Siena's Command Center ✨Class of 2027 🎓

Transfer Planning

The 2+2 play. 🎓

Two years at a community college → transfer into UCSB, Cal Poly, or CLU. Save serious money and still graduate with a top-name degree.

Santa Barbara City College
→
UC Santa Barbara — Psychological & Brain Sciences

UC TAG + ADT-Psychology

Savings

≈ $60–80K vs 4-yr direct

GPA target

3.4+ GPA (TAG guarantees at 3.4 for Psych)

Prereq classes

  • • PSY 100 Intro
  • • PSY 150 Statistics
  • • PSY 200 Research Methods
  • • BIOL 100/101
  • • English 110 + 111
  • • Math 117 or higher

Timeline

  1. Fall 2027Enroll SBCC · file TAG intent · meet transfer counselor
  2. Spring 2028Finish English + Math sequence · start Psych core
  3. Summer 2028Bank a GE class · research internships
  4. Fall 2028Submit UC TAG (Sept) + UC application (Nov)
  5. Spring 2029Finish ADT · confirm UCSB admit
SBCC has the strongest UCSB pipeline in the region. Free-tuition Promise for CA residents (first 2 years).
Ventura College
→
California Lutheran University — Psychology (private)

CLU Transfer Partnership + guaranteed admission at 2.75 GPA

Savings

≈ $60K + up to $22K/yr transfer scholarship

GPA target

2.75+ (guaranteed) · 3.5+ for Presidential $$

Prereq classes

  • • PSY V01 Intro
  • • PSY V07 Statistics
  • • PSY V11 Research
  • • English V01A + V01B
  • • Bio V01

Timeline

  1. Fall 2027Meet CLU transfer advisor · declare Psych path
  2. Spring 2028Finish English + Stats
  3. Fall 2028Apply to CLU (Nov) + FAFSA (Oct)
  4. Spring 2029Complete transfer coursework · confirm CLU admit
Great option only if she wants to stay closer. Watch that CLU is in Thousand Oaks — user flagged 'not Ventura/LA County' as home base, but living on-campus at CLU can still work.
Cuesta College (SLO)
→
Cal Poly SLO — Psychology

Cuesta Promise + CSU ADT-Psychology

Savings

≈ $50K vs 4-yr direct

GPA target

3.5+ (Cal Poly is competitive even ADT)

Prereq classes

  • • PSYCH 201A Intro
  • • PSYCH 202 Stats
  • • PSYCH 232 Research
  • • ENGL 201A + 201B
  • • BIOL 205 or 206

Timeline

  1. Fall 2027Cuesta Promise enrollment · declare ADT
  2. Spring 2028Finish Stats + Research · shadow SLO psych labs
  3. Fall 2028Apply Cal Poly (Oct 1–Nov 30)
  4. Spring 2029Finish ADT · Cal Poly decision
Cuesta ↔ Cal Poly is walkable — she can start feeling like a SLO student on day one.

Why consider transfer at all?

  • • Psychology → PhD path is 8+ years total; a debt-light bachelor's makes grad school possible.
  • • CA Community College Promise = 2 free years of tuition for CA residents.
  • • Same UC / Cal Poly degree on the diploma — no asterisk.
  • • More time to figure out Forensic Psych vs Clinical vs Research before spending private-college money.