Palomar College's 2025 CSU Transfer Guide: Advice Needed

I'm reviewing the Palomar College 2025 CSU Transfer Guide and could use some clarification on how current students are meeting transfer requirements. Is there anything specific I should focus on or exceptions to be aware of?

I can give you some general advice about transferring to CSU schools from a community college.

The first step is always to understand the admission requirements for the particular CSU school to which you are aiming to transfer. Each campus and program may have its unique transfer requirements. For example, some programs may require certain prerequisites or a higher GPA than others.

One of the most critical components for transfer is completing the General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (known as IGETC). These are sets of courses that community college students can use to satisfy lower-division general education requirements at any CSU or University of California campus.

It's also important to understand the major preparation courses. Some CSU schools will require you to have completed certain major preparation courses to be considered for admission. These are often courses that are directly related to the major you're aiming to study.

Another requirement that can be overlooked is the "Golden Four" requirement. These are four specific courses that you should complete with a grade of C- or better: Oral Communication (usually a speech class), Written Communication (usually English composition), Critical Thinking (a logic or argument class), and Quantitative Reasoning (a math class that requires Intermediate Algebra as a prerequisite).

Lastly, meeting with an academic advisor at Palomar College or a transfer counselor from the CSU school you're interested in can be incredibly helpful. They can provide guidance specific to your situation and your intended major. After all, every student's journey to transferring is unique.