Students from San Diego Mesa College are finding it increasingly difficult and competitive to transfer into San Diego State University. SDSU has recently announced that they will NOT be accepting any transfer students in the spring semester of 09 regardless of GPA or completion of academic requirements from community colleges. Students intending to transfer must wait until the fall semester to do so.

One of the main reasons why SDSU isn’t accepting transfer students during the spring semester primarily is a result of the amount of students applying and attending. Like many other schools in California, SDSU cannot accommodate the huge quantity of students that are applying. Most students graduate at the end of the spring semester, not during the fall.

There simply aren’t enough openings for students to enroll in. Though many State Schools have for a long time been very selective on spring transfers, it has only become recent for State Universities to close the entire semester to all transfer students.

To some students this full-semester delay is not only annoying, but can create serious financial and career issues. Students who do not live with their parents or other family members frequently rely on supplemental financial funds to aid them in their education through school. Most every lending company requires their captive students to remain as a full time student so that they do not have to start paying on their loan.

However, if students are not able to transfer in a timely fashion, time and money play against them. Some students will have completely finished their general education requirements in the fall and are ready to transfer in the spring. Since schools like SDSU have closed spring admissions, students are left with the only option of working full time for an entire semester and paying back their students loans, or they can take a semi-useless “filler” semester at their community college.

Though this can seriously inconvenience many students financially, in some cases it can be beneficial because many students do use this “filler” semester to fulfill additional course requirements toward their intended major at a four-year institution such as SDSU.

It really comes down to the fact that four-year institutions are becoming increasingly competitive to get in to. More and more students are applying to schools while the schools are maintaing the same size. Universities are struggling to accommodate ever increasing enrolled students.

Most important for students to know and understand is that overall GPA heavily impact whether or not one is accepted. Grades are extremely important to keep up.

Students should strive for GPA’s that are above the minimum requirement. There are a lot of competitive students out there and striving for a high average can help ensure being accepted over those who only accept mediocrity.

Furthermore, those who plan on attending community college to begin their academic endeavors should quickly meet with a college counselor and plan out their intended academic path. Try to meet with the counselor twice a semester, in the beginning and the end.

By following these two major steps, one can help ensure their academic success and be able to enter a four-year school of their personal choice. Just make sure not to apply for the spring.