Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I meet with a Counselor? Counselors are available to meet with students through an appointment or Drop-in, both offered online and in-person. Students who are looking to schedule a counseling appointment or use in-person Drop-ins are welcome to come to our office in G-200.
  • Pro-Tip: Schedule appointments online through our Connect with a Counselor page. After answering a couple of questions, you will be directed to the respective counseling services needed. Join the Drop-in queue virtually this way as well!

    Appointments are available Monday 8 - 6 pm, Tuesday - Thursday 8 - 5 pm, Friday 9 -1pm

    Drop-In Hours are available Monday - Thursday 10 - 1:30 pm. *Subject to change*

• I scheduled an in-person appointment but can't make it anymore. Can I switch it online? Yes you can! Please contact our front desk at  619-660-4429 or email cuyamaca.ecounseling@gcccd.edu. If you need to change your modality to online - please make sure you do so as soon as possible with at least 2 hours notice, if possible.
• What are Drop-ins? Drop-ins are quick 10-15 minute sessions with a Counselor and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. You can join the Drop-in queue/line in-person or virtually online. Long term, comprehensive Education Plans cannot be provided in Drop-ins (these require an hour-long appointment - because we want to give you the best service!). Things that can be done on Drop-in include: Consortium Agreement, Overload Petition, P/​NP Request, General Petition, Placement Results or Quick Academic Questions. eCounseling is available for quick questions that do not require live help - submit a question to our counselors. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response.
  • Pro-Tip: Avoid the LONG wait for Drop-in during peak times (start of registration and start of semester) by scheduling an appointment early on! You can do this online through our Connect with a Counselor page.
• I scheduled an online appointment. Where is the Zoom link information for it? Immediately after scheduling your appointment, you will receive an email with the appointment information and Zoom link. Be sure to check your Spam folder! If you cannot find it at all, please contact our front desk at  619-660-4429 or email cuyamaca.ecounseling@gcccd.edu. 
• What is the cancellation policy for appointments? If you do not attend your appointment it will result in a "no-show." Students who "no-show" three (3) times in the same semester will not be allowed to schedule another appointment until the next semester. If you need to cancel or reschedule - please make sure you do so as soon as possible with at least 2 hours notice, if possible.
• How do I cancel or reschedule my appointment? If you are not able to attend your appointment for any reason, please cancel by signing back into the system or giving us a call at 619-660-4429 with at least 2 hours notice, if possible.

• What is an Education Plan? Education Plans map out what courses a student should take semester by semester to complete their educational goals. First/One semester Ed Plans can be obtained in Self-Service under the Orientation, Placement and Advising section (listed as Step 3). However, once you have gotten started in your classes here, we encourage students to make an hour-long appointment with a counselor to create a Comprehensive Ed Plan (CEP). You can schedule this online through our Connect with a Counselor page. A CEP for an AA degree or transfer usually includes General Education, Major Preparation/Requirements, and Electives that help you meet the minimum number of units required. 
• What are Drop-ins? Drop-ins are quick 10-15 minute sessions with a Counselor and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. You can join the Drop-in queue/line in-person or virtually online. Long term, comprehensive Education Plans cannot be provided in Drop-ins (these require an hour-long appointment - because we want to give you the best service!). Things that can be done on Drop-in include: Consortium Agreement, Overload Petition, P/​NP Request, General Petition, Placement Results or Quick Academic Questions. eCounseling is available for quick questions that do not require live help - submit a question to our counselors. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response.
  • Pro-Tip: Avoid the LONG wait for Drop-in during peak times (start of registration and start of semester) by scheduling an appointment early on! You can do this online through our Connect with a Counselor page.
• AA or ADT? What's the difference? The difference between an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) and an Associate Degree primarily is that the ADT uses a transfer GE pattern and is only offered for certain majors using very specific major coursework requirements. The ADTs are also widely accepted in the CSU system and some private universities. You can read more about the ADT, guarantee into the CSU system and more in our college catalog.
• What is an ACP (Academic & Career Pathway)? We have developed eight Academic and Career Pathways to help guide you to the classes that will lead to a fulfilling career. Each Pathway contains college programs that fit within that group. We have two Pre-Academic and Career Pathways: English as a Second Language (ESL) if you would like to improve upon English literacy skills before entering an ACP, and Exploratory if you are not sure which ACP is right for you.
• I already earned an associate degree from Cuyamaca. Can I get another one? When a student has already earned an AA Degree, there must be at least 12 units to be completed in the new major in order to earn the additional Associate Degree, Earning an additional Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) is an exception. Meet with a counselor to review your courses. 
• How do I know if the course I'm taking is transferable? All courses transferable to the CSU or UC system have an indication in the college catalog at the end of the course descriptions. If a course does not fit a specific general education area, then it will count as a transferable elective units. Please meet with a counselor if you are inquiring about a private/out-of-state university. 
• I have more questions related to transfer. Where should I go? Our Transfer Center provides services such as workshops, transfer application assistance, supporting students who are admitted/denied, and more. You can also check out additional Transfer FAQ. 

• What is a unit? A unit represents the credit earned when you complete a class. Units also represents the amount of time you may be spending on the class. For example, a 1 unit class meets for about 1 hour per week for a full-semester class, and a 5 unit class meets about 5 hours a week for a full-semester length class. 
• How many units should I take? The number of units you should take really depends on what other commitments you have in your life (work, family, personal, etc). We generally tell students to expect to dedicated at least 2 hours outside of class for every unit, so taking 12 units means you will be in class for about 12 hours and then you should dedicate at least 24 hours OUTSIDE of class towards studying and homework. That's 36 hours just on school!
  • Recommended number of units to take if you are also working:
    • 40 hours of work : Take 3-6 units
    • 30 hours of work : Take 6-9 units
    • 20 hours of work : Take 12 units
    • 5-15 hours of work : Take 14-18 units

• How many units is full-time? Students are considered full-time if they are taking a minimum of 12 units during fall and spring semesters. Although 6 units is typically considered full-time in the summer, some other programs may have different requirements to be full-time in the summer. 
• What is general education? Every degree requires general education (GE). GE classes cover a breadth of knowledge areas that a student can select courses from. Often times courses that you need to take for your major can also "double-dip" into your general education coursework. You can review the different GE patterns/requirements on our Education Planning Tools page and select the GE based on your goal of obtaining a Cuyamaca associate degree or transferring to a 4 year university. 
• What's the most units I can take in a semester? How can I get an Overload Authorization? The maximum number of units a student can enroll in for the fall and spring semesters is 18 units and 8 units in the summer. If going over those units, an Overload Authorization is required to be approved by a counselor. These are done through Drop-ins and we use the following guidelines for determining approval: 1. Earned a minimum of 12 units with a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 in college coursework.  and 2. Currently not on probation or dismissal status.
  • NOTE: If the course you are requesting for overload is a Grossmont course - you will need to contact Grossmont Counseling to complete the Overload Authorization. 
• What is Pass/No Pass (P/NP)? A Pass/No Pass allows you to either get a "P" (Pass) or an "NP" (No Pass) in your course. By requesting this option, if you end up earning a "C" grade or higher by the end of the semester, then this would result in a “P” (Pass) symbol on your transcripts. Earning a grade lower than a “C” would result in an “NP” (No Pass) symbol on your transcripts. P/NP is irreversible and while P/NP technically doesn't affect students' Cuyamaca GPA, there can be transfer-related consequences to consider when advising students. Before you select P/NP, we recommend you speak with a counselor to make sure this is the best option for you.
• What is a prerequisite? What is a Corequisite? A prerequisite means a course or another requirement that a student must have taken before enrolling in a specific course. A Corequisite means a course or other requirement that a student must take at the same time as another course. 

• I got notified of Academic or Progress Dismissal. What do I do? All GCCCD students have a certain academic standing. That can range from good standing, to academic/progress probation, or even academic/progress dismissal. Visit our webpage on Academic Standing to learn more about what it means. If you are on Dismissal, that means that you have either not achieved a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or not completed 50% or more of your attempted units for three semestes in a row. When on Dismissal, you are not able to attend either college in the district for one academic year. You may attend summer session. There is an option to enroll in our Back on Track Workshop in Canvas and complete a petition for readmission. 
• How do I change my major at Cuyamaca? First, you will want to review your active major(s) in Student Planning & Registration in Self-Service before requesting a change. There are two ways to update your major.
  • 1) If you are updating it in the current catalog year, you can do this on your own by submitting the Update Student Data (Major/Education Goal) form. 
  • 2) If you are better served by an older catalog year/requirements for graduation, you will need to meet with a counselor to get a Catalog Rights form submitted. 
• What is Academic Renewal? This is a policy that gives students a chance to petition to have D's and F's removed from their GPA once specific criteria has been met. When approved, the courses still remain on the transcript but will be notated and not included in calculation of the GPA. More details on the criteria and procedure are located in the college catalog. Meet with a Counselor to determine if and when this is appropriate for you. 
• I failed a course and want to retake it. What happens to the bad grade? If you received a "D" or "F" grade, and retake the course, the new grade will replace it. It will visually remain on your transcript but will be notated to not count towards your GPA calculation. 
• I got an EW or W. Can I repeat the course? Yes! Excused Withdrawals (EW) and Withdrawals (W) do not count against your GPA. You may repeat them. However, Ws do count in your attempts and progress. You may only attempt a course 3 times.
• I tried to take a course 3 times already but want to try it one more time. Can I? Students are allowed to enroll in a course three times under our Course Repetition Policy. If you have extenuating circumstances, you may petition for approval to take a course for a 4th time by submitting a General Petition to Admissions and Records. 
• What are catalog rights? Catalog rights are the policies, requirements and course descriptions that are tied to the college catalog for a specific academic year. Your catalog rights will start the year you enroll in our district and stay with you through continuous enrollment. You maintain continuous enrollment by enrolling at least one semester every year and do not miss two back-to-back semesters. If you take more than a 2 semester break, then you will have new catalog rights to the year that you return and will need to reapply to the college. 

• When do I register for classes? Each student is assigned their own registration date and time. This is sent by email typically about 2 weeks before registration officially starts. Students can register at that date/time and anytime thereafter. If you don't receive an email, check your spam folder or you can log into Self-Service and locate your registration date/time. 
  • Pro-Tip: Meet with a counselor early to develop your education plan. This will help you avoid the long Drop-in wait times and harder to schedule counseling appointments during these peak times. You can do this online through our Connect with a Counselor page. Feb-Mar and Sep-Oct are the best months to schedule your appointments!
• How do I register for classes? Students register for classes using Self-Service. Review step-by-step instructions on how to register for classes here. Registration is not complete until your tuition and fees are paid. You can pay your fess in Self-Service or at the Cashier Office.
• What is "crashing" a class? If a class is closed because it is full (all the seats in the class are filled) and a wait list is not available, you will have to "crash" the class. In order to crash a class, you must show up to the first class meeting to see if there is any room for the instructor to add you and its typically on a first come-first serve basis. If the class is online only, be sure to email the instructor. 
• How does the Wait List work? Waitlists show up once classes are full and students are added to the wait list on a first-come, first-served basis. As seats become available, students are automatically added to the class in the order that they are on the wait list. Once the class has started, instructors may allow students add authorization based on the the order of the wait list. 
• How do I drop a class? Students must drop classes through Self-Service. It is important to pay attention to Academic Calendar deadlines every semester. Drops after the adjustment period will result in a "W" withdrawal on the transcript. It is the student's responsibility to officially drop a course. You may receive an "F" in a course if you stop attending and never officially drop. More information can be found in the college catalog. 
• How do I add if the class is full or it has already started? Once a class is closed or the class has already started, students have to get an Add Authorization from the instructor. If an instructor allows you to enroll in their class, they will 'add authorize' you in Self-Service and then you must go into Self-Service to add and register for the class by the "Last Day to Add" deadline. Always check the Academic Calendar for specific semester deadlines. 

• What is placement? Placement gives recommendations for courses in math, English and English as a second language (ESL). This will determine where you start in your sequence of courses. Visit our Placement Center webpage for more information on exemptions, ESL placement and Chemistry Challenge. 
• How do I complete my placement? Self-Service is where you will complete Placement. The placement questionnaire will help us assess your current level of English and Math. Login to Self-Service click Students. Under Orientation/Placement/Advise, click Step Two- Placement Questionnaire.
• What is a prerequisite? What is a Corequisite? A prerequisite means a course or another requirement that a student must have taken before enrolling in a specific course. A Corequisite means a course or other requirement that a student must take at the same time as another course. 
• How do clear a prerequisite? Prerequisites are cleared by submitting our online Prerequisite Form. Be prepared to provide documentation - you can use unofficial copies and screenshots. Processing times may take up to 5  business days, please keep this in mind when completing this form if you are needing to meet deadlines. We can only clear prerequisites for Cuyamaca College courses. 
  • Note: Grossmont College prerequisites are cleared by program. Please refer to their webpage for further instructions. We are unable to clear prerequisites for Grossmont College courses. 
• I submitted a prerequisite form and attached my transcripts. Does this mean my transcripts will be evaluated? No, your transcripts are not evaluated until official ones have been sent to Admissions & Records and you have submitted a request for transcript evaluation. 
• My transcripts are already submitted to the college. Are my prerequisites cleared? Prerequisites are NOT automatically cleared when official transcripts are first received. Often times, students need to clear prerequisites separately to be ready for registration. Processing times for prerequisite clearance may take up to 5 business days, while transcript evaluation processing times may take 8 to 10 weeks. 
• Where do I get my official transcripts? Instructions on how to request official transcripts and print unofficial transcripts can be found here. 
• I completed college work in another country. What do I do now? If you want to have your previous coursework considered towards a Cuyamaca certificate or degree. Each foreign transcript must be translated into English and submitted to one of the companies listed here. Transcripts issued from non-American system institutions and in languages other than English require special handling. 
• I passed some AP exams in high school. What do I do now? You will want have College Board send your test scores to the Transcripts office. If you need to use them to clear a prerequisite, you can submit official copies first. 

• I'm undecided on my major, where should I start? Our Career Center has a lot of resources to help you with choosing a major, including career assessments and career counseling appointments. In addition to that, we offer Counseling 110, a 1-unit Career Decision Making course that can be completed in as little as 2 weeks.  Be sure to connect with the Exploratory Pre-ACP for additional resources to help you during this stage of your major exploration. 
• Do you offer career counseling? YES! While all of our counselors are equipped to support you in your career exploration, we also have a dedicated Career Counselor available to meet with students, interpret career assessment results, and develop career-education plans.  
• Where can I get more information on careers and look at jobs? That would be our Career Center! And while you are there, you can check out our student job board: Handshake.

• What is a consortium agreement and how do I get one? When you are taking courses at Grossmont, as long as they are needed for your educational goals, then a simple Consortium Agreement form is completed by a counselor for the financial aid office. Consortium are done on a Drop-in basis and you can check our hours or sign up for virtual drop-ins here: www.cuyamaca.edu/TALK. It is important to note that if you are receiving your Financial Aid from Grossmont, then you must complete this process with Grossmont Counseling.
• What happens to my Financial Aid if I withdraw from a class? Students who reduce their course load during the term may not be eligible for the entire award offered to them and are advised to consult with the Financial Aid Office to determine what impact dropping classes may have. 
• How do I complete a Maximum Unit Petition? You will need to make a 1-hour counseling appointment so that a counselor can create an education plan and complete the counselor form required for the financial aid petition. A typed statement is required with this petition - please have this completed before your appointment. After your appointment, you will be responsible for submitting all of the documents into CampusLogic. 
• What is Counseling 095 (COUN-095)? Students who are not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress may be required to take a .5 unit Counseling 095 course. When you check on your Financial Aid Status, you would see if COUN-095 is listed s a requirement. If so, then please search for COUN-095 in Self-Service and enroll in that. We offer COUN-095 just about every month. On another note, if you are a student participating in DSPS, EOPS, or CalWORKs, then you may bypass taking COUN 095 and meet with your special program counselor instead.
• I have more questions related to Financial Aid. Where do I go? Financial Aid offers live help desk on Zoom and you can also check for answers on the Financial Aid FAQ. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more assistance. 

• When is the deadline to petition for graduation? It is important to check for graduation deadlines according to the Academic Calendar and dates listed on the How to Graduate webpage. The deadlines are typically in early October (for Fall) and early March (for Spring). It is recommended that students earning ADTs specifically petition earlier - before September (for Fall) and before February (for Spring). 
• How do I apply to graduate? Visit our How to Graduate webpage for deadlines and instructions for petitioning to graduate. You will want to make sure that all of your previous transcripts are on file and that you've met with a counselor to make sure your requirements are completed before you submit the graduation application.
• I'm finishing my requirements in the summer. Can I still participate in commencement? Students who are planning to graduate in the summer can participate in the Spring Commencement ceremony with approval from a Counselor. The Counselor will verify the criteria and complete the Commencement Participation Form. The deadline for this is typically in early-May so be sure to contact Counseling to confirm deadline and look into this as soon as you are interested in commencement! 

Students who are part of these programs are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the program, please click the link for your program to continue to scheduling options. 

If you are not part of any of the below programs please return to Connect with a Counselor to continue to General Counseling.

• EOPS, NextUp!, Up!, CARE: Services for students who are economically disadvantaged and foster youth
• DSPS : Support for students with disabilities 
• CalWORKs: Services for CalWORKs recipients attending Cuyamaca College
• Veterans Center: Services for military affiliated students 
• STEM Counseling: Students currently enrolled in a STEM major
• Athletic Counseling: Students who are current athletes at Cuyamaca College
• Umoja Program: Students that identify as Black, African, and/or African American
• Rising Scholars: Students impacted by the justice system
• High School/Dual Enrollment Students