(…and the University of California System….)
This story is a copy of a press release from Santa Monica College.
Santa Monica College (SMC) maintained its longstanding record as California’s number one transfer college to the University of Southern California (USC) and Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in 2015-16. SMC also transferred more students to the Ivy League Columbia University than any other college west of the Mississippi.
According to data released by the USC Office of Admission, 168 SMC students transferred to the university in Fall 2016, making up roughly 11.6 percent of USC’s total 1,450 transfers (USC reports transfers only for the fall). The second highest feeder to USC sent 60 students.
“USC is very proud to be a top destination for community college students, including Santa Monica College,” said USC Provost Michael Quick. “At USC, access to a world-class education is a top priority. We believe these transfer students are an important part of our community. They have all the skills necessary to be successful students and graduate at the same rates as their peers who started here as freshmen.”
69 SMC transfer students were enrolled at Loyola Marymount University this fall—out of 374 total transfers, or 18.5 percent of LMU’s total enrolled transfers. The second-ranking feeder sent 21 students.
“Loyola Marymount University continues to value its relationship with Santa Monica College,” said LMU President Timothy Law Snyder. “SMC consistently prepares a wonderful spectrum of students who thrive in academic and creative learning environments. We at LMU are proud of our longstanding tradition of enrolling more students from SMC than any other community college. Each of our institutions is committed to educating intellectuals and citizens engaged in lives of meaning and purpose.”
LMU and SMC are also in the process of executing a transfer admission agreement, which will guarantee admission at the university—beginning in fall 2018—for Santa Monica College students who meet certain agreed-upon requirements and are seeking transfer into one of the LMU colleges specified.
“Santa Monica College, by continuing to uphold our record as number one in transfers—not just to the prestigious UC system, but also to leading private universities like USC and LMU—proves our unflinching commitment to preparing our students for the best opportunities in higher education,” said Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, SMC Superintendent/President.
Columbia University reported that SMC transferred a total of 19 students in 2015-16; SMC is the top-ranking feeder to the Ivy League university west of the Mississippi and is their second-highest college feeder nationwide.
This follows a recent announcement of transfer data from the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems which showed that SMC transferred more students to the UC campuses than any other community college for the 26th consecutive year—a total of 1,097 students—and also held the top spot for transfers to the UC and CSU combined. In addition, SMC transferred more African-American and Chicano/Latino students to the UC and CSU than any other community college.
Janet Robinson, SMC Transfer Center Faculty Leader, said that the reason for SMC’s transfer success is “the unparalleled student support system at Santa Monica College—the wide network of campus resources, counselors, and instructors who are individually and collectively dedicated to the success of SMC students.”
For more information on the academic and support services SMC offers transfer students, please visit www.smc.edu/transfer or call (310) 434-4210. SMC’s Transfer Center organizes the largest college fair in the state, conducts workshops, holds weekly visits from four-year institutions, and also has a close working relationship with four-year colleges and universities to ensure SMCstudents get credit for their classes.
Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
