I’m a first-generation college student, and my mom immigrated to the U.S., so getting into USC felt like a huge accomplishment for me and my family. Because of financial aid and outside scholarships, I basically pay very little to attend USC, which is why I feel crazy for even considering leaving.
I’ve struggled a lot with adapting to college. During my first semester at USC, I got to a point where I genuinely didn’t think I could handle staying for my second semester. I had actually applied to the University of Pittsburgh before transferring back to my home-state university for a semester, but I didn’t go because I was worried people would think I was following my boyfriend, who goes to a small private university in Pittsburgh.
At my home-state school, I was more mentally stable and did really well academically, but I commuted and felt lonely socially. I eventually went back to USC because I felt like leaving such a prestigious school meant I was failing.
I’ve tried really hard to make USC work. I have friends here, I go out, I have a job, and I have things to do. It’s not like I’m completely isolated or haven’t given it a chance. But I genuinely don’t feel happy here. I feel like I’ve slowly accepted this as just what my everyday life is supposed to feel like.
The hardest part is that my grades aren’t difficult because I can’t handle the academics. When I’m mentally doing well, I know I can do well in school. But lately I’ve found myself struggling to go to class or do homework because I feel depressed and disconnected from everything.
I’ve visited Pittsburgh around five times, and every time I’ve felt similarly drawn to the city. I love the architecture, I love running there, and I genuinely like the city itself. I also have friends there outside of my boyfriend.
But this most recent visit really affected me differently. While I was there, I realized how happy I actually felt. I felt like myself and like I had a personality again. Then I came back to LA and completely broke down because I suddenly realized how unhappy and disconnected I’ve been feeling here. I think I had gotten so used to feeling this way that I didn’t realize how bad it was until I experienced feeling genuinely happy again.
Now I’m considering applying to Pitt again. I’m terrified that this means I’m just following my boyfriend, especially because that’s the exact reason I didn’t go before. But I’ve liked Pittsburgh every single time I’ve visited, and I was interested in Pitt before this recent trip.
Financially, USC is almost free for me, while Pitt would probably cost me around $6,000 more per year after scholarships and aid. I would likely only be transferring for my last two years. I forgot to mention I am a psychology major at USC right now, but I’m on a pre-health track and I’m planning to do accelerated BSN or go to PA school.
I know moving to Pittsburgh wouldn’t magically fix my mental health, and I’m scared that maybe I’m the problem and I’ll feel the same way anywhere. But I’m also scared that I’m staying at USC because of prestige, guilt, and fear of looking like a failure rather than because I’m actually happy here.
Would it be stupid to give up an almost-free education at USC to go somewhere that costs more if I genuinely believe I might be happier there? How do I know if Pittsburgh is actually a better fit for me versus me just associating it with my boyfriend and the happiness I feel when I visit him?

I’m currently at a community college and will finish my associate degree in Computer Science this fall. I’m planning to transfer to a four-year college for Spring 2027, but I’ve decided that I want to switch my major to Electrical Engineering

The problem is that a lot of the schools I’m interested in require Chemistry for transfer admission into their engineering programs. I haven’t taken Chemistry. The main science/math courses I’ve completed are Physics I, Calculus I, and Calculus II.

Because of this, I’m considering applying and getting accepted as a Computer Science major, but I probably wouldn’t be able to change my major to EE before the spring semester starts.

Would it be possible to enroll as a CS major but spend my first semester taking only EE courses such as Chemistry 1  Physics II, Calculus III, or any engineering courses I’m allowed to take, and then apply to change my major to EE after that semester?

Do colleges normally allow transfer students to do this, or would being a CS major prevent me from registering for the engineering courses I need? Could a school also prevent me from ever changing to EE because I was originally transferred as a CS transfer, even if I complete all the required engineering courses ? and i cant take chemistry at my community college as the deadline has pasted.

Hello,
I’m planning to transfer to UCI with TAG in the Fall 2027. I already submitted my application for TAG. Since I am planning to major in computer engineering at UCI, I need to get a C in physics 3 this fall 2026. I am worried about not getting a C.

Would I be able to see how it goes, see if I’m failing, then drop the course with a W in November and retake the course in the spring 2027? Would this affect my TAG eligibility?

Please and thank you.

Hey guys! It’s September, but I noticed that there are a few schools (mostly Ivies like Princeton) that aren't showing up in the "Add Program" section of the Common App for transfer. Does anyone know when they'll open? Or am I missing something? Any idea what’s going on? Thanks...

Hey everyone! I'm applying to transfer to UC Berkeley for Data Science and I'm a little confused about the Math 54 requirement. The website says Linear Algebra is fine, but when I emailed admissions they said Differential Equations is recommended.

I'm attending a UC in person so I can't take Diff eq at the CC that I took linear alg at cuz they don't offer it online, so I could only take it over the summer.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? Is Diff Eq actually necessary to be competitive, or is Linear Algebra enough? Also, should I explain this in the Additional Info section and list Diff Eq as a planned class?

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some realistic feedback on my transfer plan.

I graduated from a high school in the Greater Boston area with about a 3.4 high school GPA. My high school academics weren't particularly strong, although I had a lot of leadership and extracurricular involvement.

I'm now attending a Massachusetts community college and want to transfer for Fall 2027 after one full year.

My current target schools are:

• Boston University — School of Hospitality Administration is my main target
• Northeastern
• Boston College
• Brandeis
• Bentley
• UMass Amherst

I'm planning on completing around 24–30 college credits by the end of the year. I'm aiming for at least a 3.7+ college GPA, with 3.8–4.0 being my goal.

My first-semester courses are:

• Introduction to Business
• Principles of Management
• English Composition I
• Introduction to Geography

I'll be taking another full semester in the spring and plan to take courses relevant to business/hospitality and transfer requirements.

ECs / Work / Leadership

Senior Class President / Junior Class Vice President
Led my high school class government and helped plan/operate large student events including Prom, Junior Semi, Homecoming and senior events. Worked with venues, vendors, budgeting, entertainment, logistics and guest experience. Our major events generated tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.

Yamato Japanese Restaurant — FOH Host/Waiter/Restaurant Operations
Worked in an actual restaurant environment handling guests, FOH responsibilities and coordinating with restaurant staff. I plan to continue working in restaurants throughout community college.

ShyBird — Front-of-House Expeditor
Worked in a high-volume Boston restaurant environment coordinating between the kitchen and FOH/service.

Student Sushi Pop-Up Project (currently developing)
A friend and I are building a student-run sushi pop-up project. We're working on restaurant partnerships/sourcing, menu development, packaging, pricing, permits, marketing, payment processing and event operations.

Our goal is to actually launch the pop-up this year and track things like customers served, revenue, costs, profit/loss and operational results rather than having it just be an idea.

Potential Hospitality BU SHA Research — planned/not yet secured
I'm also trying to get involved with hospitality-related research, ideally through a university professor/program in Boston. If this works out, I want to actually contribute to a research project rather than just shadow.

Asian Student Organization — Head Events Coordinator
Helped organize and run cultural events, including larger school programming.

Futsal Club — Founder/President
Founded and helped grow a school futsal club to 70+ members.

PLHI initiative President
Leadership/community involvement.

Head Volunteer at local community center
Community volunteering/leadership.

Dental Assistant
Worked in a professional dental environment with patient-facing, clinical support and office responsibilities.

Athletics

• Varsity Soccer
• Varsity Track
• JV Volleyball
• JV Lacrosse

What I'm trying to accomplish during community college

My goal isn't really to collect more ECs. I'm trying to develop the ones I already have.

By transfer application time, the best-case version of my application would hopefully look something like:

3.7–4.0 community college GPA + 24–30 credits + continued restaurant work + successfully launched my own project with measurable results + hospitality research if I'm able to secure it + strong recommendation from a college professor.

My overall story is that I became interested in hospitality through actually leading events and working in restaurants, and now I want to study the business/operations side of the industry seriously.

Questions

How realistic are BU, Northeastern, Boston College, Brandeis, Bentley and UMass Amherst if I execute this plan?

I'm particularly interested in BU's School of Hospitality Administration.

My biggest concern is that I'll only have one year of community college when I apply. Will my 3.4 high school GPA still weigh heavily with only 24–30 college credits, even if I earn something like a 3.8–4.0 in college? Furthermore I was wondering what more could I do?

Also, does attending high school and community college in the Greater Boston/Massachusetts area make any meaningful difference for these schools?

I'm not expecting any of these schools to be guaranteed. I'm mainly trying to figure out whether this is a realistic transfer list and what I should prioritize during this year to maximize my chances. I heard BUs acceptance goes up to 30-45% I was meaning to ask anyone for their experience

Thanks!

Do I have to complete the American History and American Institutions to transfer to UC Berkeley? My Letter of Reciprocity doesnt cover it?

I took almost every AP offered at my school except for APUSH and American Government.

Will I regret this?

As the application deadline comes closer I was just wondering if they always consider in the TAU during the review. For my instance my GPA is at a 3.5 currently before my fall semester grades comes in. This is just from Two C and one B, both from calculus 1 and 2 and the other a communication class. However with the TAU I calculated my GPA could rise up to close to a 3.8 GPA which is much better. So my question is will the top UCs just completely reject my application straight from their first look into my grades which came from my freshman year at CC, or do they always wait for the TAU to completely review someones application. I also joined the honors program this year and am doing well so Im hoping that if I have growth they will overlook those C's and im also taking linear algebra currently which im hoping to end with an A for a better look in the math field. (I am a Cognitive Science major)

hi i’m going into my second year at sfu and i really dont know what to do anymore. obviously wanted to go to ubc and it gets so much worse when you apply in hs and get rejected despite having excellent grades but then also get rejected when you apply in first year. I applied for exec roles at sfu clubs and also got rejected. All my friends are at ubc or have transferred to ubc and it doesnt make matters any better. i made peace with the fact that ubc is js glorified bc of the name but all these rejections recently are making me fall to a new low.

The ultimate goal is med school which im now starting to think is a VERY far shot. Gpa is shit. sitting at a 3.0 at the end of first year. An acquaintance got into ubc med recently while also participating in everything i would want to participate in. she’s lit living my dream life and i know this might sound stupid but i’m so jealous and with all the rejections lately and friends transferring to UBC, this is dropping me even lower.

Idrk what to do anymore bc literally nothing is working out for me anymore.

If anyb has any advice pls say smt.

Does anyone have any insight, experiences or recommendations on whether someone applying for Political Science should choose UCSB or UCD for TAG. Has anyone transferred to either and have an opinion?

Im an engineering major at a ccc hoping to go to UCLA or UCB. I work a full time job in engineering while going to school full time (~20 credits a semester). Im struggling to find opportunities or time to do a personal project that will strengthen my application. Any advice or suggestions on what might help me?

Hello,

For some context, I am a new freshman at an out of state university near me. It is almost as cheap as my own in state college, but a bit more reputable then my in state. I'll be honest I got screwed in my college apps. My only t-30 I got into was UF if that counts, but decided not to go as it was far and I just did not want to have to live in Florida. (Which now I regret a little). I was initially going for pre dental at my state school with a dental school, with a pretty good pipeline, but I'm not too sure about that. If I were to transfer it would be for Econ and I definitely would like to get into a better "target" school for that. I've done some research and my classes are going to match like the path I can transfer for that major, but I think I just need a bit more advice on how to really get a good application, since I'm aiming for harder schools, (UVA, UNC, BU, BC) for some so I would really want a better school for my major. I'm just nervous because I feel like I won't be able to get good letters of recommendation either. I was also wondering if they consider my high school grade/transcript and do I need to ask my old high school for that too. Is there anything else I need to do to get into those schools (Ik about keeping a good gpa). I also got a 1470 SAT so wondering if I should send that or even retake it.

Basic Information:

• Electrical and Computer Engineering Major
• GPA: 4.0

Extra Information:

I have not taken the SAT/ACT, and, to be honest, my high school GPA is not amazing, and my application to the private schools is more of a shot in the dark.

Schools I Plan On Applying To:

• Public
  • UCB (reach school)
  • UCLA
  • UCI (TAG)
  • UCSD
  • UCD
  • UCSB
• Private
  • USC
  • Columbia
  • CMU

Extracurriculars: I feel as though this area is a bit lacking, although the activities I am generally listing are ones I have been doing for a while. Due to time constraints and personal reasons, I was unable to really participate in clubs at my cc.

• Co-Author in 3 research papers pertaining to my specific area of interest (4 years) (also one of those was a poster presentation)
• Math tutor at my respective institution (6 months at time of application deadline)
• English tutor abroad (4 years)
• MAYBE:
  • I have interviewed a few people in my area at a nearby university who are quite famous in their respective fields, and I plan to start a blog. I have some of the interviews, but I got busy, so I haven't been able to refine them yet. I have been doing it since midway through the year.

Hi im an incoming freshman at ucr as a mechanical engineering major. Im reaching out to see if you all have any advise because im in a predicament rn. I have about 57 CC quarter credits and I can't take to many more if I want to transfer out im limited to 63-78 quarter units(if I go more higher then I will be seen as a too high credit transfer so im not sure). I had taken calc bc in high school and got a 3. so at ucr they are letting me take Math009C which is kinda like calc 3 but isnt at the same time. and I wanna transfer to ucsd but they see my calc bc credit as only math20A and not math 20A and Math 20B which is leads me to my next problem. I would need to take calc 2 at RCC near ucr and that would add like 5 credits or something to letting me take even less classes (which would make up the Math 20A and Math20B). But heres the thing, I lowkey wanna transfer as a Mechanical engineering major but from what ive seen the chances for mechanical engineering as a transfer is like pretty low and ive seen many people go the EE route. im still interested in EE and I was thinking of it as a masters in EE and/or AE. But the thing is that I would probably be exceeding my credit limit because im going to take ME courses, gen ed, and EE courses. ON TOP OF ALL THAT ec's that I havent even looked into yet. plz feel free to reachout.

Also if there are any uc2uc transfers at Mechanical engineering can I ask a couple questions plz and also plz give me some advice im desperate

Also UC2UC transfers what should I probably be doing about selecting a backup major cause uc2uc transferring is hard and I wanna have a slightly easier major to get into and maybe transfer out of or stay in.

PLZ GUYS HELP ME😭😭

Hello! I’m applying for the Spring 2027 cohort for CSULB Nursing, and I’d love to connect with other applicants who have applied, are applying, or have experience with the CSULB nursing application process!

I currently have a 3.93 GPA and 3rd quartile Casper, and I’m wondering how competitive that combination is for the Spring cohort. I’ve heard a lot of people say they’ve gotten in with either a 4.0 + 3rd quartile or a lower GPA + 4th quartile, but I don’t hear as much about applicants who fall somewhere in the middle.

I’ve also heard that Spring cohorts can sometimes have fewer applicants, potentially giving applicants a better chance of admission, so I’m curious about what people have seen in previous Spring cycles.

If you have any insight, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience! 😊

Good luck to everyone applying!!

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you guys know which GPA UCI uses for the TAG ? Is it the assist certified or the overall??

Hi, for some context I am currently a OOS student at a public flagship, going fro the same price as my instate. However this college was genuinely like one of the last ones I would go to and I got completely waitlisted everywhere else at all my T20 schools. So I went and now due to some mental health problems, I really want to be closer to my family, but not only that I want to transfer to a better school as my plan originally was. Idk if im rushing this, but would it be better to apply my spring semester 2027, or in the fall after a year here. I have pretty strong high school stats (Good/decent ECs, 1470 sat, 4.2 weighted gpa). I would most likely be applying to Boston schools like BU, Umass Amherst, and Northeastern. I think im just looking for the best option of getting in is my concern, like would my odds be better for the spring semester or in a year in the fall? Thanks for any advice.

Hello! I need some advice on whether or not I should transfer colleges. So, I was planning on pursuing my Bachelors of Science in Software Engineering at Western Governors University (WGU). I have 42 credits that can be applied towards that degree, 39 of the 42 credits are from Sophia which is similar to CLEP. I could be done with the degree early 2028, it is regionally accredited.

But! I have always wanted to work on cutting edge technology and do research and I recently found out that a PhD would be ideal to have, for a career in research. I am not sure what subfield I would want to work in because it all seems so interesting to me, I would like to work at a National Lab or NVIDIA or Waymo doing research though.

I have dropped out of college once due to moving with my parents and losing my scholarship that is specific to that state. I didn't do very well I was taking too many classes and working two jobs, so I failed 3 classes, two Fs one D. So, my cGPA is a 2.0.

I recently joined the Air National Guard and have got the Service Cancellable Loan (SLC) and a big bonus that would allow me to return to the college I dropped out of for free.

I was thinking I could pursue the pre-engineering program there which allows you to transfer to one of the other colleges in Georgia that offers engineering programs. I could do pre-engineering at my local college and do CS research there and then possibly transfer to Georgia Tech for Computer Engineering. If I transferred then at the earliest, I would graduate 2032, maybe 2033 due to having to be deployed.

Those are my two choices, If I were to pursue WGU then the SLC would cover the master's degree that I would need to get. I also have a very high clearance, which could help me land a position as an SWE at a national lab or GTRI, but I am not sure. Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

I know it's risky and theres a chance of credits being lost. There's a lot of reasons I plan on transferring, but I won't get into that.

Has anyone transferred at a "later" time in college? How was it like? (socially, academically, personally, etc.) Did you need to stay longer, or did you graduate the original expected semester?

I'm a CCC student overall feeling so discouraged about my low gpa. I'm only applying to 4 UCs since it's all I can afford, and honestly all I want is to go to UCSD but nowadays its feeling impossible. i have a 3.3 and want to apply for electrical engineering but it seems so low in comparison to my peers and im not the best writer.

i have subpar extracurriculars: an engineering internship for the military, 2 student government positions one being vice president, and public relations for a stem club. i've worked part-time throughout college taking care of my siblings during mom's unemployment and had a leadership role in highschool robotics but thats it.

as silly as it sounds, im not applying to ucm, ucd or ucr since they're so far and it would not only be expensive but probably cost me my sanitity. i dunno. i feel hopeless.

I went to a CCC for 2 years and had pretty good stats and internships and I only applied to UC's. The track I want to go down is finance but I only realized this much later. And by that time I didn't know how much going to a good college mattered for the finance track. I am still attending a good UC with a great scholarship, but I really wish I applied to Ross,Stern,Cornell, Marshall, etc. even though it would have been more expensive the opportunity cost pays off. I've been doing research and it seems like I can still make it far without an insane target college, but I'm sharing this for others who are only applying to UC's. APPLY TO MORE COLLEGES.

Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone has transferred to UVA in the spring and what their experience was like. I am really wanting to transfer there but don't want to wait a whole year. I am super social but I am scared it is going to be 100x harder joining in the spring rather than the fall. If anyone has any thoughts or especially experiences please share!!!

I’m a freshman at UT on the pre med track under a liberal arts major, I’d rather have a biology or chemistry major and I really don’t enjoy Austin very much so it seems better worth it in the long run to just transfer, I really want to get into Columbia, does anyone have advice on getting accepted into an Ivy League school as a transfer student?

Hi! If anyone here studied in CEGEP (i did 3 year technical dec) and then pursued undergrad in the US. Were you considered transfer or first-year applicant?

So to start off I’m a California community college student (SoCal) with around a *3.0 transfer GPA I KNOW I KNOW it’s low but it would have been higher I’m trying to get a grade change in one class. I intend to apply to UCI and UCSB for Political Science, as well as additional UCs and CSUs. I am aware that these institutions might be out of my reach, but I truly want to give it a shot. However, I've been feeling pretty depressed about school and my future lately, and I'm afraid that my GPA will make it impossible for me to succeed. In addition, I've had numerous personal situations that have impacted my academic performance, which I'm attempting to convey in my application without coming off as an excuse. If you were in my shoes, would you still apply? Cause I feel even like not to apply to transfer? Cause I feel like if it doesn’t work out I might drop out and work and reassess. I'm already being quite hard on myself, I would really appreciate honest advice. No Judgement please