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UC Transfer Admission – Extracurricular Activities
Why Extracurricular Activities?
While completion of required coursework and GPA are the most important criteria for transfer admission evaluation, UCs prefer to see a demonstrated interest in your field of study and/or leadership potential. Having extracurricular achievements can also help you distinguish yourself from other highly qualified transfer applicants in competitive majors, where completion of required coursework and high GPA are the norm. To gain experience in your major or develop leadership abilities, you may join college clubs or student government, volunteer with community, nonprofit, or faith-based organizations, or work as an intern or at a job.
If you are unable to participate in extracurricular activities related to your major due to issues such as the need to work full-time to support yourself or your family, or hardships that restrict your ability or schedule, make sure you explain your situation in the UC Application and find other ways to show your interest in your field of study.
What is Leadership?
So what exactly is leadership? Below is an old guideline from the UCLA Alumni Scholarship Program defining different aspects of leadership. Use the list to identify situations where you have exhibited leadership qualities.
Individual Leadership Qualities
- Shows initiative, takes charge, sets priorities.
- Displays intelligence, good judgment, confidence and self-knowledge.
- Accepts responsibilities willingly and eagerly.
- Demonstrates courage, resolution, and steadiness.
- Manages, decides, and sets priorities.
- Exhibits perseverance, ingenuity, creativity, and dynamism in solving problems.
- Seeks opportunities and surmounts obstacles, including challenging the status quo.
Group Leadership Qualities
- Sets an example through commitment and action.
- Works collaboratively with others.
- Guides changes and improvements.
- Makes plans, motivates, follows through and guides the participation of others so that all will benefit.
- Delegates, trains and shares the responsibility and the credit.
- Demonstrates selflessness and consideration of others.
- Assesses potential in others.
- Shows understanding of followers/constituents, and their needs.
- Skilled in dealing with people, shows social perceptiveness.
- Able to win and hold trust.
- Exhibits adaptability and flexibility in approach.
You don’t need to achieve EVERY quality, but be sure to MENTION every quality you did achieve in your UC Application!
Activities and Programs
Below is a selection of activities and programs I have come across over the years. Broaden your search beyond the internet; check with your community college career center or transfer center for local opportunities and browse the library reference section for guidebooks on summer programs and internship opportunities.
- Community Service and Volunteering
- Educational Preparation Programs
- Internships
- Summer Programs
- UC Transfer Programs
- Other Ideas
Community Service and Volunteering
You can search for volunteer opportunities using the vetted volunteer matching service providers below. Sign up to receive email notifications when volunteer opportunities in the areas you are interested in become available. Most of these are national listings with opportunities in every interest area you can imagine.
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Educational Preparation Programs
You may have heard of “educational preparation programs” and the UC Application even has a place just for them (part of the “Activities & awards” section). So what are these programs?
Well, according to the UCs, educational preparation programs are “programs or activities that have enriched your academic experiences or helped you prepare for college” and may include “counseling, tutoring, research opportunities or special study opportunities, such as study abroad.”
Below is a list of the educational preparation programs that are available to college students (discontinued programs and programs targeting only high school students are omitted). Look for them at your college and do your best to participate in them.
Berkeley
- Boost@Berkeley Haas (listed as “Young Entrepreneurs at Haas” on the UC Application)
Offered through Berkeley Haas School of Business and San Francisco Bay Area community college students may volunteer as mentors for participating high school students. - Starting Point Mentorship Program
Open to all California community college students. - Transfer Alliance Project
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged students at partner California community colleges.
Davis
- C-STEM
Serves students from grades K through 14. - Transfer Opportunity Program
Serves students at participating California community colleges.
Irvine
- Anaheim Union Educational Pledge
Serves students who attend Cypress College or Fullerton College after graduating from a high school in the Anaheim Union High School District. - California Community College Honors Program
Open to students in the honors programs at participating California community colleges. - California Diversity Pathway to Law
Part of the California LAW program. - El Monte Union Pledge
Serves students in the El Monte area high schools and Rio Hondo College. - Santa Ana Promise Program
Open to students who attend Santa Ana College after graduating from a high school in the Santa Ana Unified School District. - Summer Scholars Transfer Institute (SSTI)
Open to qualified students at Santa Ana College. - U-Link
Open to academically qualified students at Santa Ana College.
UCLA
- UCLA Community College/SITE
Serves all California community college students. - Transfer Alliance Program
Open to qualified students attending a participating California community college.
Merced
- Transfer Initiatives Program
Serves all California community college students.
Riverside
- Puente Connection (UCRP)
Open to all California community college students.
San Diego
- UniversityLink
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged students at partner California community colleges.
San Francisco
- UCSF Internships
Search “community college internship” on the UCSF website to find available opportunities. - UCSF Fresno College Programs
A variety of programs supporting health career pathways for students from the San Joaquin Valley.
Santa Barbara
- Transfer Making It Happen
Open to all community college bound high school seniors in California.
Santa Cruz
- Transfer Preparation Program
Open to all California community college students.
All UCs
- CAMP (California Alliance for Minority Participation in Science)
Serves current UC students.
Additional Programs
- California LAW
Serves students at partner California community colleges. - MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement)
Serves elementary school, middle school, high school, community college, and 4-year college students. - Puente Program
Serves middle school, high school, and community college students. - Study Abroad
Check with your community college for available study abroad programs or try one of these external programs: - Umoja
Serves underrepresented minority students attending California community colleges.
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Internships
Check with your college career center for local internship opportunities and browse the library reference section for guidebooks. Most large companies will post internship opportunities on their company website. If you are interested in a particular profession, you may also consider calling businesses in your neighborhood and inquiring about internship opportunities.
Here are some resources and ideas to help you get started with your internship search:
- California Highway Patrol’s Explorer Program
Designed for young men and women, 15 to 21 years of age, to develop skills and knowledge needed to serve the people of California through assisting the CHP both in office and out in the field. - Community College Internships and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships
Run by the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy, the two programs place community college students in paid internships at Department of Energy lab locations all across the nation. Internships are offered during Summer, Fall, and Spring terms. - Courts (Local/County/State)
Most courts offer internships. For California, find your local Superior Court and search “internship” on the court website. - Create Your Own Summer Research Internship
Get the Internship Development Guide, from Dr. Shelley Enger, which provides step-by-step instructions, companion worksheets, and sample/template cover letter, résumé, and contact/response emails to help you find and persuade good research mentors to take you on for a summer research internship! - Science Centers
Science centers all over the U.S. offer internships. Look for ASTC-member science centers near you and search “internship” on the their websites. - Search Online
Search for “high school internship [city and state or zip code]” for local internship opportunities or try job search sites like Indeed.com. - Stanford Programs for Community College Students
A list of STEM-focused programs, including research internships, that serve community college students. Some programs are FREE and some offer a stipend. - State Legislature
Most state senators and assemblymembers offer internships. For California, find your representatives and search “internship” on their websites. - UCSF Internships
Search “community college internship” on the UCSF website to find available programs.
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Summer Programs
Below are summer programs I have come across over the years and most are academic in nature.
Berkeley
- DISC: Design + Innovation for Sustainable Cities
A summer program that explores an interdisciplinary and multi-scalar approach to design and analysis in the urban environment. Need-based financial assistance is available. - Summer Research and Enrichment Programs for Undergraduates in STEM Majors
UC Berkeley’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences has compiled a list of programs on the UC Berkeley campus, some of which are open to community college students.
Davis
- King Hall Outreach Program
A unique initiative that helps college students from underrepresented communities prepare for the law school admissions process. Open to community college students enrolling at a four-year college in the fall.
UCLA
- CCCP Scholars Programs
The goal of these programs at UCLA are to increase academic preparation and competitiveness for community college transfer students, particularly those who are first generation, low-income or historically underrepresented. - UCLA/CDU SHPEP
Program gives students the opportunity to work with expert faculty and staff who are eager to mentor students and share knowledge in their individual fields. Primarily serves educationally and financially disadvantaged community college students while also accepting some 4-year college students. Program participants receive a stipend and travel assistance. - UCLA PREP
Program is designed to provide premedical students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the means to strengthening their ability and readiness to study medicine. Program is FREE. - Undergraduate Cancer Research Training Program
Charles Drew University has partnered with UCLA to offer a summer research program designed for outstanding undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in biomedical sciences. Program participants receive a stipend.
Merced
- Transfer Academy
Program at UC Merced that is open to all current California community college students interested in transferring to a UC.
Riverside
- MARC Summer Pre-Trainee Program
A 10-week summer research program for underrepresented minority, economically disadvantaged, or mentally/physically impaired students interested in obtaining a PhD or MD/PhD in Biomedical or Behavioral Science related fields. Program participants receive a stipend.
Santa Barbara
- Center for Science & Engineering Partnerships Community College Programs
STEM-focused programs serving California community college students.
Other Programs
- KGI Summer Programs
Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), a member of The Claremont Colleges, offers a variety of summer STEM programs for undergraduate, some of which are open to community college students. Programs are FREE. - Stanford Programs for Community College Students
A list of STEM-focused programs that serve community college students. Some programs are FREE and some offer a stipend. - Summer Health Professions Education Program
Aims to strengthen the academic proficiency and career development of students underrepresented in the health professions and prepare them for a successful application and matriculation to health professions schools. The program is offered at 12 universities, including Columbia, Rutgers, UCLA, University of Washington, and Western University of Health Sciences (in Pomona, CA). Program participants receive a stipend and travel assistance. - Summer Internship Program – CCSEP, C-SOAR, V-SOAR (virtual option)
Explore careers in research and healthcare through full-time research positions in the Intramural Research Program at National Institutes of Health. Program participants receive a stipend.
Additional Summer Program Resources
- Create Your Own Summer Research Internship
Get the Internship Development Guide, from Dr. Shelley Enger, which provides step-by-step instructions, companion worksheets, and sample/template cover letter, résumé, and contact/response emails to help you find and persuade good research mentors to take you on for a summer research internship! - Inspiring Girls Expeditions Alternative Opportunities
A list of outdoor programs for young women (look under “Programs for 18+”). - PathwaysToScience.org
Institute for Broadening Participation, which is partially supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, maintains a searchable database of 1,000+ fully funded summer research programs from a variety of disciplines (including STEM and non-STEM). - Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Search for summer research opportunities at National Science Foundation funded REU Sites. - Summer Apply (filter the list by narrowing the “Grade” criteria to “College 1st year/freshman”)
A searchable list of summer programs (including virtual options) maintained by Crimson Education. - Summer Programs for Teens (filter the list by narrowing the “Entering Grade” criteria to “College”)
A searchable list of summer programs (including virtual options) maintained by TeenLife. - Summer Research and Enrichment Programs at Other Universities
UC Berkeley’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences has compiled a list of programs across the U.S. that are open to undergraduate students (some specifically serve community college students).
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UC Transfer Programs
You may have seen a long list of programs in the “Support program involvement” section of the UC Transfer Admission Planner (many are also listed as Educational Preparation Programs in the “Activities & awards” section of the UC Application). Wonder how you can get in on the action to better prepare for transfer? Check out the program list below and do your best to participate in the programs available to you (including programs that are open to community college bound high school seniors; discontinued programs and programs targeting only high school students are omitted).
Berkeley
- Transfer Alliance Project (including all TAP-related programs listed)
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged students at partner California community colleges.
Davis
- AvenueB
Open to biological science students in partner California community college districts. - AvenueE
Open to engineering or computer science students in partner California community college districts. - Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP)
Open to students at participating California community colleges.
Irvine
- Santa Ana Promise Program (listed as “ADELANTE” on the UC Transfer Admission Planner)
Open to students who attend Santa Ana College after graduating from a high school in the Santa Ana Unified School District. - Edison Scholars
Open to science, engineering, or mathematics students in a community college within the Southern California Edison service area and on track to transfer to a UC campus. - Summer Scholars Transfer Institute (SSTI)
Open to qualified students at Santa Ana College. - U-Link
Open to academically qualified students at Santa Ana College.
UCLA
- Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP)
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged students. - Center for Community College Partnerships Scholars Programs (CCCP SCHOLARS)
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged students; requires one-year commitment and participation in a summer program. - Student Transfer Outreach and Mentor Program (STOMP)
Open to all California community college students.
Merced
- Transfer Initiatives Program (TIP)
Serves all California community college students.
Riverside
- Puente Connection (UCRP)
Open to all California community college students.
San Diego
- UniversityLink
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged students at partner California community colleges. - UniversityLink Medical Science Program
Open to all students at partner California community colleges.
Santa Barbara
- Transfer Making It Happen
Open to all community college bound high school seniors in California. - Transfer Preparation Academy
Open to all California community college students.
Santa Cruz
- Transfer Preparation Program
Open to all California community college students.
Additional Programs
- California College Promise Grant (formerly BOG Waiver)
Serves economically disadvantaged California community college students. Search for “california college promise grant” on your community college’s website. - California LAW
Serves students at partner California community colleges. - CalWorks
Serves economically disadvantaged students. - EOPS
Serves socioeconomically disadvantaged community college students. Search for “eops” on your community college’s website. - MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement)
Serves elementary school, middle school, high school, community college, and 4-year college students. - Puente Program
Serves middle school, high school, and community college students. - Umoja
Serves underrepresented minority students attending California community colleges.
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Other Ideas
- Citizen Science Project Finder
Help advance scientific research by spending your time on projects that match your interests.