Transfer applications run on multiple parallel timelines. The UC application, CSU application, private school Common App, TAG, TAP, financial aid, Transfer Academic Updates, supplemental applications, and SIR deadlines all have their own dates. Missing any one of them can disqualify you from that specific pathway.
This timeline covers the full 2026-2027 cycle for students starting fall 2027. Dates shift slightly each cycle, but the structure is consistent.
Summer 2026 (June-August)
June 1, 2026
SIR Deadline for Fall 2026 admits. If you're already admitted for Fall 2026, this is your Statement of Intent to Register deadline with your deposit. Doesn't apply if you're applying for Fall 2027.
August 1, 2026
- UC Application opens (for Fall 2027 transfer)
- UC TAP TAG matrix opens for UC Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz
- Common Application opens (for USC, private schools)
- Begin drafting PIQs, Haas supplemental preparation, USC essays
Fall 2026 (September-November)
September 30, 2026
Submit TAG application with one participating UC (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, or Santa Cruz). Missing this deadline eliminates TAG for the entire cycle — there is no extension and no appeal.
October 1, 2026
- UC Application filing period opens
- Cal State Apply opens (for CSU applicants)
- FAFSA opens for 2027-2028 award year
- California Dream Act Application opens
Early October
Begin submitting UC app if possible. Don't wait until late November.
November 1, 2026
- Earliest UC application submissions recommended
- Some CSU campuses with early priority deadlines begin
November 30, 2026 (extends to December 2 some years)
Hard deadline for UC application for all 9 UC campuses. Also Cal State Apply deadline for most CSUs (some impacted campuses close earlier).
Winter 2026-2027 (December-February)
December 1-15, 2026
- USC Transfer application deadline — Common App or Coalition App (February 15 for fall 2027 per USC's current timeline — confirm on their site)
- UCLA Theater supplemental deadline (December 9)
- UCLA Music supplemental deadline (December 5)
Early January 2027
- Haas Supplemental Application released (sent via email to all applicants)
- Transfer Academic Update (TAU) form opens
- UCLA Arts & Architecture supplemental deadlines (January 20 typical)
January 13, 2027
UCLA Film & Television supplemental deadline.
January 15, 2027
UCLA Nursing supplemental deadline.
January 31, 2027
- UC Berkeley Haas Supplemental Application due at 11:59 PM PST
- Transfer Academic Update (TAU) priority deadline for all UCs
- UCLA TAP alternate major change requests due
Spring 2027 (February-April)
February 2027
- TAP Applicant Agreement Form due through your CC honors coordinator (varies by college)
- TAG decisions released by participating UCs
March 2, 2027
FAFSA and CADAA must be filed by this date for Cal Grant, Middle Class Scholarship, and UC Blue and Gold eligibility. Missing this forfeits potentially $30,000+ in aid over two years.
March 15, 2027
- Final TAU submission window closes for UCs
- USC transfer admission decisions typically released
Late March 2027
UC Berkeley, UCLA transfer decisions begin releasing (usually April 1-30).
Mid-April 2027
- UC transfer decisions complete
- TAP scholarship invitations sent to admitted UCLA TAP students
- CSU admission decisions released on rolling basis
Late Spring 2027 (May-June)
May 1, 2027
Private school SIR deadlines (USC, Stanford, LMU, Santa Clara, etc.)
June 1, 2027
Statement of Intent to Register due with $250 deposit for all UCs. This is also the deadline to accept the transfer housing guarantee at UCLA and UC Berkeley — select "any room size, any location" to preserve the guarantee.
End of Spring Term 2027
All major prerequisites must be complete. For Haas specifically, all admission requirements must be finished by this date — summer courses after don't count.
Summer 2027
- Orientation registration (varies by UC)
- Haas Summer PreCore Program (optional)
- Housing application confirmation
- Financial aid package review on CalCentral or MyUCLA
- Final transcripts due to UCs
The critical deadlines most students miss
- September 30 TAG deadline. No extension. One-shot annual opportunity.
- January 31 Haas Supplemental. Separate from UC app, same-day as TAU.
- January 31 TAU priority. Technically optional but UCLA/Berkeley cannot complete review without it.
- March 2 FAFSA/CADAA priority. Missing this forfeits significant state aid.
- February TAP Agreement Form. Deadline varies by CC — check with your honors coordinator.
- USC transfer Common App deadline. Different from UC deadline — check USC's specific date.
Print this timeline. Put every date on your calendar with two-week warning reminders. Don't rely on memory. The students who miss deadlines are almost never the ones who didn't know about them — they're the ones who meant to submit and ran out of time.
Quick reference: deadlines at a glance
| Date | Deadline |
|---|---|
| September 30, 2026 | TAG application deadline |
| November 30, 2026 | UC application deadline |
| November 30, 2026 | Cal State Apply deadline |
| December 2026 - February 2027 | Performing arts supplementals |
| January 13, 2027 | UCLA Film/TV supplemental |
| January 15, 2027 | UCLA Nursing supplemental |
| January 31, 2027 | Haas Supplemental + TAU priority |
| March 2, 2027 | FAFSA/CADAA priority |
| March 15, 2027 | Final TAU window |
| Late March - Late April 2027 | Admission decisions released |
| May 1, 2027 | Private school SIR deadlines |
| June 1, 2027 | UC SIR deadline + $250 deposit |
The bottom line
Every deadline on this list has killed admissions cycles for students who missed them by hours. The fix isn't being smarter — it's being organized. Start building your personal timeline in August 2026. Add two-week warning reminders for every hard deadline. Submit at least a week early for every deadline where the system could fail you.
If you're managing this alongside a full CC course load and work, the organizational burden is real. That's where our Full Application and Elite tiers focus heavily — we keep the timeline, remind you of every deadline, and build out your submission plan so nothing falls through the cracks.