I'm aiming to start at a community college in California and then transfer to UC Berkeley. Which community colleges have the best track record for successful transfers to Berkeley?
According to the UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center, Berkeley maintains close relationships with a number of local community colleges. These colleges are specifically part of the Transfer Alliance Project, a supportive academic partnership which aims at preparing a cohort of students for successful transfer to UC Berkeley. This includes schools such as Berkeley City College, Diablo Valley College, and Laney College among others.
In terms of successful transfers, the statewide average in 2020 was about 20% for California community college students applying to UC Berkeley. However, students participating in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program or the UC Berkeley TAP (Transfer Alliance Program) have a higher acceptance rate, around 40% and 50% respectively in recent years.
Remember that your chances of transfer may also be influenced by other factors such as your GPA, course selection, major, extracurricular involvement, and application essays. Therefore, while selecting a community college with a good transfer rate is beneficial, focusing on your academic and personal development while at community college should be your main strategy for successful transfer.
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