INTRO

There are two important things you need to understand or else none of these tips will help you. Without these two elements, you cannot transfer well. First, understand that time is of the essence. Two years is a long time, but there are important checkpoints that will roll up on you very quickly. If you do not execute things correctly and in a TIMELY fashion you may have to do three years at SMC or you may lose motivation. Second, you HAVE TO WANT IT. Before you start SMC, research what you want to do with regards to your major and where you want to go. Lacking direction can sink your ship, if you have DIRECTION you have a massive advantage. These tips are the essentials, but they do not cover everything that will make you a good transfer applicant. Keep in mind that your GPA is the most important factor in your application.

1. IGETC

Regardless of what major you pick you will have to complete your IGETC requirements. IGETC is an agreement between SMC and the UC schools that articulates your general education requirements that you have to complete before you transfer. If you have AP credits refer to the latter pages of the pdf to see if you may already have college credit, this can help you avoid taking unnecessary classes.

2. ASSIST.ORG

Assist.org will tell you which courses you need to take during your time at SMC to be eligible to transfer as a specific major. Be conscious that different schools have different requirements for the same major so make sure to cover all bases and read each articulation agreement for a school that interests you. Go to assist.org, select SMC, select a school you would like to transfer to, and select a major. Assist.org will show files displaying articulation agreements between SMC and a UC. If you have AP credits, they may cover some of your assist.org transfer requirements.

3. GRADE DISTRIBUTION

Grade distribution is the most reliable way to predict how easy class may be. Cross-reference this with “ratemyprofessor” to help plan out your schedule. Having a good professor is everything, courses are not made equal, having a good professor will make your life easier.

4. SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The scholars program is SMC’s honor program. If you are eligible, which is determined by your previous academic record, this program will give you a massive edge. This program has outrageously high transfer success rates, especially with UCLA. The Scholars program staff has a great relationship with UCLA admissions which allows for your application to get preferential treatment. You will need to fulfill the Scholars requirements (complete 5 scholars courses) which are well worth it. This program is for driven students however, they will not recommend your application to admissions officers if you do not meet GPA requirements for your major by the end of your SMC tenure.

5. TAP/TAG

This acronym stands for transfer alliance program/transfer admissions guarantee. Only Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz have an admissions guarantee. A student will have to meet a minimal GPA to be eligible for the guarantee. I also advise that you get in touch with a counselor to fully understand the TAG. Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD do not have guarantees because there are too many applicants to guarantee admission. However, UCLA does have a preferred transfer program (through Scholars) meaning that there is no guarantee but the likely hood of being admitted is higher than any other channel.

6. PLAN, ADAPT, EXECUTE

Planning is crucial. Plan your whole two-year tenure from the beginning. When scheduling classes, prioritize good professors over easy schedule as much as possible, the grade is more important than your leisure. Have a goal in mind (GPA & 4-year university you want to attend) and plan how you will pace your course load. Figure out which semester you will take each class. Utilize a counseling appointment combined with the “MyEdPlan” which is on “corsair connect”(you will get your corsair connect account upon admittance). Take one month before each semester’s class enrollment date to research which classes are available while using “ratemyprofessor.com” and the grade distribution files to optimize your productivity/take the path of least resistance. During each semester plan out how much time you will allocate for each class, adapt to challenges, and execute your plan.