Going to a California community college to save money. How does TAG work and should I count on it?
Starting at a CCC next fall instead of a four-year to save money. The goal is to transfer to a UC. I keep hearing about TAG but don't really get how it works.
Is it actually guaranteed? Does it work for UCLA or Berkeley? I want to do CS or maybe data science. And what should I be doing my first semester so I don't mess it up?
My high school GPA was 3.4 so I didn't really have a shot at UCs as a freshman. This feels like my second chance and I don't want to waste it. Nobody in my family has done the transfer thing so I'm figuring it out alone.
- ?
TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) is a real guarantee of admission to one UC campus if you meet that campus's requirements: GPA, specific courses and timeline. Six campuses offer it: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz. UCLA, Berkeley and San Diego do not.
**For CS:** many campuses exclude CS or other high-demand majors from TAG, or have stricter requirements. Check each campus's TAG criteria for your exact major before planning around it.
**First semester:**
1. Meet your college's transfer counselor right away.
2. Use ASSIST.org to see which of your courses count toward major preparation at each UC you are considering.
3. Follow the general education pattern your counselor recommends (Cal-GETC is the current pattern for UC and CSU transfer).
4. Keep your GPA strong from day one. Transfer admission weighs it heavily.
5. File the TAG application in the fall of your second year, and apply to UCLA and Berkeley too if you want them.California community college transfers are given priority at UC, so this path is a strong one.