Session Description: All of us hear common myths about transfer student
acceptance and transition into the UC system. In this interactive session, we
will cover some of the persistent myths and help you distinguish fact from
fiction! Test your current knowledge and have your cell phones ready to
participate.
This is not an evaluation-focused session and although it may be difficult for us to provide specific information for every campus, to , these statements are common issues that admission staff hear while visiting your schools. Please remember to direct specific questions to individual campuses.
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In general, UC campuses use the word “transfer” to identify junior-level transfers who have completed 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-Transferable units.
Students can get into UC as a lower-division transfer (less than 60 sem/90 qtr units).
Answer: It depends
Most UC campuses and majors do require the minimum 60 semester/90 quarter units. However, it depends on the individual campus and even on the intended major and the term in which the student is applying. Some campuses may admit a small number of lower-division transfers. Information on campuses and majors considering lower-division transfers can be found here:http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/preparing-admission/other/index.html
Some examples of campuses or majors accepting lower division transfers are: UCSC: https://admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/transfer-students/UC Merced: https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/transfer/requirements
To identify campus(es) and term(s), go to the UC Admissions website: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/check-majors/index.html
Students can complete admission requirements the summer before they transfer to UC.
Trick Question
Answer: Maybe
UC transferable courses completed at a community college the summer after students have been admitted but prior to matriculation will receive credit. However, students must have 60 UC transferable semester units or 90 UC transferable quarter units, including the 7 course pattern, completed by the end of spring. Some campuses may require all or specific major preparation courses to be completed prior to transfer, in some cases by the fall prior to transfer, so please check with each campus for individual campus requirements.
First, let’s put this in context of defining what is an admission requirement?1. 7-course pattern2. 60 semester/90 quarter UC-transferable units3. 2.4 GPA4. Campuses all require some minimum lower-division major preparation
coursework or courses to show an interest in the major.
The answer is NO for: • The 7-course pattern and/or minimum units. These must be completed by the
end of the spring prior to transfer.
• The minimum UC GPA. Students cannot use summer courses to elevate their GPA for admission purposes above the minimum UC transferable GPA of 2.4.
• REQUIRED major prep
The answer is MAYBE for:• Exception: recommended courses but not required courses. Some campuses
recommend lower-division courses in the major but do not require them. Students completing these courses may be more competitive for selection, but recommended courses CAN be completed in the summer.
• If provisions/conditions of admission requires an admitted student to do so
The answer is :YES, in general for IGETC – exception: Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science and Riverside’s School of Business Administration; or if provisions/conditions of admission prohibit an admitted student from doing so
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Reporting Withdrawals, Academic Renewals and courses taken Pass/No Pass (or Credit/No Credit) will negatively impact admission to UC.
Answer: False
W(ithdrawal), A(cademic) R(enwal), N(ot) P(ass) and/or N(o) C(redit) grades will not negatively affect chances of admission, though we will notice a trend if a student keeps withdrawing from the same course, especially if it's required (e.g. the only UC-M course). Paying attention to trends helps campuses understand the context of the students academic journey and account for gaps in education.
If students receive credit via P(ass) or C(redit) grades, these will satisfy admission requirements unless a campus major or program has specified that a lower-division major preparation course must be completed with a letter grade. Check with the individual campus fore details.
A few additional words about AR grades – it’s important that students understand they cannot report an AR grade on the UC admission application unless the AR grade is actually recorded on the official transcript. Further, if a student has multiple AR’s, a campus may request an unofficial transcript to verify that AR has been granted. In general, students have 5 days to respond to the email requesting an unofficial transcript.
IGETC is required for admission to UC.
Answer: No
IGETC is not an admission requirement. However, some campuses or majors may consider or even require completion of IGETC in their selection process. For example, the School of Business Administration at UC Riverside requires IGETC for selection (https://admissions.ucr.edu/transfer/majors-preparation-guide#Business-Administration).
Remember that admission is system-wide. Selection reflects individual campus requirements beyond minimums need for UC admission. These will vary by campus and major, depending on a number of factors including how many students apply to that campus/major, whether the campus is planning to grow transfer student enrollment overall or in a particular major, and the number of required and recommended major preparation courses the student has completed.
Additionally, some campuses may have a pattern of breadth requirements that IGETC satisfies.
Students need to list non-transferable and repeated courses and deficient grades on their UC admission application.
Answer: True
A student is required to list ALL courses (including non-transferable) taken at ALL institutions (including international and unaccredited) on the UC admission application; regardless of how long ago they completed courses, whether or not the institution is outside the U.S. or unaccredited, etc.
Failure to report courses may result in cancellation of the application or admission offer.
UC does not consider alternate majors in transfer admission
Answer: It depends
Some campuses will allow a student to list an alternate major on the UC application.
However, not all campuses will consider students for admission to an alternate major. Many campuses may have more applications than they can accommodate overall and/or in certain majors and therefore cannot consider students for admission to an alternate major.
Check the “Transfer Selection” chart on page 43 in the Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions 2018 (http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2018.pdf), and the individual campus website for the most updated information.
Students can change their major after they transfer to UC.
Answer: Possibly but . . .
In general, for the vast majority of admitted students the answer is no. Especially for competitive and highly selective majors requiring significant lower-division preparation and a minimum GPA, opportunities to transfer into these majors is limited or in some cases prohibited.
A student may have some opportunities to move from a selective major into a non-selective major after enrollment, but this varies from campus to campus.
Even though a change may be possible, better advice to give to students is to apply for a major they want and for which they are prepared.
Note: It is important to remember that some campuses admit students to the division and not necessarily to a specific major. An example is Berkeley, who admits to the division for their College of Letters and Scencie. Once the student is enrolled, they petition to the major department. This is not a change of major.
Personal Insight Questions and extracurricular activities have no impact on admission.
Answer: Some to Lots of impact
Personal Insight Questions will be considered in admission decisions, however campuses may review PIQ responses in different ways.
Although academic preparation is of most importance, admission staff will review PIQ responses, activities, awards and all other comprehensive review factors to help us understand the context of the student. Some campuses and some majors will look at the PIQ responses very closely, while others may not.
PIQ responses may also be used for selection by departments or for scholarships.
Students should utilize the PIQ responses to expand on experiences, challenges, talents, service, and family and work responsibilities as these provide valuable context.
After transferring to UC, it is difficult for students to get the classes they need to graduate in a timely manner.
Note: Timely manner typically refers to graduation between 2-3 years after enrollment.
Answer: False57% of transfer students graduate in 2 years after transfer, 84% finish in 3. Nationally, only 42% of transfer students earn a bachelor’s degree within 3 years of transfer. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/ug-outcomeshttps://nscresearchcenter.org/signaturereport13/
Factors impacting time-to-degree are:1. Is the student in a high-unit major? (e.g. Engineering)2. Does the student plan to study abroad?3. Does the student have more than one major or minor?4. Has the student taken a leave of absence?
UCs do not have a strong transfer culture.
Answer: False[Quickly go to next slide]
Answer: FalseIn fact, nearly 30 percent of all UC undergraduates are transfer students, that’s 1 in every 3 students at UC.
And, another fact, 87% of transfer students are California residents from California community colleges. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfer-admissions-summary
Studies prove that they do just as well academically as students who enter as freshmen.
Campuses provide a variety of living accommodations specifically for transfer students, from on-campus housing and student cooperatives, to special communities for transfer students with families.
Each UC campus has transfer-specific events, services, and organizations, like summer bridge, transfer resource centers, and transfer orientation.
Your students will be able to find a supportive community of students who share their interests and experiences, full-time staff who are dedicated to their success, and faculty who will mentor them in and outside of class.
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