Transfer students on waitlists for UCs, CSUs

Funding for California's higher education systems have been dramatically reduced in recent years, and community college transfer students are now feeling the pain.
For the first time ever, waitlists have been established at seven of the University of California campuses. Waitlisting is also in effect at almost all of the 23 CSU campuses.
Because they cannot accommodate all eligible students, campuses have raised admission standards.

So what is a waitlisted Citrus College transfer student to do?

Justina Rivadeneyra, Citrus College Career and Transfer coordinator offers this advice.

Q: What are waitlists at CSU and UC campuses?  How do they work?
A: In order to manage enrollment at both the CSU and UC campuses, both systems of higher education have established admission waitlists. 

The number of students applying to the campuses has dramatically increased, yet significant loss of funding has forced campuses to reduce the number of students they can accommodate. 

Waitlists allow the campuses more flexibility in meeting enrollment numbers without over enrolling. 

To control enrollment numbers, campuses were forced to implement higher standards to admission criteria. Out-of-area applicants have to complete for what is left.  Out-of-area applicants must have considerably higher GPA's than priority service area applicants based on regional impaction criteria. 

Non-local students at CSUF were only granted admission if they had a 3.7 GPA or higher.  Anyone outside of the service area with a 3.69-3.00 GPA was put on a waitlist. They can no longer accommodate all eligible students.

Although this might be a solution to control enrollment numbers at the universities, it surely isn't favorable for students. 

Waitlisted students are notified of admission at different times.  When they are notified depends on the deadline the school has set for admitted students to respond to the admission offers. 

For instance, San Diego State University required admitted students to submit their Intent to Register Form by May 1.  Some UC campuses did not notify students about their admission until mid May and had a deadline to respond to the offer by June 1. 

To save your spot at SDSU, a student needed to submit a non-refundable deposit of $400.  If they found out mid May they were also admitted to UCLA and decided to take that offer instead, the student forfeits his/her $400 deposit to SDSU.  The amount of deposit and date to submit responses to campuses differs.  Having different deadlines to submit "intent to register" forms is unfair to students and puts them in an awkward situation, especially in these tough economic times.

Most waitlists are rank-ordered according to GPA.  The CSU and UC systems will be admitting students according to GPA from the highest to lowest, until capacity is reached.

There is no fee to be on the waitlist, but if you are admitted, you might be given a short time to respond before they move on to the next student.

At CSUF, students offered admission that were previously on a waitlist have two weeks to respond to the offer of admission. Again, this can be a disadvantage for students who are still waiting to hear from their first choice campus.

UCs don't have to notify students on a waitlist until after June 1.  This is the same deadline they set for all admitted students to accept or reject the offer of admission. 
CSUs all have different deadlines to reply to an admission offer.  They will be admitting students on waitlists at different times.

Q: Is there anything waitlist students can do in the meantime?
A: If students are put on a waitlist, they should submit a deposit and an Intent to Register Form to a campus that has offered them admission. 

Don't count on admission if you are on a waitlist.  Plan for the worst and hope for the best. 

If the student gains admission to their first choice campus after submitting a deposit at a less-desired school, they can simply withdraw their offer.  The worst that can happen is the student forfeits his/her deposit.

I would recommend a student to write a letter of support to the admissions office at the campus they have been waitlisted by. 

We had a student with a 3.67 GPA that was waitlisted at CSUF.  Her major was human services.  Only three CSU campuses offer this major.

I was told by admission personnel at CSUF the student should submit a letter describing how the major was a huge factor in the decision to apply to the school. I don't know how effective this would be, but it allowed the student to express the urgency to gain admission at this particular school.

Q: Is there anything students can do to avoid being waitlisted?
A: Because most of the waitlists are ranked according to GPA, getting good grades and completing all the major prep, especially for impacted or selective majors at both the UC and CSU, is critical. 

The better the transferable GPA, the less likely they will be placed on waitlists when they apply.

Given the limited enrollment funding from the state, they are providing opportunities to those students with the best preparation for academic success.

Make sure you apply to CSU campuses that are in your service area.  These campuses give priority consideration to students who reside near the campus. UCs have not established service areas.

Apply to private or out-of-state schools.  They do not have waitlists.  Even if a CSU or UC campus is your first choice, apply to a private or out-of-state institution as your back up plan.  Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Write to your legislators about reinstating funding to public universities.  The more funding they get, the more faculty they can hire, which translates into more admission offers.