Admitted Transfer Students
Congratulations on being accepted to Cal Poly! We are excited to have you joining our Mustang community.
Make sure you are completing your check-lists and staying up to date with next steps. Check out the accepted transfer students on the Cal Poly Admissions website but you will need to manage everything through your My Cal Poly Portal (the site you log into with your Cal Poly email to access financial aid, classes, etc.)
Cal Poly Admissions will refer to you as new transfers, messaging you may read for first year students is directed towards first time first year in college students.
Resources
There are lots of resources to help you as you transition to Cal Poly. Explore the drop-downs below for information that address frequently asked questions we receive from incoming transfers.
Financial Aid
Financing an undergraduate education is a big concern for many students. Get support and find resources through our Financial Aid & Scholarships Office. Please note, the Transfer Center does not have access to your aid package. All Financial Aid questions should be directed to their office.
- Types of Aid - Each students' circumstances are different, make sure you understand what type of aid you qualify for.
- Outside Scholarships - Apply for scholarships each year! There are many to choose from.
Housing and Transportation
Each student has different plans when it comes to living and transportation options. Below are links to different opportunities for students:
- On Campus Housing - limited options and beds available for transfers
- Off Campus Housing
- Commuting options - Your Cal Poly ID allows you to ride the SLO City bus for free!
- Dining programs - for on- and off-campus students
- Parking - general information for commuter and non-commuter students
- Permit options - for commuter and non-commuter students
Navigating Your Cal Poly Portal
The Cal Poly Portal is where you find everything from class registration and financial aid, to approving your timesheet if you work on campus. Please note, the Transfer Center does not have access to view your portal. If you have questions about your portal before the first day of school you should work with the Admissions office.
Orientation
Cal Poly's Orientation is composed of 3 parts - SLO Days and WOW are require and Open House is optional.
For international transfer students make sure to check out the International Center's orientation options and their great website that provides support for transitioning into Cal Poly as a new International Student
Open House
Thursday - Sunday in April
Open House is an annual event in which all newly admitted students are invited to visit Cal Poly’s campus to learn more about the resources and opportunities that are available to them. Open House puts on a special event for transfer students in which visiting transfer students will hear from current transfer students and have the opportunity to ask questions about their experience.
SLO Days
August
SLO Days are our orientation sessions that happen over the summer. For transfer students, SLO Days is a one-day experience where you spend time on campus with other students in your incoming transfer class to get acquainted, get questions answered and connect with your college academic advisors so you are ready to register for classes!
Week of Welcome - WOW
September
WOW (Week of Welcome) is the very first week of fall quarter in which students attend workshops, get oriented to the Central Coast, and engage in events that build community. We understand transfer students are often very busy during this time of year, so there are only three required days and the rest of the week we will have optional events you can attend if you choose!
“WOW is an amazing experience, it opens up networking opportunities and builds lasting friendships, with people you might not meet otherwise.” - Current CP Transfer Student
Quarter System Transition
For many transfer students, the quarter system is a new concept and can be intimidating for how fast paced and rigorous it may seem. Don’t worry! We are here to help.
What is the quarter system?
Cal Poly's academic year consists of fall, winter and spring quarters
Converting Units from Semester to Quarter
To convert semester units to quarter units, multiply the number of semester units by 1.5.
To convert quarter units to semester units, multiply the number of quarter units by .667.
How to be successful on the quarter system?
“Do not procrastinate! The quarter system is a lot faster and it completely hinders you if you fall behind.” - Recent CP Transfer Graduate
Advice for transfers from current Cal Poly transfers as well as faculty and staff who were transfers!
“Connect with your teachers, don't be afraid to ask questions and above all else, office hours are your friend.” - Current CP Transfer Student
Registering for Fall Quarter
- Incoming transfer registration happens AFTER transfer SLO Days. Transfers register for their own classes (this is unlike freshman who get a block schedule).
- Seats are held in classes for transfer students.
- During SLO Days you will learn about Cal Poly's registration tools and have time to connect with an academic advisor about which classes you should register for.
- You can look at the fall suggested courses lists on your colleges transfer page (from the resources page, click on academic advising, then choose your college).
- Academic advisors cannot properly advise you until your courses have been matriculated and your degree progress report has been updated. This is why they cannot meet with you to discuss your courses for fall until SLO Days.
Student Employment Opportunities
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Federal Work-Study (FWS) - A program subsidized by the federal government that provides part-time job opportunities for students who have need-based financial aid eligibility.
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MustangJOBS - Powered by Handshake, MustangJOBS is Cal Poly's online job listing service. Over 25,000 on-campus, local part-time jobs, internships, and career positions are made available annually!
Transfer Credits
- Submit your final transcript no later than July 15th
- Transfer credit processing (matriculation) will take some time, but you'll be notified when your credits have been evaluated - this process will be complete sometime in August before SLO Days. Learn more about transfer credit from the Office of the Registrar.
- You will need to submit final transcript(s) from all colleges/universities you have attended.
- Some students may need to submit other documents and will be notified accordingly. Any official AP or IB exams transfer students wish to receive college credit for should also be submitted by this date.
- Cal Poly is unable to provide advising, consultation on courses to take, or discussion about course articulation for students until AFTER they have committed, submitted their final transcript(s) from all colleges/universities attended, and been matriculated by the Office for the Registrar.
- During the summer SLO Days Orientation, you will have time to meet with your college to learn about which courses to take and the registration process.
- Explore your degree flowchart (know that this is not the exact order you have to take things but rather a suggestion) - some colleges do have transfer specific flowcharts that can be found on their college specific transfer advising page.
- If courses you thought would matriculate do not, you will be able to work with an advisor to evaluate if you should fill out a course substitution form for additional review and possible credit at that time.
Understanding your Conditional Admittance
Confused about being conditionally admitted? The Admissions Terms and Agreement for Transfer Students overviews what you need to do to be set to come to Cal Poly in the fall (like passing your spring classes, submitting your official transcripts and more). Watch admissions helpful YouTube video on this topic -
Interested in joining Cal Poly Honors? Take time to learn about the honors program and if it is something you are interested in email - honors@calpoly.edu - and share with them why you think you would be a good fit for honors.
