IRVINE : Transfer Requests at UCI Increase 18%

Encouraging high school students to complete introductory classes at a community college before transferring to UC Irvine appears to be paying off.

As of last Monday, UCI has received 3,742 transfer applications from students at community colleges and four-year universities, an 18% increase from the same time last year, said Susan Wilbur, special assistant for enrollment management. The increase probably will allow UCI to meet its fall goal of admitting 1,150 students with prior college experience. Last year, the campus fell below that goal by about 200 students, she said.

Students transferring from other colleges are easier to accommodate because they have completed beginning courses and are ready to enroll in more specialized, less crowded classes, she said.

Overcrowding at UCI has forced the university to reject qualified high school graduates because not enough freshman seats were available. Introductory courses at UCI typically are full, with students sometimes spilling into the aisles during the fall quarter.

In response, the university has been encouraging qualified freshmen to complete one or two years at a community college, after which time they are guaranteed acceptance by UCI.

The higher number of transfer students this summer may reflect the success of that program, said Juel Lee, director of transfer student services. The increase probably also is due to UCI’s effort to work with local community colleges to create an easy bridge between those schools and UCI, he said. Not only has UCI been encouraging qualified students to attend a community college first but UCI and community college counselors have also instituted formal programs to guide students intending to transfer, Lee said.

“We don’t want to lose those people,” he said.

Eight of 10 community colleges serving UCI have set up Transfer Centers to provide information and counseling about the University of California and California State University campuses, Lee said. UCI also set up its ZOT! program--Zero-in On Transferring--last year to provide counseling to community colleges students.