It’s that time of year again when GCC students prepare themselves to transfer from community college to a four-year university by the Nov. 30 deadline.

Approximately 1,200 students per academic year will transfer out of GCC to numerous universities, both in state and out of state. Ninety percent of GCC students transfer to UC or Cal State universities, according to Kevin A. Meza, director of transfer.

Meza encourages students to apply for two to five long shots, two to five moderately competitive schools, and two to five sure shot schools. In total he says that Students are also encouraged to apply to their dream school no matter the odds.

“Rejection is better than regret,” Meza said.

Customarily, for the majority of UC schools, a 2.8 GPA will make the student a competitive applicant but they can possess as low as a 2.4 GPA and still be considered, according to transfer center counselor, Nahal Ghodousi. For Cal State universities, a 2.0 GPA is needed for application.

The best way to prepare for transfer is by starting early, Meza said, by getting involved with college activities, moving away from home and getting familiar with the financial aid process.

For transfer applicants, each university will request different ways to go about applying. The UC and CSU applications are done online through the university website while USC and some out of state schools use the one-stop common application website.

“It’s never too early to start asking about transfer,” Ghodousi said.

“The thing that we do differently than counselors is talk about strategy with our students,” she said. “I like to call us strategists because we are working with students to figure out what the best strategy would be to get them into their dream school.”

Students also have access to GCC’s transfer center online. This helps with particular questions about certain articulation agreements, workshop dates, deadlines and other logistical questions that may arise.

There are application fee waivers for Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), or need-based students.

EOPS students are entitled to four free applications for UC universities and for Cal State universities. To see if you qualify, please see the transfer center.

The application deadline for UC and Cal State universities is Nov. 30 while USC’s is Feb. 1.

Extended hours at the transfer center are now being offered to help students along as the application deadlines crawl closer.

“We’ll have some resources focused on the UC and CalState application until Nov. 30, so it’s not too late to apply now,” Meza said. “Take a breath and know you can do it. For students transferring in the future, there is still time to make strategic plans to become a stronger applicant.”

They also offers workshops specifically geared toward informing students who interested in applying to schools such as UCs, Cal State’s and USC.

The transfer center is located in the San Rafael building on the second floor and can be reached at 818-240-1000 ext. 5442.