This document provides advice for community college students looking to transfer to a 4-year university. It profiles 4 students who successfully transferred and discusses important steps like maintaining good grades, completing general education and major requirements, getting involved on campus, and applying in a timely manner with strong applications. The document emphasizes the importance of planning, researching requirements, meeting deadlines, and connecting with professors and advisors to facilitate a smooth transfer.

1. TRANSFERRING
WITH A PLAN
Rebecca Joseph, PhD
rjoseph@calstatela.edu
getmetocollege@gmail.com
facebook: getmetocollege freeadvice

2. Meet Four Amazing Students
Alma went to a local high school.
Had no immigration papers.
Didn’t have funds to go to four year
college.
Went to local community college.
Began taking classes right away in her
interest-political science.
Began volunteering for an outreach
organization on her campus and
joined the ASI which got her
priority enrollment.
Interned in a local non-profit office
with immigrants like her and her
parents.
Completed all of her requirements and
received a Jack Kent Cooke
Scholarship that covers two years of
4 year college.
Now a full time student at USC.

3. Brian
Had 3.5 GPA in high school.
Had an uneven college list and
accepted one of the only colleges
that accepted him.
Attended private college for one
year on east coast.
Disliked the school.
Applied as sophomore transfer
Got involved at his current
school. Connected with professors
and made friends
Now a senior at USC

4. Catalina
 Went to great public high
school
 Got admitted to several colleges
but couldn’t afford to go.
 Finishing her 1st year of
community college and getting
ready to transfer.
 Has a job.
 In the honors program at her
community college
 Putting together all of her
requirements, including
transcripts, recommendations,
and new essays.

5. Mark
 Mark went to a local high
school.
 Had a 2.8 GPA.
 Started in one remedial English
class but took a full load of
classes at three community
colleges his first year.
Completed his GE classes first
and then his major. Started
interning in a law office and
then protesting on campus. Got
a summer job in a dental office.
 Now a senior at UCLA.

6. REMEMBER THIS!!!
NO COLLEGE WANTS TO INHERIT ANY
UNHAPPY TRANSFER STUDENT.
EVEN IF YOU DISLIKE YOUR CURRENT
COLLEGE, COLLEGES WANT TRANSFER
STUDENTS WITH GOOD GPAS, ENGAGEMENT
ON AND OFF CAMPUS
POWERFUL APPLICATIONS

7. 1. What Do Four Year Colleges
Want From Transfer Students
Academics-Grades
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GE
Major Prerequisites
Remediation Completed-Math and English
Essays
Recommendations-Professor, Community Members
Activities-Consistency, Development, Leadership,
Initiative
Special talents, race, culture, obstacles overcome,
passions

8. What Do I Do?
Keep a master chart of all requirements.
Each college has different prerequisites, and you
need to track the following info.
Visit colleges and meet with transfer
specialists. Some have transfer days. Attend
transfer workshops at community colleges.

9. Deadlines
 Know the application and requirement deadlines for each
school.
 Some have fall and spring deadlines.
 Some only have fall. Some take freshmen spring transfers,
some take sophomores and juniors, while other take only
juniors.
 The CSUs and UCs are due November 30. You apply the fall
of your second year.
 USC is due February 1 but earlier for some selected majors.

10. Academics
 GE and Major requirements
Take the assessment tests at two and four year colleges
seriously. They affect your entire CC or first year
experience.
 Only take classes that count.
 Make sure you confirm drops and withdraws so you don’t
get unexpected fails. Make sure you repeat exact classes
if you get a grade below a C-.
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11. ASSESSMENT READINESS
 Review free sample test questions (Provided by the College Board)
 Review Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills, Arithmetic, Elementary Algebra and
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College Level Math sections.
If English is not your first language or if you have difficulty communicating or reading in
English review Reading Skills and Sentence Meaning sections.
iPhone Users may purchase the new ACCUPLACER APP at iTunes Store for
$1.99. (Provided by the College Board)
Take free Math Diagnostic Exam (ALEKS) - Your ALEKS trial will allow you to
explore the ALEKS Student Module for three hours anytime during the next 48
hours. Follow the instructions below for ALEKS Exam Access. (Provided by ALEKS
Corporation)
Install ALEKS Plug-In
Under Student Module Option Click on Try ALEKS Now Button (User Agreement will
need to be accepted to take exam)
1) Enter Name, Email, etc. 2) Select I'm a Student, 3) Select Higher Education Math 4)
Select Beginning and Intermediate Combined Option

12. Academic Readiness
GES
Major
Remediation
Always have a plan!!!

13. IGETC

14. ASSIST.ORG

15. MAJOR PREREQUISITES

16. SPECIFIC COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

17. SCHOOL/MAJOR SPECIFIC
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Check with each school to see their major requirements. Each UC and Cal
State has its own requirements along with private colleges. www.assist.org
works for CA public colleges. This provides some major requirements for
UCs.
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/transfer/preparationpaths/major/index.html.
Privates follow their own rules. Make sure you complete general education
pathways and check with major prerequisites.
Unit counts. The UCS and Cal States requires 60 semester (90 quarter) units.
Other colleges have different requirements. Count on 15 semester units per
semester and 12 quarter units per quarter. You will need to take winter and
summer classes and consider enrolling at multiple schools. Make sure you
don’t go over new UC caps on units.
Decided if you want to do a TAG/COLLEGE GUARANTEE TRANSFER
program and its requirements for the one UC and multiple Cal States. You
choose a TAG, after you complete 30 units, have a minimum GPA set by the
university, and certain core classes completed.
https://uctag.universityofcalifornia.edu/index.cfm.

18. PLAN
TAKE A MIX OF GE AND MAJOR CLASSES
NEVER TAKE TOO MANY HARD CLASSES AT A
TIME
CHECK OUT PROFESSORS
DON’T SUFFER IN CLASSES THAT YOU WON’T
DO WELL IN

19. Get FREE Help
Go to office hours of professors
Go to writing and math centers
Join EOPS or other programs for first gen kids,
PUENTE, CARE. CHECK WITH EACH COLLEGE
Be part of study groups
JOIN THE SCHOLARS/HONORS PROGRAMS

20. GET INVOLVED
Get involved on campus—
 Athletics, Student Government, Work, Service
Volunteer/Intern in your community or with a
certain profession. Go to Career Services office.
Work. Be active with work. But don’t let it interfere
with your grades.

21. PAYING FOR CC
CC CAL GRANTS ARE DUE SEPTEMBER 2
COMPLETE FAFSA
GO TO FINANCIAL AID OFFICE AND ASK FOR
BOG FEE WAIVERS. UNDOCUMENTED
STUDENTS CAN GET THESE TOO NOW
BUDGET FOR BOOKS—OFTEN $150 TO $200 PER
CLASS—GO TO LIBRARY, RENT, OR BUY USED.
BUDGET AROUND $2000 PER YEAR WITH
TUITION AND BOOKS IF NO AID.

22. Community College Students
It is not too late.
You get a fresh start.
But get into only the classes you need.
Get actively involved on and off campus.
Attend as many transfer meetings as possible.
Top, top kids talk to me about the Jack Kent Cooke
Foundation.
Again, research colleges that take lots of transfer
students.

23. PREPARE TO TRANSFER
WHEN YOU ARE GETTING NEAR 30 UNITS,
BEGIN TO PLAN TO TRANSFER
ATTEND TRANSFER WORKSHOP. UCLA HAS A
PROGRAM TO HELP TRANSFERS STUDENTS
DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO TAG-MATCH UP WITH
A PARTICULAR COLLEGE
PREPARE POWERFUL ESSAYS AND
APPLICATIONS
GATHER ALL MATERIALS—TRANSCRIPTS,
LETTERS OF REC AND MORE

24. CURRENT FOUR YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Make sure your winter and spring grades are as high
as possible.
Connect with at least one professor. You will need at
least one recommendation.
Find out your registrar and academic advisor.
Send in all transcripts from high school and college.
Be active on campus. Join groups.
Get a job or internship.
Complete strong applications.

25. For more information
Dr Rebecca Joseph
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Email: rjoseph@calstatela.edu
FB: getmetocollege freeadvice
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