College Admission
The biggest factor that differentiated those who were enrolled in college and those who were not was having an influential parent.
Missing The Boat: Why Some Make It To College And Some Don’t
If a young person decides that a college education helps prepare them for their goals, it is important to understand the admission process as early as their freshman year. Many decide to begin their college courses while in high school (or, in some cases, earlier).
Concurrent Enrollment – Community College
Yuba College
Sierra College
Butte College
Self-Assessment
First and foremost in importance in the college-university search is the need to know yourself. The result may actually be surprising. Does college help meet these goals or not? See this page for more info.
The College System – How Does It Work?
There are over 3600 colleges in the United States, which makes the choice a bit daunting. Many are competitive, but the majority are not nearly as competitive as students believe. The range of options, competitiveness, price, geographical location, specialties, is endless. This is why it is important to do some sort of self-assessment (see above) to determine your “right choice.”
Right here in California, we have one of the premier university systems in the world. Preparing for admission in our university system is good preparation for applying for most schools.
University of California Information ( www.ucop.edu ) – The University of California, with it’s is intended for the top 12 ½% of the California student population, determined through a number of factors in the UC admission eligibility guidelines.
California State University ( www.calstate.edu ) – The CSU system has 23 campuses, is intended for the top 1/3rd of California students, and focuses its energy on preparing students for professional positions in the workforce. Its eligibility requirements are almost completely aligned with those of UC’s, with the exception of testing requirements, the science requirement, and individual schools’ competitiveness.
California Community Colleges ( www.cccco.edu ) – There are 109 community colleges in the state of California. Enrollment criteria are that a student be a high school graduate (or its equivalent) or 18 years old. Students may also take courses concurrently while still in high school.
California Private Schools ( www.aiccumentor.org/) – A great site for the 77 private schools that are a part of this organization.
Other sites of interest
www.collegeboard.com – The folks who bring you the SAT, AP, and PSAT exams also have a great site to help you find your way to different college sites, assess yourself, and more.
www.californiacolleges.edu – This is a great site that provides an overview of California’s college scene.
Testing
If you are in high school in a public school in California, you have been tested. The STAR and CAHSEE exams are two of which you are most familiar. Here are some more tests, mainly in relation to college admission, that you should know about.
SAT I – The standard exam that most schools require for admission. It is offered 7 times through the year. www.collegeboard.com
SAT II – Many other schools (the University of California, for one) require several SAT II subject tests in addition to the SAT I. See individual schools for more information. For test information, see www.collegeboard.com
ACT – Oftentimes schools will leave the option of taking the SAT I or the ACT. The Princeton Review has compared the two, perhaps guiding you towards one over the other. For actual test info, see www.actstudent.org).
PSAT – This practice SAT is offered only once/year. CORE does not offer it, though you may contact your local comprehensive high school to learn how to take it. It if offered in mid-October, so contact the schools in September or before for information. For general info about the PSAT.
AP – Advanced Placement are courses that prepare students for an annual exam in one or more of 34 courses and exams. Information about the AP Courses and Exams.
CLEP – The College-Level Examination Program is a way, similar to the AP exams, to earn college credit by demonstrating proficiency in a number of subject areas. CORE will also award credit for passing scores on the exam, thus allowing a student to “test out” of a particular subject(s). For more information, see College Board.
GED– The general education development test is not specifically a test related to college admissions, but worth mentioning here. The GED is a nationwide high school diploma equivalency test that students 18 years old (or within 60 days of their 18th birthday) may take. For information, see the official website
CHSPE –The California High School Proficiency Exam, like the GED, is a high school diploma equivalency test. Two main differences are that (1) you may be 16 years old to take the exam and (2) it is officially recognized in California, but not necessarily in other states. For more information, see the official website
Financial Aid
You’ve decided on a college, you’ve taken the correct classes, taken the appropriate tests – now how are you going to pay for it? Before addressing the nuts and bolts of financial aid, consider these three things:
- Most students attending college receive financial aid, so it is important not to simply look at the “sticker-price” of a school and count it out. Consider that, according to the Association of Independent California Colleges, 9 out of 10 students receive financial aid, averaging $18,900/year.
- The potential earnings for those who have furthered their education is increasing while those of a high school graduate are actually dropping slightly. See this NPR report.
- The choice of college sometimes should not purely be made based on cost. Other factors are campus preference, school philosophy, and intangible college experiences (ie. dorm life as opposed to living at home).
There are several different types of financial aid. These include loans, grants and scholarships. Here is a top 3 priority list for financial aid tasks during the senior year (specifically, between January 1st and March 2nd).
- Fill out the FAFSA. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. This is a fairly lengthy online form that is based on your (or parents) previous year’s tax return. It is the basis of the vast majority of financial aid opportunities, including the Cal Grant.
- Apply for the Cal Grant by being sure that you and your school counselor fill out a GPA Verification Form, which s/he should have on hand. This needs to be sent by March 2nd during your senior year (or whatever year is before that school year for which you are applying for financial aid). See www.calgrant.org/.
- Scholarships – There are thousands of scholarships available. The trick is (1) finding them and (2) applying for those of which you have the best chance of getting. There are many sources of scholarships, including the following:
Planning Calendar
Possibly the most important part of the College-University admission process are the ever-lurking deadlines. There are a few good college admission planning calendars.
College Board
Mapping Your Future
National Association for College Admission Counseling
