December 27th, 2014AAYSP 2014 ProfessionalDevelopment NationalConference

Pursuit of higher education: Getting accepted to universities and

postgraduate schools

Outline

• Introduction• Community college• California State University • University of California• How to prepare for admission • Postgraduate education admission

Community College – 2 years (Optional)

Associate’s Degree

University –4 years

Bachelor’s Degree

Degree options

Master’s Degree(CSU, UC, Private)

University-2 years or more

Doctorate Degrees-Ph.D, Ed.D, M.D.

Professional Degrees-Law Degree

(UC, Private, some CSU offer(special circumstances)

University –3 years or more

Degrees after B.A./B.S.

California Community Colleges (CCC)

California State University (CSU)

University of California (UC)

Independent and Private Colleges/Universities

4 Systems of higher education

High School

College options

Community college • Students can attend part-time or full-time

• Some have honor programs( many benefits)

• To enroll, students have to be 18 + or have a High School Diploma

• Prepares students to transfer to a 4 year institution

– General education & IGETC (CSU and UC)

– Transfer admission guarantee(TAG) to UChttp://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/

files/tag-matrix.pdf

High School

California State University

• General education & IGETC (CSU)• G.P.A 2.0 or greater on

transferable courses• Submit application

http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/requirements/

California State University

High School

• General education & IGETC (CSU)• G.P.A 2.0 or greater on

transferable courses• Submit application

http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/requirements/

• “a-g” courses ( HS Diploma)

• Minimum G.P.A 2.0 must take SAT or ACT

• G.P.A 3.0 or greater SAT or ACT not required.

• Eligibility index = 2900 min

• Some “impacted CSU” have additional requirement.

https://secure.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/

EI=(Your GPA ) x 800 + Your SAT Total

University of California (UC)

• General education & IGETC (CSU)• G.P.A 2.4 or greater on

transferable courses• Submit application• Transfer admission guarantee

(TAG)

http:/admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

University of California (UC)

High School

• General education & IGETC (CSU)• G.P.A 2.4 or greater on

transferable courses• Submit application• Transfer admission guarantee

(TAG)

• “a-g” courses ( HS Diploma)

• Science(Chem, Bio, Physics not sci 1,2, 3

• Minimum G.P.A 3.0• must take SAT or ACT• Top 9 % students in CA

or high school guaranteed acceptance to any one UC

http:/admission.universityofcalifornia.edu

Can submit one application to all UCs

• 77 Private Universities/Colleges in CA

• Vary in size, prestige, and cost

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate’s, and Professional degrees

• Accepts high school graduates and Community College Transfers

• Professional Schools-Law, Medicine, Education, Engineering, Journalism, Social Welfare

Private Universities/Colleges

High School

Review of Options

How to start preparing now for college

• READ, READ, READ - – Good readers make good thinkers and good writers.

“The more you read, the more you know.”

• Meet with counselor discuss your options.

How to be competitive for college acceptance

• Learn the college-preparatory course requirements:– Push to get into these courses in high school– Push to get into honors and AP courses in high

school, if available• What you do outside of class matters:

– Sports, Clubs, Work, community services, Honor Societies, etc.

• Take the PSAT by the 9th or 10th grade– It’s good practice for the SAT!

How do college admission committees make their decision

• Admission officers want to know– How have you taken advantage of your opportunities – What will you bring to our campus(private schools)

• Comprehensive evaluation – Class rigor – G.P.A / transcripts – Personal statement/ essays (not just content but how

well you write) – SAT /ACT score (recommended SAT subject) – Extracurricular activities (clubs, sports..etc.) – Letters of recommendations (some private school)

Type of admission process

• Early decision: Binding plan, meaning student can apply to one college early and if accepted student must withdraw other college applications during the normal application process . Students are allowed to apply regular.

• Early action: Similar to early decision but student has option to accept/decline admission.

• Regular action: normal application process – Application open between

• CSU October 1- Nov 30th • UC Nov 1-30th • Private Varies

How to prepare from now

Complete all testing by the end of your junior yearRetake by December of senior year if not happy with scores

How to prepare from now cont..

• UC- Two part personal statement• “Show don’t tell” remember to be concise. The reader at

the admission office will look at It for 2-3 minutes so impress them.

• Private universities- require an essay on specific topic (answer the essay prompt)

• CSU and community colleges (no essays)

How many colleges to apply

• In general, apply to at least five universities .– 1 reach (highly competitive)– 3 possible (competitive)– 1 likely (probable )

Example in chemistry major : UC-Berkeley> UC-Davis=UC-Irvine= UCLA> CSU San Diego

Common myths

• Senior grades don’t count • Once I’m accepted to college I can stop studying• I must declare a major • I should know what I want to do for the rest of my life• C students don’t go to a 4-year college• UC-Berkeley is the best school for me• CSUs are not good schools• Community colleges are only good for students that

didn’t do well in high schools

How to prepare for graduate school admission

• Minimum undergraduate G.P.A 3.0

• B.S/BA degree from accredited university

• GRE exam (math/verbal/writing)

• GRE subject test (depending on university)

• Personal statement

How to prepare for Graduate school admission cont..

• Recommendation letters from professors you took courses with and research adviser (especially if they’re famous and write a good letter for you.

• E-mail potential professors that you’re interested in their work (they may have some influence on the admission process) you also have to have the qualifications as well.

• Undergraduate research experience

– Bonus if you are co-author on a journal publication

How to prepare for professional school admission

• Pre- med/pharm/law courses

• B.S/ B.A degree except (pharm) not required but

recommended

• G.P.A 3.0 minimum (varies with each school)

• Testing (MCAT, PCAT(not req in CA), LSAT).

How to prepare for professional school admission cont..

• Community service

• Prepare for interview process

• Volunteer based on your school interests: clinic, hospital, pharm retail store, dentist office, district attorneys office or law firm. Also United nations NGOs.

Resources

• Teachers/ professors • Counselors• Workshops(info, writing, etc..)• College admission websites • AAYSP• http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu• http://www.calstate.edu/admission/?source=homepage

Acknowledgment

• All of you: for investing in higher education

• AAYSP National Board and organizers

Q & A