1. Sophomore Year College Presentation

2. College Admissions
First and foremost are your course selections and grades.
For universities that only look at numbers like our 23 California State Universities (e.g. Chico, Sonoma, Cal Ploy, SF State, etc.) you need to have the right courses and grades to be admitted.
Grade Point Average (Min. 2.5 to apply)
Strength of Transcript (upward trend)
ACT or SAT exam scores (AP & Subject exams added value)
Note: (UC Minimum GPA to apply 3.0 from A-G approved courses)

3. UC Berkeley 2016 Profile Admit rate — Overall 17.5% Admits 14,429
Applicants
82,571
High School GPA
ACT Composite Score
30 – 34
SAT Critical Reading
630 – 750
SAT Mathematics
660 – 780
SAT Writing

4. UC Santa Barbara 2016 Profile
Admit rate — Overall
35.9%
Admits
27,648,429
Applicants
77,114
High School GPA
ACT Composite Score
27 – 33
SAT Critical Reading
570 – 700
SAT Mathematics
600 – 760
SAT Writing

5. Grade Point Average (GPA)
Colleges determine GPA differently.
UC’s use 10th and 11th grades
Other colleges use all 7 semesters for regular admissions (9th – 1st semester 12th grades)
Strength of course selection and curriculum determined by the courses offered at your school from the school profile and historical data shown in the grade distribution section

6. Standardized Test Scores
What tests and when?
(PPSAT) Oct. (10th grade)
PSAT version Oct. (11th grade)
SAT version March, May (11th grade) or Oct. Nov. (12th grade)
ACT April or June (11th grade)
AP May after AP classes
2 to 3 SAT Subject tests May, June just after AP test and Pre-calculus in 10th or 11th is optimal time to take them.
Note: Oct. only for Chinese and other languages with Listening included

7. College admissions criteria continued:
Extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, community service, etc.)
Special talents and awards
Personal qualities, demographics, special circumstances
Teacher and counselor recommendations
Personal statement/essays, and if required
Interview, portfolios, and/or auditions

8. Extracurricular Activities
Summer Enrichment and Opportunities to build up your extracurricular activities.
Summer is a good time to take care of your service learning and community service hours.
Both have haiku pages that list opportunities. You can find these links on the home page of Naviance and under the “Extras” tab on your Haiku school site.

9. Your PPSAT Score Report

10. College Readiness and Benchmarks

11. Skills Sets Your Strengths & Weaknesses

12. NMSC Selection Index

13. Your Right, Wrong & Omitted Answers

14. Math - Free Response

15. Legend – Key & Subscore

16. College Board Access Code for Your Online Score Report

17. Next Steps to Improve Your Skills

18. Khan Academy SAT Preparation

19. PPSAT Sophomore Year Results
Read test results
Look up missed questions
Visit the College Board’s SAT Khan Academy and other online sites for test preparation
Devise a plan to improve skills and scores using your score report results
Be consistent in your efforts (e.g. 15 to 30 minutes a couple times a week)
Take a test prep class over the summer or participate in a Boot Camp

20. Other Evaluative Measures in competitive college applicants …
Academic recognition and awards
Artistic, writing, and/or other talent
Depth in one or more academic areas
Evidence of academic passion
Grasp of world events
Independent academic research
Intellectual curiosity
Writing quality: content, style, originality, risk taking
There are lots of elements here. Certainly they don’t expect you to have all of them, but if you do, it will be noted.
Being “well-rounded” is no longer a ticket to Harvard. While admissions officers are looking to create a well-balanced class, they are less and less impressed by kids who are interested in many diverse areas without some clear focus. When everything else is equal, a child with a deep interest and talent in one area will get in before a well-rounded student.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that well-roundness is bad. If you are a scholar, musician, athlete, and leader, that’s great, as long as you have something extra to stand out.

21. Summary of Sophomore Year
Work hard to get the best grades possible
Visit your counselor to help you select appropriate 11th grade courses (five classes)
Pathways College Counseling Class and Individual meetings with your college counselor – junior/senior
Get involved in meaningful activities – clubs, sports, community service
Get familiar with the ACT and SAT exams at and
Plan meaningful summer activities
Get a job and add $$ to your college savings account
Apply for scholarships and enter contests

22. Questions?