What courses should I take at Mesa College to transfer to UCSD?

I'm a current student at Mesa College trying to prepare for a transfer to UCSD. What courses should I be focusing on to meet the transfer requirements? Are there any that are particularly recommended?

As a current student at Mesa College with aspirations to transfer to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), it’s good to see that you're preparing in advance. To meet the transfer requirements, the specific classes you take usually depend on the major you plan to pursue at UCSD.

However, UCSD generally requires students to fulfill what's called "general education" (GE) requirements, which are core courses designed to provide a broad educational foundation. As a transfer student, some of these may be fulfilled by your coursework at Mesa College. Most community colleges in California, including Mesa College, offer courses that can fulfill the GE requirements of the UC system. This is known as California's "Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum" (IGETC), and choosing courses from this list can generally help you meet many of the GE requirements for transfer to a UC school.

In addition to general education classes, each UCSD major has specific "major preparation" courses that they recommend or require transfer students to complete before applying. For example, if you want to major in Biology, there will be a list of biology-, chemistry-, and math-related courses that UCSD's Biology department wants you to have completed to be considered a competitive applicant.

To ensure you're taking the correct courses, consult the Assist website. This is an online resource that provides transfer agreements between California community colleges and UCs. Here, you can enter your current school (Mesa College) and future school (UCSD) and see which courses at Mesa align with the GE and major requirements at UCSD.

In addition to completing these course requirements, you should aim to maintain a solid GPA. UCSD typically looks for transfer students to have a GPA of at least 3.5 in their transferable college coursework, although some impacted majors may require an even higher GPA.

Lastly, remember to meet with a counselor at Mesa College who can help guide your course selections based on your educational and career goals. They will be able to provide personalized advice based on your specific situation. Good luck with your transfer plans!