MESA Transfer Preparation

 

Hello scholars,

If you are interested in applying to the University of California, it is best to start planning early (i.e., ASAP). The earlier you start, the more informed and prepared you will be to make a smooth transfer.

Below, you will find tips from the University of California Admissions.

Completing these steps will help you progress toward your transfer goals.

NOTE: Any UC application preparation you do with one UC will help you with your preparation for all UCs. Take advantage of the workshops and programs whenever possible.

Apply to more than one UC campus.
This will significantly increase your chances of being admitted to the UC system. While you may not receive an offer of admission from your first-choice campus, all of our campuses—without exception—provide outstanding opportunities for you to learn and grow.

Submit only one application per term.
Submitting multiple applications will cause a processing delay. Duplicate applications will be canceled. 

Apply on time.
You can fill out the application in as many sessions as you want, but remember, the submission deadline for Fall 2025 applications is December 2.

Starting the application:

Create an account
An email address and password are required in order to create an account. You should use the email account for all of your applications. We also recommend you use a non-school issued email account (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo). Campuses send important, time-sensitive correspondence to applicants, so you should check your email regularly (including your spam folders).

Selecting term & level
After you create an account, you’ll need to select the term you’re applying for (when you hope to start at UC) and your applicant level (e.g. transfer, etc.). You're a transfer applicant if you've graduated high school and are enrolled in a regular session (fall, winter or spring) at a community college.

Saving information
You should click “Save & continue” at the bottom of each page to save any entered information, as there is a 20-minute inactivity period after which the application will automatically sign you out. If you’ve successfully completed a page my answering all required questions, the page will be marked with a checkmark in the navigation bar on the right-hand side.

Review & submit
This is the last page you’ll visit before you start submitting the application. If you have remaining items to complete, you will see a “To Do” next to that section. Don't forget to make sure your application is complete before you submit it; very few changes can be made after submission.

Submitting the application 
You’ll go through a few pages asking you to confirm your academic information and whether you’d like to share your application information with certain groups such as scholarship agencies, parents or guardians and counselors. You'll also need to pay your application fees, either by check or credit card, and can apply for a fee waiver if you didn’t automatically qualify for one earlier in the application. The fee waiver will cover your application fees for up to four campuses.

Confirmation
Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll see a confirmation page with important reminders and your UC Application ID Number which is used to access the various campus student portals and, in many cases, to access your admission decisions. You can choose to print a receipt of your application fees or view and print the entire application.
 
For more information on filling out the application 

 

Hello scholars,

If you are interested in applying to the California State University (CSU), it is best to start planning early (i.e., ASAP). The earlier you start, the more informed and prepared you will be to make a smooth transfer.

Below, you will find tips from the California State University Admissions.

1) Pre-Transfer Application Year:

Completing these steps will help you progress toward your transfer goals.

• Meet with MESA's counselor to have an introductory conversation about transfer
• Create a CSU Transfer Planner account using your student educational plan (SEP)
• Visit the transfer admission websites for your schools of interest
  • Learn more about any of the 23 California State Universities, their programs and transfer-admission requirements.
  • Save degree programs of interest to your online account so you can access all of them in one place.
  • Log your community college coursework to track general education progress and compare your current GPA against the transfer-admission requirements.
  • Receive helpful tips about how to successfully transfer to your chosen CSU campus as efficiently as possible.
• Research your major of interest by college and impacted majors
• Schedule a meeting with a CSU representative to discuss your plan
• Update your CSU Transfer Planner at the end of each semester
• Use Assist.org to ensure your classes are transferable to your institution of choice
• Attend CSU transfer prep workshops

2) Transfer Application Year:

Review the CSU application checklist

Starting the CSU application

Review the Cal State Apply Transfer Application Guide or meet with a counselor, as needed, while completing your application

Admission Requirements for Upper-Division Transfer (UDT) Student 

If you will have at least 60 semester or 90 quarter transferable units completed by the time you enter a CSU, you are considered an upper-division transfer applicant.

To be admitted to the California State University as an upper-division transfer (UDT) student, you must:

• have completed at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of transferable college credit, of which 30 semester (45 quarter) units are at a level equivalent to general education courses;
• have attained a grade point average of 2.0 or better across all transferable college courses attempted. In high-demand majors and campuses, a higher GPA may be required;
• be in good standing at the last college or university attended. In other words, “good standing” means you are eligible to re-enroll at your last college or university;
• have completed with a grade of C- or better one course in each of the following four areas (in either column):​

Admission Requirements for Associate Degree for (ADT) Transfer Student 

If you have been awarded or are pursuing an AA-T or AS-T degree from your California Community College and wish to transfer to the California State University, you must:

• have earned or be completing an approved Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) at the time you apply;
• have completed a minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis and an approved set of general-education requirements (CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC;
• submit your application for admission to CSU campuses for an open term by the published deadline;
• submit all requested transcripts and documents by published deadlines;
• meet CSU admission eligibility requirements for the programs to which you are applying; and
• comply with any other prescribed admission requirements

3) Explore Financial Aid and Scholarships:

• Visit the CSU financial aid website
   
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) OR California Dream Act Application Here are some ways you can get ready:
  • Create a StudentAid.gov account or California Student Aid Act account (if you don’t already have one)
  • Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form
  • Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your form
  • If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form

*Adapted from UC and CSU transfer admissions resources.