Hidden Hurdles of Transferring: Navigating Math Requirements

As a young community college student looking to earn a bachelor’s degree, I knew transferring to a four-year university was my ticket to success. But I was not prepared for the massive hurdles I would face along the way. 

I found myself overwhelmed as I scrolled through the departmental websites at each school, trying to figure out which courses I would need to transfer to a California State University or University of California campus. At one point, I was taking 11 classes in one semester between two schools trying to meet those requirements. Even still, my counselors at Barstow Community College told me that my top-choice schools were still unobtainable, in part because I lacked the proper math requirements. 

My experience may sound extreme, but this kind of experience is a stark reality for many community college students. A Complex Equation: Confronting Math Obstacles on the Transfer Path, a new report from Just Equations that I co-authored with Executive Director Pamela Burdman and Director of Operations and Programs Jenn BeVard, examines the role of math in the transfer process. The report centers qualitative interviews with faculty members and transfer students to showcase how prevalent this experience actually is.

My first attempt at transferring, in the fall of 2020, was met with complete rejection. I was told I was not eligible to transfer due to a handful of classes, particularly in math, that were misaligned with specific CSU and UC major course requirements. I was devastated. I had worked hard to understand and meet the requirements on my own—not to mention having paid multiple application fees. In the end, I still misjudged whether my courses would satisfy the expected requirements.

I had to wait a whole year before I could apply again. This experience illustrates the inconsistent and unclear guidelines that many students face, often extending their associate degree duration beyond the traditional two years.

I learned that, as a psychology major, I needed to complete Calculus I, in addition to the algebra and statistics I had previously taken, to be eligible for UC or CSU transfer. Some psychology programs accepted only statistics, while others, such as UCLA, needed Calculus I. After learning this, I began scrambling to take calculus. It felt like I was expected to achieve a level of math competency that seemed irrelevant to my interests, solely for the sake of satisfying specific universities’ expectations. This inconsistency of transfer major requirements and course articulation is also highlighted in the report.

Inconsistencies in the requirements across university campuses place the burden on students to take additional steps to triangulate information. This may also cause transfer students to take courses unnecessarily, which is time-consuming. In interviews, some students revealed that discerning what the actual requirements are was often challenging, if not nearly impossible. Because of that, students may realize only after taking a course that it is misaligned with their goals. Or that there are hidden prerequisites that they weren’t aware of.

Having specialized advisory training in the nuances of the transfer path in California was crucial for my journey. Barstow College had a counselor dedicated solely to familiarizing students with the transfer pathway into a CSU or UC campus. When I felt disheartened, I sought help from Barstow’s transfer specialist, who outlined the course scheduling I would need in order to successfully transfer. This advisor showed me how to access available resources, such as funding for my applications, that allowed me to expand my options. 

In the winter of 2021 I applied again for the following fall semester and was accepted to all of the prospective campuses except UCLA. Even taking calculus doesn’t ensure transferring to your dream school. I transferred to UC Riverside as a human development and education major.

Colleges and universities should be doing more to ease the transfer process, especially for STEM degree programs. There are several actionable steps that could ease this process.

My own biggest hurdle to transferring was the inconsistency of course articulations. I shouldn’t have had to decode what math courses I needed in order to transfer. States should adopt comprehensive and transparent statewide articulation agreements to streamline the transfer process. In doing so, we would demystify transfer pathways by removing barriers of excess units, repeat courses, and unnecessary math sequencing. 

There should also be conversations around affordable application fees, as applying to multiple schools can be financially burdensome—applications cost between $70 and $80 each. 

Applicants are expected to follow a traditional path into transferring and pay this fee only once. However, the truth shared by transfer students in the report—and from my own experience—is that sometimes we end up filling this application out more than once, because life is nonlinear.

Because transferring is a necessary step for millions of students, it is urgent that we create a more transparent and supportive pathway that allows students to both access bachelor’s programs that align with their interests and achieve their academic aspirations.