Welcome to the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), a collaboration between the Honors/Scholars Programs at member California community colleges, in conjunction with UCLA Undergraduate Admission. The program is designed to foster academic excellence at the community college level and to promote diversity and retention in the UCLA transfer population.
What is the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program?
The UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) enhances your opportunity to transfer to UCLA at the junior level from a participating California community college. By completing your community college’s honors/scholars program, you’ll receive priority consideration for admission to majors within the UCLA College of Letters and Science, as well as specific professional school majors such as public health, public affairs and education and social transformation.
Member colleges provide enriched general education curricula emphasizing critical thinking, writing, and research through their Honors/Scholars Programs. Community college students work closely with faculty and receive on-going academic advising from counselors assigned to their school’s Honors/scholars program. TAP faculty directors and counselors meet twice a year with UCLA colleagues to stay updated on admission issues and programmatic developments at UCLA.
TAP is specifically for California Community College (CCC) transfer students. The University of California Office of the President defines CCC transfer students as students who have completed 30 or more semester units at a CCC, with a CCC as their most-recent institution of attendance.
How Does the TAP Program Work?
The UCLA TAP Program is a partnership between UCLA and select California community colleges to support and enhance the academic preparation of transfer students. It is designed to assist students who plan to transfer to UCLA by providing additional academic and enrichment opportunities.
TAP Certification
Students at participating California community colleges must enroll in their school’s respective honors/scholars program. Students earn TAP certification by submitting a UC Application, signing a TAP Applicant Agreement Form, completing their college’s honors/scholars program requirements. This certification gives students priority consideration during the UCLA transfer admission process.
Enhanced Admission Opportunities with an Alternate Major
TAP applicants have the opportunity to add an approved alternate major to their UC application. This offers them a second-chance for consideration if they are not admitted with their first-choice application.
In order to select an alternate major, students must meet the major preparation requirements. Review major preparation requirements closely.
Participating Community Colleges
To participate in TAP, applicants must first enroll in the honors/scholars program at one of our member California community colleges.
For more information about the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program and how to participate, please contact your community college’s honors/scholars program counselor. Find a full list of participating member colleges on the UCLA Admission website.
Morgan Nguyen, Political Science Major
“I think a lot of my peers, when I was transferring, were hesitant because they didn’t want to do a secondary major. They didn’t want to put in that time and effort because they had other stuff in their lives. But at the end of day, this can only benefit you. Not only are you exploring another subject, but you’re also showing the transfer admission team that you have the ability to do a lot and that when you get to UCLA, you’re going to continue putting in the same effort and time to make yourself a better applicant and a better student.”
Hillah Greenberg, Philosophy Major
“I studied economics because being a child of immigrant parents, you’re told STEM really is the only option. I figured I had to work twice as hard to get half as far as my other peers just because STEM was the only valid avenue for going to college. When in reality, I always thrived in humanities. It was always my strong point and I just put my effort elsewhere. I realized I could go to UCLA and be a prelaw student and there won’t be as much friction because I’m going to be studying something I love and something I’m interested in. It’ll give me the room to flourish and cultivate extracurriculars and the experience I need to go into the career I want to go into.”
