The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

UCSB raises GPA standards for SBCC transfer applicants

Students looking to transfer to UCSB no longer put the C’s in success and those attending UCSB this fall are the first to abide by the new transfer increase, from a 3.0 to a 3.2 GPA.

The fall of 2010 is not a time that UCSB is looking to re-live. According to a January press release, they acknowledge that they had “absorbed far more freshman and transfer students this year than had been projected.”

Story continues below advertisement

For students this meant overcrowded classes, and occasionally the inability to register for required courses.

“It’s basic economics,” explained Dr. Jack Friedlander, executive vice president of educational programs at City College. “Supply and demand. And the demand has never been higher.”

Last year UCSB received a total of 58,992 applicants. This year they will admit 1,450 transfer students, 250 fewer students than last fall.

“There is a direct correlation between success at City College and success at UCSB,” said Donna Coyne, associate director of administration at UCSB.

“The higher their GPA, the better students tend to do,” said Friedlander. “Having students with higher GPA’s adds prestige to the university. It means that students graduate in a timely manner, and overall gives them a higher level of talent to work with.”

Not only are City College students encouraged to hit the books harder, but also to balance out their educational experience.

“It’s important to be well-rounded, to be involved in leadership activities that show passion, and make you unique.” Friedlander said. “Universities want students with interesting backgrounds, and leadership capacity, who can contribute to the educational experience of their peers. It’s not so much the talent itself, but putting the time in to be great at something. That’s what schools want to see.”

The common concern among City College students is trying to find the balance between extracurricular activities and maintaining an appropriate GPA.

Students such as Veronica Sotelo and Mariam Youssef, worry that the additional pressure to do well would require them to spend more money to potentially re-take classes.

“It shoots your plans down,” said Sotelo.

Both Sotelo and Youssef made the decision to attend City College immediately after high school to help prepare them for university, and to save money. Recent trends in high school graduate numbers have remained same, and in some cases even lowered, but applications to UCSB are at an all time high.

More students are opting for the City College route with the hopes to eventually transfer, making it that much more competitive for students.

Friedlander stresses that now, more than ever, it’s crucial to have a strategy.

“Students should meet with a counselor and develop an educational plan,” Friedlander said.

He encourages students to have a stretch plan, their ideal choice, followed by an alternative. Students should have a fallback plan beyond that. Most importantly, Friedlander declares, “students should pursue their dreams, that’s what’s really important.”

 

More to Discover