Welcome to College 101! The College Admissions Process! GO What you need to know to GO!

Higher Learning Institutions in California… California Community Colleges California State University University of California Private – Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Trade/Technical

California Community Colleges (CCC) 112 Community Colleges in California Associate of Arts Degree (AA) – Traditionally takes 2 academic years to complete the required 60 semester units Associate of Science Degree (AS) – Primarily a vocational degree, 2 academic years requiring 56+ units Certificate Programs – Most can be completed in months

Admissions Requirements to CCC Open admissions - anyone interested in attending is accepted… Must apply on-line and take the assessment (Linden HS is an approved testing site…) Good place to start if student is not focused... FASTWATCH DEADLINES! Classes fill up FAST!

California State University (CSU) 23 Campuses across the state 16/23 are IMPACTED 5/23 are Impacted in all majors! (Fullerton, Long Beach, San Diego, San Jose, and Cal Poly) 4 year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science Dozens of different majors to choose Reasonably priced - $23,444 tuition, room/board

CSU Admission Requirements… 4 years English, 3 years math (alg. I,II and Geometry), 2 years foreign language, 2 year science with lab, 1 year visual/performing art SAT or ACT November 30th Deadline! Requires no essays No D grades in core classes

New for 2012!! All students MUST pass the ELM/EPT or they will have to take a remediation class over the summer! to study for the test! Check your student’s CST’s for results

EPT/ELM – START EARLY! Tests are given March – May, with 1 test in January Orientation preference is given to students who take test in January or March If student has a “math conditional” they are encouraged to take the ELM – if they don’t pass but earn a “C” or higher in the class then this grade will be honored and they will be allowed to take the higher level, non-remedial math

University of California 10 Campuses in California Highly competitive admissions process Students must be on college-prep track Wonderful research schools Very large campus size Medium ranged tuition - $29,000 tuition, living on campus

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

Private or Independent Colleges Over 76 private, non-profit colleges and universities in California Many have wonderful financial aid programs Many are highly competitive to enter – yet there are also several that are “forgiving” Some of the best kept secrets in higher education… Not always as costly as one may assume…

Private Admission Requirements The Common Application is a universal application used by many private schools Most require students to have a “college prep” track, following the UC/CSU core requirements Most have an “early action/decision” program – be sure you understand the difference! Deadlines vary between each of the schools Most require essays and letters of recommendation

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

Transcripts… The Good…The Bad…The Savable… How to read a transcript… What the colleges are looking for on a transcript…

Required Tests…

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

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

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

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

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

Scholarships National Scholarships Local Scholarship - available in March Binder in Career Center Scholarship Books Beware of Scams!

Does College = A Job Upon Graduation? 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. 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.

The more you learn the more you can earn…

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

The Bottom Line…CHOICES! Students (and parents!) need to keep options OPEN! Apply, Apply, Apply! Deadlines are NOT suggestions! Make final decisions in the spring of senior year

Helpful Web Sites – CSU informationwww.csumentor.edu – UCwww.universityofcalifornia.edu – Private California Collegeswww.aiccu.edu – Community Colleges in CAwww.cccco.edu – SAT sign upwww.sat.org.register - ACTwww.actstudent.org

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