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Applying to a University

Universities require you to apply and be admitted before you start attending school there. All students who apply must meet the minimum requirements (usually certain coursework requirements and a minimum transferable GPA). Some schools accept all transfer students who meet the minimum requirements, while others go through a selection process to determine which students will be offered admission.

Application dates and deadlines
Different systems have different dates and deadlines to apply. If you plan to attend a private/independent or out-of-state university, you should check with that school to find their application deadline and procedures. The following dates and deadlines apply to California public universities only:

California State University
Term of Transfer Initial Filing Period
Summer Feb. 1-28/29 of current year
Fall Oct 1-Nov 30 of preceding year
Winter June 1-30 of preceding year
Spring August 1-31 of preceding year

University of California
Term of Transfer Initial Filing Period
Fall Semester or November 1-30 of preceding year quarter
Winter Quarter July 1-31 of preceding year
Spring Quarter October 1-31 of preceding year

All campuses are open for any given Fall term. For Winter/Spring terms, students should verify that the specific campus accepts transfers for that specific term. Click here for CSU campuses and click here for UC campuses.

Each campus accepts applications until the end of the filing period or until capacities are reached. If applying after the initial filing period check the campus websites to verify if the campus is still open.

How to apply
The UC and CSU systems strongly encourage all students to apply using the online application process to make sure students are not missing any required information before submitting the final application.

The UC application is available here.

The CSU application is available here.

Final Steps to Transfer
Many universities require you to submit documents, take assessment exams, attend mandatory orientations, or meet other requirements before you enroll. It is very important that you check your email regularly so that you do not miss deadlines. It’s also a good idea to apply for your local Taft College degree and General Education certification from Taft College prior
to transfer. You should do as much as you can now to make the transition to your university as smooth as possible.

Graduation - Candidacy for Graduation Application
Graduation from Taft College is not automatic. You must fill out a Candidacy for Graduation form. For more information regarding graduation click here. Petition to graduate even if you are only completing transfer coursework. Some transfer students maybe eligible to receive a Liberal Arts Associate degree. You should petition to graduate during your last semester at Taft College by these dates:

Graduation Petitioning Periods
Semester Application Period Deadline to Submit Begins Application

Students are encouraged to meet with their counselor if there are questions about academic program requirements.

Transcripts from Other Colleges
All official college transcripts or other appropriate verifying documents must be on file with Taft College in order for the Office of Admissions and Records to complete an evaluation and post prior coursework to your Taft College transcript.

File for General Education (GE) Certification
GE Certification is a legal agreement between Taft College and a California public university (UC or CSU campus) that all of your lower division GE requirements have been completed. Certification can be awarded for either the entire IGETC or CSU GE patterns, or for part of the CSU pattern. Some California private/independent institutions also accept IGETC or CSU GE certification. You should file for GE certification when you are enrolled in your final GE courses and know which university you will be attending. Request for certification is done through the transcript request portal. For more information click here.

Submit Intent to Register and Transcripts
After offering you admission, most universities require you to send a statement of intent to register (SIR), official transcripts, a deposit, and sometimes additional materials. Review your university admission paperwork for details.

Attend New Student Orientation
Most universities offer a new student orientation day (some require that you attend), where you learn about university services and requirements, get academic advising, tour the campus, etc. Review your university admission paperwork for details.

Complete Assessment Tests
Some universities require transfer students to complete assessment tests either prior to enrollment or during their first year attendance. Review your university admission paperwork for details.

Find Housing
Are you going to live on campus? If so, you will need to apply for campus housing. Check your university online portal account for housing submission dates. If you are going to live off campus, visit your university housing office for listings.

Send Your Final Transcripts
You are usually required to send your university a final official transcript after the end of your last regular semester prior to transfer. Information on ordering transcripts from Taft College is available here.

Meet Immunization Requirements
Most universities require documentation of immunization against certain communicable diseases like measles or rubella. Review your university admission paperwork for more information.

Other Transfer Information
UC Transfer and Physical Education Courses
The University of California grants a maximum of four semester units of credit for appropriate Physical Education activity courses. Courses that are subject to this limit are listed as such on the college’s UC Transfer Course Agreement, available on the ASSIST website under the UC Transferable Courses link.

UC Transfer and Variable Topics Courses
These courses are also called “Independent Studies”, “Special Studies”, “Special Topics”, “Internships”, “Field Work”, etc. Credit for variable topics courses is given only after a review of the scope and content of the course by the enrolling UC campus. This usually occurs after transfer and may require recommendations from faculty. UC does not grant credit for variable topics courses in Journalism, Photography, Health, Business Administration, Architecture, Administration of Justice (Criminology), or Library Departments because of credit restrictions in these areas attendance. Review your university admission paperwork for details.