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The Transfer Path: from High School to Community

College to UC

Advising Students on the Community College Option

UC Counselor Conference 2011

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This session will cover:• UC’s commitment to transfer: our

successes • How transfer works• “Best advice” for prospective

transfer students• Information resources• Counselor feedback

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Who should consider transfer?

Any student can benefit from starting his or her path to a UC degree at a California Community College

Students choose the transfer path for many reasons:• Haven’t decided on academic or career goals

and want to explore• Haven’t met requirements for freshman

admission and want additional academic preparation

• Aren’t ready or able to leave home• Want the affordability of community colleges• Unsatisfied with four-year originally selected

UC Commitment to Transfer

“We at UC will actively partner with the CSU and the community colleges to help students understand that the transfer option is achievable and affordable.“

- UC President Mark Yudof, March 2010

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Transfer and the California Master Plan for Higher

Education

• CA Master Plan for Higher Education specifies: • UC offers priority admission to all UC-

eligible California Community Colleges (CCC) students

• The best path to transfer to UC is via the CCC• CCC transfer student vs. four-year

transfer student

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UC Welcomes Transfer Students • 1/3 of UC bachelor’s degrees go to transfer

students

• UC offers a space to every UC-eligible CCC student

• Seven campuses offer transfer admission guarantees

• The University increased its new transfer enrollment targets by 1,250 over the past three years

• Long-term plan is continual, modest growth of new transfer students

Strong Priority is Given to Transfers from the California

Community Colleges

Berke

leyDav

isIrv

ine

Los

Angele

s

Mer

ced

Rivers

ide

San D

iego

Santa

Bar

bara

Santa

Cru

z0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

%of Admitted Transfer Students from CCC

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UC Student Retention & Graduation Rates

Freshmen CCC Transfers

One-Year UC Persistence

Rate

92.4% 92.2%

Elapsed Years to Degree

4.2 2.4

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How Transfer Works

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Admission to UC as a Transfer Student

• Minimum eligibility requirements for transfer• 60 transferable units• 2.4 college GPA (eligibility vs. selection)• 7-course pattern with a “C” or better

• In addition, transfer applicants should complete:• Lower-division general education

requirements• Lower-division major preparation

courses

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The Importance of Major Preparation

• Unlike freshmen, transfers enter halfway into a college degree

• Therefore, UC is looking not only for general education classes, but also for significant work within the major

• In many cases, the completion of lower division major preparation should be a higher priority than General Education or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

• Advise students thinking about the CCC transfer route to begin focusing on their choice of major

• Explore www.assist.org

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Transfer Is a Partnership Between

High Schools, Community Colleges

and UC

Partnerships All ten UC campuses participate in

partnerships to raise student achievement and close achievement gaps

Partnerships represent a systemwide commitment to work intensively with public schools and colleges that serve the most disadvantaged students

Prep Program Offerings

• Summer and Residential Programs• Community College and High School

Support• Peer Mentoring• Personal Advising and Motivation• Counselor Professional Development• Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

• Excluding Berkeley and Los Angeles

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Best Practices: Preparing HS Students for

Transition to CCC and Transfer Success

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‘Best Advice’ for High School Students

#1 Improve college readiness: take rigorous

college prep courses throughout high school• Take math all four years in high school• Take advantage of early assessments

• CSU’s Early Assessment Program (EAP) exams in English and mathematics

• Community college assessment/placement exams

• Concurrent enrollment opportunities enable students to experience college while in high school

• Take advantage of community college summer sessions following high school graduation

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‘Best Advice’ for High School Students

#2 Research your options• Not all CCCs offer the same programs or

opportunities• Some CCCs offer more transferable courses

in a major(s)• Visit www.assist.org

#3 Enroll in community college on time!• Competition for CCC courses is increasing• The CCC matriculation process has several

steps that should be completed during the spring semester of 12th grade in order to register for classes when summer/fall registrations opens

• Pay attention (check emails and other notifications)

Steps for Enrolling in CCC

• Complete and submit a CCC application* • Or more than one!

• Take the assessment exam*

• New student orientation*

• Register for classes*• Meet with a CCC

counselor*• Pay registration fees

• Student support services

• Apply for financial aid• Visit CCC to process

aid• Monitor Cal Grant B

utilization to save for 4-yr

• Go full time, if possible, to “efficiently” use aid

• AB540 Affidavit (as needed)

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* Mandatory matriculation steps

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Tips for Transfer Success in CCC

#4 Attend full time, work part time• Three strong predictors for

success: (1) full-time enrollment (2) continuous enrollment

(3) work no more than 15 hours per week• Helps to utilize financial aid

efficiently

Tips for Transfer Success in CCC

#5 Decide on a major and campus no later than the start of sophomore year at CCC• Know which UC campus(es) and

major(s) you want to target and which have transfer guarantee programs

• Follow recommended curriculum for major (including competitive GPA)

• Be sure GE pattern you follow is appropriate for intended major, campus

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Tips for Transfer Success in CCC

#6 Work closely with an academic adviser, Transfer Center Director, and UC rep to develop a transfer plan early• Develop, then follow, a plan, but update

it regularly • ASSIST (assist.org) and UC’s Transfer

Preparation Paths (uctransfer.org) are helpful but no substitute for personal academic advisement

• Review the information on the website of the UC campuses you are interested in transferring to

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Information Resources• ASSIST: www.assist.org

• CCCApply.org

• UC Systemwide Admissions Website:www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions

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• Berkeley: students.berkeley.edu/admissions/transfer.asp• Davis: admissions.ucdavis.edu/admissions/trfrSelProcess.cfm• Irvine: www.admissions.uci.edu/as_adm.html• Los Angeles: www.admissions.ucla.edu/transfer• Merced: admissions.ucmerced.edu• Riverside: futurestudents.ucr.edu/prospective/transfer.aspx• San Diego: admissions.ucsd.edu/dev3/transfers/req.html• Santa Barbara: www.admissions.ucsb.edu• Santa Cruz: admissions.ucsc.edu/apply/transfer_guide.cfm

Campus Selection Criteria

UC Transfer Prep Programs for CCC

StudentsBerkeley

Berkeley Center for Educational Partnerships cep.berkeley.edu/CCTC

DavisDavis Transfer Studentadmissions.ucdavis.edu/transfers/index.cfm

IrvineIrvine Center for Educational Partnerships www.cfep.uci.edu/cfep/community.php

Los AngelesLos Angeles Center for Community College Partnerships www.cccp.ucla.edu

MercedMerced Transfer Student Program transferstudentprogram.ucmerced.edu/

RiversideRiverside Transfer Resource Center www.trc.ucr.edu

San DiegoSan Diego Transfer Student Serviceswww.ucsd.edu/prospective-students/transfers/tss.html

Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Transfer Student Serviceswww.admissions.ucsb.edu/prospective/index.asp?context=prospective_transfer

Santa CruzEducational Partnership Center/Transfer Partnerships Programepc.ucsc.edu/tpp

MESA mesa.ucop.edu/programs/mesacccp.html

Puente www.puente.net/ccwelcome.html