APPLYING TO THE

UNIVERSITIES

Private Universities / Out of State Colleges

Make sure you check each College/University website for:

Application deadlines

Admission criteria

When choosing a college consider: location, cost, “feel”/visit the campus

See handout on how to choose a college

The Common Application• https://www.commonapp.org/Login

• Used by over 500 colleges and universities

• Only schools that evaluate applications holistically are allowed to use the common application which means, in addition to GPA & test scores, they also need:

– Letters of recommendation

– The application essay

– Must link your Common app account to Naviance in order to request letters of recommendation (attend workshop)

The Common Application

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

• Ask a teacher or counselor who can write great things about you.

• Give your writer a “Resume”, “CV”, or “Brag Sheet” that describes your involvement in activities.

• Give your writer a “reasonable” deadline.

• Ask more than one teacher.

• Do the same for scholarship applications.

The Common Application: The Essay

• WRITE ABOUT YOU ------ NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER!

The Common App prompts: Select One, 650 Words Maximum• 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe

their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

•

2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

•

3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

•

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

•

5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

California State University (CSU)

• Apply online at www.csumentor.edu

• Minimum GPA requirement is 2.0– The lower the GPA the higher test scores

– See “Are you eligible for CSU” Handout to calculate your eligibility Index

• SAT Reasoning or ACT required by December

• Some campuses required by November

– (San Diego, San Jose, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)

• SAT Subject Tests are NOT required

• Application filing period is Oct 1 – Nov 30

CSU Eligibility Index

• Calculate GPA using 10th and 11th grade 'a-g' Courses

• SAT SCORE (using EBRW and math scores only

– do not use essay score)

• FORMULA:

GPA X 800 + SAT SCORE = Eligibility Index

GPA X 200 + (10 x ACT comp) = Elig Index• Min. Eligibility Index for a Cal State Score is 2900 using

SAT and 694 using ACT

• Many schools require a higher eligibility index

(i.e. CSULB requires 3200)

The CSU’s – Northern California

School GPA (average) SAT (average) ACT• Humboldt State 3.20 1026 23• CSU Chico 3.44 1012 22• Sonoma State 3.21 1040 22• Cal Maritime 3.10• Sacramento State 3.23 973 21• CSU East Bay 3.14 895 19• CSU Stanislaus 3.36 938 20• San Francisco State 3.30 978 21• San Jose State 3.28 936• CSU Monterey Bay 3.08 975 21• Fresno State 3.34 905

Statistics based on the incoming freshman class for 2015

The CSU’s Central and Southern California

School GPA (average) SAT (average)• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 3.97 1318• CSU Bakersfield 2.98 880• CSU Northridge 3.24 916• CSU Channel Islands 3.20 994• Cal Poly Pomona 3.41 1014• CSU Los Angeles 3.19 874• CSU Dominguez Hills 3.13 940• CSU San Bernardino 3.17 893• CSU Fullerton 3.39 997• CSU Long Beach 3.50 1051• CSU San Marcos 3.17 1011• San Diego State 3.82 1159

Statistics based on the incoming freshman class for 2015

Impacted CSU Campuses

• These campuses are impacted in all programs (all majors)

• CSU Fullerton

• CSU Long Beach (3200 elig index for local)

• San Jose State

• San Diego State - (4215 average cut off for elig index last year)

• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Impacted CSU Campuses

• These campuses are impacted:• CSU Chico CSU San Bernardino• Fresno State San Francisco• Humboldt San Marcos• CSU Los Angeles Sonoma State• Cal Poly Pomona Sacramento State• CSU Monterey Bay

• CSU Northridge (3900 out of area EI last year)

CSU Campuses that admit Using Eligibility Index

• Campuses that are not impacted – good idea to apply to one of these schools as a back up if your eligibility index is not high

• CSU Bakersfield Maritime

• Channel Islands CSU Dominguez Hills

• CSU East Bay Stanislaus

The CSU Application

High School Preparation (continued)

Repeated courses = enter highest grade

Term type = “Semesters”

12th grade classes

Fall semester = “in progress”

Spring Semester = “planned”

• Apply online at www.universityofcalifornia.edu

• Admission is based on GPA, test scores, Personal statement, rigor of courses, extra curricular activities, etc.

• SAT Reasoning with Essay or ACT with Writing required by Dec.

• Application filing period is November 1 – 30

• Minimum GPA is a 3.0 (calculated using 10th and 11th

grade A-G courses)

University of California

• School GPA SAT ACT

• UC Santa Barbara 4.02 1994

• UC Los Angeles 4.10 2067

• UC Irvine 4.10 1852 28

• UC Riverside 3.76 1739

• UC San Diego 4.13 2018

The UC’s Southern California

Statistics based on the incoming freshman class for 2015

• School GPA (Average) SAT (Average)

• UC Berkeley 4.42 (weighted uncapped) 2071

• UC Davis 4.07 1924

• UC Santa Cruz 3.82 1782

• UC Merced 3.61 1638

• UC San Francisco (graduate only)

The UC’s Northern California

Statistics based on the incoming freshman class for 2015

Sending Your TEST SCORES

• YOU must send your official SAT and/ or ACT scores to all of your colleges from the testing sites.– To send SAT scores, log onto your “collegeboard”

account and click on “send scores to colleges”

• SPECIAL CODES:– CSU’s: CSU mentor code “3594” – will send your SAT

scores to all of the CSU campuses

– UC’s: If you send your scores to one UC school, all of the UC schools will receive your scores

– NCAA: NCAA code “9999” – to send scores to the NCAA eligibility center

Sending Official Transcripts

• Some colleges will request you send them an official transcript at the time you apply

• Most CSU’s and UC’s will only want a final transcript (at the end of the year)

• Some CSU’s and UC’s will request a 7th

semester transcript (transcript with 1st

semester senior grades on it)

• CHECK YOUR EMAIL AND PORTAL ACCOUNTS

• PAY ATTENTION TO DEADLINES!!!

Upcoming College Presentations

• UCLA – Oct 6

• Biola – Oct 11

• CSUN – Oct 11

• CSULB – Oct 12

• Grand Canyon University – Oct 13

• UC Riverside – Oct 17

All presentations will be held in the career center and require permission slips.

Upcoming Workshops• Common App – Wednesday October 19th at

lunch in the Career Center (for all students applying to colleges via the common app)

• Parent College Night – Wednesday October 26th

at 6pm

• Financial Aid Night – Tuesday November 8 at 6pm

Questions…Comments…???