Transfer applications for the California State University and University of California systems are officially open on Oct. 1 with a deadline of Dec. 1, and Mt. SAC’s Transfer Center is geared up to assist hopeful students.

Mt. SAC’s Transfer Center, located in building 9B on the second floor, serves as the students best resource for preparing students to transfer to a CSU or UC campus.

Typically for CSUs, admission is mostly a numbers game that is dependent on GPA and required coursework. While the CSU website has information for upper-division transfer generally, certain campuses may have different requirements.

For the CSU system, transfer specialist Krystle Bybee said, “Because it is a numbers game, with some schools it really comes down to strength of GPA. But almost more importantly, I would say, is having the required classes.

While admissions can be offered when minimum GPAs are met, students also need to ensure they are paying attention to correctly filling out the application.

“Mistakes on the application cause GPAs to be miscalculated, units to be miscalculated, or for it to appear that an applicant does not have certain requirements, when they really do have them”, said Bybee.

When it comes to UC applications, students should expect more rigor and variety in the application process. The personal insight questions PIQ function as typical “college application essays”, with the UC application having one question all students must answer and the choice to write three out of the seven other questions up to each student.

Bybee’s advice when answering the PIQs is to answer “as directly and clearly” as possible, and to ensure that “you’re telling the reader exactly what you want them to know. Because they are not going to make assumptions” about the thousands of applications they receive.

For first-semester Mt. SAC students planning to transfer in the coming years, the best course of action is to “Be curious, investigate, and ask questions. Meet with a counselor to make an education plan, and explore your options”. On top of offering video tutorials and appointments, the Transfer Center offers a variety of events that can be found on the Transfer Center Website that address specific programs and campuses.