1. 11 th Grade College Guidance Night October 18, 2011 Mr. Luke Sferra, High School Counselor (A-K) Mrs. Katie Dahm, High School Counselor (L-Z) Mrs. Ah Young Chi, College/Career Counselor Mr. Arun Ponnusamy, Collegewise

2. Your resources for college planning CCC website CCC calendar on the web MHS eNews mailing list Naviance Family Connection College and Career Center!

3. Postsecondary Options 4-year college or university (Bachelor degree) –Public: UC or CSU –Private: over 70 in California –Out of State Public or Private: over 3,000 2-year college (Associate degree, career training or transfer) Trade or technical school (varying degrees and certificates) Military Work Gap year (concrete plan with a destination in mind for the 2 nd year, usually)

4. So many different colleges & universities Private vs. public Research vs. liberal arts (university vs. college) Size Location Selectivity Specialty – academic, gender, culture, faith What do you mean by “fit”?

5. College search process Reflect on yourself- your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes, etc Visit colleges- start now, incorporate visits into your vacations Suggested guide books (available in handout) and websites (available on CCC website)

6. University of California 10 campuses but San Francisco is graduate only Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees Research/theory based curriculums Competitive admissions with many highly selective campuses To be eligible: 3.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT with Writing, personal statement Not required: recommendation letters, SAT Subjects (highly recommended by select majors & campuses) Application filing period: Nov 1 – Nov 30 www.universityofcalifornia.edu

7. California State University 23 campuses Bachelor and Master degrees First institution of higher education established by the State of California, originally established to train teachers To be eligible: 2.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT (no Writing) Not required: SAT Subjects, recommendation letters, essays Application filing period: Oct 1 – Nov 30 www.csumentor.edu or www.calstate.eduwww.csumentor.eduwww.calstate.edu Impacted campuses: Chico, East Bay, Fresno, Fullerton, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Northridge, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, SDSU, SFSU, San Jose State, Cal Poly SLO, San Marcos, Sonoma

8. Private and Out of State Schools 75+ private colleges and universities in California 3,000+ colleges and universities in US (including public) All vary in admission requirements and application deadlines Application requirements: application usually with essays and activities, official transcript, official test scores, letters of recommendation, and sometimes interview/audition/portfolio 450+ schools are part of the Common Application Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Restrictive Early Action http://www.nacacnet.org/PublicationsResources/Marketplace/Documents/StudentsRtsNEW.pdf National Commitment Deadline: MAY 1  student’s right

9. Community Colleges 112 campuses in California Associate degrees (many lead to careers) Transfer to 4-year school (finish Bachelor degree) To transfer to CSU or UC and some private schools, must complete 60 semester units (2 years) at CC To transfer to most private schools, only need 30 semester units (1 year) at CC Articulation agreements or TAG are available for most schools

10. Graduation vs. college entrance requirements SubjectMalibu High School (to graduate) University of California (minimum eligibility) California State University (minimum eligibility) English4 years Social Studies3 years  World History or European History  U.S. History  Govt/Economics 2 years  World History or European History  U.S. History 2 years  World History or European History  U.S. History Math3 years  Algebra I  Geometry  Algebra II 3 years minimum, 4 recommended  Algebra I  Geometry  Algebra II 3 years minimum, 4 recommended for some  Algebra I  Geometry  Algebra II Science2 years  Physical Science  Biology 2 years minimum, 3 recommended  Biology  Chemistry 2 years minimum, 3 recommended for some  Biology  Chemistry Foreign LanguageNone2 years minimum, 3-4 recommended2 years minimum, 3-4 recommended for some Visual Art or Performing Art1 year1 year (same genre) Electives60 credits1 year  Must be listed on UC approved A-G course list  Advanced Math, Psychology, Lab Science, Foreign Language, Social Studies, 2 nd year of VPA 1 year  Must be listed on UC approved A-G course list  Advanced Math, Psychology, Lab Science, Foreign Language, Social Studies, 2 nd year of VPA Freshman Seminar1 year Physical Education2 years Community Service80 hours California High School Exit ExamPassing Scores on ELA and Math Sections Passing GradeGrade of “D” is considered passing All courses must be completed with “C-” or higher

11. Subject requirements English – 4 years Social Science – 3 years Mathematics – 3 years (4 years recommended) Lab Science – 2 years (3-4 years recommended) Foreign Language – 2 years of the same language (3-4 years recommended) Visual & Performing Art – 1 year of same genre UC/CSU minimum eligibility – 15 units UC average for Fall 2011 class (enrolled) – 24.1 units

12. College entrance requirements Subject/A-G courses Standardized tests SAT or ACT SAT Subjects Extracurricular activities and/or job experience Essay or personal statement Interview and/or portfolio or audition Recommendation letters = “holistic” review of application

13. What are colleges REALLY looking for? Success in challenging curriculum Have you taken advantage of the opportunities at your school? This doesn’t mean taking EVERY Honors and AP courses that we offer at MHS Meet other entrance requirements Are you and the college a good match for each other?

14. Extracurricular activities In school: ASB, yearbook, journalism, sports, music, theater, art, clubs, etc Community service Work experience, paid or unpaid Internships, paid or unpaid Summer programs and activities Helpful tips  quality over quantity; take leadership roles  start “resume” now  plan summer activities wisely; do SOMETHING  you don’t have to cure cancer to be admitted to college!

15. College admission testing SAT or ACT (with Writing) required for most colleges SAT 1/3 Math, 1/3 Reading, 1/3 Writing Maximum 2400 points Guessing penalty March 10 – recommended test date for Juniors www.collegeboard.com ACT w/ Writing 1/5 Math, 1/5 Science, 1/5 Writing, 2/5 Verbal Maximum 36 points NO guessing penalty April 7 or June 9 – recommended test date for Juniors www.actstudent.org

16. College admission testing (cont) Which test is right for you? Princeton Review Assessment (PRA)Princeton Review Assessment Combination of SAT and ACT designed to expose both exams to students and help determine which test they will score higher on Offered at MHS on Saturday, December 3, 9:00–1:00 $20 per student Register and pay online (MHS or CCC calendar on the web) Get results on December 15 at PSAT Score and PRA Results Give Back NightDecember 15 at PSAT Score and PRA Results Give Back Night YES, you must prepare for the SAT and ACT!

17. College admission testing (cont) SAT Subject exams No longer required for UC eligibility (select majors will “highly recommend” it) Required for several highly selective schools Harvard, Georgetown, Brown, MIT, Yale, Princeton, etc Stanford: “strongly recommended” Best way to prepare: take an AP course and study Recommended test date: May or June 2012 AP tests are not required for admission Some schools are testing “optional” – www.fairtest.orgwww.fairtest.org

18. Testing timeline Oct 12, 2011 PSAT Dec 3, 2011 PRA March 10, 2012 SAT 1 st time April 7, 2012 ACT 1 st time May 5, 2012 SAT Subject June 2, 2012 SAT 1 st or 2 nd time SAT Subject June 9, 2012 ACT 1 st or 2 nd time Fall 2012 ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Retake as needed

19. So what should I be doing NOW? ~ STUDENT ~ Do well in your classes - #1 goal Your transcript (grades and coursework) is the most important factor in admission decisions Nothing replaces the importance of your transcript Make up all D and F grades Junior Year “Prep for College” Calendar Naviance Family Connection Make sure your email address is correct/updated Familiarize yourself with its features Take personality and interest inventories Input activities into resume

20. So what should we be doing NOW? ~ PARENTS~ Sign up for MHS eNews mailing list Allow your student to take the lead Offer positive support Stay in touch with their progress Remind your student of deadlines Get familiar with Naviance Family Connection Coffee with the Counselors Attend Junior college advisement in Spring with your student

21. Upcoming events Program/ActivityDate Classroom guidance workshop for students part 1October 24-26, 2011 Coffee with the CounselorsCoffee with the Counselors (parents only)November 10, 2011 Book discussion on The GatekeepersBook discussion on The Gatekeepers (parents only)November 29, 2011 Princeton Review AssessmentPrinceton Review Assessment (PRA)December 3, 2011 PSAT Score & PRA Result Give Back NightDecember 15, 2011 SAT prep course for March 10 SATBegins January 28, 2012 Classroom guidance workshop for students part 2Week of January 30, 2012 SAT Bootcamp: One-Day Workshop for March 10 SATMarch 3, 2012 Spring College NightMarch 2012 National College Fair in PasadenaApril 30, 2012 11 th Grade College Guidance Night part 2April or May College advisement sessions with college counselorJanuary – May

22. Looking ahead to the Senior year… College rep visits to MHS College counselor visit to classrooms More individual meetings with college counselor Senior Parent College Night College essay review sessions College application workshops (lunch time) Coffee with the Counselors for parents continues Financial Aid Night

23. Questions? Mr. Luke Sferra, High School Counselor (A-K), lsferra@smmusd.orglsferra@smmusd.org Mrs. Katie Dahm, High School Counselor (L-Z), kdahm@smmusd.orgkdahm@smmusd.org Mrs. Ah Young Chi, College/Career Counselor, achi@smmusd.orgachi@smmusd.org Mr. Arun Ponnusamy, Collegwise, arun@collegewise.comarun@collegewise.com