More and more international students are discovering that beginning their Bachelor degrees at any one of the California Community Colleges is an excellent way to gain admission into one of the prestigious Universities of California.
Canadian Student Magazine spoke with Brian Davey, an International Student Advisor at Diablo Valley College (DVC) in the San Francisco Bay area. Brian shares with us his expertise and insights on the state’s colleges and university transfer opportunities.
CSM: The University of California is a prestigious name in education. How has it achieved this status?
BD: The University of California, or UC as it is often called, is actually one university with ten campuses located throughout the state. Many of the UCs are well-known, especially UC Berkeley and UCLA, which are always in the top ten of any international university ranking. UC San Francisco, a leading medical research university, is considered one of the best medical schools in the world. The other UCs – UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz – also feature quite high in the international rankings of universities.
Among all ten UC campuses there are over 150 areas of studies, with more departments ranked in the top ten than at any other public or private university in the US. Given this, a degree from UC opens doors, both academic and professional, for its graduates.
CSM: Given the prestige of the University of California, is it difficult for a Canadian student to be admitted into first year?
BD: It is very difficult. The University of California is a public university and must give admission priority to the top California high school graduates. While all the UCs admit freshman students (first year students) from outside of California, they make up only 2% of the first year population.
CSM: So, how can I increase my chances of studying at UC?
BD: There is a much better chance of being admitted and graduating from UC if you start your studies at a California Community College (CCC). To transfer from a two-year Californian community college to a four-year university is often referred to as the 2+2 system: 2 years at a CCC + 2 years at UC = Bachelor Degree. Community college transfer students receive the same degree as if they had studied all four years at UC.
CSM: What is the guarantee of being admitted into a UC after completing two years at a CCC?
BD: Several UCs have an agreement called the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), exclusively for California community college students who wish to transfer to UC. This means that when you complete at least 60 credits – typically two academic years – and you achieve the required grade point average and admission requirements, you can be guaranteed a place at one of the UC campuses.
CSM: But I can still apply to UC Berkeley or UCLA, right?
BD: Absolutely! Over 22% of UC Berkeley students and 31% of UCLA students are transfer students. Given that CCC transfer students are given first priority, the vast majority of transfer students come from CCCs.
CSM: Do the CCCs only have TAGs with the University of California?
BD: The CCCs also have transfer agreements with the California State Universities, such as San Francisco State University, San Diego State and San José State University. In addition, many CCCs have transfer agreements with private universities, such as the University of Southern California, the University of San Francisco and the University of the Pacific.
CSM: What are the other advantages of studying at a CCC?
BD: Starting your degree at a CCC will save you a great deal of money. You can estimate that the current tuition fees at a CCC are just over USD 5,000 per academic year for a full-time student per academic year – not a lot, given that some universities can cost up to four times as much. So starting your degree at a community college can mean a huge cost savings. Another advantage is that at a CCC there are fewer students in each of your classes than at most UCs. The average class size at a CCC ranges from 25-35 students.
CSM: What are the academic entry requirements for admission to a CCC?
BD: Under the open admissions policy at all the CCCs, basically, you must be a high school graduate or at least 18 years old. Yes, it may sound too good to be true, but part of the mission of the CCCs is to allow most people access to higher education and also offer an affordable pathway to a college degree.
A common misconception is that only students who did not get into a good university go to a community college. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Many prominent journalists, business leaders and scientists started their university degree at a community college. Some the best-known community college alumni include Calvin Klein, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Also, the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, started his studies at a CCC.
There are approximately 11.6 million students enrolled in Community Colleges in the US, accounting for 46% of all of the undergraduates in the US and 45% of freshmen students
(www.aacc.nche.edu).
CSM: Are the classes I will be taking at a community college less rigorous than a comparable course at UC?
BD: Don’t be fooled by the open admissions policy. Your courses will be challenging and on the same level as any comparable course at UC.
CSM: Academically and financially, it sounds like studying at a community college in California is a good choice for students from Canada and around the world. Any further comments?
BD: There are a lot of study choices out there and the community college route may not be the best study option for all students; but I can tell you from a personal point of view, it certainly worked for me.
Since I had no idea what I wanted to study and thought it would be impossible to get accepted to a UC, I decided the best thing would be to take a year off, which I did, and work to save some money. After a few months I quickly realized that without a university degree I was not going to go far in life. So I enrolled in DVC in my hometown of Pleasant Hill, and after two years at the college I was admitted to UC Berkeley. Without the opportunity to start my degree at a community college, I would have never been admitted into UC Berkeley.
CSM: Hey….isn’t DVC where you work now?
BD: You are quite right. Who would have known then that I would end up working for a community college in my hometown? I certainly feel like I am qualified!
CSM: You certainly are. Thank you for your time.
BD: Thank you; my pleasure.
Contact Brian Davey:
brianjondavey@gmail.com
Useful websites:
Diablo Valley College
UC Transfer Information
American Association of Community Colleges
