1. College Night for Juniors

2. Damon Garcia K – L Liana Wong M - O Keri McDonald P - Si Winter Jones Sm - Z Carrie Bennett A - B, EL students Suzy Lu C - F Sheryl Pacheco G - J Amador Valley High School Counseling Department Allison Tables - Support Counselor

3. Handouts College Planning Night for Juniors handbook 1.UC Freshmen Selection 2.UC Systemwide Admissions Data 3.Comparative Subject Req./SAT vs ACT 4.Estimated College Costs/Popular Internet Sites 5.UC/CSU Student Budgets 6.UC Eligibility Index 7.UC/CSU Campus 8.CSU Eligibility Index

4. Selecting a College When choosing a college consider: Curriculum Location Size Housing Social Opportunities Finances Religious Affiliation

5. Campus Size St. Mary’s3,900 UC Berkeley35,409 Fresno State22,000 Amador2,600

6. Fees St. Mary’s$44,700/year UC Berkeley$26,585/year Fresno State$16,000/year

7. Goals for Junior Year Choose 1-2 dream schools; very competitive, unlikely but possible Choose 2-3 possible schools; likely but no guarantee Choose 1-2 definite schools; if all else fails I could go here and be happy! Use Spring Break to visit colleges on your list.

8. Helpful college search websites Californiacolleges.edu (UC/CSU/CC/Private Schools) Commonapp.org (Private and Public colleges who use the common application) Collegeboard.com (college matchmaker nationwide)

9. Testing Requirements UC’s: Either SAT or ACT (with writing) plus SAT subject tests (from 2 different disciplines) CSU’s: SAT or ACT (writing portion not used in CSU system) Community Colleges: None required Other colleges and universities: Check individual websites for requirements. Many will require SAT or ACT.

10. Standard Sequence For College Admissions Testing October Junior Year  Take PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). Spring of Junior Year  Take SAT Subject Tests if applying to University of California or other more competitive colleges. (2 tests are required and must be from different subject areas.)  Or take SAT Reasoning/ACT if you missed the earlier date. Summer between Junior and Senior Year  Receive scores from all Spring tests. Check college eligibility charts. Do test prep individually or register for test prep course if needed. October Senior Year  Repeat SAT Reasoning or ACT. Last time to take test for impacted CSU’s. November Senior Year  Repeat SAT Subject Tests (same two tests, different two tests or any combination). December Senior Year  Final repeat testing if necessary. December is the last month to test if you are applying for admission for the next fall.

11. Science, Math, Reading, English Accepted nationally Curriculum-based No penalty for guessing All multiple-choice Basic Fee: $31.00 Writing Essay: Optional (add $15.00) Writing Essay: 30 min. Perfect score 36 Pre-ACT: PLAN Critical Reading, Math, Writing Accepted nationally Reasoning Penalty for wrong answers Math grid-ins Basic Fee: $45.00 Writing Essay: Mandatory Writing Essay: 25 min. Perfect score 2400 Pre-SAT: PSAT ACTSAT What’s the Difference?

12. TESTING CALENDAR Spring 2009 SAT (www.collegeboard.com) March 14 May 2 June 6 ACT (www.act.org) April 4 June 13

13. Tuition and Fees Room and Board Transportation Books Miscellaneous Costs of College

14. VARIETIES OF AID Gift Aid –Scholarships –Grants Work Study Parent/Student Loans SOURCES OF AID State of CA Federal Government Military Private Organizations College Financial Aid Office

15. Free Application for Federal Student Aid www.fafsa.ed.gov File between January 1 and March 2 of senior year Qualifies students for federal aid as well as CA aid Don’t assume you won’t qualify; every student will be offered a financial aid package

16. Your Total College Costs (Tuition, Books, Room/Board, etc) _ Your EFC (Expected Family Contribution ) ___________________________ = Your Financial Need EFC and Financial Need

17. Big financial savings Convenience and accessibility Ideal class size Complete General Education requirements Explore while considering major and career decisions Allows time to really become ready to move away Ineligibility for 4-year Not being accepted to a college of choice It’s where you end, not where you start that matters! Consider a Community College…

19. Columbia College – Sonora Lassen Community College – Susanville College of the Redwoods – Eureka Reedley College – Reedley Santa Rosa Junior College – Santa Rosa Shasta College – Redding Sierra College – Rocklin College of the Siskiyous – Weed Taft College – Taft West Hills College – Coalinga Yuba College – Yuba City Community Colleges with Dorms

20. Pathway 1 –Certificate of Completion/Achievement Automotive Programs, Family Childcare, Computer Network Technician Pathway 2 –Associate of Arts (AA) Administration of Justice, Business Entrepreneurship –Associate of Science (AS) Business, Fire Service Technology, Interior Design Pathway 3 –Transfer to a 4-year College or University Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Science Community College Pathways

22. Small (< 9,000) Medium (9,000 - 21,000) Large (> 21,000) BakersfieldChicoFresno Channel IslandsDominguez HillsFullerton HumboldtEast BayLong Beach MaritimeLos AngelesNorthridge Monterey BayPonomaSacramento San MarcosSan BernardinoSan Diego SonomaSan Luis ObispoSan Francisco StanislausSan Jose CSU Campuses by Size

23. COMPARATIVE SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS Subject AreaPleasanton UnifiedUC/CSU History/ Social Studies 3 1/2 Years to include: 1 yr. US, 1 sem. Civics, 1 sem. Economics, 1 ½ yr. other social studies – usually Global Studies and World History (35 credits) 2 Years US and World English4 Years (40 credits)4 Years College Prep Math2 Years (20 credits) (1 year must be Algebra or the equivalent of algebra) 3 Years Algebra, Geometry, Intermediate Algebra or Math I-IV (UC Recommends 4 yrs) Science2 Years ( 20 credits) 1 Year Physical 1 Year Life 2 Years Lab Science (UC Recommends 3 yrs) Foreign Language1 Year (10 credits) (Or) 2 Years same language (UC Recommends 3 yrs)

24. COMPARATIVE SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS Visual and Performing Arts 1 Year (10 credits)1 Year PE2 Years (20 credits) ---- Health1 Semester (5 credits) ---- Electives80 Credits1 Year College Prep Elective Totals230 Credits (10 credits = 1 year) 15 Units (1 Unit = 1 yr.)

25. GPA Minimum SAT total must be: Minimum ACT composite must be: 3.0 No minimum score requirement 2.9580 12 2.8660 14 2.7740 16 2.6820 18 2.5900 20 2.4980 22 CSU Eligibility Index

26. Impacted CSU Campuses Fall 2009 Cal Poly Pomona Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Fullerton Long Beach San Diego State Sonoma State Visit individual websites for specific information on applying

28. Systemwide Admissions Data Fall 2008 CAMPUS 50 or more “a-g” courses by semester 15 or more Honors Completed 10-12 by semester HS GPA ACT Composite Score Critical Reading Math Writing Score Berkeley 26.7%33.0%4.1829665696674 Davis 68.1%76.9%3.9427604642614 Irvine 56.3%72.5%3.9526594639606 Los Angeles 29.4%38.0%4.1529653686664 Merced 84.3%93.3%3.5423537577540 Riverside 75.7%87.7%3.5823536576544 San Diego 47.3%60.8%4.0728630671642 Santa Barbara 55.3%73.0%3.9427606633616 Santa Cruz 79.9%88.6%3.7025583602587

29. COMPARATIVE SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS Subject AreaPleasanton UnifiedUC/CSU History/ Social Studies 3 1/2 Years to include: 1 yr. US, 1 sem. Civics, 1 sem. Economics, 1 ½ yr. other social studies – usually Global Studies and World History (35 credits) 2 Years US and World English4 Years (40 credits)4 Years College Prep Math2 Years (20 credits) (1 year must be Algebra or the equivalent of algebra) 3 Years Algebra, Geometry, Intermediate Algebra or Math I-IV (UC Recommends 4 yrs) Science2 Years ( 20 credits) 1 Year Physical 1 Year Life 2 Years Lab Science (UC Recommends 3 yrs) Foreign Language1 Year (10 credits) (Or) 2 Years same language (UC Recommends 3 yrs)

30. COMPARATIVE SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS Visual and Performing Arts 1 Year (10 credits)1 Year PE2 Years (20 credits)---- Health1 Semester (5 credits) ---- Electives80 Credits1 Year College Prep Elective Totals230 Credits (10 credits = 1 year) 15 Units (1 Unit = 1 yr.)

31. UC Eligibility Index “a-g” GPAUC Score Total Minimum GPA = 3.0 3.00 – 3.04223 3.05 – 3.09210 3.10 – 3.14198 3.15 – 3.19187 3.20 – 3.24175 3.25 – 3.29165 3.30 – 3.34157 3.35 – 3.39152 3.40 – 3.44147 3.45 & above143

32. Comprehensive Review Factors for Freshman Applicants 1.Academic grade point average in all completed "a-g" courses, including additional points for completed University-certified honors courses."a-g" courses 2.Scores on the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test, and two SAT Subject Tests. ACT Assessment plus WritingSAT Reasoning TestSAT Subject Tests 3.Number of, content of and performance in academic courses beyond the minimum "a-g" requirements. 4.Number of and performance in University-approved honors courses and Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and transferable college courses. transferable college courses 5.Identification by UC as being ranked in the top 4 percent of the student's high school class at the end of his or her junior year ("eligible in the local context" or ELC).eligible in the local context 6.Quality of the student's senior-year program, as measured by the type and number of academic courses in progress or planned. 7.Quality of the student's academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in his or her high school. 8.Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas.

33. 9.Outstanding work in one or more special projects in any academic field of study. 10.Recent, marked improvement in academic performance, as demonstrated by academic GPA and the quality of coursework completed or in progress. 11.Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, special interests, experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus. 12.Completion of special projects undertaken in the context of the student's high school curriculum or in conjunction with special school events, projects or programs. 13.Academic accomplishments in light of the student's life experiences and special circumstances. 14.Location of the student's secondary school and residence. Comprehensive Review Factors for Freshman Applicants

34. In State and Out of State Private Colleges Many have smaller class sizes & lower student-to-faculty ratios than public universities Courses more likely to be taught by professors, rather than Teaching Assistants (TA’s) More personal, individualized attention Higher cost, but substantial scholarships and financial aid opportunities are often available May have a special major or degree program that fits your career goal May provide increased opportunities for networking in your chosen field or area of study Possible opportunities for research or internship placement Private colleges can include music schools, art and design schools, culinary schools, military academies, religious schools, technical schools, among others

35. Important Dates Tues., Feb. 17 Curriculum Fair Thurs., Feb 18Juniors’ Scheduling Forms due