How does transferring community college credits to Cal Poly Pomona work?

I'm a community college student aiming to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona. I'm trying to understand how credit transfer works. Are there specific courses I should take to maximize my transfer credits?

In general, California State Universities, including Cal Poly Pomona, are quite amiable to the transfer credit process, particularly for in-state students studying at community colleges. Typically, the way to ensure the smoothest transfer of your credits is to take courses that are articulated with the school you intend to transfer to.

First, check the course catalog or transfer student page of Cal Poly Pomona for the specific courses that are required for your intended major. These are the classes that you should aim to take equivalent courses of at your community college.

You can use a tool known as the ASSIST.org to guide you in your decisions. ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that helps California Community College students transferring to UC and CSU campuses. It provides detailed information on how course credits are transferred between the institutions.

When you plug in your community college and Cal Poly Pomona, it will give you a detailed report of which courses at your current school are considered equivalent to which courses at Cal Poly. Focusing on those courses can maximize the amount of credit that you'll be able to transfer.

Remember, not all credits you have earned might be transferable to Cal Poly. CSU campuses typically allow a maximum of 70 semester or 105 quarter units from a community college. However, units earned beyond this maximum can still be used to satisfy subject requirements, they just wouldn't contribute to the total number of units you need to graduate.

Make sure to consult with your academic or transfer counselor at your community college and to confirm with an admission counselor at Cal Poly Pomona throughout this process. They can provide guidance tailored to your specific situation.

Also, keep in mind application deadlines and the minimum GPA required for transfer students, which for Cal Poly Pomona and other CSU schools is 2.0 for California residents and 2.4 for out-of-state applicants. Cal Poly Pomona may have additional requirements for specific majors.

Regardless, the key is to carefully plan your course scheduling at your community college and maintain strong grades to maximize your transferability. While the process may seem daunting at first, with diligent research and consultation with educational professionals, you can create a clear plan to successfully transfer your credits and achieve your academic goals.