College Knowledge Class of 2016 August 25, 2015 Ms. kayserian nkayserian@agbumds.org

Agenda College systems and application types Personal statements & essays What should I be doing now? Requesting recommendation letters Brag Sheet for counselor Common Application schools Non-Common Application schools Upcoming events College Knowledge Class of 2015

College Systems & Application Types California Community College California State University (CSU) University of California (UC) Private colleges and universities 75+ in California THOUSANDS in United States Simple Guidelines for Applying to Colleges

California Community College 112 campuses in California Associate degrees (many lead to careers) Transfer to 4-year school (to obtain Bachelors degree) CSU or UC: must complete 60 semester units or 90 quarter units (equivalent to 2 years of full time studies) Most private schools: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units okay to transfer (check with each college and major) Articulation agreements or TAG are available for most schools- use www.assist.org VERY important to plan for transferring- it is NOT an automatic 2 year plan!- use UCTAP Apply to community college by February/March of Senior year- use www.cccapply.org

What are the qualifications for CCC? Pop Quiz on CCC! What are the qualifications for CCC?

California State University 23 campuses Bachelor and Master degrees To be eligible: 2.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT (no Writing) Not required: SAT Subject exams, essays, recommendation letters Application filing period: Oct 1–Nov 30 To apply: www.csumentor.edu Many CSU’s are impacted and very difficult to get into! Like… Cal Poly SLO, San Diego State, Long Beach, San Francisco State

When is the CSU application due? Pop Quiz on CSU! When is the CSU application due?

Pop Quiz on CSU! Which of the following are required for CSU eligibility? (Choose all that apply.) Successfully completing the A-G coursework Minimum GPA of 2.0 SAT or ACT 2 SAT Subject exams Teacher recommendation letter 2 short answer essays None of the above

University of California 10 campuses but San Francisco is graduate only Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees Competitive admissions with many highly selective campuses To be eligible: 3.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT with Writing, personal statements, list of activities & honors Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams (some majors “highly recommended”), letters of recommendation Application filing period: Nov 1–Nov 30 (available Aug 1) To apply: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

When is the UC application due? Pop Quiz on UC! When is the UC application due?

Pop Quiz on UC! Which of the following are required for UC eligibility? (Choose all that apply.) Successfully completing the A-G coursework Minimum GPA of 3.0 SAT or ACT with Writing 3 SAT Subject exams 3 AP exams (subjects of your choice) Teacher or counselor recommendation letters None of the above- I can just walk into UCLA and become a student. Woohoo!

Private Colleges & Universities 75+ private colleges and universities in California Thousands in US All vary in admission requirements and application deadlines Application requirements: official transcript, official test scores, essays, activities & honors, recommendation letters, interview, portfolio/audition Use Common Application or Universal College Application Early Admission Plans: Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Restrictive Early Action National Candidates Reply Date: May 1

How many colleges do I apply to? Match Schools: one where your academic credentials fall well within (or even exceed) the school’s range for the average freshman. There are no guarantees, but it’s not unreasonable to be accepted to several of your match schools. Many students apply to around 3 match schools*. Safety Schools: one where your academic credentials fall above the school’s range for the average freshman. You can be reasonably certain that you will be admitted to your safety schools. Many students apply to 2 safety schools*. Reach Schools: one where your academic credentials fall below the school’s range for the average freshman. Reach schools are long-shots, but they should still be possible. If you have a 2.0 GPA, Harvard is not a reach school — it’s a dream. Many students apply to around 3 reach schools*. *According to Princeton Review College Knowledge Class of 2015

Personal Statements & Essays One of the most important pieces of your application One of the only ways to show your true self and personality Follow instructions, spell check, have someone look it over Not a typical English paper Don’t procrastinate- doing so will send the message that you don’t care Do it YOURSELF- your essay must be authentically you Avoid clichés and controversial topics; you never know who will be reading your essay Write about WHY and HOW, and it should always be about YOU Essays that Worked

What Should I Be Doing Now? Get organized with application requirements, deadlines, interviews, portfolios/auditions, essays Request recommendation letters Complete Brag Sheet for Counselor Attend college related events on and off campus Attend College Tuesday workshops Take/retake SAT or ACT Complete applications and write essays

Requesting Recommendation Letters Required: Counselor recommendation letter Must complete Brag Sheet for Counselor 1-2 teacher recommendation letters from academic subjects (English, history, science, math, & foreign language) Okay to include 1 additional letter from coach, employer, professor, club advisor, program director, etc. UC and CSU do not accept recommendation letters Some schools do not require recommendation letters You may need letters for scholarships

Requesting Recommendation Letters September 12: Deadline to ask your counselor and teacher(s) for recommendation letters for Early Action and Early Decision schools October 10: Deadline to ask your counselor and teacher(s) for recommendation letters for regular decision schools

Common Application: Inviting Recommenders Create an account: www.commonapp.org Save your Common App ID Create a college list using the “College Search” tab Your college list will appear on your “Dashboard” Add AGBU MDS to your Common App: Click on “Common App” tab Click on Education Click on Find School then choose AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School

Common Application: Inviting Recommenders Click on “My Colleges” tab then choose one of the schools listed Click on Recommenders and FERPA and sign the FERPA Release Authorization You must waive your right to review all recommendations and supporting documents in order for your counselor and teachers to write your recommendation letters Click on Invite Counselor and enter the requested information to invite your counselor to be a recommender

Common Application: Inviting Recommenders Click on Invite Teacher and enter the requested information to invite your teacher(s) to be a recommender You will need email addresses of your counselor and teachers Completing these steps will trigger an email to your invited recommenders with instructions on submitting their recommendation letters via the Common App Recommender website Confirm with your counselor and teacher(s) that they received the invitation

Non-Common Application Schools Complete online application on the school’s website Follow instructions specific to that college to request your counselor and/or teacher recommendations, if applicable (remember, not all schools want recommendation letters) If letters need to be snail-mailed, then let your counselor and/or teachers know in person and provide them with self-addressed and stamped envelopes

Upcoming Events College Tuesday workshops: every Tuesday in the College Center Essay review sessions: as needed College Application Review Sessions: Thursdays at 12:30 in computer lab – Sign up ASAP! Financial Aid Night: TBD College Rep Visits College & Coffee (for parents only)