UCLA Transfer Alliance Program
Interested in transferring to UCLA?
The transfer pathway to UCLA is one of the many transfer partnerships available to Honors students who will earn the Distinguished Honors Scholar certificate.
Eligibility for UCLA TAP Program
In order to be eligible for the UCLA TAP program, you must become a Distinguished Honors Scholar. The criteria to become a Distinguished Honors Scholar are listed below.
Note: One-year transfers, students who graduate from high school and want to transfer within one year, are not eligible for the TAP program.
- The majority of all college courses need to be completed at Foothill College. If they are not, you may not be eligible for the certificate.
- We can accept a maximum of 1-2 Honors courses taken at Foothill College while you were a high school student.
Complete 23 Honors Units by the end of the Spring quarter prior to transfer.
- Must complete a minimum of 23 units of Foothill College honors courses
- At least 12 honors units need to be completed by the end of fall quarter prior to transferring.
- Ideally, you will only have one Honors course left to take in the Spring prior to transfer.
- We can accept up to one Honors course from a TAP-certified school if you transferred in from that school. Please see the Honors Director for confirmation the course can be used.
- Courses must come from at least two different departments.
- Earn a letter grade of C or better in all honors courses.
Students, to participate in some of the Transfer Agreement Guarantees, you will need a 3.4 UC GPA. To participate in UC Irvine’s Honors to Honors partnerships, you will need a 3.7 UC GPA. We are in talks to increase the Distinguished Honors Scholar GPA requirement to 3.4 starting Fall ‘27.
- Service learning is any action or service you take that has an impact on others in your community.
- Can be personal, volunteer, or paid—but it must have a clear and direct impact on others.
- Service or work you do that has an impact on you, your perceptions, and/or personal growth as well.
- Check-in with an academic counselor during a 30-minute Counseling appointment on a quarterly basis. After meeting with your counselor, please submit the Counseling Report Form online.
TAP Program Details—2027
To be certified for UCLA’s Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), you must complete all required steps by the end of December in the year you apply to transfer. If any requirements are incomplete by the deadline, Foothill may be unable to certify your TAP eligibility.
Some data from the 2023-2024 year.
- 65 TAP admits with a 67% admit rate [admit rate for non-TAP: 17%]
Some data from the 2022-2023 year.
- 65 UCLA TAP applicants, 50 admits = 77% admit rate [admit rate for non-TAP: 21%]
- Transfer Data to All UC Campuses—UC Campus Transfers by Major.
Pre-TAP Logistics
Please submit official transcripts to Foothill Admission and Records. If you are unsure how to do this, you can use the Quick Question drop-in Counseling for guidance. In the meantime, here is a common way to find transcripts.
For example, if you took courses at West Valley College, go to their homepage, use the search icon, and type in "transcripts." Next, click the search result that comes up, and follow the directions on how to order official transcripts. Each school is a little different, but most schools house transcripts within Admission and Records or the Registrar's office.
Transcripts must be received and evaluated before you are able to get TAP certified. Missing this step may mean not receiving TAP certification.
- Have you taken two years of a foreign language in high school and want to get cleared for the Language Other than English (LOTE) requirement for the IGETC pattern? Fill out the form to get cleared.
- Satisfying the Language Other than the English requirement (LOTE) through AP exams? Visit Foothill's transcript evaluations page.
Regular appointments with counselors can help walk you through these logistical requirements to ensure you don't miss a step! We expect Honors students to meet with an Honors Counselor at least once a quarter.
Application Information
- Attend an Honors Program TAP Session.
- Students submit an admissions application to UCLA by using the systemwide UC application to the University of California. For Fall 2027, the application submission window opens in October 2026 and closes on December 1, 2026. Please confirm all deadline dates on the UC application. View dates & deadlines.
- Meet with an honors counselor to complete TAP certification paperwork.
- The deadline to complete the UCLA TAP certification is Thursday, February 18th.
- By April 5th, 2027, submit your Service Learning requirement.
- By April 5th, 2027, submit the Distinguished Honors Scholar Certificate petition form.
- Information about dates and deadlines will be in our Honors Newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletters.
You may visit the UCLA TAP website for more info and download the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide.
If you are a UCLA TAP participant who is not selected for admission to your first-choice major, your application may be considered for an alternate major that is not restricted.
To be competitive for your alternate major, you should complete the required major preparation coursework for that major. You can find major preparation requirements on assist.org. We also encourage you to speak with an honors counselor for guidance when selecting an alternate major and planning your coursework.
For a list of restricted majors, please see the bottom of the UCLA TAP page.
Through the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), Foothill College Honors Scholars are given guaranteed priority consideration for admission to the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences. Traditionally, Foothill students experience a 60-70% acceptance rate through this program (versus 14-20%) for all other transfer applicants.
After Admission Notification
Have you accepted admission to a UC/CSU?
Send them your certified GE pattern by requesting a GE certification. Remember, Foothill College only sends one GE certification, so only request this once you've paid your deposit to your transfer institution and are sure you plan to attend.
