Ensure Your Seat At A University

With the current state of the California budget and the effects it is having on higher education, it is even more important to ensure your acceptance into a 4-year college or university.  For community college students specifically, you will want to make sure you follow some very important steps to solidifying your transfer to a university.

Seven steps that every community college student should take:

1. See your counselor early! This may seem like a no-brainer, but many students think they can start their college career by taking classes they like or the same classes as their friends.  This is a big mistake.  Make sure you talk to a counselor and start working on your general education (GE) courses to keep you on track for transferring.
2. Decide on a major. While you are working on completing your general education courses, start thinking about what you want to major in.  Majors tend to be broad so don’t worry about knowing specifically what career you want to pursue.  The national average for students changing majors is 3 times.  The important thing is to choose a major you feel comfortable with.
3. Use your resources.  You have many resources at your disposal being at a community college.  Take advantage of your Transfer Center and get the latest information on application deadlines, college fairs, 4-year representatives visiting your campus and transfer workshops.  In addition to having school resources, check out Project Assist.  This website lets you choose what community college you are transferring from and what college you want to transfer to, select a major and it will tell you what pre-requisites you need to complete before transferring!
4. Create a student educational plan. This will be your road map as you complete your semesters in school.  Meet with your college counselor to help you formulate an accurate and realistic time frame as to how long it will take you to finish your course work at the community college.  It will also show you what classes you will be taking each semester in order to transfer.  This will consist of general education classes and major pre-requisites.
5. Get involved. Colleges and universities want to see that you have more to contribute than just good grades.  Schools such as UC Berkeley want applicants that have been involved in student organizations, student government, and/ or internships.  You want to show universities that you have participated in activities that have helped peak your interest in the major you are choosing.  Involvements will add value to your application.
6. Sign a TAG Agreement 1 year prior to transfer. TAG stands for Transfer Admissions Guarantee.  By signing a TAG Agreement, you are guaranteed admissions into the college of your choice!  Most UC’s and CSU’s have this agreement with California Community Colleges.  Check with your counselor or transfer center to see if your school offers a TAG program.
7. Apply early. The sooner you apply, the greater the chance of being accepted into the 4-year college.  The applications for schools are consistent each year.  Oct.1^st you can start applying to the California State Universities (CSU’s) and Nov. 1^st you can start applying to the University of California (UC’s).

The most important thing you can do to ensure a successful transfer experience is work closely with a knowledgeable counselor.  For additional college help and career planning, continue to visit us here at  College To Careers.

Related Posts

1. San Francisco State University Admissions

2. UC Riverside Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Requirements

3. UC TAGs and UCLA’s TAP

4. The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act

5. UC’s Notify Accepted Transfer Students

Share:

Tags: california state university, california universities, college, college help, college success, community college, community college transfer, csu, TAG, TAG Agreements, Transfer Admissions Guarantee, transfer center, transfer students, transferring, uc, university, university of california

3 Responses to “Ensure Your Seat At A University”

1. San Francisco State University Admissions Application | College To Careers says:

   May 17, 2010 at 1:13 pm

   [...] If a community college student intends to double major they should petition early upon their transfer to [...]
2. UC Riverside Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Requirements | College To Careers says:

   May 20, 2010 at 6:01 am

   [...] with copies of all your community college transcripts if you have completed any course work.  The Transfer Admission Guarantee is available for all [...]
3. Transfer from a community college in 2 years | College To Careers says:

   July 8, 2010 at 6:09 am

   [...] you to various programs on campus organized to help you transfer. Most importantly, community college counselors have been through the transfer process before! They are the experts in the transfer process and can [...]