UC Freshmen vs Transfer Applicants

Below is a question I recently answered on Quora.

What are the similarities and differences between UC freshman and transfer applications/ admission process?

A:  The Transfer process:

1. I believe the process with transfers is more holistic in that they take life experience into account in a way that is different from freshmen. This is not to say it isn’t holistic in terms of freshmen, but transfers often have gaps in education, they may be re-entry or non-trad (older, married) or may have been in the military.
2. They definitely like the military so you have a heads up there.
3. The UCs are way more forgiving of a bad start in college (in other words, bad grades). You can retake courses if C- or under, or possibly get academic renewal to erase them.  Even if you can’t correct them, bad grades from years back are given far less weight.
4. You do not submit the SAT or ACT.
5. You do not submit high school grades until after you have been admitted and they have no bearing at all in your admission — unless you are using high school language to fulfill a language requirement. They will look at that. Or if you are claiming AB540 status as a CA resident, meaning three years at a CA high school and graduation from one. They will check that.
6. Except for highly selective (impacted) majors, they don’t care much about extra-curricular activities, as they assume you are working. Work is seen as an EC.
7. There are way fewer merit scholarships available to transfers as compared to freshmen.

To read the above answer on Quora, click here.

To view all Lindy King’s Quora answers on the UC transfer process, click on photo.