Class of 2018! Preparing for college and life after Westmont

1. Class of 2018! Preparing for college and life after Westmont Counselors: Mrs. Kimball (A-G) Mrs. Flores (H-O) Mrs. Kang (P-Z) College & Career Center Specialist, Rene Klaus rklaus@cuhsd.org Registrar, Sandy Cotton

2. Handouts • Transcript (will be given to students in English classes) • Senior/Parent Newsletter-schooloop email sent out/also on website • Personal Insight Questions Worksheet • College App Handout/Checklist • and more... CHECK YOUR SCHOOLOOP REGULARLY, WE WILL SEND OUT UPDATES/REMINDERS

3. PPT’s as well as step-by-step guides for UC/CSU/Common App are located on our webpage. Student Services→ Guidance→ Applying to College

4. Transcript Review Ensure that information is accurate and up-to-date. • Legal Name(must match Birth Certificate/SS), DOB, address…all correct? • Are all courses taken during high school listed? • Problems? Incorrect info? See Registrar, Sandy Cotton

5. Transcript Review Note: CSIS ID (also called State ID) at bottom left side of your transcript—optional for UC and CSU applications

6. Post Westmont Pathways Four Year College Two Year College Career Technical Education Military/Other

7. College Applications Overview

8. Fee Waivers • Are you on Free/Reduced lunch? • Whether you eat lunch at school or not, APPLY on the District’s website! WHY? • Qualify for Sat/ACT fee waivers • Application fee waivers • Fee waiver is built into UC/CSU applications, must input parent financial information • Application is short and you should have a response within 24 hours!

9. Fee Waivers - apply online Go to: www.cuhsd.org , click Departments, then Food Services

10. Community Colleges • Transfer agreements with CSUs and UCs • (TAG not offered for UCB, UCLA, UCSD) • AA-T/AS-T: A student who has earned one of these degrees will be given priority admission consideration to the local CSU campus in a similar program. • Early Admission Programs with DeAnza and West Valley • Details: • Apply Spring semester (April / May 2018) • Take placement exams in English & Math available Spring 2018. West Valley will give placement tests at WHS.

11. 4 year: How to Apply? • UC: https://admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu • CSU:https://www2.calstate.edu/apply • Private/Independent/Out-of State Schools: www.commonapp.org • Or schools’ website if not a Common App school

13. The Common App Essay Prompts There are 7 prompts, choose 1. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you? This is not a trick question. The ball is fully in your court and always has been. What you write is entirely up to you. So write about yourself–about what you love, where you come from, what you aspire to, how you spend your time, what bugs you, what inspires you, who is important in your life.

14. Early Action/Early Decision • Applies to Private Schools only • Apply by mid-October, know acceptance by February • Early Action: No commitment upon admission • Student can apply to multiple schools as EA applicant • Early Decision: Commitment ONLY to that school; all other applications are withdrawn

15. Letters of Recommendation • Required by private schools and most scholarships • You must request letters via Naviance • You will also be asked to select the colleges you would like the teacher to send your letter to so you must have colleges listed in “colleges I’m applying to” BEFORE you submit request for letter. • Provide recommenders at least three weeks to prepare letter • Tip: Give teachers a brag sheet

16. FERPA Waiver- Common App Matching • FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. All applicants complete the FERPA waiver from within their Common App account. Must complete this in order for Counselors to submit documentation( letter, school report, transcript)

17. CSU- 23 campuses • Three factors to determine eligibility. • Complete at least 11 of 15 A-G courses by end of Senior year • Must receive “C” or better in all "a-g" courses • Graduation from high school • Application opens on October 1st. • Meet or exceed the minimum eligibility index • GPA – minimum 2.0 with qualifying ACT or SAT scores *SUPERSCORE(SAT/ACT) : CSU will combine scores from all tests to give student the best score possible. • NOTE: UC DOES NOT SUPERSCORE

18. Impacted CSU’s Impacted CSU’s: competitive, application pool larger than the number they can admit • Cal Poly San Luis Obispo• Fresno State• CSU Fullerton• CSU Long Beach• San Diego State University• San José State Check Major & Campus Specific Impaction: https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/degrees-certificates-credentials/Pages/impacted-degrees.aspx

19. Note: This does not apply to impacted schools, minimum eligibility will not get you in to the school. BELOW 3.0 Academic GPA? Chart: GPA and corresponding SAT/ACT score you must get to be eligible for admission.

20. 9 Campuses – 1 Application • Same UC Application for all nine undergraduate campuses • Select campuses on application: copy is submitted to each UC Apply broadly to increase your chances of admission! https://admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu/applicant/login.htm

21. UC Application Timeline

22. Important Details Academic History: MUST be accurately reported--all enrollment, every school/college, all courses and grades (especially if a course was repeated). “Additional Comments” box in the Academic History section: provide detailed info or explanations about specific academic issues – declining grades, course selection issues, etc. Examination scores: report results for exams already completed and dates for planned exams Students must have official score report(s) (ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Test, TOELF) sent to ONE UC campus by end of December. AP scores submitted after admitted. UC does verify information that students report on the application. Activities/Awards: • NO acronyms for names of clubs or awards: level of involvement(school/local/state) • Don’t list the same activity in multiple areas (for instance listing Honors Society in “Awards and Honors” and “Extracurricular Activities”), • Taking care of siblings/family responsibilities counts! discuss in PI questions. Some campuses use student portal, check email and portal often for to-do items. The application will automatically save information when “next” or “log-out” is clicked, but not when the browser is closed without clicking next or log-out; will log out if inactive for 30 minutes

23. ELIGIBILITY VS. SELECTION

24. Personal Insight Questions 8 questions - students must choose 4 350 words per question Yellow brainstorming worksheet will be given to all Seniors English teachers assign Not an essay, readers want to know what student did and why, what student learned and how they applied it to their life.

25. Financial Aid • For ALL students applying to two or four year colleges • www.fafsa.ed.gov. Applications open on October 1st. • https://dream.csac.ca.gov/ Application open on October 1st. • Financial Aid Night Presentation- October 10th in Performing Arts Center, PAC • Cash for College Workshop: 1:1 FAFSA / CA Dream Act application assistance on October 11th in Library

26. Update“Colleges I’m applying to” Complete your list in colleges I’m applying to. Keep in mind that Naviance is NOT an Application tool, rather it is a Management tool. You will still need to apply to the colleges through specific websites You can search for colleges based on your own set of criteria i.e. location, size, sports, religious affiliation, etc. Find scholarships by clicking on National Scholarship Search

27. Create College List DEADLINE TO UPDATE THIS LIST IS OCTOBER 31st. AFTER THIS DATE, STUDENTS MUST COME SEE US IN PERSON AND WE WILL UPDATE THEIR LIST.

28. Naviance: Letters of Recommendation

29. YOU MUST SELECT WHICH SCHOOLS YOU WANT YOUR TEACHER TO SEND THE LETTER TO

30. Where to find Brag Sheet Click on the About Me tab Click on brag sheet

31. SAT Test/Scores • For UC’s:you can still take the 11/4 and 12/2 SAT tests.Register at www.sat.org • only need to send to one university and they will share your score. • official test scores must be submitted by end of December 2017. List planned dates on application if taking it in Nov/Dec. • FOR CSU’s: SJSU & SDSU and Cal Poly SLO- Last SAT test date November 4th • NEW:Only need to send to one CSU that you have applied to, will be shared with other CSU campuses. Send official score report after November 1st. DO NOT USE College Board’s SCORE CHOICE OPTION WHEN ORDERING SAT SCORES TO BE SENT..CAUSES A DELAY.

32. ACT Test • SJSU,SDSU, and Cal Poly SLO- Last test date they will accept is October 28th For UC’s: official test scores must be submitted by end of December 2017. List planned dates on application if taking it in Nov/Dec. • only need to send to one university and they will share your score. FOR CSU: only need to send to one CSU, after you have submitted the application. This is new this year, submit official score report after November 1st.

33. Western Undergraduate Exchange WUE is the Western Undergraduate Exchange Through WUE, students in Western states may enroll in participating two-year and four-year public college programs at a reduced tuition level. In all cases, WUE tuition is considerably less than nonresident tuition. NOTE: For online applications, check the WUE box and if there is not one provided, contact the school admissions, scholarship, or financial aid office and ask them how to apply for WUE. The WUE reduced tuition rate is not automatically awarded to all eligible candidates. Many institutions limit the number of new WUE awards each academic year, so apply early! Ex. Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University •Non-Arizona resident: $23,126 •Western Undergraduate Exchange: $14,619 $8507 in SAVINGS $$$$$

34. Senior To Do List • Naviance: Complete “Colleges I'm applying to” (2yr or 4 yr) • Naviance: Complete your Brag Sheet if you need Letters of Recommendation • Naviance: Request Letters of Recommendation (if applicable) from teachers • Counselor Letters of Recommendation Packet • requests are not via Naviance- Hard Copies ONLY • Requires PARENT SIGNATURE

35. Failure to complete any required courses or other eligibility requirements will void admission to a university (CHECK your EMAIL/PORTALS often) • If you add or drop a course, or fail to earn a C or better in a course after you submit your application,you must notify the UC Application Center by email or postal mail. docs@applyUCsupport.net • Admissions decisions usually come out in March (UC’s) IMPORTANT:Provisional Admissions All admissions are provisional