Creating a College List Part 2:  How to Research Colleges to Develop a “Balanced College List”

Creating a College List Part 2:  How to Research Colleges to Develop a “Balanced College List”

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Once you have spent time “Discovering You” and determined your core values important in your college search, the next step is to begin researching schools and solidifying where you will be applying. Before you begin your college research, it is important to understand how many schools you should apply to and how to construct a balanced college list.

How many colleges should I apply to?

Application platforms nowadays simplify the process, it is important for you to know that just because it is easier for you to apply to a lot of schools, it does not mean that you necessarily should apply to an extraordinary amount.

  • Stay focused and develop a list of eight to twelve total schools that you plan to apply to. These schools should not only meet your core values, but should have your academic major, be financially affordable to you and your family, but, perhaps most important, they are institutions you would be excited to attend if accepted.  

What is a “Reach”, “Target” or “Likely” school? 

In general, a college with an acceptance rate between 1-25% is classified as a “Reach”; a college with an acceptance rate between 26-50% will be classified as “Target”; and colleges with an acceptance rate above 51% will be classified as “Likely” school.  

  • To determine this information for a particular college, the first thing you should do is to visit the admissions website and find the previous year’s admission profile —see the UCLA example below. 
  • If the acceptance rate for that particular school is not easily detected, simply divide the college’s total number of admitted students by the total number of applications it received last year; this will determine their acceptance rate.  
  • It is important to locate the school’s mid-50th percentile for both the GPA and test scores (if they accept them) for last year’s admitted class. If you cannot locate any of this information on their website, do not hesitate to reach out to the admissions office.  Once you have this information, ask yourself, where does my academic profile fit in with this particular college?  

What is a holistic application review?

Something important to note regarding “Reach” and “Likely” schools is that these are considered selective colleges and even if you meet the college’s academic profile, this does not guarantee you will be admitted. 

  • Grades and academic rigor are usually the top two most important factors that go into determining an admissions decision, but most of these selective schools utilize a “holistic” application review in their admissions process.  
  • In addition to grades and test scores, many other factors are considered in their decision; including an applicant’s activities and resume list, interviews, essays, letters of recommendation and demonstrated interest and much more.  

How do I know if my college list is balanced?

While it is important to make sure the colleges you apply to are an academic, social and financial fit for you–and they represent your core college values–it is equally important to make sure you have many realistic options after the whole process is complete.  To have a balanced college list means you have an equal amount of colleges and universities in your “Reach”, “Target” and “Likely” categories that you are excited about applying to–usually three to four colleges in each category.

The National Average Acceptance Rate is 66.1%.  Acceptance Rate does not determine if the school is a fit for you or if you will be successful there. 

Reach:  Your academic profile is slightly below the school’s mid 50th percentile and/or school’s acceptance rate is between 1 to 25%

Target:  Your academic profile is in the range of the school’s mid 50th percentile and/or school’s acceptance rate is between 26-50%

Likely:  Your academic profile is above the school’s mid 50th percentile and/or school’s acceptance rate is 50% or higher.  These schools may likely offer you more merit-based scholarships than the other two categories.

**For UC’s, CSU’s or other large state college systems–even though you may apply to more than one school in this system, it is recommended counting these as just one college on your overall college list** 

Don’t be afraid of rejection!

Rejection is a natural part of the college application process and being rejected from that first college is never easy. It is important to understand that selective colleges and universities may also utilize their own institutional priorities that guide them while shaping their admission class each year. These factors vary institution to institution and not all schools may have them every year.  

In general these priorities are not known to those outside the institution and can always change year after year. All in all, students can do everything right in this process and still be denied from a particular school.  So, now that you know this reality, do not be afraid to put yourself out there and please know, if you create a balanced college list, you will certainly have some fantastic options at the end of this process.  

Be Organized!

Create a spreadsheet, like Google Sheets, to keep all of your college research in one place. In the first column, list all of the schools you are planning to research. In the next column indicate if this is a “Reach”, “Target” or “Likely” school using the information indicated above. Additional columns should include the college’s academic profile and acceptance rate, as well as other indicators that will help differentiate the colleges on your list, such as:

  • Percentage of Need-Based Aid the Institution Meets
  • Testing Policies (Test-Optional, Flexible, etc.)
  • Number of Undergraduates
  • 4 and 6-year Graduation Rate
  • Major(s) That Interest You
  • Clubs/Organizations That Interest You
  • Unique Courses Offered
  • Links to Virtual Visit Resources
  • Potential Questions You Have for the College Admissions Counselor
  • Application Deadlines (Early-Decision, Early Action or Regular Decision)
  • Application Platform (Common Application, Coalition, Institutional Application)
  • Supplemental Essays (if required by the institution)
  • Are Optional Interviews Available
  • What You/Parents Think About the College

Organizing yourself with a document like this will not only help you compare the colleges you are researching, it will help you indicate if your college list is balanced. In addition, once your college decisions begin to come in, you will also be able to use this document to easily view the colleges that have accepted you and compare their financial aid packages. All of this will assist you in making that all important decision: out of the colleges that said yes to you, what college will you choose to call home!

Avoid Common Mistakes on the UC Applications

Avoid Common Mistakes on the UC Applications

HS & First Year Students | 1 comment

By: Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano and Let’s Go To College CA

Congratulations on considering applying to the University of California!  Tens of thousands of students apply to the UCs each year (approximately 170,000 first-time freshmen applied last fall), so the UC admissions is definitely a large-scale process. Because so many applications are submitted, it can be difficult to adjust your application information after submission. Getting it right the first time will ensure that your applications are fully processed and that each school has the correct information on file for you from the start.

While many parts of the UC application are self-explanatory or provide clarifying instructions, some tend to trip up students. Something as simple as mistyping your date of birth or accidentally clicking that you are not a California resident can cause a headache down the line in order to correct this information. This guide is intended to share common mistakes that we see students make each year, so hopefully, you can avoid them when applying to the UCs.

The following “tips” are organized in the order that they appear on the application.  You can follow along with this guide as you fill out your application, or use it to double-check your responses before you submit. If and when you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact your high school academic advisor or counselor, or UC Admissions at ucinfo@applyucsupport.net or (800) 207-1710.

About You: “Citizenship and Residency” Section

This section is used in a variety of ways, including determining California residency for tuition purposes.  California residents have cheaper tuition than non-California residents, so you want to make sure that you complete this section accurately.

  • Question: “What is your country of citizenship?” 
    • Tip: Undocumented and DACA students should select “No selection”.  Without doing this, they may be marked as an international student, not a California resident.

About You: “Demographics” Section

  • Question: “Which of the following groups best describes your racial background”
    • Tip: Often, Latinx students ask about what to select here, as some students feel that the options do not reflect their identity.  The demographic section is optional, so students do not have to mark a selection here if there is not one that they identify with.

The race and ethnicity categories on the UC application are connected to the categories used by the US Department of Education and the US Census, and may not directly reflect how a student self-identifies.

About You: “Your Household” Section

  • Question: “What was the total income earned in 2022 by your parents or legal guardians?”
    • Tip:  If you don’t have access to your family’s taxes, or aren’t sure of the exact number here, you can use your best estimate. This number will be used to help calculate your eligibility for UC application fee waivers, but will not be used for financial aid (you will have to complete a FAFSA or CA Dream Act application to apply for financial aid).

If you have access to your parent/guardian’s 2022 taxes, you can use the “Total income” number, which is line 7b on the 2022 1040 tax form.

  • Question: “How many people were supported by this income?”
    • Tip: This question can be easily answered by finding the household size on the 2022 tax forms.  To do that, add up the total number of people who filed the taxes (listed at the top of the 1040 form) as well as the total number of people listed as dependents.  For example, if I come from a single-parent household, and my parent filed taxes and then claimed me and my 3 siblings as “dependents,” we would answer “5” to this question.  

If you don’t have your tax forms, you can answer this question just by adding all of the people supported by the income you listed, including yourself.  This number does not have to be the same as the number of people living in your home- you should not include people living with you who are not supported by your parent/guardian’s income.

About You: “Parent Information” Section

  • Tip: You only have to include one parent/guardian/person who looks after you here. While you should include all parents/guardians that apply to you, if you live in a single-parent household, for example, you can complete this question with just one parent/guardian. If you are independent and do not have a parent/guardian, you can select “Other” and then describe who looks after you.

Campuses and Majors: “Choose Majors” Section

  • Tip: Some UC campuses offer “alternate major” options, and like the application says, if you are not accepted into your first-choice major, you can be considered for your alternate major if you select one on your application. When choosing majors, it is important to consider “impaction,” which is when more qualified people apply than there are spaces available.  Impacted majors can be more selective than non-impacted majors, and could mean that a “likely” school becomes more of a “target” or “reach” for you simply because the major you are applying to is more selective.  

If you have questions about what major to choose, you should talk to your high school counselor, or you can call or email the UC admission office or major department to get more information.  For example, if I was interested in nursing at UCLA, but am unsure whether to apply to the nursing major because it is impacted, I could talk to my counselor, the UCLA admissions office, or the UCLA nursing department.

Academic History Section

When you apply to the UC, your GPA is recalculated to include your A-G classes. It is important that you provide the correct information so that your GPA can be calculated correctly.  We advise having a copy of your transcript available while you fill this out.  If you have any questions about how to complete this section, you should contact your high school counselor or academic advisor.

  • Question: “Add high school” or “Add college”
    • Tip: When adding schools if your school does not appear with your first search, you can try different spellings or parts of the name.  Sometimes this can help you find your school as it appears in the UC application system.  Additionally, you can use the “school code” to help locate your school.  This can be found by searching for “your school + school code” online. These codes are sometimes called “CEEB codes” or “college codes.”
  • Question: “What is this school’s term system?”
    • Tip: Sometimes this can be confusing for students, especially if you receive mid-term grades alongside final grades.  If you are unsure of your school’s term system, you should check with your high school academic advisor or counselor.
  • Question: “Enter courses & grades”
    • Tip: During the course-entry sections, make sure that you type the courses exactly as they appear on your transcript.  Additionally, use the “Honors Codes” and “Grades Codes” at the top right of each section to help you report your grades for each grading period.  

For 11th grade, you will have options for “Credit (CR),” “No Credit (NC),” Pass (PS),” and “No Pass (NP)” to represent grades during the Spring.  For courses that only meet for part of the year, you can put “NO” for the parts of the year when you did not have that course.  For courses during the current grading period, you can put “IP” for “In Progress.”  For future grading periods, you can put “PL” for “Planned.”

  • Question: “California State Student ID”
    • Tip: You can complete this section without adding this number.  That said, you should be able to find it on your transcript, or can ask your high school counselor or academic advisor if you need help finding it.
  • Question: “Additional comments”
    • Tip: This section can help you add value to your application, especially if there is something important about your academic record that is not shared elsewhere.  That said, you do not have to complete this question.  

Some questions to consider when deciding whether to complete this section are: Were there any courses that I was unable to take for a reason out of my control (i.e. prevented by school policy or administrators, lack of transportation to a class after regular school hours, course not offered at your school, etc.)? Does my transcript accurately reflect my academic ability?  Were their obstacles out of my control that negatively affected my academic performance?

Test Scores Section

  • Question: “Do you want to report any ACT or SAT test scores?”
    • Tip: Because of COVID-19 and a recent lawsuit, the UC campuses have adjusted their SAT/ACT testing requirements.  All UC campuses other than UCSD, UCLA, and UC Merced will not consider SAT/ACT testing for admission. UCSD, UCLA, and UC Merced will be test-optional, so you can submit your scores if you choose, but it will not hurt you if you do not submit test scores.

Activities & Awards Section

  • Question: “Add activities & awards”
    • Tip: To fill out this section, we suggest that you start by considering how you spend your time, in and out of school.  This can include formal activities like clubs, teams, work, volunteer experiences, etc. as well as more informal or self-directed activities, like caring for younger siblings, art or music, language self-study, etc.  It can also be helpful to partner with a friend or family member to brainstorm activities/awards- they may be able to remind you of things you leave out.

When adding activities and awards, there may be some activities that can fit in multiple spaces.  For example, if you are a Boys and Girls Club member, but also volunteer as a tutor for elementary school students at your Boys and Girls Club, this activity could fit as both an extracurricular activity and community service activity.  It is okay to add activities like this in multiple categories, especially if it will give you the opportunity to provide a more in-depth description of your different roles.

Some students have trouble estimating their hours/week and weeks/year for their activities. It can be helpful to know the total number of weeks in your school year (often 36 weeks/year for schools with Monday-Friday school weeks in CA) as well as the total number of weeks in a year (52).  If the hours of involvement vary throughout the year, we sometimes suggest calculating the hours spent during a busy week and those spent during a non-busy week and then averaging those to get a more accurate number for estimated hours/week.

Before you start adding descriptions, we HIGHLY encourage you to draft them in a separate document.  Then, you can edit and finalize your descriptions there without worrying about whether they will be saved in the UC application (sometimes the application crashes, and that could mean a lot of lost work if you write directly in the application…).  You can also reuse these descriptions in the future for other applications, like the Common App or scholarship applications.

Scholarships & Programs Section

Personal Insight Section

  • Question: “Personal insight questions”
    • Tip: When completing this section, know that all of the 8 personal insight prompts are considered equally- there is no “best” prompt to choose.  The most important thing is to select prompts that allow you to share important aspects of yourself that add value to the other parts of your application (your transcript, activity list, etc.). 

As with the activities and awards section, we highly recommend that you type these responses in a separate document first, and then copy and paste your final versions into your application.  

  • Question: “Additional comments”
    • Tip: Often students aren’t quite sure how to use this section, or if they should use it at all.  After completing the rest of your application, if you feel that it adequately represents who you are, then you may not need to add anything in this section.  If instead, you feel that there is something about you and your story that has not been shared, the additional comments section is a great space to add that extra information.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, this would be a great space to provide context to your COVID-19 experience, especially if you believe that it is relevant to your college application. 

Review and Submit Section

  • Application Fees
    • Tip: If you qualify for fee waivers to pay for your application fees, these will be visible here.  Students can only use up to 4 fee waivers, so even if you qualify for 4 UC fee waivers and also have 2 College Board fee waivers, you can only use 4 in total to pay for the UC applications.

If you do not qualify for UC fee waivers but you do have 2 College Board fee waivers, you can pay by mail, and can include your College Board fee waivers via mail, along with a check if you apply to more campuses.  If you did not receive UC fee waivers but believe that you should be eligible for them, you can first check your household income section to make sure your information is correct, and can then apply for fee waivers using the instructions in the “Review and Submit” section.  Typically, the fee waiver application can take 7-10 days to be processed by the UC.

By: Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano and Let’s Go To College CA

Source: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html

Housing and Meals Explained

Basic Needs Support, HS & First Year Students | 0 comments

Now, that you’ve chosen your college your next step is planning! Will you be dorming on campus or live at home? What meal option will you choose? These are new and sometimes confusing choices to make. Sometimes, your financial aid may not cover these costs. Be sure you know how much this will all cost, so you know how to budget. Each campus has its own system with unique options and prices. Make sure you know before you go. 

 

To learn more about housing and meal options when comparing schools, download this guide Housing and Meals Explained.  Guide provided by DecidED 

 

 

Diversity

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When choosing what college to attend, one of the most important components to consider is the campus’s diversity. Not only in terms of race or ethnicity of the student population but also considering how diverse the campus is in terms of cultural background, geographic location, sexual orientations, gender identities, and abilities. These components tend to get overlooked because we are caught up in the beauty of the campus or its reputation.

Diversity is crucial. You must be able to relate to your peers and feel comfortable knowing that your values align with the campus you will earn your degree in. 

 

To learn more about why and how to consider diversity when comparing schools, download this guide Diversity. Guide provided by DecidED 

 

 

Transfer Students

Transfer Students

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Transferring to a new college can be exciting, thrilling, but also nerve-wracking! Whether you are transferring from a community college to a 4-year university or from a university to another university: you must be prepared!

Transferring to a UC

How To Transfer From Community College To UC

Using the UC Transfer Admission Planner can help you track your coursework, progr

ess toward meeting UC admissions and can also serve as your application for the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG).

The basic requirements to transfer to a UC: At least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit must be completed. A GPA of 2.4 in UC-transferable units must be earned (or 2.8 if you’re a non-resident).  You will also need to complete the following 7-course pattern by the end of the Spring term prior to fall enrollment: 

  • Two transferable courses in English composition
  • One transferable course in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning
  • Four transferable college courses from at least two of the following subject areas:
    1. Arts and humanities
    2. Social and behavioral sciences
    3. Physical and biological sciences

Things to Keep in Mind:

Transfer Students

If you have decided on a major but want to keep your UC campus options open, UC Transfer Pathway is for you! With transfer pathways, you choose your intended major and a list of courses that are required will be listed. This will give you clear guidance on what courses you need to take and will be competitive to get into any UC campus. 

General education & IGETC

The general education requirements give a broad background to UC undergraduates in all academic disciplines. Although these requirements need to be fulfilled before graduating from UC, it is strongly recommended to start taking general education at community college. 

There are two ways to satisfy general education requirements: 

    • IGETC: A series of courses certified by the California community college that you may complete satisfying the freshman/sophomore level general education requirements at UC.
    • UC campus-specific requirements: Each school and college at every UC campus has its own set of general education classes

Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

Six UC campuses (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz) offer the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program for California community college students who meet specific requirements. By participating in TAG, you may receive an early review of your academic records and early admission notification. 

Transfer Admission Planner (TAP) 

UC TAP helps prospective UC transfer students track and plan their coursework.

Transferring to a CSU 

To be considered an Upper-Division Transfer Student (UDT) applicant, you will need to have at least 60-semester units (90 quarter transferable units) completed by the time you enter a CSU. You may use ASSIST to see what courses from your community college are CSU transferable.

Admission requirements for UDT students:California State University (CSU) | Glendale Community College

    • Overall college GPA of at least 2.00. Keep in mind that in some high-demand majors and campuses a GPA of 2.00 may not be sufficient to be admitted 
    • Be in good standing at the last college or university attended 
    • Have completed 10 general education courses of basic skills courses with a grade of C- or better
    • Additional information about dates, deadlines, checklist, and application guides can be found here. 

The California Community College (CCC) Associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) and the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degrees are two-year associate degrees that are transferable to the CSU. With the Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT), students who meet the CSU’s minimum eligibility requirements are guaranteed priority admission to a CSU campus. 

Admission requirements for ADT:

    • Have earned or be completing an approved Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) at the time you apply
    • Have completed a minimum of 18 semester (27 quarter units) in a major or area of emphasis and an approved set of general education requirements 
    • Submit your application for admission to CSU campuses by the published deadline
    • Submit all requested transcripts and documents by published deadlines
    • Meet CSU admission eligibility requirements for the programs to which you are applying
    • Comply with any other prescribed admission requirements 

Advice for transfer students starting at CC:

  • Connect to the transfer center at your CC campus 
  • Check if your chosen UC/CSU campus has a respective transfer student support center, reaching out can provide clarity on support for transfer students
  • First years: the CA College Promise Grant permits enrollment fees to be waived. Making an appointment with an advisor is helpful as they can pinpoint what classes are transferable. 

Transferring to a Private 

The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) comprises 85 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities. 

A full list of AICCU institutions with articulation agreements, click here. For information about admission, academic, and course requirements, please refer to this handbook. 

Unsure if you want to transfer? 

If you are unsure you want to transfer, it is recommended that you choose the AA/AS-Transfer track as this ensures you have an Associates and/or transfer in the near future. 

Backwards transferring

Backwards transferring is when a student from a four-year university transfers to a Community College. Here is an article with more information about backwards transferring. To see the requirements for backwards transferring, contact your school as each school has a different process or agreement.