Timeline for transfer applicants
Please use this two-year plan to help you plan your transfer to UC Santa Cruz and meet your deadlines and milestones!
First Year—Community College
August
- Research your UC Santa Cruz major and familiarize yourself with transfer screening requirements, if any.
- Create a UC Transfer Admission Planner (TAP).
- Meet with a UC Santa Cruz representative or California Community College counselor to discuss your transfer goals and plan a UC Santa Cruz Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), available at all California community colleges.
October-November
- Oct. 1–Mar. 2: Apply for financial aid annually at studentaid.gov or dream.csac.ca.gov.
- Take a Campus Tour, and/or attend one of our Events (Check our events page in the fall – we update our calendar frequently!)
March–August
At the close of each term, update coursework and grade information on your UC Transfer Admission Planner (TAP).
Second Year—Community College
August
- Meet with a counselor to ensure you are on target with your transfer plan.
- Start your UC undergraduate application for admission and scholarships as early as August 1.
September
- Submit your UC TAG Application, September 1–30.
October
- Complete and submit the UC undergraduate application for admission and scholarships from October 1 to November 30, 2026.
- Oct. 1–Mar. 2: Apply for financial aid annually at studentaid.gov or dream.csac.ca.gov.
November
- Attend one of our many virtual and in-person events!
Your UC undergraduate application for admission and scholarships must be submitted by November 30, 2026.
December
- Log in to your Admissions Portal, and check it frequently for updates about your admission status. You may also use your Admissions Portal to make updates to your contact information.
January-February
- Jan. 31: Priority deadline to complete the Transfer Academic Update.
- Notify UC Santa Cruz of any changes in your planned coursework using your Admissions Portal.
March
- Mar. 2: Submit your Cal Grant GPA verification form.
- Mar. 31: Deadline to complete the Transfer Academic Update.
- Notify UC Santa Cruz of any dropped courses and D or F grades you receive during spring term on the Admissions Portal.
April-June
- Check your UC Santa Cruz admission status on the Admissions Portal and financial aid award on the MyUCSC Student Portal starting early April.
- If admitted, attend spring events for transfers!
- Accept your admission online on the Admissions Portal by June 1. You may accept your admission to only one UC campus.
- If you receive a waitlist invitation, you will need to opt in to the UC Santa Cruz waitlist. Please see these frequently asked questions about the waitlist process.
July
- Winter application filing period opens July 1. For more information on transferring for winter, please see our Winter Transfer Information page. Ready to apply? Go to the UC application page.
- If you are an incoming student for the fall quarter, July 1 is your transcript deadline. All transcripts are due to the UC Santa Cruz Office of Admissions from new incoming students (postmark deadline).*
* If you are a student at De Anza, Foothill, or Lake Tahoe Community College, we understand that you may not be able to meet the July 1 deadline. We ask that you submit your records as soon as all of your grades are posted.
September
- Winter quarter admission decisions appear on the Admissions portal on approximately September 15. You will also receive an email from us letting you know that decisions are ready.
October
- The deadline to accept your offer of admission for winter quarter admission via the Admissions Portal is October 15.
Best wishes on your transfer journey, and contact your UC Santa Cruz representative if you have any questions along the way!