Unifying the Aggie Experience: How Technology Helped Streamline Transfer Admissions
Quick Summary
- UC Davis is the only UC system campus to host a joint Welcome Day for first-year and transfer students, thanks to a partnership between Information and Educational Technology (IET) and Undergraduate Admissions..
- IET developed a Selective Major Review (SMR) course approval system that reduced manual department reviews from thousands to hundreds and enabled the team to complete 17,500 transfer reviews in record time.
- The earlier admission timeline gave transfer students access to the larger April celebration and drove a significant increase in transfer students signing their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
UC Davis transfer students now get the full “new Aggie” experience during Aggie Day, the university’s annual open house event for new students, thanks to a new, innovative tech solution. For years, UC Davis held two Aggie Day celebrations, a larger, more robust one in April for first-year students and a smaller gathering in May for transfer students. The scheduling divide was driven by the transfer evaluation process, which took longer to complete than first-year admissions.
Information and Educational Technology (IET) and Undergraduate Admissions found a “simple solution” that resulted in a more inclusive experience for transfer students and streamlined event planning and admissions work for faculty and staff. It also allowed UC Davis to become the only university in the UC system to host a combined welcome celebration for both first-year and transfer students.
The 2026 Impact at a Glance
- 17,500: Transfer reviews completed in a record two months.
- From Thousands to Hundreds: The drop in specific courses sent back to academic departments for manual review.
- One Unified Event: UC Davis becomes the only UC campus to host a combined welcome day for first-year and transfer students.
Easing an Evaluation Bottleneck
The timeline for Selective Major Review (SMR) was the primary roadblock to creating a unified Aggie Day. Traditionally, first-year applications were reviewed and completed by admissions in the winter, while transfer applications for highly impacted majors, such as engineering and computer science, were sent to individual academic departments for detailed assessment. Because departmental advisors were already juggling responsibilities for current students and faculty, this created a bottleneck that delayed admission decisions for transfers until late spring.
Going into a record year for admissions—UC Davis received more than 104,000 first-year and about 17,500 transfer student applications—Phillip Kincade, IET applications developer, knew that to revamp the process the solution had to be simple, but effective. He worked with Undergraduate Admissions to develop the SMR course approval system. “It’s essentially a communications widget added on to the admissions intranet environment,” Phillip explained. “It allowed admissions staff to take on the bulk of the transfer evaluation process and meet the new, earlier deadline.”
This new process freed up academic departments. Instead of departmental advisors having to review thousands of transfer applications, admissions staff used the new IET tools to send them specific, targeted course questions. In 2026, the number of courses sent to departments for review dropped from thousands to hundreds.
Enhancing the Student Connection
The impact on the student experience was also immediate. Not only did transfer students receive their admissions notifications earlier, but they were also able to attend the new student Aggie Day in April, which is traditionally better attended by students and departments alike. In previous years, Javier Gutierrez, a first-year advisor for the College of Engineering, said the transfer events were often very quiet with students spread out in large, half-empty lecture halls. But this year, the energy shifted.
“I noticed that transfer students were much more willing to come down and speak to our panelists after the session, because maybe they've already seen the buzz outside or already talked with a peer advisor in the Rock Hall courtyard—things they wouldn’t have had access to in years past,” recalled Javier. “Having the new students and transfer students together for one Aggie Day seemed really helpful.”
Students were anonymously surveyed on Aggie Day. Here’s what some transfers had to say about the event and their experience.
“I loved how welcoming all the student volunteers/workers and staff were, especially towards transfers! The student workers were also extremely helpful when asked a question, and every single one who was asked a question answered well and thoroughly.”
“The highlight was the “meet the department event” for transfers. It was very informative and useful.”
In addition to improvements to the transfer student experience, Esperanza Bernal, Undergraduate Admissions Recruitment Manager, said early stats are promising. “This year, we saw a significant increase in transfer students signing the SIR, or statement of intent to register, so we are very pleased with the positive impact this change had on students and admissions.”
Streamlined Experience for Staff
Adjusting the transfer credit evaluation process also resulted in more efficiency for campus staff. The admissions team was able to complete approximately 17,500 transfer reviews in record time—just about two months—allowing transfers to attend the earlier and more elaborate Aggie Day in April.
As for the College of Engineering, managing one large event to welcome new students was far more efficient than trying to drum up excitement for a separate, smaller transfer Aggie Day in May. “Historically, it was always hard to bring major departments in the College of Engineering out for maybe 40 students,” Javier noted. With the combined event, departments saw a much better turnout and engagement—from both students and departments.
Looking Ahead
The results of the technical and procedural update, along with the changes to Aggie Day, speak for themselves. The IET-developed SMR course review system successfully shifted workloads, accelerated timelines, and transformed the way UC Davis welcomes its newest Aggies. As the university moves forward, this unified model is expected to remain the standard, ensuring every student—regardless of how they get to UC Davis—starts their journey with the same level of celebration.