Transfer Student Jump Start Program

Cal Poly College of Engineering (CENG) is offering a supportive summer Jump Start program for a select newly admitted 2025 transfer students majoring in Mechanical Engineering or Computer Science/Software Engineering. Take courses for free! Live on campus! Meet other new transfer students! Students who have participated in this program found it helpful to get oriented to campus and meet other students before fall. Faculty mentoring and community-building activities are included as well!

Timing

Jump start program details: second session summer 5 weeks, starting July 28-August 29. Enrollment in a total of 4-6 units.

Applications Due June 1, 2025

Courses

Thanks to the support of a generous sponsor, for a limited cohort of students, CENG will provide full scholarships for enrollment in 4-6 units of specific second session summer Cal Poly courses.

Since courses will be offered in-person, you must be willing to relocate to San Luis Obispo or be within easy commuting distance to participate in this program. You must opt into this program to enroll in these second session summer courses. Those not enrolled in the program will not be able to take these courses.

Required for Mechanical engineers:

  • Plan A (for students without Intro to  Solidworks):
    ME 263 (1 unit)
    ME 234 (3 units)
    ME 228 (2 units)
     
    Plan B (if a student has had Introduction to Solidworks – this will only be a few students)
    ME 263 (1 unit)
    ME 234 (3 units)
    ME 264 (1 unit) or ME 251 (2 units)

Required for computer science/software engineering majors:

  • CSC 490 Transfer Student Orientation and Workshop (2 units)
  • CSC 349 Algorithms (4 units)

Note that interested students can explore registering for additional second session courses, however, only the cost of 4-6 units of courses is covered by the Summer Jump Start program.

Additional ME course offered during the Second Summer 5 Week Session:

  • ME 264 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering for Transfers Lab (1 unit)

Registration

ME Students 

How to Enroll:  

You can search and register for courses using Schedule Builder.   Please review the Office of the Registrar’s Schedule Builder page to learn about this tool and how to register. 

Questions:  

 If you have issues with enrollment please contact the ME lead for the program:  Sarah Harding, sthardin@calpoly.edu 

Advisors in Engineering Student Services are also available to support you with any questions you may have.  

CSC and SE Students 

How to Enroll:  

You can search and register for courses using Schedule Builder.   Please review the Office of the Registrar’s Schedule Builder page to learn about this tool and how to register.   

 Questions:  

 If you have trouble enrolling into a course, you may need a permission number, in which case reach out to Leanne Fiorentino in the CSC office: lfiorent@calpoly.edu 

You are welcome to reach out to the CSC/SE transfer program course lead: Dr. Stephen Beard, srbeard@calpoly.edu 

Advisors in Engineering Student Services are also available to support you with any questions you may have.  

Housing

Full housing stipends for a third of the participants are available (first come first served) or participants can choose to live in off-campus housing during the program at their own expense.

Please indicate your preference in the application.

Activities

The program includes at least one hour a week of planned orientation and jump start activities to help you get to know other students, your major, the campus, and San Luis Obispo. We hope that you will feel like Cal Poly is a place where you belong by the time fall quarter rolls around! You will meet with faculty from your department each week, getting to know them and the other students in your program.

Please submit the following information to apply to this program. We hope you will consider Jump Starting your academic career and this unique opportunity to build community at Cal Poly. Applications are due by June 1st, 2025. Enrollment is predicated on successful matriculation and meeting all required prerequisite courses.

Testimonials

“The Jump start program has been an outstanding experience. It enabled me to become part of the Cal Poly culture and get a head start on classes that I would otherwise have to take anyway. Plus, it opened many opportunities to get to know a lot of different staff and faculties which enabled me to get involved in many different projects.”

-John, Mechanical Engineering, 2023 Jump Start Participant

“I think the Jump Start Program is probably the single most beneficial thing that has impacted my time at Cal Poly as a new mechanical engineering transfer student. Getting ahead in classes and learning about a lot of the opportunities available in the College of Engineering allowed me to understand the registration process, meet lots of other transfer students, get information about the club I am now a team lead for and have flexibility in my class schedule including being able to start my senior project during my first year here! If you can do this program, please do it!”

-Coleman, Mechanical Engineering, 2024 Jump Start Participant

“I was nervous to try Jump Start especially living away from home with a roommate on campus. It turned out to be the best choice I ever made. It was where I met my best friends during my first year at Cal Poly.”

-Selena, Mechanical Engineering, 2024 Jump Start Participant

“This program was my WOW. I met friends that I’m going to keep the entire time that I’m here, I got to know the campus really well and met some great professors too! It was so nice to get to know SLO before there were crowds of people, have some more relaxed classes and schedules, and just have fun!”

-Timothy, Computer Science, 2025 Jump Start Participant 

“Jump Start gave me an incredibly useful starting point to begin at as a transfer with regards to academics, connections and general familiarity with both SLO and with my plan for the rest of my degree. Even a year later, all of my closest relationships have stemmed from Jump Start and it was the best decision I could have made as a transfer!”

-Jesse, Mechanical Engineering, 2025 Jump Start Participant

“To this day, I still hang out with and talk to most of the people I met in Jump start. Doing this program helped me build a community, become more comfortable with the campus and get ahead on courses. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to register for classes and build a degree plan which is critical during Cal Poly’s transitional period.”

-Ashley, Mechanical Engineering, 2025 Jump Start Participant

Contact

Zoë Wood, Ph.D., (she/her/ally)
Professor, Computer Science Department and
Associate Dean for Diversity and Student Success, College of Engineering
zwood@calpoly.edu