Transfer Application Process

  As an entering Transfer student to CSULB, you will need to do the following steps in order to successfully apply to The Beach and start as a CSULB student.

Applicants must thoroughly educate themselves on their intended major’s requirements for both admission and for degree completion prior to submitting an application for admission.  You are strongly advised to review the Major Specific Requirements for Transfer website.

CSULB requires transfer applicants to declare a major at the time they submit the application on Cal State Apply.  

Please note the following:

  • Changes of major cannot be requested once the Cal State application has been submitted.
  • Applicants are only considered for the primary major listed on the Cal State application; if you do not qualify for your first choice, you will not be considered for your alternate major.  
  • If you plan to pursue the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), be sure to indicate this clearly on your Cal State application.  It will not be possible to request consideration under the ADT once the Cal State application has been submitted.
  • Once a student has actually enrolled at CSULB, changes of major are limited based on both the admission requirements of the major and CSULB’s Timely Graduation policy.

Applicants must apply during the California State University (CSU) initial filing periods:

  • Fall Semester Admission: October 1 to December 2
  • Spring Semester Admission: August 1 to August 31

Visit Current Application Deadlines for more information. To apply to CSULB, visit Cal State Apply. Once submitted, we will send you a notification by email to acknowledge receipt of your application. Students may only be considered for one application per academic term.

After we receive your CSU application from Cal State Apply, you may be asked to provide us with additional information about your academic preparation on a Supplemental Application. The Supplemental Application for Transfer is an online application that is specific to you, is specific to your intended major, and is specific to CSU Long Beach.  You will be asked to review and confirm your academic record, including all colleges attended.  You will also be asked to confirm your CSU eligibility and to report your progress towards completion of your Major Specific admission criteria.

It is critical that the Supplemental Application is completed accurately and in its entirety.  You are encouraged to review your academic records and to consult with counselors before you complete the Supplemental Application.  Please note that, unlike the Cal State application, you will be given several weeks to complete the Supplemental Application, and you will have the opportunity to revisit your application and adjust your answers before the final deadline. 

Visit the Supplemental Application for Transfers website for complete details including filing periods, deadlines, and helpful tutorials.

How Do I Check My Application Status?

CSULB uses email as the official means of communication. Applicants are required to maintain a current email address on file with the university and to check their email regularly. Please make sure to add CSULB as one of your contacts and to check your SPAM folders. You may check the status of your admissions application at any time by visiting applicant self-service.

Offers of admission are normally made Mid-February through April for Fall admission and in October for Spring admission. All initial offers of admission will be conditional and subject to verification based on official transcripts. Admission offers may be withdrawn if the GPA, completed courses, or course grades are lower than what is reported or if you miss any admission deadlines. Please make sure to report accurate information!

What If I Am Not Offered Admission To CSULB?

Admission to CSULB remains competitive as CSULB continues to have more qualified applicants than available new student spaces. We hope you have considered applying to one or two other colleges, in the event that you were not admitted to CSULB.  Please note that if you are interested in pursuing another CSU as your “backup”, it may be in your best interest to file a separate application with that campus during the Initial Filing period, as many campuses have early filing deadlines.

Offers of admission are normally made in Mid-February through April for Fall admission and in October for Spring admission. All initial offers of admission will be conditional and subject to verification based on official transcripts.

Do I need to respond to an acceptance notification?

Absolutely! In addition to submitting documents to verify the admission decision, newly admitted transfer students are required to accept their admission offer and pay a non-refundable $150 enrollment deposit in order to reserve a spot in the class. The enrollment deposit may be waived for students receiving state or federal need-based grants or full financial assistance, however they will still need to accept or decline the offer. The deposit will offset a portion of the student's State University Fee.

  • For Fall admission: Inform us of your intent to enroll by May 1.
  • For Spring admission: Inform us of your intent to enroll by November 15. 

How do I accept admission and pay the non-refundable enrollment deposit?

Online: Go to your MyCSULB Student Center and click on “Activate your Account” in the upper left hand corner. Follow the instructions to activate your account. Once you have logged in, navigate to your Student Center tab. Scroll down to the bottom with the section header "Admissions" and select Accept/Decline. To accept your admission online, you must either qualify for the waiver or pay the non-refundable enrollment deposit via MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or electronic check. If you qualify for a deposit waiver, the online process will automatically notify you. For timely processing, we strongly suggest you submit your admission acceptance and enrollment deposit online via your MyCSULB Student Center. You will receive immediate confirmation that your acceptance and deposit have been accepted.

What is the enrollment deposit?

Transfer students are required to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $150 with their admission acceptance. The enrollment deposit is required in order to reserve a space in our class. The admission acceptance and deposit must be received by the appropriate deadline above. The deposit will offset a portion of your Tuition Fee for the first semester.

What are the conditions for receiving a waiver for the enrollment deposit?

The enrollment deposit will be waived for students receiving state or federal need-based grants or full financial assistance. If you qualify for the waiver, you must still submit the Admitted Student Reply by the deadline. You know you qualify for the waiver if:

  • You have received a Federal Student Aid Report with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 0 or below.
  • You are a candidate for an Athletic Scholarship.

A conditional admission offer means we have reviewed your responses to the Supplemental Application and have made  preliminary offer of admissions based on this information. Conditional admission decisions may be withdrawn for students who misreported, missed the document deadline, or who do not successfully complete course work reported in progress.  

You will now be required to submit official college transcripts in order to verify eligibility:

  • For Fall admission: Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts in March.
  • For Spring admission: Admitted students wishing to accept our offer will need to submit all official transcripts in October.

The exact deadline for submission of your documents will have been included in your admission notice.  Admitted students are also encouraged to go to the MyCSULB Student Center, and follow the instructions to activate their account.  Once logged in, you can navigate to your “To Do List” to review document requests and deadlines.  

Besides official college transcripts, additional documents may also be required:

  • Students who are eligible to receive credit based on Advanced Placement, CLEP or International Baccalaureate assessments will need to have official test scores sent to CSULB. Be aware that credit granted by another institution does not ‘transfer’ to CSULB for test credit. Also be advised that scores over 4 years old may be archived and take additional time to be received.
  • For purposes of determining California residency, some students may be required to submit additional documents. For additional information regarding the establishment of California residency for educational purposes, visit the Residency information page.
  • Veterans of the United Sates Armed Forces will be asked to submit their military transcripts (e.g. JST, AARTS, SMART or Community College of the Air Force).
  • Students who are in the process of completing an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) will be asked to contact their Community College Transfer Center to provide verification of their participation in the ADT program.

Please bear in mind that the Transfer Application Process is a multi-step process:

  • A “Conditional” offer of admission may be made based on the self-reported information provided in the Supplemental Application.  If you are Conditionally admitted then you will be required to submit documents so that we may “confirm” the admission offer.  These documents may include official college transcripts, test scores, military transcripts, etc.  The deadline for submission of these documents will be indicated on your offer of Conditional Admission.
  • After your documents are received, we will review your official academic record.  If we are not able to confirm the information you reported on your Supplemental Application, then we may withdraw our offer of admission, and you will be notified.
  •  If the admission offer is confirmed, you will be notified that your status is now either “Provisional” or “Clear.”  Our confirmation of the admission offer is almost always “provisional” as the admission offer is normally made while some admission requirements are still in progress.  Provisionally admitted applicants will be required to submit final copies of their college transcripts in order to confirm completion of requirements in progress.
  • Once you have completed your final term, updated transcripts must be submitted no later than the following deadline:
    • Fall Admission: No later than July 15 and must include spring grades
    • Spring Admission: No later than January 10 and must include fall grades
  • After receipt of the required transcripts, the admission decision will be audited to ensure all conditions have been met. An email will be sent with the results of the review, either confirming your Clear Admission or withdrawing our offer of admission.   
  • Students are allowed to attend orientation (SOAR) and register for classes prior to the auditing of their admission decision. Some students may be required to self-report their grades at check-in to insure they are on track for completion of the admission requirements. If the admission offer is rescinded after orientation, the classes will be administratively dropped.

How will I know if I have met all of the Admission Requirements (Clear Admission)?

As you can see, your admission is an ongoing process that begins with the Supplemental Application and ends with submission of your final transcripts.  Along the way we notify you of your progress from “Conditional” to “Provisional” to “Clear.”   

Your responsibility is to:

  • Please check your email inbox frequently, and be sure that CSULB always has a current email address for you. 
  • Visit the MyCSULB web portal and activate your account.
  • Submit official transcripts and other documents when requested and before the published deadline.
  • Remember to accept your offer of admission:  May 15 is the deadline for a Fall admission, and November 15 is the deadline for a Spring admission.
  • Enroll in the Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) workshops.  These workshops are held in July for Fall registration, and in January for Spring registration.
  • Continue to do well in your classes and maintain your Grade Point Average (GPA)!
  • Complete all admission requirements as originally reported on your Supplemental Application.  You must also complete all requirements by the term you indicated on your Supplemental Application.  If you did not retain a copy of your Supplemental Application, you can visit the CSULB website to review admission requirements for upper division transfers in your major.  You can also contact Transfer Admissions in the Office of Enrollment Services to review your admission requirements at (562) 985-5471.

Transfer admission offers are normally based on self-reported information provided in the Supplemental Application for Transfer Applicants.  This is called Conditional Admission, and those who are offered admission will need to submit official documents, including transcripts from all schools attended, in order to verify the information reported. This will also allow us to begin the official evaluation process of all transfer credit in preparation for advising at orientation.

The admission offer letter includes a detailed list of the documents required. All documents must be submitted within 30 days of the admission offer. Admitted students can also review the list and check to see if documents have been received by accessing their MyCSULB account and viewing their “To Do List.”

Once all documents are received, we will verify that the student reported accurately and if so send a notice confirming admission eligibility. Admission decisions will be withdrawn for students who do not submit the required documents, or who misreported or do not successfully complete course work reported in progress.

Our confirmation of the admission offer is almost always “provisional” as the admission offer is normally made while admission requirements are still in progress. It is important that you successfully complete all remaining admission criteria and that you submit final transcripts in a timely manner. The admission confirmation notice will indicate whether the offer is provisional or whether all admission requirements have already been fully satisfied.

Admission offers are provisional until the following requirements are met. These requirements must be completed by the end of the preceding Spring semester for Fall admission or the preceding Summer semester for Spring admission.

  • Complete at least 60 transferable semester units or 90 transferable quarter units.
  • Complete with a grade of "C" or better the CSU GE requirements in Written Communication, Oral Communication, Critical Thinking and Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning.
  • Maintain a competitive grade point average (GPA) in any terms in progress. 
  • Complete Major Specific preparation courses as planned based on information submitted on the Supplemental Application for Transfer Applicants.  All Major Specific courses must be met a grade of “C” or better.
  • Complete the Transfer Associates Degree as planned if admission was based on pursuit of this degree program.

Failure to meet these conditions will result in the rescinding of the admission offer which will prevent enrollment. If enrollment is desired in the future, a new application must be submitted for that term and applicants must meet all of the admission requirements in effect at that time.

Denial of admission are made only after an extensive review of academic qualifications and weighing those qualifications against the competitive nature of the applicant pool; therefore these decisions are rarely overturned and are considered only for extraordinary reasons beyond the control of the applicant. We review every application for maximum consideration. 

For an appeal to have merit, it must contain new, serious and compelling information that clearly shows you to be academically stronger than you had been earlier evidenced. Mistakes made on the application are not basis for an appeal or the reversal of a decision. Additionally, the prospect of a stronger academic performance in a current term is not sufficient basis for an appeal.

Submit an Admissions Appeal


Guidelines:

  1. Complete the Admissions Appeal Process form requesting we reconsider your application. The form must come from you (the applicant) and be submitted no later 15 days after receipt of your original admissions decision. Appeals submitted via hard-copy letter, email or fax are not acceptable, and will not be considered.
  2. Your submission must clearly outline your reason for appealing the decision and the information you present should be new and compelling. 
  3. You must include supporting documentation.
  4. Letters of recommendation and personal statements or essays are not considered in the admissions process at CSULB and cannot be submitted as part of your appeal.
  5. You may not appeal the decision to be placed on the Wait List.

We will notify you by email within 4-6 weeks of our response to your appeal request. Only one appeal may be submitted for an academic term so your appeal packet must be clear and compelling when submitted.