Transferring to a four year college or university can feel overwhelming to some students, but with proper preparation and planning all students can transfer. The resources and guidance available to you by the MPC counseling staff and Career & Transfer Resource Center can assist you in making your transfer plan. A general pattern to follow is:

Identify Your Major and/or Career Interests

1. Begin the Career Exploration process: take a self assessment at California Career Zone 
2. Enroll in a counseling course to help you such as PERS 71: Foundations of Career Choice.
3. Browse the books and resources in the Career & Transfer Resource Center.
4. Check out the resources listed on the Career & Transfer Resource Center website under Career/Major Exploration.
5. Expect this to be a process; it takes time and lots of research to make a smart major choice.

Decide on Which Colleges or Universities You Would Like to Transfer To

1. Create a list of top choice schools and back up schools.
2. Consider things such as cost, location, perceived prestige, culture of school, distance, career center services including internships, majors offered, etc. 
3. Check out the resources listed on the Transfer and Career Center website listed under Choosing a University
4. Go on campus tours. 
5. Visit with representatives from different colleges and universities. Many schools make regular visits to the MPC. Check out the calendar.

Create and Follow a Transfer Plan

1. Schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor every semester to create and follow up on your Education Plan which will outline the classes you need to take to transfer to the university and major of your choice. 
2. Complete the required English and math courses as early as possible.
3. Following the IGETC pattern for UCs or CSU GE Breadth pattern for CSUs will work for many students. However, it is not recommended for students who plan on majoring in STEM fields such as Engineering, Biological and Physical Sciences or other majors that require extensive lower division preparation.
4. Use assist.org to learn of the courses that are required or recommended to complete for a particular major at a UC or CSU.
5. To learn about courses you should take for private or out of state schools, look up the admission information for each school on their websites.

Research What is Required to Apply to Your Chosen Schools

Some questions to consider:

1. What is the minimum GPA to apply?
2. What is the minimum number of transferable units you need to have completed? Maximum?
3. What are the general education requirements?
4. What are the pre-major requirements for your chosen major?
5. When is the application deadline?

For UC and CSU schools:

1. Most students apply the Fall semester after they have completed 30 transferable units, which is approximately one year before they plan to transfer
2. There is one online application students use to apply to UC and one online application to apply to CSU:
   
   1. Use calstate.edu/apply to apply to any of the 23 CSU campuses
   2. Use https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html to apply to any of the 10 UC campuses
   3. The Fall application deadline is November 30th for all schools in both systems
3. The UC application requires a personal statement; the CSU application does not
4. Some CSU campuses and/or majors may require a supplemental application – be sure to research this early on in the application process

Apply and Follow Up on All Applications

1. Apply for admission on time
2. Apply for Financial Aid (priority deadline is March 2)
   
   1. FAFSA
   2. California Dream Act
3. When applying for admission, be sure to include information from every college or university you attended previously.
4. After applying, there will be other documents and/or materials that need to be submitted with specific deadlines. Check your email regularly as that is how most schools inform you of what needs to be submitted and when. Commonly requested documents after you apply:
   
   1. Letter of intent to enroll/register
   2. Official transcripts
   3. IGETC or CSUGE Breadth certification
   4. Official test scores such as AP, SAT, ACT (when applicable)

Prepare for the Transfer

1. Research all the resources available to you at your new school including those for transfer or re-entry students
2. Connect with your academic department and academic advisors
3. Secure housing (if applicable)
4. Understand your transportation needs and plan for them
5. Check for a bank branch near your new school or consider switching banks

Petition to Graduate

Stop by the Career & Transfer Resource Center to get help throughout the entire process!