will need to declare a major. Each campus has its own policy regarding changing majors so you will need to check with a university representative. For impacted programs, most campuses will not let you switch to the impacted program after transferring.

For the CSU system you may transfer without declaring a major. To be admitted to impacted programs, however, you must apply to the program. The CSU system strongly encourages students to declare a major by the time they have 75 (semester) units earned.

What if I missed the application deadline?

Applications past the filing deadline are accepted on a campus-by-campus basis. Universities determine a specific number of transfer admissions and when that number is reached, admission is closed. The more popular universities easily fill their admissions quota with applicants filing on time. Other universities continue to take applicants past the filing period/deadline.

Can I transfer as a sophomore?

Yes. For the UC system, you would need to have been eligible for admission to the UC directly from high school or have made up deficiencies at the community college. For the CSU system, you would be considered a lower division transfer.

Priority, however, at the senior universities is placed on admitting well-prepared transfers with junior-level standing.

How many units can I transfer?

You may transfer as an upper-division transfer with 60 transferable units.

Can I transfer after completing only the General Education requirements, without the lower division major requirements?

Yes, if you meet the requirements for admissions as a freshman or lower division transfer student. UC and CSU strongly encourage lower division transfer students to complete their written and oral communications, critical thinking and mathematics requirements at the community college.

Students attending a community college must establish eligibility based upon community college work and can no longer use high school preparation to establish eligibility. Students with fewer than 60 transferable units from the community college are considered lower division transfer students.

Can I transfer without completing the mathematics requirement?

No, prior to transferring all students must complete at least one transferable math course. Some majors and programs require more than one math class.

Can I transfer to the UC/CSU and continue taking general education courses at the community college?

Students can attend the university and the community college simultaneously. Transfer students who don’t complete their GE coursework and certification at the community college prior to transferring run the risk of additional university GE unit requirements.