Scholars Frequently Asked Questions

The Scholars Program at Santa Monica College was initially developed with UCLA to maintain the Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) and assist students to transfer from Santa Monica College to UCLA. TAP is a priority admissions agreement that assists students who are seeking admission into majors offered through UCLA's College (formerly College of Letters and Science) UCLA Majors and Minors

Today there are a number of colleges and universities that also engage in similar agreements with the Scholars Program. A list of partner schools and agreements can be found.

In addition to allowing student priority admission to select universities, the Scholars Program offers participants the opportunity to take specialized Scholars courses that prepare them for the rigors of university study. Scholars students receive priority enrollment each semester along with workshops intended to prepare students for transfer, as well as access to specialized Counselors. A list of Scholars Program services.

The Scholars Program office is located in the Student Services Center, 2nd Floor, Room 221. We are open Monday through Thursday for Counseling, though our office is open until 12:00pm on Fridays. Hours of operation may vary each semester.  

Please refer to the Scholars Homepage for drop in hours and appointment scheduling information:  www.smc.edu/scholars

There are approximately 50 Scholars classes offered in the fall and spring terms. Approximately 10 classes are offered in the summer and winter sessions. Scholars classes are selected from the IGETC list (UC/CSU general education requirements). Students are required to complete 1 or 2 Scholars courses each semester along with their other courses. A total of 15 units is required to complete the program.

The Scholars Program was developed to give students the opportunity to work closely with the instructors and to interact in research projects and small group discussions in an intimate setting.  The classes are smaller in size and instructors are encouraged to create curriculum that feeds an in-person learning dynamic.  An in-person classroom environment helps our students develop skills that are crucial to their success at research universities such as UCLA.  For this reason, the Scholars Program was not created to be an online program or to offer courses in an online format. The onset of the pandemic in 2020 caused us to make the shift to online offerings as that was the only option available given the circumstances.  Today, the Scholars Program is intent on maintaining the original mission of an on-ground academic experience.  Though there are limited offerings of fully online Scholars courses, the Scholars Program will not promote itself as and online program and will continue to strive to offer more on-ground opportunities.

 

You do not need to be a full-time student to be in the Scholars Program.  We are a transfer program and students can progress through their studies at any pace that works best for them.  Scholars Counselors will assist with educational plans to allow for any transfer timeline that works best.

No, however if you are a member of the Scholars Program we may send out emails regarding scholarships that we believe may be of interest to Scholars students. For in-depth information regarding all available scholarships, please visit the Scholarship Office.

The Scholars Program Application must be submitted along with two short answer essays, a letter of recommendation, proof of English 1 eligibility and transcript copies. Application filing dates are usually October - January for Winter/Spring admission and March - July for Summer/Fall admission. 

 

Students coming from high school will need to submit transcripts covering 9th through 12th grade. If you exited high school early via passing a High School Proficiency Examination (ex: California Proficiency Program, CPP), then you will need to submit a copy of your certificate as well as a high school transcript showing courses completed leading up to the proficiency exam.
Students must also submit transcripts for all colleges/universities attended. The Scholars Program will accept unofficial transcripts as part of your application packet. Note: The Scholars Program does not have access to the files in the Office of Admissions and Records. Therefore submitting them to Admissions is not the same as submitting them to Scholars. Be sure to send your official Transcripts to Admissions and your unofficial ones to the Scholars Program.

Our application process is specifically for the Scholars Program. You will need to apply and submit materials to the Office of Admissions and Records separately in order to be an SMC student. In fact, students must apply to SMC prior to submitting an application to the Scholars Program.

No. All students must complete the Scholars application process for the SMC Scholars Program.

 

You may apply to the program; however, the review committee will evaluate your records to see if the Scholars Program is an appropriate fit. Students who have completed most of their general education requirements are not good candidates. Students who have a minimum of 5 IGETC courses to complete are better candidates.

Yes. If the major is appropriate and you are willing to take the required Scholars classes and maintain the requirements to be in the program, then you may participate in the Scholars Program.

No. There are no priority admissions agreements for Engineering majors. Furthermore, the curriculum offered in the Scholars Program does not accommodate the courses required for Engineering majors. However, as an Engineering major, you may be eligible to join the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Program.  You may, however, be eligible for TAP under a non-impacted alternate major in The College (formerly College of Letters and Science) or Public Affairs in the Luskin School.

All Scholars Program communications will be sent to your SMC email address. Students are notified within 2-3 weeks of submitting a complete application.

No. Students new to the program are required to take 1-2 Scholars classes their first semester. For subsequent semesters, one Scholars class is the minimum required to remain in good standing.

No.  High School Concurrent Enrollment students are specially approved by their high schools to take specific courses at SMC on a case by case basis.  Note that this population is not appropriate for the Scholars Program. They cannot be admitted to Scholars, nor enroll in Scholars classes.

This policy helps ensure the Scholars Program prioritizes and serves the students its founding purpose and mission guide it to serve.

As a reminder, here are the SMC admission requirements for regular new students:

• Must be 18 years of age or older; or younger student who has graduated from a regionally accredited high school; or
• 16 years of age and possessing a "Student Score Report" or passing the California High School Proficiency Examination.

Scholars courses/units taken during high school (concurrent enrollment) cannot be used to fulfill TAP requirements.

Students who are attending or planning to attend a 4-year college/university AND SMC concurrently (at the same time) are not eligible for the Scholars Program and are not appropriate for the UCLA TAP certification program.  Student who hold prior Bachelor's or Master's degrees are not eligible for the Program, as our contracts with 4 year institutions are specific to undergraduate level education only.

The Transfer Alliance Program is a collaboration between local community college Honors/Scholars Programs and UCLA's College (formerly College Letters and Science), Public Affairs major in the Luskin School, Fielding School of Public Health, and the major of Education & Social Transformation in the School of Education. The program is designed to encourage academic excellence at the community college level and to promote diversity and retention in the UCLA transfer population. Scholars students who are TAP certified receive priority consideration for admission to UCLA's College, Public Affairs major in the Luskin School, Public Health in the Fielding School, and Education & Social Transformation in the School of Education. If admitted, TAP students are eligible to apply for scholarships reserved for the Transfer Alliance Program.

No. UCLA, UCB and UCSD do not offer guaranteed admissions programs for community college students. However, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz and UC Riverside do offer Transfer Admission Guarantees (TAG).

Counseling appointments are made by the student via Corsair Connect.  The Scheduling system allows for in-person, phone or video (zoom) appointments and schedules for 7 calendar days out at a time.  Only current members of the Scholars Program are permitted to make appointments. If you are prospective Scholars student, we encourage you to attend an Information Session with a Scholars Counselor. If you are new to the Scholars Program, you may schedule an appointment once you have been admitted and have attended the mandatory Scholars Program Orientation.

Drop-in sessions are 5-10 minutes long and are intended to address any quick questions a Scholars student might have. For the list of available drop-in times as well as instructions on joining the Qless drop in queue, please see the Scholars Program homepage at www.smc.edu/scholars 

Counseling appointments are 30-minute meetings with a Scholars counselor to discuss in-depth education planning, transferring, program issues, etc. Students entering their first semester in the Scholars Program should schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor early in their initial semester to discuss their education plan and coursework. Continuing students should meet with their counselor before enrollment each semester to verify their upcoming class schedules as well as in ample time to complete their application to the university to which they will plan transfer.

 

Students whose GPA is in jeopardy of falling below a 3.0 should immediately make an appointment with a Scholars counselor. The counselor can help the student assess the situation and formulate a plan. The counselor will also make recommendations regarding the student's status in the program.

Students may receive a probation letter for several different reasons. If you received a probation letter, contact the Scholars Program office and make an appointment with a counselor immediately.

Maybe. Students should contact the Scholars Program office. The office personnel will determine the status of the student's application and file.

Violation of SMC's Rules for Student Conduct (AR 4410), the Code of Academic Conduct (AR 4411), and/or the Honor Code (AR 4412) will prevent students from being admitted into the program and will be grounds for dismissal of continuing Scholars Program students.