More than one-third of all new Mills students transfer here from other colleges and universities, and they always tell us they wish they had transferred sooner. Whatever path you’ve taken to date, we invite you to continue your journey at Mills. Here’s everything you need to apply as a transfer student.
Dates & Deadlines | Requirements | Frequently Asked Questions | Transfer Credit & Agreements
Apply to Mills as a transfer student if all of the following statements are true:
If this doesn’t sound like you, see our application instructions for first-year, resuming, and international students.
We offer several different options for applying to Mills as a transfer student, including priority consideration for scholarships and spring admission. Here are the most important dates to remember:
Priority Scholarship Consideration
Send in your completed application by March 1 to receive priority consideration for
Mills scholarships. We’ll send you an admission decision by April.
Applications Accepted on a Rolling Basis
Submit your complete transfer application for fall after March 1, and you will receive
an admission decision in just a few weeks. Fall classes start in late August.
Financial Aid Forms
More than 80 percent of Mills students receive some form of financial aid. To be considered
for need-based aid, all applicants should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). California residents also should submit a Cal Grant GPA Verification form to be considered for state aid.
Spring Admission
Spring classes start in mid-January. If that’s a better time for you to transfer to
Mills, November 1 is your application deadline. You’ll hear back from us by December.
The Mills admission process is designed to let you share a full picture of who you are, where you’ve been, and what you want to achieve at Mills. Admission is selective, and we give positive consideration to students who have maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in college-level, transferable course work.
If you have any questions about the following requirements, please reach out to us at 800.87.MILLS, 510.430.2135, or admission@mills.edu.
This is the heart of the Mills admission process. In addition to submitting standard information, you’ll also share a personal statement and/or response to our supplemental question. There is a $50 application fee, but we do offer fee waivers to qualifying students. Apply today using one of the following:
*The College Official’s Report and the Final Report forms in the Common Application are not required for transfer students.
Official transcripts from all colleges or universities that you have attended must be sent directly to Mills. The transcripts need to include any courses currently in progress and list your current name. We may also request midterm grades as part of the application process.
Many transfer counselors can upload your transcript directly if you use the Mills Application or the Common Application. If your counselor cannot upload your transcript, please ask your school’s registrar
to send the transcripts directly to the following address:
Mills College
Office of Admissions
5000 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
If you have completed fewer than 24 transferable semester credits, you also must submit your high school or secondary school transcript.
Office of Admissions
Mills College
5000 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
Instructor recommendations offer another window into understanding your academic ability and personal story. Ask a professor of an academic subject who knows you well to submit a letter of recommendation. If you haven’t been in college for two years or more, you can ask your employer to write your recommendation. We offer three options for your professor or employer to submit a letter of recommendation:
OR
OR
Office of Admissions
Mills College
5000 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94613
If you feel that your SAT or ACT score is a strong indication of your academic ability, we’d love to see it. If not, you don’t have to submit your score. As a test-optional college, we consider all students for admission and merit scholarships, with or without standardized test scores.
Note that Mills does require SAT or ACT scores from transfer students who have completed fewer than 24 transferable semester credits AND who were homeschooled or graduated from schools without traditional grades. Contact your admission counselor with any questions.
Our application process is holistic, so we consider many factors beyond GPA, such as your writing skills, strength of curriculum, number of credit hours, and recommendations. Strong transfer applicants will have a 3.0 GPA or higher in college-level, transferable course work. You can apply for transfer admission after just one semester of college course work; we do not require a minimum number of course credits.
Once admitted to Mills, you will receive an official transfer of credit report online from our Registrar's Office. You will receive a final transfer of credit report after submitting your final college transcript.
Generally, we offer transfer credit for liberal arts courses that are similar in content and depth to courses available at Mills. In the case of California community college courses, we usually offer credit if the courses are accepted for credit by the University of California system. Download the IGETC and Mills core curriculum equivalent chart (PDF) for more details.
We have major articulation agreements with the following community colleges:
These agreements help students plan ahead by detailing which of these schools’ courses count toward Mills core curriculum requirements and which apply toward specific majors.
We recommend that you take general education requirements, such as mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, history, English, and foreign languages. These courses provide a solid foundation for the academic learning environment at Mills and are more likely to be transferable. Our Admissions Committee will evaluate the courses you take by considering your grades and the strength of the curriculum. Download the IGETC and Mills core curriculum equivalent chart (PDF) for more details.
Students planning to transfer to Mills from City College of San Francisco (PDF), Diablo Valley College (PDF), or the Peralta Colleges (PDF) should refer to the appropriate major articulation agreement to learn which courses count toward Mills core curriculum requirements and which apply toward specific majors.
Yes, you can attend part time, but the majority of students attend Mills on a full-time basis. Mills scholarships are not available for part-time study.
Yes, you can. Your second BA or BS must be in a field that is unrelated to your first degree. You’ll need to spend a minimum of three semesters at Mills and complete at least 12 semester course credits (or more if needed to meet major requirements). You will not have to complete the Mills core curriculum requirements or other degree requirements, except those pertaining to the major you’re pursuing.
If you have credits to transfer from another school, read our transfer credit policy and follow the quick step-by-step process. Our transfer counselors are here to help answer any questions you have. You can connect with your counselor using our easy online form, or contact the Office of Admissions at 800.87.MILLS, 510.430.2135, or admission@mills.edu.
If you're a student transferring from a California community college, a California State University, or a University of California, you'll find your general education courses align with the Mills core curriculum. This ensures you will receive full transfer credit at Mills. Remember that you don't have to complete your general education course work before transferring.
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) | Mills College Core Curriculum Equivalent |
| Area 1A: English Composition AND Area 1B: Critical Thinking |
Written and Oral Communication |
| Area 1B: Critical Thinking | Critical Analysis |
| Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | Quantitative Literacy |
| Area 3: Arts and Humanities | Creativity, Innovation, and Experimentation |
| Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences (We strongly recommend a class with an international focus.) | International Perspectives |
| Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences | Scientific Inquiry of Natural Systems |
| Area 6: Language Other Than English | Language Other Than English |
Note: If you have already completed your IGETC, you will only have two Mills core curriculum requirements to fulfill—Community Engagement and Race, Gender, and Power.
Download the IGETC and Mills core curriculum equivalent chart (PDF).
Students planning to transfer to Mills from City College of San Francisco (PDF), Diablo Valley College (PDF), or the Peralta Colleges (PDF) should refer to the appropriate major articulation agreement to learn which courses count toward Mills core curriculum requirements and which apply toward specific majors.
Students who are transferring from an out-of-state community college or from another four-year institution are encouraged to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and make an appointment for an unofficial transfer of credit evaluation to review your transcripts.
If you’re enrolled in at least six credits at a community college in the Bay Area, you may be able to take a class at Mills through our cross-registration program. To participate, you simply meet with a counselor at your community college, choose an appropriate class, and fill out a cross-registration permit. It’s a great way to get a taste of the Mills College experience, and ensure that you’ll have a smooth transition when you’re ready to transfer.
Participating schools:Some Mills majors have specific requirements for transfer students:
Websites can’t always cover everything you want to know, but Mills admission counselors are here to help you through every step of the transfer application process. Find your counselor.
Mills College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, marital status, age, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, or disability in our admission policies, in our scholarship and loan programs, or in the educational programs, cocurricular activities, and residential facilities which we operate. Students of all genders are eligible for admission to our graduate programs. Self-identified women and people assigned female sex at birth who do not identify with the gender binary are eligible for admission to our undergraduate programs.