Objectives. In the UC Berkeley College of Chemistry, all transfer students matriculate at the beginning of their junior year. As such, transfer students have a significantly shorter timeline for establishing professional connections and participating in research than FTIC students. A timeline comparing this difference between a transfer student and an FTIC student both interested in pursuing advanced degrees immediately after graduation is provided in Figure . This timeline outlines one example of how a student might find a research position through a connection made in a classroom setting. In this timeline, it is assumed that both students successfully acquire an undergraduate research position by the conclusion of their first semester.