Start by planning a program of study with your counselor/academic advisor. The program will include courses to satisfy the university238s lower division general education and major requirements. Your counselor will be able to advise you as to the best-suited combination of courses to reach your educational objective. Throughout your program touch base with your counselor to stay on track.

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. Weekly sessions, open to all transfer students, are also held to provide more in-depth assistance.

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.

How many units do I need to transfer? (top)

Students are advised to complete 60 transferable units in order to be eligible for full junior status at the transfer school.

Many private universities and out-of-state colleges will accept transfer stduents with fewer units. Please check the catalog for the specific college you are interested in for transfer requirements.

Are there a maximum number of units I can transfer? (top)

As a general rule, the maximum number of units accepted for transfer will be 70 semester units. Please see a counselor to discuss your specific situation. Some institution review units differently once a student has attended a four-year institution.

What if I take more than 70 units? (top)

Most colleges and universitieis will accept 70 semester units towards the total number of units needed to complete you bachelor's degree; however, if you have taken more units than that, the content of the courses will be used to satisfy needed subject area requirements.

Can I transfer as a sophomore? (top)

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.

When do I start the transfer process? (top)

Start now by knowing the application deadlines.

Application Filing Periods

University of California:

All Campuses except Berkeley and Merced	Fall Quarter 2008	November 1-30, 2007
	Winter Quarter 2008:	July 1-31, 2007 *
	Spring Quarter 2008:	October 1-31, 2007 *
Berkeley	Fall Semester 2008	November 1-30, 2007
Merced	Fall Semester 2008	November 1-30, 2007
Merced	Spring Semester 2008	July 1-31, 2007 *

California State University:

Summer Semester or Quarter	February 1-28
Fall Semester or Quarter	October 1- November 30
Winter Quarter	June 1-30
Spring Semester or Quarter	August 1-31

The deadlines stay fairly constant from year to year. Get in high gear a full year before you transfer. See your counselor to be sure you are academically on track.

What if I missed the application deadline? (top)

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 apply year-round or only for the fall semester/quarter? (top)

Most universities allow you to apply for terms year-round (see filing periods listed in response to FAQ 3. Be sure to check with the university representative regarding year-round admission for your chosen major.

What is the difference between a quarter and a semester? (top)

Each college has an academic year with terms marking the beginning and end of classes.

A quarter is on type of term within the academic year. Each quarter is 10 weeks in length and there is usually four quarters (fall, winter, spring, and summer) in an academic year.

A semester is another type of term within the academic year. Each semester is 16 to 18 weeks in length, and there are two semesters (fall and spring) with a shorter summer session in an academic year.

What is the difference between the CSU and UC? (top)

The California State University (CSU) is the system of higher education in California that grants the most bachelor's degree. It is sometimes called the "teacher training" institution. The CSU has a more practical, career-oriented approach to education. CSU also grant masters degree.

The University of California (UC) is the research sytem of public higher education in California. The UC grant professional and doctorate degrees, as well as bachelor's and master's degrees. The UC has a more theorectical approach to education.

Additionally, the CSU and UC systems vary in their philosophies and focus. Vist the transfer center to obtain more information about these systems (campus tours and meeting with representatives are available). We would like to assist you in finding the college that will best suit your needs.

What is General Education (GE)? (top)

GE or General Education is a program of courses in the arts and sciences that provides a broad educational experience. Courses are usually introductory in nature and provide students with fundamental skills and knowledge in English, arts, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, physical and biological sciences.

Students who transfer to the CSU can complete the lower division GE requirements at a community college like Cerritos College prior to transfer. There is an upper division GE requirement of 9 units, which must be completed after transfer to the CSU from which the bachelor's degree is granted.

Student who are undecided on transfer schools should follow the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) which can be used to satisfy lower division general education requirements for any CSU or UC and some private colleges.

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

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 56 transferable units from the community college are considered lower division transfer students.

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

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

Can I transfer without completing the mathematics requirement? (top)

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

Do I need an AA degree to transfer? (top)

No, the AA degree is not required or considered by the university as an admissions requirement. Many students choose to obtain an AA degree prior to transferring for personal or professional reasons. The program of study for the AA degree can overlap with the lower division preparation for transfer. If your objective is to transfer, however, be sure to seek the counsel of your academic advisor for the appropriate program of study.

What is a major? (top)

A major is a program of study, which leads to a degree. It is the primary area of study in which the greatest depth of knowledge will be developed.

Where can I find out what classes in need to take for my major? (top)

Preparation for a major is an important step. Information as to which classes are required for a specific major can be obtained from the college catalog and from articulation agreements. These articulation agreements can be found at the counseling center or the transfer center or online at http://www.assist.org/.

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

Resources exist in the Transfer Center and Library which rank colleges and universities by major (i.e., U.S. News and World Report publishes an annual ranking, Rugg and Peterson separately publish many inventories and guides which rank programs). Be sure to know the particular factors used in generating the rankings because they define "best" and their definition may not be yours.

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.

What is an impacted major? (top)

An impacted major is one that is popular and more applications for admissions are received than the campus can accomodate during the application filing period. If you are applying to a major that is impacted, the GPA for admissions may be higher and you may have to complete lower division courses for the major prior to transfer to allow you to be competitive. For a list of impacted CSU programs go to http://www.calstate.edu/AR/impactioninfo.shtml.

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

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.

I got bad grades at another college, do I have to tell the school I am applying to? (top)

Yes, you are required to report all previous institutions that you have attended.

What happens if I don't report all previous institutions that I have attended? (top)

A student that provides false information on the application, could potentially have your admissions or degree revoked.