College Informational Evening, 2014. German International School of Silicon Valley

1. College Informational Evening, 2014. German International School of Silicon Valley High School Counselor: Jennifer Krejcik Email: jkrejcik@gissv.org

2. Counselor’s role at GISSV High School Counselor’s Role • Give students and families an overview of US college system and entrance requirements • One on one meetings start in 10th grade and continue through 12th on an “as needed” basis. • Monitor academic progress. • Discuss the importance of extra curricula activities and monitor involvement.

3. Counselor’s role continued…. • AP coordinator for GISSV. • Assist with the College Application process for seniors. • Help prepare official student transcripts and update the accompanying school profile. • Attend workshops and conferences to keep current with latest college developments. • Visit colleges and invite college representatives to get our school recognized. • Alumni coordinator.

4. Navigating the college process Terminology overview. What colleges look at. What’s out there? .

5. A look at terminology American high school and college terminology. • Freshman (9th) sophomore (10th) junior (11th) senior (12th) • GPA – grade point average calculated from grades 9-12. The UC system focuses on the 10th and 11th grade GPA. • PSAT - (preliminary scholastic aptitude test) an abbreviated version of the SAT which tests verbal, math and writing skills. • test is administered at the school in October to 10th and 11th Scores do not count for college admission. SAT Reasoning Test – (3h 45m) New redesigned SAT coming spring 2016 • Used by the majority of colleges as part of the admission process. • Students take the test externally usually as juniors or seniors and can take it several times. • check out www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that don’t require standardized test scores.

6. Terminology continued …. • SAT II subject tests (1 hour tests that test particular subjects) • No longer mandatory for all majors but many private and public colleges still require students take 2 subject tests. Students need to check the specific requirements of the colleges they are applying to. • ACT - American College Testing. • Tests school curriculum content rather than being an aptitude test. • Includes a Science section and tests more advanced math concepts • Less emphasis on vocabulary and so more suitable often for non-native speakers. • More questions to be answered in a shorter period of time. • TOEFL – The Test of English as a Foreign Language measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written and heard in college. (4 hours)

7. Advanced Placement • AP a series of 37 college-level courses available to high school students. • Admissions officers recognize the work and commitment required of AP students. • AP credit in high school may earn a student college credit. • At GISSV students sign an AP contract.

8. AP continued… • A student must take the AP exam in order to receive college credit. AP exams are administered every May at the school over a two week period. • Students who fulfill the requirements of an AP course are given an extra point towards their GPA. • AP tests are scored on a scale of 1-5. Students with a grade of 3 or higher may receive credit for a college

9. AP- Advanced Placement courses Currently we offer the following AP courses at GISSV: • AP German Language and Culture 10th grade • AP Chemistry 10th and 11th grade (2 year course) • AP French Language and Culture 11th grade • AP English Language and Composition 11th grade • AP Microeconomics 11th grade • AP Biology 12th grade • AP Calculus 12th grade • AP English Literature and Composition 12th grade

10. AP 5 year report % of total AP students with scores 3+ GISSV, California and Global AP scores

11. What universities look at. • Academic record- GPA • rigor of the curriculum (how many extra courses does the student take beyond A-G requirements. (DIAP requirements exceed the “a-g” requirements for all students) • A-G requirements for the UC (University of California) and CSU (California State University) Minimum requirements. • History-Social Science 2 yrs req. • Mathematics 3 years req., 4 yrs rec. • English 4 yrs req. • Laboratory Science 2 yrs req., 3 yrs rec. • Language other than English 2 yrs req., 3 yrs rec. • Visual and Performing Arts 1 yr req. • College Prep Electives 1 yr req.

12. What colleges look at continued…. • Standardized test scores. • Number of and performance in University approved Honors and AP courses. • Experiences that demonstrate leadership qualities; community service and/or participation in school related activities.(SMV) (Interact) • Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, and athletics • Letters of recommendation and Personal Essay.(Insight into a student) • School profile. (accompanies the transcript)

13. What’s out there? Liberal Arts colleges: 90% private Offer a liberal education to students across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences. • undergraduate education is the primary mission although many offer strong opportunities for research involvement. • Usually small to medium sized schools, enrolling fewer than 5,000 students with most living on campus. • Smaller classes taught by faculty members. • Many liberal arts schools are in small towns, so student life centers on the college and its extracurricular activities. • Often offer generous scholarships to attract students.

14. What’s out there? cont.. • Research universities the majority are public • Offer a full range of academic programs in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. • Research is part of the mission statement in these schools so faculty are expected to place a priority on research as well as teaching. • Size ranges from small (Cal Tech – fewer than 1,000) to medium(Harvard- 6,500 undergrads) to very large (University of Texas 40,000)

15. Specialized programs • Colleges that offer specialized programs • Schools like Julliard or CA Institution of the Arts or Babson College MA. • Cater for students who are highly focused in a specialized area and have clear career goals. • Colleges with special affiliations • Religious Colleges (University of Notre Dame) • Historically Black Colleges. • Womens’ Colleges (Smith, Wellesley)

16. The University of California, UC System • A public university system and part of the state’s three tier public higher education system which includes the UC, the CA State University (CSU) and CA Community College system (CCC) UC system • Combined student body of over 191.000 students • 10 campuses throughout the state • UC Berkeley ranked 2nd worldwide among public colleges.

17. UC system continued • The UC accepts fully eligible students from among the top eighth of California public high school graduates through the regular statewide admission. • A minimum 3.0 GPA for CA residents and 3.4 for non- residents in all completed “a-g” courses.

18. CSU system CA State Universities • Students can choose from among 23 campuses in California alone, and with over 400,000 students, it is the largest system of 4- year colleges in the country. • Also considered the most diverse and affordable university system in the country offering a comprehensive selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. • http://www.sbcc.edu/transfercenter/files/UC_CSU_Comparison_Chart.pdf

19. Community College - a viable option • High School Diploma the only requirement. • Cost considerably less than 4 year public colleges. • After the mandatory 2 years, students can transfer to a 4 year college. • Also offer 2 year associate degrees in specialized fields. • A lot of flexibility in class schedules to cater to working students. • Most community colleges don’t have residences on campus.

20. Important dates PSAT at GISSV ,Saturday October 18th, 2014 November 1st -30th application submission period for UC applicants for fall 2014 March 1st -31st , notification of fall 2015 admissions decisions May 1st 2015, deadline for UC admitted freshmen to submit 2015,Statement of intent to Register (SIR) AP examinations at GISSV, May 4th-15th 2015

21. Financial Aid and scholarships https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov/logon.asp California student aid commission http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ Free Application for federal student aid https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp Financial aid profile www.finaid.org General site with lots of information about financial aid www.fastweb.com General site with a terrific scholarship search as well as expected family contribution calendar

22. Scholarship types Need- based and Merit- based. Need- based aid is awarded proportional to your family’s financial need (the difference between the cost of study and your ability to pay). Merit-based aid is awarded on your merit (academic or other) Need- blind colleges do not consider your financial situation when considering admission.

23. 6 Need- blind Colleges in US • 1. Amherst College • 2. Dartmouth College • 3. Harvard University • 4. MIT • 5. Princeton University • 6. Yale University www.internationalstudent.com Schools that award financial aid for international students by state.