Freshman Admission 101: The Basics for New Counselors UC Counselor Conference September 2015

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Same UC Application for all nine undergraduate campuses Select campuses on application: copy is submitted to each UC Apply broadly to increase your chances of admission 9 Campuses – 1 Application

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Freshman Eligibility Requirements

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Coursework Requirement Complete any 11 UC- approved “a-g” courses prior to senior year Complete all 15-course “a-g” subject pattern by the end of senior year Must be completed with a grade of C or better

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Grade Point Average Requirement Based on “a-g” courses completed in 10 th and 11 th grades, including summer courses Minimum 3.00 weighted GPA (for CA Residents) Minimum 3.40 weighted GPA (for non-CA Residents)

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Examination Requirement ACT with Writing or SAT Reasoning Test by December of senior year Redesigned SAT: First exam date is March 2016 UC will accept scores from SAT Reasoning for Fall 2017 applicants and beyond Some campuses may recommend SAT Subject Tests for specific majors:

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Admissions by Examination To be considered students must… Take either the ACT Plus Writing or the SAT, as well as two SAT Subject Test in two different disciplines. Achieve a minimum UC score total of 410 (425 for nonresidents) Must earn a minimum UC Score of 63 on each component of the ACT Plus writing or SAT and on each of the subject Test. For instructions on calculating the UC Score, see Students who qualify by examination are entitled to full review of their application The Revised SAT will not be accepted for Admission by Exam consideration for Fall 16

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Admissions by Exception Sometimes even the most creative, focused and intellectually passionate students aren’t able to fulfill our admissions requirements If such students have the ability and potential to succeed at UC, they may qualify for admissions by exception Applicants should use their personal statement or additional comments section of the application to explain their unique story

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 California-Resident Students State Wide Context: Students that rank in the top 9 percent of the graduates statewide, are guaranteed admission to a UC Refer to our admissions index calculator:

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Local Context Our eligibility in the local context (ELC) program recognizes students accomplishments in the light of opportunities offered by their particular high schools. For California students to be considered for a guarantee in the local context, they must complete 11 specific yearlong courses by the end of junior year (including summer)

Campus Selection: Using Comprehensive Review

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Meets A-G Meets GPA Exams Individual campus selection Comprehensive Review (multiple types) No campus collaboration Requirements vs. Selection

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Comprehensive Review & Apply UC Comprehensive Review is based on the entire application, including the personal statement Students need to take care to fill out the application thoroughly, including: Personal information Academic history Activities & Awards, plus quantitative or qualitative explanations

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE Comprehensive Review Factors Academic:  Grade-point average  Test scores  Performance in and number of courses beyond minimum a-g requirements  UC-approved honors courses and advanced courses  Eligibility in the Local Context (CA residents only)  Quality of senior-year program of study  Academic opportunities in California high schools  Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas Non-Academic:  Achievements in special projects  Improvement in academic performance  Special talents, achievements and awards  Participation in educational preparation programs  Academic accomplishment in light of life experiences  Geographic location *Note: No single factor determines admission

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Personal Statement Applicants are asked to respond to two prompts: Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community or school—and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? Word Count: 1,000 words total

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Do not be campus specific! Don’t stretch the truth, just be honest Be cautious of your timeline. Ask yourself, is this relevant to me now? Tie it back to you. Always. Use “I” or “my” statements Use specific examples It’s not an essay, structure is not graded Advice for the Personal Statement

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Additional Comments Section Use Additional Comments box for clarification and expansion of important details Describe anything else that you have not had the opportunity to include elsewhere in your application Limit of 550 words The Additional Comments section is not required

Guiding Students Through the College Preparation Process

The Road to College 9 th Grade 10 th Grade 12 th Grade 7 th /8 th Grade 11 th Grade

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015

7/8 th Grade - Prepare  Seek out middle school counselor for course selection  Attend orientation every year  Begin volunteering in your community

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE TH Grade - Explore UC Admissions websites:  Doorways A-G Course Lists  Online Classes  Community College Classes & Community College A-G list  Counselor Resources:  Options for Satisfying A-G Chart  CSU-UC Comparison Chart  A-G Guide Website

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE TH Grade - Sustain Free Test Prep Resources:   College Board SAT & ACT prep – text message of the day  KHAN academy Tools to Explore Campuses:  UC Campus websites  Chegg:  Cappex:  The Princeton Review’s School Search:  CollegeWeekLive:

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE TH Grade - Challenge Test Taking Tips:  Read!  Take practice tests early to know where you may need help  UC accepts both ACT with Writing and the SAT Reasoning Test and will take your highest test score from a single test date Academic Challenges:  Rigor of course schedule  College Courses

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE TH Grade - Apply Deadlines  Apply UC open August 1 st  UC Application Fall filing period: November 1-30  File FAFSA at  Admissions notifications (posted online): March 1-30  Students must opt-in to waitlists  Submit Statement of Intent to Register (SIR): May 1 st  Official high school and college records due: July 1 st

Frequently Asked Topics & Questions

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Course Validation Validation: To take a higher level course in a subject area that requires sequential knowledge (only Math & Language Other than English) There are two types of validation: Validation of Coursework: “Subject Omission” - validation of a lower–level course even if the lower level course was not actually completed. Validation of Grades: “Grade Deficiency” – validation grades of D or F in a lower level course after completion of a higher level course with a grade of C or better.

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Repeats and Duplication Repeating Coursework: To take the exact same course over again to replace a D or F grade (AP does not repeat CP coursework) Duplication: Repeating the exact same course or one of similar content after a grade of C or better has been received. UC will not accept duplication of coursework.

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Online Course Policy Effective for online courses completed during academic year and beyond. UC does accept online college VPA courses. The online course policy and requirements approved by the Board Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) only extends to high school-level online courses. UC accepts online college courses to satisfy all of the "a- g" subject requirements

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Can students take online courses to satisfy “a-g”? High school purchasing UC-approved online courses from a provider/publisher.  List of providers available on “a-g” Guide.  Providers’ “a-g” course lists available on Course List website.  Approved courses must be added to high school’s “a-g” course list. Student enrolling independently in UC-approved online course Principal certifying non-UC-approved online courses.  Exception: NOT applicable for online lab science & visual and performing arts courses.

Resources

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 A-G Guide:  Informational website for everything “a-g”  Update high school course lists  Career Technical Education (CTE) Online Learning  New URL: de/

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Join the conversation on social media

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Virtual Opportunities to Connect UC Day: October 8 th 1:00-8:00 PM

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015 Visit in Person or Online! Fall Preview Days Spring Open Houses Virtual Tours Virtual Advising Appointments

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