I am trying to figure out the timeline for UC transfer for S26. He has several AP classes.
He plans on majoring in Environmental Science, I am looking at the requirement for UCSB and he meets most of the requirements for Environmental Studies BS.
Here’s what he’s taken already.
Calculus BC 4,Environmental Science 5,US History 4, World History: Modern 5
He is also planning on taking the following AP exams this year.
Biology, Chemistry, English Literature and Composition, Microeconomics, Statistics, US Government and Politics
So assuming he gets 4 and 5s on these exams I am trying to figure out the following.
1. Can he transfer after a year ?
2. Should he start taking classes at CC right after HS in the summer ?
3. Would his GPA count only classes at CSM or his HS and AP grades ? For TAG how do they calculate the GPA ?
4. Could he also try and transfer to UCLA/UCSD at the same time as TAG next year ? Since they are not part of TAG.
5. Should he apply to CC right now for next year before he receives an answer from the UCs ?
I’m confused; is he at the high school now, or at a CC?
Did he meet these requirements??
TAG is offered for the fall term only. To TAG, you must submit an online TAG application from September 1-30 and the UC application for undergraduate admission from October 1 - December 1.
Fall 2026 TAG Requirements
Full details are posted on the UCSB TAG 2026 PDF. For quick reference, here are some of the most important TAG requirements:
Have 30 UC-transferable semester (45 quarter) units completed by prior to TAG submission
Have a 3.4 cumulative UC-transferable GPA by the end of fall 2025
Have at least one UC-M course completed by the end of fall 2025
Have the first UC-E requirement completed by the end of fall 2025, the second must be completed by the end of spring 2026
Submit a UC application to UCSB with the same major as your TAG application
Meet major preparation requirements for all Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Economics, Mathematics, and Physics majors
Have at least 60 semester (90 quarter) transferable units completed by the end of spring 2025 with no more than 19 units needed in spring term to meet the minimum 60 semester/90 quarter unit requirement.
I’m assuming you’re a full pay family.
I’m assuming he is not enrolled currently at a community college?
From what I understood, in order to apply for TAG, you had to be a registered student at a community college where the TAG is offered. From what I also understood, your community college tag advisor works with you prior to that submission.
Trying to backdoor into UCLA or UCSD by transferring twice, is a huge assumption. Each UC picks and chooses which AP scores they will accept as prerequisites to upper level coursework.
With our daughter and her AP coursework, she was able to change her level of status from freshman to sophomore but she still had to take college level coursework in those areas to complete general Ed requirements. The APs covered prerequisite courses for the main level of courses. In other words, the elite UCs wanted the students to take their courses on their campuses. Otherwise why bother to go to the UC?
He is currently a senior in high school, so trying to figure out if he doesn’t get into the UCs he likes and wants to TAG, could he do it in one year given the AP classes he has and will take. There won’t be any 2x transfer, just going to a UC after CC. But UCLA and UCSD do not participate in TAG so he would just be a normal CC to UC transfer for those schools.
The most successful 1 year transfers have a combination of AP/IB and DE credit taken while in HS. AP credit alone makes the 1 year transfer and TAG difficult since the applicant has no grades to submit or a minimal number of grades with only summer session grades/units completed at time of the TAG submission and Fall grades are not reported until the TAU (Transfer Academic Update) in January. Also he needs to be meet the 30 semester/45 quarter units completed by end of Summer for TAG.
TAG GPA will be calculated based on the Community college courses only since AP course grades are not considered in the UC Transfer GPA.
An applicant can TAG to one of the 6 UC campuses but can also apply to the rest of the UC campuses as a regular transfer.
Your son can apply to a CC during Senior year of HS as a backup and just not attend if he gets admitted to his choice UC.
He should use assist.org and figure out a tentative schedule starting with Summer session to see if this plan is feasible to complete for TAG submission and matriculation by Spring 2027.
TAG is an automatic program, if he meets all the requirements he will be accepted via TAG. Print out the pdf given earlier and go thru it line by line, checking off each as you are sure they are met. The toughest hurdle is likely the requirement he must have 30 UC-transferable semester (45 quarter) units completed by prior to TAG submission, this is the AP credit plus any classes he takes at a CCC this summer.
A bonus of the 1-year transfer is it appears he can spend 3 more years at the UC since they say
Students who enter UC with AP credit do not have to declare a major earlier than other students, nor are they required to graduate earlier. AP credits | UC Admissions
As explained by @Gumbymom the other UCs may be more difficult for non-TAG admission after 1 year because he won’t have much of a record for them to judge his college performance. So while the only penalty for applying to them is the time spent on the applications, I’d put most of my hope in the TAG application.