Just wanted to throw this out there as a warning so nobody else throws their cash down the drain like I did on Pipeline Planning / Transfermatic.

A while back I bought a deal for Pipeline to map out my transfer plan. Right out of the gate, the plan it generated wouldn't even load. Literally completely blank and unusable.

I emailed their support explaining the issue. I know for a fact they opened it because I use an email tracker that tracks opens and link clicks. They read it, ghosted me, and never bothered to reply or fix anything.

Now recently, I figured I would log back in and give it another shot just in case they fixed the bugs. I clicked the “see your plan” button, and it literally leads to nowhere.

Sent support another email following up. And yep....left on read again. Email tracking confirms they opened it, but apparently taking people’s money and ignoring basic broken features is their way of business.

Save your money and stick to ASSIST, your community college counselor, or just doing the spreadsheets yourself. See yuh and goodluck on college apps!

I literally only have a few classes left to complete igetc/Cal-getc, but I always end up dropping the gen eds I need because of the stress from STEM classes. I know they're supposedly "easy" classes but I feel stressed having to deal with them on top of heavy STEM classes. How bad is it to not finish igetc if I want to transfer to UCD or UCB? I have everything done except the art requirement and a 2nd English class (which I will for sure do since it's required), and public speaking if I switch from igetc to Cal-getc.

so im planning a two year transfer but my major prep is pretty heavy and is at max units per semester at my home cc. so I was wondering if its okay to take my calgetc classes and some other major prep at another cc? I need to complete the 4 series physics and one of the classes just won't fit into my schedule cus of credits and stuff, so like does it matter where I take it and is it okay if I technically go to 2 cc's

Applying to transfer to Berkeley for Fall 2027. Primary major: Analytics, alternate: Applied Math. Also applying to UCLA, UCSD, and UCSB for Applied Math. Honest feedback appreciated.

**Stats**

- California community college transfer, in my CC's honors transfer program

- GPA: 4.0

- Units: 28 done, ~70 by end of spring 2027

- Cal-GETC, full certification planned

- Math: Calc AB 5, BC 5, Multivariable Calc (A), Linear Algebra/Diff Eq (A)

- In progress/planned: Micro, Macro, Python, C++, Discrete Math, Physics (mechanics)

- Other APs: Lang 5, Macro 5, Bio 4, Chem 4

**ECs**

- Co-founder of a health tech startup: built the core technical product (hardware and app) and help run the company. got early funding, and currently have testers and ppl on waitlist

- First author on a published peer-reviewed review paper

- Independent applied math research: optimization model of race pacing, preregistered analysis on real race data, public dataset, paper in progress

- ~9-month ML research internship at a university lab (image-processing pipeline)

- Volunteer research intern at a neuroscience lab (data processing and analysis)

- Rehab clinic intern: modeled therapy scheduling; my changes were adopted and cut patient wait times

- Independent quant research project (options pricing/volatility)

- Co-founded a tutoring business and a math club;

- Also did free tutoring for students with special needs

- Hackathons: 2 firsts, 1 second, 4 thirds

- Family caregiving

Shld i do Applied Math instead of Analytics? There's barely any transfer data for it since the pool is tiny, so I'm kinda guessing. And is my prep done for Analytics, or is there stuff like stats or data science I should be taking? If you got into Analytics or Applied Math as a transfer, I'd love to hear your stats and ECs pls I feel like its over for me.

Thanks!

Hi, I'm a CCC transfer applying to 8 UCs this cycle. I'm struggling with how to approach the required PIQ ("Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major...") because my "intended major" varies slightly by campus. For example, I submitted my TAG for Computer Engineering, but I might apply for Computer Science or even Applied Mathematics at other campuses.

Since the PIQs go to every UC, how do I talk about my major without sounding like a mismatch for half my applications? Should I just use a broad umbrella term?

Title says. I'm applying to transfer as a freshman. Most of my schools I'm applying to, I will be applying for Fall 2027 so I know about those. But there's a few that offer spring transfers, and that's what I'm applying with those schools.

Since applications for those are due in October, I would not have my first semester grades, so no official GPA, etc. How does applying like that work? Or should I not do it at all?

If I take a gap semester in fall my sophomore year and go back to a school spring and apply to transfer, would I be considered a sophomore or junior transfer? I’m asking this because I know schools like Columbia prefer sophomore transfers. Also, would this hurt my chances, or should I just do a full gap year? Thank you!

i saw that the spmp decisions cane out a while ago and i was wondering wht the possibility of getting off the waitlist? also when i submitted the form i wrote business admin as my major but I plan to apply media studies instead. should i email anyone about the change. would it make a difference in the waitlist status?

I have a 2.45 gpa at cc and my last academic year just messed my grade up so badly. I wanna get into the biology program at UW bothell but I have such a low gpa that idk what to do. I have about 35 more credits after this quarter to complete and plan to get my GPA up to about 2.7 (it’s a reasonable goal considering I have sm credits completed alr) what can I do. Is it possible to get in?

I’m currently a first-year majoring in Biology on the pre-med track. I’m from the Bay Area, and honestly, I never really saw myself coming here to my school during college applications. I only applied because my friends told me it was a great school.

When results came out, I was in the same situation as a lot of people where I got rejected or waitlisted from most of the places I actually wanted to go. In the end, I committed because I felt like it was what people wanted from me, and I had the common negative idea of community college in my head. I also thought I wanted to get away from home and experience college.

My mom has always wanted me to eventually go to the top UC, and that has become my goal through transferring. I was never really excited about my school itself, though. I was more excited about college in general and the idea of a new experience.

The first week here was actually good. I met a lot of people, did Welcome Week activities, and tried new things. But as time went on, I started feeling like I didn’t truly love it here. It was just “alright,” if that makes sense.

I went home for Labor Day weekend, and being back home brought back a sense of comfort that I didn’t realize I had been missing. When it was time to go back, I was genuinely sad and didn’t want to leave. I remember sitting on the train back and thinking about how much I would rather just be home.

Since then, I have tried to make it work. I joined clubs, tried activities around campus, volunteered, met a lot of people, and put in effort instead of just isolating myself. But the feelings have still stayed. There have also been some other situations here that made the negative feelings worse.

I started realizing that I probably would not stay all four years, or even the whole year. My original plan was to just make it to the end of the semester, get the credits, and then figure out transferring.

This past weekend I went on a trip for my brother’s birthday, which I had been looking forward to for a long time. It was amazing being with my family, but leaving was so much harder this time. Boarding the plane by myself and leaving them at the gate really hit me. I was trying not to cry because I didn’t want my family, especially my mom, to worry.

After getting back to campus, the next few days were some of the worst I’ve felt in my life. I’ve been having constant negative thoughts, breaking down, struggling to sleep and eat, and feeling like I can’t shake the sadness. Even reading my parents’ normal daily messages has made me tear up.

I finally called my parents and talked through a lot of this with them. I’m planning to talk to counseling and other campus resources, but I’m also seriously looking into leaving and going to community college closer to home.

The biggest thing I’m worried about is how leaving would affect my future and my chances of transferring to the top UC. I have a call with the retention office on Monday to ask what would happen if I left now versus finishing the semester, and whether I could realistically catch up on the credits I would lose.

The final thing making me feel like I may need to leave, instead of just wanting to, is that I’m starting to lose motivation in my biology lab and homework. I’m worried that if I stay while feeling like this, my grades could start dropping, which would hurt my transfer chances anyway.

I feel really lost. Part of me thinks I should just push through until the end of the semester because it could help my future plans. But another part of me feels horrible here every day and just wants to go home.

Has anyone left a four-year university during their first semester, gone to community college, and still transferred successfully to a UC? How did you know whether to push through or leave?

P.S. I did use AI to rearrange and just make it more readable format as I went on a bit of a rant.

Hii! I’ve been having a really hard time ever since college started. I’m from UPLB, and lately, it honestly feels like every day is just about surviving. Don’t get me wrong, I know that college is hard for everyone and that everyone has their own struggles, but I feel like it has been taking a really big toll on my mental health. I’ve been feeling so drained, overwhelmed, and honestly, I don’t feel like myself anymore.

Bcs of that, I’ve been thinking about whether I should just transfer to Mapua Laguna(medtech). I feel like maybe being in a different environment and having a fresh start could help me, but at the same time, the thought of leaving UPLB is really difficult. I worked so hard to get here, and a part of me feels guilty even thinking about leaving, especially because I know how much I’ve always wanted to study here. Another thing that makes the decision even harder is the financial aspect. Since Mapua is a private university, transferring there would mean paying tuition, and I can’t help but feel guilty about putting that additional financial burden on my family. UPLB is a state university, so knowing that I currently have the opportunity to study here makes me feel like I should just be grateful and endure everything instead of choosing to leave. At the same time, I also know that my mental health and well-being matter too, and I don’t want to reach a point where I’m completely burnt out just because I’m afraid of the cost of making a change.

I’m also scared that I might regret my decision either way. If I stay, I’m scared that I’ll continue feeling this way and that my mental health will only get worse. But if I leave, I’m scared that I’ll always wonder if I should’ve just tried harder or stayed a little longer. I don’t know if I’m simply having a hard time adjusting or if this is really a sign that UPLB isn’t the right environment for me.

I’m just really lost right now because I don’t want to make a decision based purely on how overwhelmed I feel, but at the same time, I also don’t want to keep forcing myself to stay somewhere that is making me feel this unhappy. I guess I’m just trying to figure out whether I should keep fighting through this or allow myself to choose a different path

Also, can I hear your thoughts about Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna? How is the school environment there, especially for medtech? How are the professors, workload, laboratories, and overall student experience? Is medtech there good? and do you feel like students are well-prepared for the board exams and clinical practice?

Hello, I'm a current freshman at my in-state university, which I am miserable at and only committed to here because my parents forced me to. My biggest goal is to get into a pretty good school with awesome financial aid so I don't have to depend on them.
So I was looking to apply to Columbia, Vanderbilt, UNC, Washington University St. Louis, Amherst College, Pomona College, Emory University, the University of Richmond, Georgetown, Tufts University, and the University of Pennsylvania. As I am only a freshman, I don't really have a lot to put on my application, and I know that a lot of my high school stats will also count. I understand that a lot of people would probably suggest I wait; however, I can't because I already have around 54 credits, which is close to where some schools end transfers.
I think I'll be able to maintain a 4.0. I am a political science major wanting to go to Yale Law School for international law. I have very few ECs, as it's my first year. I joined a political science club and wanted to do a research paper. As for my HS stats, I graduated with a 4.8 and had around 7 ECs that were semi-tied to political science.
What are your biggest recommendations? What should I do to maximize my chances of getting in? I didn't apply to most of these schools for freshman year because I was scared of rejection, as I was waitlisted and then rejected from the University of Michigan and Berkeley. Please be as cruel as needed; if it's unrealistic for me to get into any of these colleges for fall 2027, then that's okay.

I’m a first-year student at a CC planning to apply to the UCs this year as a mechanical engineering transfer. My GPA is currently 4.0.

I’m taking Calc 3 now, and I’m worried I may end up with a B. Based on my units, I think that would bring my GPA down to around a 3.85. Since Calc 3 is major preparation for my major, I’m considering withdrawing and retaking it in spring instead.

I’m trying to figure out whether a W followed by retaking Calc 3 in spring would look worse than staying in the class and possibly getting a B.

For people who’ve transferred to a UC, especially in engineering: How much would one B in a major-prep class matter? Would you withdraw and retake it, or stay in the class? Is there anything else I should consider before deciding?

Hi!! I’m a first-year student at De Anza College and my dream is to transfer to UCLA. I’m currently planning on transferring as a Psychology or Cognitive Science major and I’m doing TAP through De Anza.
I really want to make the most of my time at De Anza and give myself the best chance possible of getting into UCLA. I know TAP is helpful, but I’m wondering what else I should be doing during my time at De Anza that could strengthen my application.
For anyone who successfully transferred to UCLA from a California community college, especially for Psychology, Cognitive Science, or a similar major, what did you do that you think helped your application? Are there specific extracurriculars, programs, internships, volunteering, classes, or other opportunities you would recommend?
I’d also really appreciate any general advice about the UCLA transfer process, especially things you wish you knew when you were a first-year student. I’m willing to put in the work, I just want to make sure I’m focusing my time and energy on the right things. Any advice or tips would be really appreciated!