I'm working towards an AA at a community college and want to transfer to a Cal State campus. Does the AA make the transfer easier? Any important steps I should be aware of?
The Associate's Degree (AA) can certainly streamline your transfer process to a Cal State campus thanks to certain transfer programs in place. Specifically, the Associate Degree for Transfer (also known as ADT) is a special degree offered through the California Community College (CCC) system that guarantees admission to students at a CSU campus upon completion. This program deals with two types of transferable degrees: Associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).
To be eligible, you need to earn 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) that are eligible for transfer to the CSU. These units must include the CSU general education breadth requirements (or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum – IGETC) and the preparation for the major coursework. You must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 as well.
When you apply, you'll specifically identify yourself as an ADT applicant, and CSUs will give priority admission to California Community Colleges students transferring with an ADT.
However, even if you're earning a traditional AA, the steps to transfer still involve meeting CSU's general admission requirements which entail maintaining a certain GPA, making steady progress in your course requirements, and working towards completing the 60 units necessary before transfer. Also monitor application deadlines diligently to ensure you're submitting everything in a timely manner.
Prioritize meeting with a counselor at your community college, as they can help point you to resources, inform you about important deadlines, and provide guidance based on your individual situation and goals. Remember that each Cal State campus and major might have slightly different requirements, so it's key to research the specifics of where and what you're hoping to study.
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