SMC — The student body at UCLA looks a little like the one at Santa Monica College.
For the 16th consecutive year, SMC has the distinction of being the largest feeder of student transfers to the University of California, according to Bruce Smith, public information officer at the college.
Located in Westwood — approximately six miles from Santa Monica College’s campus in Sunset Park — UCLA was once again the most popular choice among SMC students for the 2005-06 school year, with 515 of the 903 transfers to the UC system opting to become a Bruin. “(UCLA is popular) because of its geographic proximity, as well as its reputation,” said Smith.
UCLA is ranked 26th in U.S. News and World Report’s 2007 list of America’s Best Colleges.
Santa Monica College boasts such a high transfer rate because it recruits top students, provides academic counseling, hires the best professors and keeps its reputation as a transfer school well publicized, said SMC Transfer Center Coordinator Dan Nannini.
To help keep up with its reputation, the college transfer center provides a myriad of activities, such as weekly visits from four-year schools and workshops.
“We attract students who work hard and focus on transfer, and we provide the instruction and counsel necessary to get our students into top-notch colleges and universities,” Nannini said.
Santa Monica College is also the number-one feeder of transfer students to the University of California and California State University systems, with a combined 2,169 former students attending those institutions.
The University of Southern California, ranked 27th in the country by U.S. News and World Report, is another favorite of SMC students, with 180 transfers to Trojan country in the fall semester. SMC is again the largest source of transfer students to USC, beating out Pasadena City College, with 74 students.
“It’s something everyone who is part of the college community is proud of,” said Board of Trustees Chair Nancy Greenstein.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 22, 2006. Read the original PDF.