Currently, I’m a first-year/freshman community college student in CA. I couldn’t apply to any UC’s, CSU’s, and other universities during my senior year in high school because I felt weak and unqualified because of my GPA (2.9). To this day, I still feel the same way. I have narrowed down my interests/fields/majors this year to three: Computer Science, Engineering, and Political Science. Let’s say I want to major in CS. I would love to transfer from my current CC to a UC (specifically Cal), USC, or Stanford (crazy, I know). If I proceed to apply to any of the schools mentioned, I believe I wouldn’t have a chance since I have no extracurricular activities, no community service, no club participation, etc. Because of all of those reasons, I feared college my senior year of high school, and I still do. I’m 18, and I feel like I’m wasting time. There’s still time for me to adjust my school life, but I need suggestions. What should I do right now as a CC student? How can I stand out when applying in the future? Is it possible for me to study at a prestigious university? Also, which major/interest should I choose? May God bless the people who take some time out of their day to answer 
Do as well as you can in your college courses, since how well you do in college will be the biggest factor in transfer admission. UCs and CSUs generally take only junior level transfers, but your 2.9 HS GPA will not affect your application to them since you will have enough of a college record when you apply.
Here is some transfer admission information for UCs:
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major
SJSU transfer admission thresholds can be found here:
http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/
Use http://www.assist.org to help you plan your courses to fulfill prerequisites for your intended majors and needed general education requirements.
Hey, I was in your same exact position 2 years ago. Don’t do what I did and slack off your freshman year of college at your community college. Get your act together NOW and it is extremely possible to transfer into one of those universities, after getting your AA degree. If you apply yourself and work hard, it is very possible to stay at a 4.0 GPA in a Community college. Most universities will not look at your highschool grades after being a junior level applicant. If you really want to get into one of those schools you have the rack up those A’s…but start now or it won’t be possible.
Get good grades, get involved. If your GPA is high enough, join PTK. Lots of universities have an automatic PTK scholarship (as in, if you are accepted, and are a PTK member, then boom you get $1000 scholarship or whatever) and several more have competitive PTK scholarships. Join any clubs related to your interests. If you’re PolySci, look into College Repubs/Dems, Student Government, multicultural clubs, etc. Great way to make connections and get prof/faculty recommendations too.
I was in the same exact position as you my freshman year at cc. Unfortunately, I let the sadness take over and slacked off. High school is over, you wont have to even send you hs transcript to 4 years if youre transferring as a junior. Keep your grades up and make sure you’'re only taking classes that transfer! Assist is your best friend! You are obviously the only person that can decide your major. If you’re unsure as to what major you want to pick, take classes that have to do with each major you’ve listed. That should help try to narrow it down. Take advantage of everything your cc has to offer. Colleges love stand outs. Instead of joining a club, make one. Make sure you get involved in clubs and activities that pertain to your major. Honestly the only EC’s I think matter are ones that set you apart from everyone else. Also befriending people with similar goals would help a lot. It will motivate you to work your hardest. Remember, you are only 18. You have sooo much time. You can most def. get into a great school if you put in the work.
What about doing a TAG program with a UC campus?
Warning: This response will be long. Sorry! I had a lot to say.
It’s awesome that you’re so dedicated to turning things around. Your determination will set you up on a great path to success. With that said, here is some of my advice as someone who is at a CCC and transferring next fall semester:
- Pick a major ASAP. The sooner you know, the sooner you know what classes you need to take and can plan. With STEM majors, they have a lot of prerequisites, so it's not uncommon for people choosing CompSci or Engineering to be at their CCC for three or more years than the conventional two. Knowing your major will help you reduce the amount of time at your CCC.
- Assist.org is your BFF. It can be kind of confusing to read it, however. So if you want help PM me.
- Try to take summer classes. It'll give you a head start and allow you to transfer classes. Summertime is a great way to knock out IGETC/general education classes so you can just focus on major prerequisites during the fall and spring, when more classes are offered.
- Join the Honors Program! It looks great on your application and some schools even have transfer agreements specifically for honors students. If anything, you may even get priority registration which is amazing to have since it gives you a greater chance of getting a spot in impacted classes.
- Have a backup plan. Schools such as Cal, USC, and Stanford are difficult to get into even for transfer students with 4.0 GPAs, tons of ECs, etc. The best part about going to a CCC is the ability to have a TAG agreement with one of six UC campuses (UCI, UCSB, UCD, UCSC, UCM, UCR). In the case that something doesn't work out, at least you will have another great school to go to.
- Do undergraduate research! It's one of the best ECs that you can have on your curriculum vitae. Even better if you can get published. There's a conference called HTCC which is geared towards honors community college students that allows for you to present and publish research. I presented there this weekend and it was an extremely rewarding experience.
My time at my CCC was one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences in my academic career. I did a complete 180 from the person I was in high school so it’s very much possible for you to be able to study at a prestigious university. If you have any questions/want more advice, feel free to PM me. My inbox is always open to you!
I’ve been in community college for almost 3 years now and I’m getting ready to transfer. I’d say my biggest regret is not finishing cc in the first two years which by the way is VERY possible.
Alike you I felt unqualified in high school to go to a UC or a CSU. I had a 3.0 GPA,no extra curricular activities, and I didn’t even take the SAT only the ACT which I did poorly on.
Anyways if you already know your major check on Assist.org to see what classes you have to take in order to transfer and make sure to finish your general ed. You might feel bad that you didn’t go straight to a university as I didn’t either after high school. But soon enough you’ll think of it as a good way of saving money.
Anything is possible! As long as you get good grades and all your classes! Always try to aim for A’s and B’s so you can keep your GPA up.
I’m transferring to CSULB this fall and it might not be a prestigious college but it’s something. My overall GPA isn’t as good as I hoped it would be. My GPA ended up falling because I failed a class last semester. Or else my GPA would be around a 2.9 It’s just a 2.72 which I wonder why they even admitted me.
If you have any questions on transferring I’ll gladly answer any question to the best of my ability.
I didn’t do to well in high school either. I was more worried about what I wore and how I looked my gpa was around a 1.9. I took time off after graduation and started at my local community college in 2017. Will be starting my prerequisites in Summer 2017 so I can get a head start on graduating. My goal is to get the highest GPA possible so that I can have a lot of options when it comes time to apply to Universities. I have no idea where I want to go but I am just looking around. I know I am saving a ton of money starting at a community college. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and get a second shot at getting into University. But I cannot live in the past only the present. You can do it, just keep your grades up aim for A’s & B’s so you will have a very strong GPA. Join clubs like Phi Theta Kappa they over scholarships for community college students. Just work hard don’t get distracted and try your best. I didn’t want to start at a community college but with my high school GPA I had no choice. Btw @penguinlover96 congrats on your acceptance, be happy and grateful they admitted you. I wish I could go to school in CA but with that out of state tuition I doubt it. Anyways good luck to you all on transferring to Universities.