Comprehensive Review Factors for Transfer Applicants

When campuses receive applications from more prospective transfer students than they can admit, they draw on the eight criteria below to select among qualified applicants. This process is called comprehensive review.

Junior-level transfer students from California community colleges are given priority consideration for admission.

Keep in mind that the pool of students who apply to UC is different every year. The level of academic performance necessary for admission to a particular campus or major will vary, depending on the number of applicants and their academic qualifications, as well as the number of available spaces.

Comprehensive Review Factors for Transfer Applicants

1. Completion of a specified pattern or number of courses that meet breadth or general education requirements.
2. Completion of a specified pattern or number of courses that provide continuity with upper division courses in the student's major.
3. The student's grade point average in all transferable courses.
4. Participation in academically selective honors courses or programs.
5. Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests, such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.
6. Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of the student's college curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs.
7. Academic accomplishments in light of the student's life experiences and special circumstances.
8. Location of the student's college and residence.

Transfer Selection by Campus
Each UC campus designs its own method for evaluating the factors considered in
comprehensive review. For the most current information on how each campus selects its transfer students, visit these websites:

Berkeley | Transfer Admission [PDF]
Davis | Transfer Student Selection Process
Irvine | Transfer Admission to UC Irvine
Los Angeles | Transfer Admission
Merced | UC Merced Student Affairs
Riverside | Admission as a Transfer
San Diego | Transfer Student Services
Santa Barbara | Prospective Transfer
Santa Cruz | Transfer Admission and Selection 2005-06

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