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What is the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Program?
The University of California TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) Program is a great way for eligible California community college students to guarantee their admission to one of the UC campuses.
If you meet the criteria and are accepted into the program, you will receive an admissions guarantee from the UC campus of your choice. In addition, you will be given priority consideration for admission to competitive programs and majors.
How to Meet TAG Eligibility Requirements
The TAG Program is open to California residents who complete all necessary coursework at a California community college.
As a California Community College applicant, you are eligible for TAG if you:
- Complete 30 semesters or 45 quarter UC transferable units (including AP/IB/A-level) by the end of the summer 2022 term for fall 2023 admission.
- Earn a minimum GPA of 3.4 in all UC transferable coursework by the end of the summer 2022 term for fall 2023 admission. TAG requires that the units be completed before being considered transfer students.
- Will maintain a cumulative 3.4 GPA in all UC transferable coursework through spring 2023 Complete one UC transferable math course with a grade of C or better by the end of the summer 2022 term for fall 2023 admission.
How does the TAG program work?
The UC TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) program is a guaranteed admission program for students transferring from California community colleges to participating UC campuses.
Students who complete the TAG application and meet the eligibility requirements are guaranteed admission to their campus.
There are six UC campuses that participate in the TAG program: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
TAG requirements, deadlines, and other information will differ depending on the campus to which the TAG application is sent. In other words, some UC institutions, like UC Santa Cruz, have different TAG requirements and major offerings than UC Santa Barbara.
UC TAP transferable courses are applied in the units completed category and will pass for all UC schools and TAG decision criteria.
What are the Benefits of the TAG Program?
Benefits of the TAG program include guaranteed admission to a participating UC campus, priority consideration for housing and financial aid, and early access to course registration. For students interested in transferring to a UC school, the TAG program is an excellent way to ensure guaranteed admission.
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TAG Program Saves Community College Students Money
A significant benefit of the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program is that it saves students money by having UC transferable coursework while at community college. While using the UC TAP interface, students can directly input previous college coursework into the UC TAP database and will receive a report that lists all of the credits and units acquired.
The TAG agreement between each school and major will have all required courses for UC transferable general education courses and major preparation.
Submitting a UC application for the TAG program will guarantee that you have completed the TAG requirements (both for major preparation courses and unit requirements).
Students are strongly encouraged to evaluate the TAG agreement between the school they chose and their designated major to identify if it is better to apply for regular admission, considering specific requirements are unable to be met or the student is not currently in good standing.
How to apply for the University of California TAG Program
Looking to transfer to a University of California school? The UC TAG program could be for you! TAG, or the Transfer Admission Guarantee program, is designed to help qualified California community college students transfer to one of the six participating UC campuses. Here’s how to apply.
First, you’ll need to complete the online TAG UC application. The UC application becomes available in the fall term, and you’ll have until the December deadline to submit it. Include all required materials, such as your transcripts and personal essay.
Once your UC application is complete, it will be reviewed by the UC office to ensure the student meets the TAG eligibility requirements (i.e., GPA requirements, UC transferable coursework, major preparation classes, and remaining coursework evaluations.
Related Reading: Using UC TAP for UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Program
You’ll be notified via email within 4-6 weeks if you’re selected for the program. Congratulations! You’re one step closer to transferring to a UC school.
Keep in mind that a student initially accepted as a TAG applicant will still have to list the remaining coursework they have planned and the grade marks they received.
Students will need to submit a UC Transfer Academic Update (UC TAU) which asks for the grade marks they received in the classes they were enrolled in during the spring term prior to their expected Fall undergraduate admission.
Using the UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) to Fill out the TAG Application
UC has a helpful online tool called UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) to assist students in filling out their TAG UC application.
UC TAP allows students to input coursework they have completed or plan to complete and then displays how that coursework fulfills UC’s transfer admission requirements.
This is especially useful for students who are unsure how their courses will transfer to UC. You can input all the coursework you have completed thus far, including the classes you plan to enroll in for the spring term before transferring in the Fall.
The TAG application will ask you to note the expected coursework and different UC TAG programs (such as UC Davis TAG) that have other required components.
In addition, UC TAP includes a tool for exploring different UC campuses and majors, which can help students make informed decisions about where to apply.
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Students can access UC TAP at https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/tap/. You can find the TAG criteria for all the UC institutions via the TAG matrix, which is available on the online TAG application as well as linked HERE.
What are the deadlines for applying to the University of California TAG Program, and what are the application requirements?
The University of California Transfer Admission Guarantee Program (TAG) is a great way for community college students to guarantee their admission to one of the UC campuses.
The deadline for applying to the TAG Program is September 30th for the fall term or May 31st for the winter/spring term.
To be eligible for the TAG Program, students must have completed at least 30 transferable semester units (45 quarter units) by the end of summer prior to transfer. They must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in these units.
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In addition, students must complete certain required courses and demonstrate proficiency in English and Math. For more information on the TAG Program and how to apply, visit the UC Admissions website.
Is there anything else students should know about the University of California TAG Program before they apply for it?
The University of California TAG Program is a great opportunity for engineering students looking to transfer to UC Santa Cruz.
The program provides engineering students with priority admission to UC Santa Cruz and access to engineering coursework not offered at other UC campuses.
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In addition, the TAG Program offers engineering students the chance to participate in research projects and internships, allowing them to gain real-world experience in their field of study. For engineering students who are looking to transfer to UC Santa Cruz, the University of California TAG Program is an excellent option.
Remember that October 1 – November 30 is all applicants’ Fall 2023 admission application filing period.
Conclusion
Are you ready to transfer? The University of California has a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program that guarantees admission to one of the UC schools if certain requirements are met.
Let our California Transfer Support Network team evaluate your transcripts for free and see if you’re eligible for the TAG program.
If you decide later on to attend a different school in the UC system or another university, don’t worry. There are no penalties for withdrawing your application. But remember, the deadlines for applying to the University of California TAG Program are coming soon, so don’t wait!