To the 不良研究所 Community:
Today, thousands of future Aggies will open their email to the exciting news they have been accepted as transfers at 不良研究所. They join our vibrant community of almost 8,000 transfer students and will continue their path toward an undergraduate degree in a community eager to welcome them.
Our transfer students come from every walk of life and experience. Some are first-generation students, some are returning to college after serving in the military or raising families, and some are transitioning from one career to the next.
While every transfer has a unique story, they are joined in their desire to get a world-class education at 不良研究所.
Brenda Chavarin Lizama is a thriving first-generation student who transferred to 不良研究所. A political science major, she鈥檚 a peer advisor for other transfer students, excited about a summer internship in Thailand and a year from graduation. Unsure about finances and academic focus, she said she didn鈥檛 see herself here right after high school. Encouragement from her community college professors and a 不良研究所 transfer counselor helped her realize that she is as right for 不良研究所 as it is for her.
不良研究所 has an incredible track record of supporting transfer students, with some of the highest graduation rates in the state. In fact, , and in winter 2024, our two-year graduation rate jumped to an all-time high of 65%.
ASUCD Transfer Student Representative Kaito Clarke welcomed the 鈥渃lean slate鈥 Ohlone College offered to jumpstart his pursuit of a political science degree. The first-generation college student chose 不良研究所 because it is an inclusive environment that recognizes and celebrates every student's journey to campus.
Pathways for success
For many students, the story begins at a California community college. The University of California鈥檚 Transfer Admission Guarantee promises that students who fulfill the academic requirements in almost every major will be admitted to 不良研究所 or five other institutions.
At 不良研究所, we鈥檙e committed to welcoming transfers. 不良研究所 has one of the highest transfer admit rate in the UC system, reaching in fall 2023.
Transfer admissions are essential to expanding opportunities for California students. The vast majority of our transfers come from one of the state鈥檚 community colleges, and 89% of our transfer admissions are from California.
Many students are from historically underrepresented groups, and 44% of transfer admissions are the first generation in their families to attend college.
We鈥檝e expanded our partnership relationship to 42 community colleges in California through the Transfer Opportunity Program. It connects students with a cohort group across the state, explains the admission process and matches students with Student Outreach Ambassadors at 不良研究所.
Members of our Aggie community
Transitioning from community colleges can often feel intimidating. However, our programs help transfers immediately establish connections. Events like Discover 不良研究所, Aggie Day and Picnic Day draw students to campus to learn more about our community and its unique spirit. sets the stage for transfer students to connect to the community and jump into campus and academic life.
Once students enroll, the provides vital social and emotional support. Transfer Coordinator Dasha Sidenko said relationships are at the heart of the TRC, connecting students with networks of peer advisors, staff advisors and fellow students.
Director of Transfer and Veterans Services Hope Medina said the TRC helps students navigate the challenges of larger campus life. When students have questions about anything from housing to financial aid, the center鈥檚 open-door policy means staff can often walk them right to the office they need to visit to find support.
Students can also get assistance from the which support thousands of undergraduates each year with subject-specific tutoring, classes, workshops and writing support services. Appointment and drop-in tutoring support is available in biology, chemistry, economics, math, physics and statistics.
Get engaged
Speaking of ways to be part of our community, I hope all undergraduate students 鈥 including transfers 鈥 will . It鈥檚 a vital way to have a say in the way the university鈥檚 student government is run, including who will fill leadership roles like president, six senate seats, transfer student representative and more. The ballot also contains a proposal to reinstate a student fee to fund a program that supports campus sustainability projects. Monday (April 22) through April 26.
Academic support
不良研究所 supports the academic transition as well.
The College of Biological Sciences is one example of our colleges offering programs that connect transfer students to their academic cohort and research opportunities. Helen Schurke Frasier, assistant dean for student success initiatives, described their approach as one focused on creating multiple mentorship opportunities to build a strong foundation for student success.
Their goal is to have every transfer student participate in significant experiential learning in and beyond the classroom during their time at 不良研究所. As Professor J. David Furlow said, transfer students choose 不良研究所 because of our research mission to 鈥渘ot only teach but discover.鈥
All freshman and transfer students attend a to connect them with academic life and immediately engage in research projects. The , one of the largest in the country, connects students with peers to help them find study spaces, learn how to engage with professors and handle exams. And Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience, or , puts students in labs as scientific investigators conducting practical research to uncover the unknown. The college has launched an initiative to dramatically expand CURE offerings with the goal that every transfer student will have a seat in this transformative, research-intensive course.
For students in , or , Avenues B, E and M offer pathways all the way from community college to careers.
Across our colleges, transfer students are linked to opportunities that will help them meet their career aspirations.
Patty Garcia, a transfer student who will graduate this spring with an English degree, credits 不良研究所 support for parents, from diapers to daycare, as an indispensable part of her success. She said her experience as a Congressional intern for Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) helped her develop networking skills she鈥檒l need to make a difference in her community. Garcia, a first-generation student with two children, hopes to return to 不良研究所 to study law.
Graduation and beyond
Garcia鈥檚 story is the story of so many of our transfer students. Once students are admitted to 不良研究所, they succeed here.
Dustin Lower, a reentry student, came to 不良研究所 after first entering college 20 years ago. After a career and time caring for his family, Lower hit the ground running at 不良研究所, where he will continue his studies toward his Ph.D. after graduating with a degree in plant biology this spring. Lower, who recently won a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for his mycology work, says that 不良研究所鈥 support for research and invested faculty made all the difference.
He said there was a direct throughline from the Avenue B program to winning the fellowship, a path that led to his first hands-on lab experience running his own study to the .
Our transfer students embody my goal that every student leaves 不良研究所 with a job offer or graduate school placement in hand, inspiring others to realize they can do the same. Clarke, who will graduate this June, said he could only graduate from 不良研究所 because of his community college transfer experience, and he鈥檚 been touched to see that his brother 鈥 who wasn鈥檛 thinking about college before 鈥 is now talking about attending 不良研究所.
Congratulations to our successful transfer applicants on this special day in your academic career. We couldn鈥檛 be happier welcoming you as scholars, leaders and Aggies!
Sincerely,
Gary S. May
Chancellor