College 101…What you need to know... Why your student should go!

The Different College Systems… * CCC * CSU *UC *AICCU The Different College Systems… * CCC California Community College * CSU California State University *UC University of California *AICCU Independent/Private *Trade or Technical School

California Community Colleges n Associate of Arts Degree (AA) n Associate of Science Degree (AS) n Certificate Programs n Over 100 CCC’s in California

Admission Requirements…CCC n Open admissions - anyone interested in attending is accepted n Must apply on-line and take the assessment n Good place to start if student is not focused... n WATCH DEADLINES! FAST n Classes fill up FAST!

California State Universities n 23 Campuses across the state n 16/23 are IMPACTED n 4/23 are Impacted in all majors! (Fullerton, San Diego, San Jose, and Cal Poly) n 4 year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science n Dozens of different majors to choose n Reasonably priced…

Admission Requirements…CSU n 4 years English, 3 years math (Int. Math 1,2,& 3), 2 years world language, 2 year science with lab, 1 year visual/perform. Art n NO D grades… n SAT or ACT n November 30th Deadline!

University of California n 10 Campuses Across California n Highly Competitive to Enter n Students must be on college prep track n Wonderful research schools n BA,MA,MD,PhD, JD, DDS degrees available n Larger Campus Sizes

Admission Requirements…UC n 4 years English, 3 years math (prefer 4 years), 2 years world language (prefer 3 years), 2 years science with lab (prefer 3), 1 year VPA, 2 years Social Sci. n Minimum GPA must be at least 3.0 to apply (10 th - 12 th grades only) n NO D grades… n SAT or ACT n November 30th Deadline! n Requires 2 essays

Independent or Private Colleges n Over 76 private colleges and universities in California n Wonderful programs - some of the best kept secrets in higher education n BA,BS, MA,MD, JD, PhD programs n Not always as costly as you may think...

Admission to Private Colleges … n Most use the Common Application n Many highly competitive schools n Several very “forgiving” schools n Incredible financial aid programs n Different deadlines

Trade or Technical Schools n Programs designed to give students post-secondary training and skills n Good programs - generally high ticket prices to attend n Be sure to check program prior to committing any money n Designed for students who are not in college prep. programs in high school

Required Tests…

College Entrance Exams... n SAT…Total possible points = 2400 n Tests English and Math knowledge n May take as many times as needed... n Must take before December of senior year!! n ACT…Total possible points = 36 n Tests 3 areas - English, Math, Science/Social Science n Should take this test if you want Cal Poly! n Must take before December of senior year!

Newly Designed SAT Coming… n The College Board is launching a redesigned SAT in March 2016 and a redesigned PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT TM 8/9 in October n Closely aligned to challenging classroom work, the redesigned assessments will focus on the few things that evidence shows matter most for college and career readiness.

Financial Aid n What is Financial Aid? n Must you be “poor” to receive aid? n Where does the money come from? n Social Security #... n First steps...

Grants... n FREE MONEY! n FAFSA - March 2nd Deadline! – Pell Grant (Federal Program) –Cal Grant (California Program)

Loans n Student Loans n Parent Loans n Look carefully into the different programs! n Good way for student to establish credit n Keep options open!

Average Loan Debt n California – n $15,804 n 42% of students in California take out loans n National – n $25,250 which is 37% higher than what students are incurring in CA n 67% of students borrow through loans

Scholarships n National Scholarships n Local Scholarship - available in March n Binder in Career Center n n n LHS Web Site n Beware of Scams!

Does College = A Job Upon Graduation? n Statistics prove the more education a person has the more competitive they are in the job market - 31% of young high school graduates were unemployed as compared to about 9% of young college graduates. n It is a rare 18-year-old who knows exactly where she or he is headed professionally. College provides the opportunity to students to sort that out, to test their interest in certain subject areas and to be exposed to areas they might not have known about before.

Why should your child go to college?

The Freshman Experience... n Opportunity to move on and still have the “safety net” n He/she has “earned” this by working hard in H.S. n Unique experience for freshmen!

The Bottom Line…CHOICES! n Students (and parents!) need to keep options OPEN! n Apply, Apply, Apply! n Watch for deadlines…they are not “suggestions” n Make final decisions in the spring of senior year

Helpful Web Sites Helpful Web Sites - CSU’s - UC’s - Private Schools SJ Delta College - Community Colleges - SAT information - ACT information

QUESTIONS? I am here to help you! Pam Knapp - Career Center Director/Counselor (209)