California community college to UCB for computer science?

Hi all, I'm considering attending a community college in California before hopefully transferring to UCB for computer science. I was wondering if anyone had any advice regarding which community colleges might have solid programs and good track records for this transfer path? Cheers!

Hi there! It's fantastic that you're considering community college as a springboard to a university! Your decision to transfer to UC Berkeley (UCB) for computer science is a great pathway to consider as UCB has a strong program.

Before selecting a community college, you'll want to look out for the colleges that are part of the "UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)” program, which offers guaranteed admission to one of six University of California campuses for Community college students who meet certain requirements.

Given your interest in Computer Science, you'd want to ensure that the community college you're considering has a strong emphasis on the STEM education aspects. Some community colleges have stronger STEM programs than others. Two that come to mind are:

1. De Anza College - It's well-regarded for its STEM programs and students have a strong track record for transfer acceptance to UC schools, especially in competitive majors like Computer Science.

2. Foothill College - They offer excellent Computer Science courses and have good transfer programs catered towards UC schools and other 4-year institutions.

Make sure that whatever college you attend, you're taking the prerequisite courses that your intended major at Berkeley will require. Classes critical for a Computer Science major likely include Calculus, Physics, Programming Fundamentals, and possibly Linear Algebra or Computer Systems and Assembly languages.

Also, you could engage with faculty or academic advisers at potential community colleges, they will have knowledge beyond the stats - things like the community and culture, what the workload is like, what opportunities are available to students, graduation and transfer rates, etc. This can be particularly useful information in deciding which community college might be the best fit for your academic and personal needs.

One more key element to consider is the IGETC, or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum. This is a series of courses prospective transfer students can take to satisfy the lower-division/general education requirements at any UC or CSU before transferring.

Remember, no matter which community college you choose, your performance (GPA in transferable courses, prerequisite coursework completion) will be the most important factor in your admission decision!

Best of luck on your academic journey!