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Transfer to UC or just go to state university?
I am currently a senior that has applied to many schools but due to the budget crisis, I got rejected at many schools. I am planning to major in Architecture or related majors. I got accepted to Cal Poly Pomona for landscape architecture, and got placed in the waiting list for CSULB for Interior architectural Design. I am still waiting for another college that I applied in Canada for Architectural studies. My problem is that my family is just right to pay for CSU yearly, but they prefered if I just transfered to either UCB or UCLA for architecture as a junior from Community College. I guess it's cheaper to transfer but wouldn't it be harder to transfer in? Which option should I take?
Public Comments
- No, it is not harder to transfer in. In fact your chances of getting into a UC are better if you transfer from community college because by law they are required to meet a certain quota of transfer students. If you want to get into a UC then really work on getting good grades in your lower division courses. Also, try to meet with an adviser at one of the universities that you are interested in attending to find out just what courses you will need to transfer. The reason that I say that is because what often happens in community college is that you take way more classes than you need, that won't even apply to your upper division course work.
- If you are major in architecture or structural engineering, I would suggest you to go for Cal Poly Pomona than a community college. The reason is architecture and/or structural engineering requires arduous school works, and if you transfer from cc, you will have very difficult time to adjust to the top level of education provided by UCLA or Berkeley. Especially, once you transfer, you need to take core upper division classes right away. It's very challenging and many friends of mine who did this path changed their major and spent more years in school. My advise to you is go to Cal Poly Pomona and get good grades on your major and get a bachelor degree from there. Then pursue masters in prestigious schools or UCB or UCLA. UCLA has excellent programs. I would highly recommend for it, but at this moment, take Cal Poly route instead of community college. Good luck.
- Transferring from a CC isnt harder, but the risk of not getting in (especially if you only apply to UCB and UCLA) is greater. RIght now, you have a spot at Pomona (which has a decent program, but Cal Poly SLO is better) but if you dont take it and go to a community college, you dont have that "safety net" anymore. Normally, if you have great grades in community college, you would have a better chance of getting into a CSU, but with the budget problems, that isnt so likely now. I know community college is cheaper, but you have to think about the application process for transfer and whether or not you can actually get in to a 4 year university (there is still competition you know...). You still have the risk of not getting into anything and staying at community college for another year. Personally, i think you should just go to Pomona. Then, you wouldnt have to worry about whether or not you will get accepted and that application process that i have to go thru. Plus, Pomona is pretty good for architecture and you wont need to compete with other transfer students for a spot (u have to do that when you apply to universities from a community college)
