College Entrance Requirements Alison Kuykendall College Counselor Preparing

College Entrance Requirements Alison Kuykendall, College Counselor

Preparing for College 9 th – 10 th Grades ◦ Keep grades up, C or higher, aim for a minimum g. p. a. of 3. 0 or higher. ◦ Enroll in challenging, rigorous courses from the A-G list. Review with counselor during balloting. ◦ PSAT in the fall; PSAT 10 in the spring ◦ Try out clubs, sports, community service activities. ◦ Use Naviance to help focus on future career.

Preparing for College 11 th – 12 th Grades ◦ Keep grades up, C or higher, aim for 3. 0 or higher. ◦ Enroll in challenging, rigorous courses from the A-G list. ◦ Math all 4 years! ◦ Take on leadership roles in clubs, sports, community service activities. ◦ Create a resume with all activities, awards, work experience, and community service. ◦ Take the PSAT in fall of junior year. ◦ SAT and/or ACT in spring of junior year and fall of senior year. ◦ Use Naviance to focus on future career, find colleges that meet your needs, and COMMUNICATE WITH COLLEGE COUNSELOR!!

General Timeline of Senior Year ◦ August-September: SAT and/or ACT ◦ October-November: College Apps ◦ October-February: Financial Aid Apps ◦ March-April: Puzzle pieces fit together ◦ April-May: Decision Time ◦ All year, but mostly in spring: Scholarships

California Colleges ◦Community Colleges – 108 ◦Public Universities ◦ 24 CSU’s ◦ 10 UC’s ◦Private Universities – 60+

Community Colleges ◦ Enroll Senior year to get ahead. ◦ Save money ◦ Priority Registration at CC ◦ Most classes will transfer to universities ◦ Transfer plan: ◦ Plan to transfer approx. 2 years (60 transferable units), apply to university based on college work only. No SAT or ACT ◦ CC offers: ◦ Vocational Certificates = 3 -45 units ◦ Associates Degrees (AA/AS) = 60 units ◦ Fully Transferrable Units to 4 year schools

University Admission Requirements ◦ A-G Coursework ◦ Grades of “C” or better ◦ SAT or ACT (both with writing) ◦ Some require 2 SAT Subject Tests ◦ GPA – aim for min. 3. 0 or higher ◦ Activities (sports, clubs, music, etc. ) ◦ Community Service ◦ UC’s and Private require essays ◦ Private require letters of recommendation

University Admission Requirements A. History/Social Science 2 years B. English 4 years C. Math 3 -4 years D. Lab Science (no 9 th grade) 2 -3 years E. Foreign Language 2 -3 years F. Visual Performing Art 1 year G. College Prep Elective 1 year

College Athletics ◦ Is your child a talented athlete who wishes to participate in D 1 or D 2 collegiate sports? ◦ Register with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). ◦ Very rigorous, more requirements than simply A-G. ◦ www. ncaastudent. org

Remediation of D’s or F’s ◦ Retake the class or comparable class in the regular day schedule ◦ Often not room in classes ◦ Cannot fit in to an already packed schedule ◦ Summer School and ESS ◦ PACE and other computer based courses may not be accepted by universities and NCAA. ◦ Limited availability ◦ Not all classes offered at all sites

Financial Aid: FAFSA October 1 -March 2 ◦ https: //fafsa. ed. gov/ or https: //dream. csac. ca. gov/ ◦ Never pay to apply, use correct website. ◦ Workshops on campus. ◦ Will require parental income and financial records. ◦ File each year your student(s) are in school.

Types of Financial Aid ◦ Pell Grant (Federal) ◦ Cal Grant (State) ◦ District office files GPA electronically/automatically ◦ Be sure student name and address are correct in Powerschool and match what student lists on financial aid/college apps. ◦ Work Study – jobs on campus that provide income towards school expenses. ◦ Student Loans – lower interest through government, begin repayment after graduation; debt remains with you until paid off, even if you declare bankruptcy.

Scholarships ◦ Scholarships are ongoing and posted in the MCS Scholarship Bulletin. ◦ List of safe scholarship websites is available on MCS Scholarship Bulletin at the top of the page. ◦ Scholarships awarded from colleges may require FAFSA or other additional applications. ◦ “Free Ride” scholarships very rare, most range from $100 - $1000.

Out of State Colleges ◦ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) ◦ Private colleges ◦ May offer more merit based financial aid ◦ May require CSS Profile (pay fee to file)

College Application Costs ◦ SAT (4 free reports) ◦ ◦ $ 45 $ 57 w/writing $ 26 per subject test Add’l reports $12 ◦ ACT (4 free reports) ◦ $ 42. 50 ◦ w/writing $ 58. 50 ◦ Add’l reports $12 ◦ CSU Application ◦ $ 55 each campus ◦ Eng/Math Placement tests $18 ea. (no waiver) ◦ UC Application ◦ $ 70 each campus ◦ CSU/UC fee waivers part of application ◦ SAT/ACT fee waivers in college ◦ Private and Out of State counseling office for ◦ Varies by school free/reduced lunch ◦ Fee waiver process varies

Naviance ◦ Colleges ◦ Research colleges and universities. ◦ Sign up to attend college presentations & workshops. ◦ Careers ◦ Help find careers based on interests, and more information about careers. ◦ About Me ◦ Create resume. ◦ Make sure email is up to date to receive information from college counselor.

Specific Questions? EMAIL: Alison Kuykendall: Kuykendall. a@mcs 4 kids. com APPOINTMENTS MADE ONLINE: Request a Letter of Recommendation for a Scholarship: /kuykendall-a/request-a-letter-of-recommendation-for-a-scholarship Spring junior student & parent meeting: Fall senior meeting: /kuykendall-a/30 min /kuykendall-a/fall-senior-meeting