11 th Grade College Guidance BHHS Class of 2016

1. 11th Grade College GuidanceBHHS Class of 2016 September 2, 2014 Mrs. AhYoung Chi Dean of College Admissions achi@bhusd.org

2. Agenda • College guidance overview for Juniors • College admissions process • Post-secondary options with college systems & types • College entrance requirements & selection process • Extracurricular involvement • College admissions testing • What Juniors should be doing • College search process leading to… • College rep visits to BHHS • Naviance tasks for Junior year • Upcoming events summary • Q & A 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

3. College Guidance Overview for Juniors Theme: Investigation and Making Connections Goal: Start to define yourself as well as your post-secondary plans by investigating post-secondary options. Building upon the last two years, start to define your interests and engage deeper in extracurricular activities while taking leadership roles, prepare for rigorous classes in 12th grade, learn college requirements in detail, engage in a meaningful college search to build an appropriate college list, take the SAT or ACT at least once by the end of the year, take SAT Subject tests if needed, brainstorm college essay ideas. 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

4. College Guidance Activities for Juniors • Evening programs • Almost once a month including College Connections Fair • Most are already scheduled and on the website calendar • Classroom guidance lessons: once a semester • College admissions testing • PSAT: October 15, 2014 • SAT & ACT Strategy Workshop with mock testing: November 2014 • College Tuesday Workshops: every Tuesday during lunch • College rep visits: begins September 8 • Individual conferences with counselors: starts in January • Coffee with the Counselors (parents only): once a month 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

5. Post Secondary Options • Four-year college or university (Bachelor degree) • Public: UC or CSU • Private: over 75 in California • Out of state public and private: over 3,000 • Community college • Associate degree • Career training • Transfer to 4-year school (no longer called “2-year college”) • Career technical training (varying degrees & certificates) • Gap year (concrete plan with a college in mind for 2nd year) • Military or employment 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

6. So Many Different Types of Schools Private or public (refers to funding source) Liberal arts colleges or research university Size Location Selectivity Specialty: academic, gender, religion, culture Services: learning differences, transportation, special housing, dietary restrictions Raw-raw! 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

7. Searching for the Right School for You Reflect on yourself: your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, your values, your wishlist, etc Visit colleges: start now, incorporate visits into your vacations, visit local schools to see the differences in college campuses (size, location, etc) Read guidebooks and useful websites: guidebooks available in the College Center and school library, list of available books and useful websites on College Center website, use Naviance Family Connection 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

8. 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 statements, list of activities & honors Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams (some majors “highly recommended”), recommendation letters, transcripts Application filing period: Nov 1–Nov 30 (available Aug 1) To apply: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

9. California State University 23 campuses Bachelor and Master degrees First institution of higher education established by the State of California, originally created to train teachers To be eligible: 2.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT (no Writing) Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams, essays, recommendation letters, transcripts Application filing period: Oct 1–Nov 30 To apply: www.csumentor.edu Many CSU’s are impacted and very difficult to get into! Like… Cal Poly SLO, San Diego State, Long Beach, San Francisco State 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

10. Private Colleges & Universities 75+ private colleges and universities in California 3,000+ in US (including public schools) All vary in admission requirements and application deadlines Application requirements: official transcript, official test scores, essays, activities & honors, recommendation letters, interview, portfolio/audition Use Common Application or Universal College Application Early Admission Plans: Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Restrictive Early Action (more info click HERE) National Candidates Reply Date: May 1 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

11. Out of State Public Institutions 3,000+ colleges and universities in US (including private schools) Many operate on rolling admissions plan Many offer non-selective or slightly selective admissions with non-impacted majors Many have low out-of-state tuition Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): tuition discount for California students Don’t forget about Honors programs/colleges at public schools: rigorous academics in large, research universitiesthat offer small liberal arts college experience 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

12. California Community College • 112 campuses in California • Associate degrees (many lead to careers) • Transfer to 4-year school (to obtain Bachelors degree) • CSU or UC: must complete 60 semester units or 90 quarter units (equivalent to 2 years of full time studies) • Most private schools: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units okay to transfer (check with each college and major) • Articulation agreements or TAG are available for most schools- use www.assist.org • VERY important to plan for transferring- it is NOT an automatic 2 year plan!- use UCTAP • Apply to community college by February/March of Senior year- use www.cccapply.org 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

13. College Entrance Requirements • Required subjects/A-G courses • GPA & passing grade of C in required courses • Standardized tests • SAT or ACT (both accepted at all schools) • SAT Subject exams • TOEFL for English learners • Extracurricular involvement and/or job experience • Essay or personal statement • Interview, portfolio, or audition • Recommendation letters from counselor & teachers = “HOLISTIC” review of application (except for Cal States) 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

14. But What Are Colleges REALLY Looking For? • Succeed in college’s curriculum • Success in challenging curriculum at high school • Have you taken advantage of the opportunities at your school? • Thrive in the college’s environment • Extracurricular involvement • Leadership experience, dedication, long term commitment • Challenge the faculty while you’re there • Intellectual engagement and curiosity • Do you like to learn for learning’s sake? • Institutional priority: legacy, athletics, diversity, other special talents, money, well rounded class • Meet other entrance requirements 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

15. Subject/A-G Requirements (a) History/Social Science: 2 years (3 years for BHHS) (b) English: 4 years (c) Math: 3 years (4 years recommended) (d) Lab Science: 2 years (3-4 years recommended) (e) Language other than English: 2 years of same language (3-4 years recommended) (f) Visual and Performing Arts: 1 year of same genre (g) College prep elective: 1 year = 15 units 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

16. Subject/A-G Requirements UC/CSU minimum eligibility  15 units UCLA average for Fall 2014 admits  27.5 units (applicants: 26 units) UCLA average for Senior year courses for Fall 2014 admits  6 units (applicants: 6 units) Source 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

17. Extracurricular Involvement • School related: ASB, yearbook, journalism, sports, music, theater, clubs, academic decathlon, robotics, etc • Community service • Work experience, paid or unpaid • Internships, paid or unpaid • Summer programs and activities • Remember… • Quality over quantity • Take LEADERSHIP roles • Plan summer activities wisely- do SOMETHING • You don’t have to cure cancer to be admitted to college! (But it definitely doesn’t hurt.) • Start your resume now 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

18. College Admissions Testing SAT or ACT with Writing required for most colleges Which test is right for you? • SAT • 1/3 Math, 1/3 Reading, • 1/3 Writing • Maximum 2400 points • Guessing penalty • March, May, or June – 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 • February, April, or June – recommended test date for Juniors • www.actstudent.org 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

19. SAT vs. ACT – Choose the Right One SAT & ACT Strategy Workshop: November 8, 2014 Full length practice SAT: November 15, 2014 Full length practice ACT: November 22, 2014 *All three events are fundraisers for the PTSA There is no pressure because these are mock exams Results are emailed to you within a few days of the exam Use the results to determine which test is right for you Use the results to study for the real test (YES, you must study!) 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

20. Other College Admissions Tests • SAT Subject tests • Though no longer required for UC eligibility, select majors/departments will “highly recommend” them • Required for some highly selective schools: • Ex: Harvard, Brown, MIT, Yale, Princeton • Stanford & Georgetown: “strongly/highly recommended” • Best way to prepare: take an AP course in the same subject • Recommended test date: May or June • AP tests not required for admission (but you will self report the scores in the college applications) • www.fairtest.org list of schools with testing optional or flexible policies 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

21. College Admissions Testing Timeline 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

22. What Should STUDENTS Be Doing Now? • 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 • Get connected to College Center: emails via Jupiter Grades, like on Facebook, subscribe to Mrs. Chi’s page • Prepare for college admissions testing • Engage in college search process • Attend evening events and College Tuesday Workshops • Get familiar with Naviance Family Connection • Attend college rep visits 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

23. Naviance Family Connection • Log in: https://connection.naviance.com/bhhs • Username: 5-digit BHHS ID number • Passowrd: student (unless you changed it) • If you don’t remember your password, email your counselor • Update email address • Tip: use the same email address for all things related to college • Make sure your email address is appropriate • Tasks appropriate for Juniors • Resume (“about me”) • Game Plan (“about me”) • College search or SuperMatch college search (“colleges”) • Start building “colleges I’m thinking about” list (“colleges”) • Sign up for and attend college rep visits (“colleges”) • Personality type and interest profiler (“about me”) 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

24. Here you can watch videos, review admission information, link to the school’s website, and even begin the application! If you are interested in a school, click here to add it to your colleges I’m thinking aboutlist. 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

25. Here you can keep track of colleges you are interested in, rate your level of interest, view upcoming application deadlines, and transfer schools from colleges I’m thinking about, to colleges I’m applying to. You can also research other colleges and scholarship opportunities. 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

26. College Rep Visits to BHHS • Over 100 college and university reps visit our school each year • Great way to get to know the school and the admission rep who will read your application • Most updated list is in Naviance • If you want to attend a college rep visit: • Sign up in Naviance • Get the gold permission slip signed by your teacher prior to the day of the visit • Gold forms available in House offices and College Center 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

27. What Should PARENTS Be Doing Now? Stay connected to College Center: emails via Jupiter Grades, like on Facebook, subscribe to Mrs. Chi’s page Allow your students to take the lead (but a little positive nudge here and there is encouraged) Offer positive support Stay in touch with their progress, academic and social Remind your students of deadlines Get familiar with Naviance Family Connection Coffee with the Counselors Attend evening events hosted by College Center 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

28. Upcoming Events 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

29. Upcoming Events 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014

30. Questions? Email your question(s) to achi@bhusd.org My child is getting a ton of mail from colleges- what do we do with them? Should I hire a private/independent college counselor? 11th Grade College Guidance Night Fall 2014