Details on the transfer process from City College of San Francisco to CSU?

I am looking into transferring from City College of San Francisco to a CSU and would like to know about the required steps and considerations. Any advice or experiences related to transfer pathways would be super helpful!

The transfer process from City College of San Francisco (CCSF) to California State University (CSU) involves several steps you'll need to take, along with key considerations to keep in mind.

First, you'll need to acquire enough college-level credits to reach transfer student status. For most CSU campuses, this is typically 60 semester or 90 quarter units. These need to include what are known as the "Golden Four" requirements, as required by both CSU and University of California (UC) systems. These are a college-level writing course, a course in Oral Communication, a course in Critical Thinking, and a Math course that meets the requirements of Quantitative Reasoning.

Furthermore, as a part of the California public college system, CCSF and CSU work under the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) agreement. This guarantees admission for students transferring from California community colleges to CSU campuses. If you complete an associate degree for transfer at City College of San Francisco, you are guaranteed admission to a CSU.

However, the ADT agreement only fully guarantees admission to a CSU in a similar major, not necessarily to a particular campus. A high demand for certain campuses and majors can make admission more competitive. So while the ADT guarantees admission into a CSU, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee your first choice of campus or major.

You'll also need to send official transcripts from all the colleges you've attended to the CSU you're applying to. This includes high school transcripts, AP or IB score reports, and transcripts from other colleges or universities.

For the application process itself, you’ll use the Cal State Apply website. For most CSUs, the application window for the Fall semester is October 1 to November 30, and for the Spring semester, it's August 1 to August 31.

Lastly, remember to seek out financial aid opportunities. Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) if you're eligible to determine your financial aid package. You might also want to look into scholarships provided by CSU or external sources.

One last thing to consider is that for the 2024-2025 application cycle, the CSU system is test-blind, which means your SAT/ACT scores will not be considered in the admission process.

It's always best to meet with a counselor at CCSF or the CSU you're interested in to best understand the transfer process and tailor it to your needs and goals. They can help you make sure you're taking the correct classes and meeting all the requirements.