Transferring community college credits to UCs

I'm planning my coursework at a community college but I want to end up at a UC school, possibly UCLA or UC Davis. Can someone give me an idea of how transferring credits to UC schools generally works? Any tips for a successful transfer plan?

Sure, I'd be happy to help with that! The University of California system has a robust protocol for accepting transfer credits from California community colleges.

The key to a successful transfer plan starts with checking the specific course-to-course articulation agreements between your California community college and the UC school to which you're hoping to transfer (for instance, UCLA or UC Davis). These agreements – often found on a college or university's transfer student page – detail which classes at your current community college will satisfy specific coursework at your target UC school.

Besides this, the UC system also offers a program called the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). This is a series of courses that community college students can take to satisfy the lower-division general education (GE) requirements at UC schools. Keep in mind, however, that not every major accepts IGETC, so it's crucial to do your due diligence.

Moreover, the UC system has something called Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) programs which offer guaranteed admission to students from California community colleges in specific majors at six UC campuses, (although UCLA and UC Berkeley are not part of this program). This program essentially ensures you a spot if you meet certain GPA and coursework requirements.

It's also important to remember that in addition to guaranteed admission programs, every campus has a transfer preparation path — called a transfer admission planner — to guide students on what courses to take prior to transferring.

Starting your educational journey at a community college and planning to transfer to a UC is a common and established path, so rest assured there are plenty of resources to help you along the way. It all boils down to doing thorough research, maintaining a solid academic record, and staying on top of the requirements to ensure a smooth transition. Good luck!