I’m going to be an incoming student at UC Riverside with a Pre-Business major. I really want to transfer to ucla since it’s closer to home, and the weather is cooler. I want to get into ucla with business econ. any ideas on what I should do with my time at ucr to increase my chances of transfering?
To increase your chances of transferring, you should forgo UCR and go to your local CC.
However, if you are dead set to go to UCR, you should get the absolute highest grades possible. Biz econ is impacted at UCLA : https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr/Tr_Prof14_mjr.htm#LS
You should use assist.org (choose any CC) to know what pre reqs you need to complete to be eligible to transfer. You’ll have to guess at what will suffice, since there aren’t any UC-UC transfer plans on assist.
Also, you’ll need to make sure you complete your lower divs at UCR so that you can get your letter of UC Reciprocity (meaning your GEs are completed). If you went to a CC, it would be called IGETC.
http://universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/degrees-awarded-data
If you play around with that page a bit, you can find where UCLA grads came from. In 2013, 119 of the 7000+ grads came from another UC, 18 came through a CSU and 2700 came through a CC. So, it happens but, it is relatively rare. The most common path, by a long shot .is freshman admission followed by CC.
Not to be a downer but, your odds of transferring into UCLA are pretty slim regardless of the path you take. Their overall transfer admit rate is similar to their freshman admit rate - meaning you’ll have lots of competition. Depending on the major you apply for, you’ll need just the right classes and a 3.6+ GPA and some interesting ECs to be a serious candidate. That is a tall order, even at a CC.
Another thing to think about, you will need solid grades to transfer to any UC - UCR included. The bar seems to get higher every year, one bad semester and you might not even make it back there.
As long as you can afford it, head to straight to UCR. Don’t think of it as a 2 year stop. To have the ‘college experience’ you need to really engage in the school, make the most of your time there, (it will go by quickly). Join clubs, Fraternity, IM sports teams and such. Apply to transfer as a JR and see what happens - just understand it is a long shot. For UCLA in particular, it won’t change your odds much.