HS & First Year Students
What are you looking for in a campus? A big or small school? A public or a private school? A school that is located near parks, beaches, or the city? These are all important considerations to make as you narrow down your college choices.
You want to ensure that you are making the decision that feels right for you! When deciding what school is right for you, it is important to do research regarding a school that meets your wants and needs.
Key factors to consider when choosing a school to attend are geographic location, academic majors available, school size, overall cost, campus environment, resources available, and academic quality. These factors will help narrow your list down to the best option for your personal and academic needs.
Choosing a college to attend is not an easy decision, so we’ve also listed a few tips to compare colleges and narrow down your list:
- Make a college list
- Weigh your wants vs your needs
- Take campus tours either virtual or in person
- Compare financial aid packages
- Write a pro/ con list for each of the colleges
Wherever you choose to go to college, the Let’s Go team is always a click away and ready to help!
To learn tips on why and how to consider the campus environment when comparing schools, download this guide Campus Environment. Guide provided by DecidED
HS & First Year Students
By: Paratum Scholars and Let’s Go Team
Discovering “You” & Determining Your Core Values
Discovering who “you” are doesn’t mean you have to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life. High school students change their minds often; don’t worry–college students do too. In the context of the college search and application process, discovering “you” means diving into one’s self and asking what social, academic, and financial components are important to you at this time and how these factors correlate to the different colleges that you may be considering. Ask yourself:
- Do you see yourself in small places with your peers and professors, or are you looking forward to constantly seeing new faces at a large campus?
- Are you seeking an environment where your peers challenge you academically, or do you prefer a more collaborative, laid-back culture?
- Are you the type of student who wants to make your mark by playing an integral role in many different areas on campus, or are you more comfortable being a participant and not committing fully to any one particular area?
There is no right or wrong answer here, however, these are the values you need to focus first as you begin researching where you will be applying to for college.
The “Perfect College” does not exist
- You will soon discover that there is no such thing as the “perfect college”, and as you continue to research, you will learn that one school may check off many items on your “must-have” list, but not everything that is important to you.
- As you identify these important things and what colleges can offer, it is important to narrow down your values to a set of three-to-four core-values. These core-values are aspects important to you in your college search that you will never waiver on when determining your final college list. Ultimately, you will know if your list is right for you if every single school on your list should share most, if not all, of your core-values.
The College Essay Podcast: “Episode: 109: How to Figure Out Which School is Right for You with Dr. Steven Antonoff”
Being in the college search and application process requires so much self-introspection, it is important for you, the high school student, to take significant time during your junior and senior years’ reflection on your high school experience and what you have taken away from it up until this point.
Certain questions you may ask yourself:
- What have you liked/disliked about high school
- What areas do you excel in or are you passionate about
- Who challenges you or what problems do you want to fix in this world
Colleges want to know what makes you unique, know about your experiences and how it has shaped you moving towards this new and exciting chapter in your life. What you discover about yourself will most certainly help you when it is time to research colleges and curate your final draft.
This episode on the College Essay Podcast by Steven Antonoff can be found here.
Where Do I Start?
Corsava is a free platform for high school students that allows you to build a clear path and take ownership of your college journey.
- You will discover what’s important to you by first performing a virtual card sort, which is a fun, interactive way to discover your deeper college preferences.
- After the card sort, you will be given your own personalized Corsava report. This provides a great visual representation of specific values that are important to you.
- Your Corsava list can be modified at any time and it is encouraged you do to readdress values important to you as you continue to grow and develop in high school. Corsava can also assist you in generating a list of colleges based on your Corsava report that aligns with your values.
- In short, Corsava is a recommended tool to begin this self-exploration process because it allows you to make a more informed decision about your college based on what is important to you.
Personality Tests
These can help you learn more about strengths and weaknesses, plus preferences in your personal and professional lives which can definitely be interesting and intriguing.
- Remember, these tests are never 100% accurate, however, they are a snapshot of what your personality may look like at the time you take it. Personalities continue to grow and evolve until the age of 25-27 so approach it as a fun exercise. Rest assured, the results will not predict or determine your destiny.
- It is not recommended that you pay money for a personality test considering all of the free resources on the Internet. A free resource recommended is “16 Personalities”.
Remember, self-awareness requires taking the time to dive into yourself and identify what is important to you and why. By doing this, not only will you be able to make more thoughtful decisions on why a particular institution may be a good fit for you, but also why it is important for you to invest your time and energy into that particular application process.
About Paratum Scholars
Chuck Liddiard is the Founder and Executive Director of The Paratum Scholars, a 501c(3) non-profit whose vision is to empower students to discover their college, their passion and their path. Learn more about The Paratum Scholars and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
College Success
Everyone says that starting college is a very exciting part of your life but no one really talks about the stress that comes with preparing for college. There are things you need to figure out such as: will you be living on campus or with family? How will you get to and from school? When thinking of commuting you need to take in consideration a checklist that would make your commuting experience more enjoyable. Here are some tips to make your commute easier:
Staying Safe
Whether you are commuting by public transportation or by your own vehicle, one of the most important things is staying safe. Sometimes you may stay in school very late and by the time you head home it is dark or you may need to leave home very early in the morning. No matter the time, here are some tips on staying safe:
Pepper spray, taser and emergency car kit are all helpful tools that can be used during an emergency. Read the instructions on how to properly use these tools and only use them for emergencies.
Android and Apple have an emergency mode on smartphones to help during difficult situations. Depending on the company, these programs allow you to add emergency contacts, call emergency services and put your phone on ultra power saving mode.
More information for apple users, samsung, and android users.
Nutrition
Sometimes you are running late and forget to make yourself breakfast or maybe you did not pack lunch. One way to avoid this is by meal planning! There are many ways to meal plan, it is done according to your lifestyle. If you have never meal planned before, here is a some tips for beginners:
When meal planning, it is important to save on produce! Here are some guides to CalFresh, SNAP, and food banks that may be available near you.
Entertainment
Have a long commute? One of the discouraging things about having a long commute is knowing how to fill in the time.
Student discounts for Apple Music and Spotify
If you have an exam that day, you can review your notes or study guides on the way to school. This is helpful because you are briefly reviewing your notes before your exam to make sure you don’t forget some last minute details.
Discounted Bus Passes for Students
If you will be taking public transportation to get to and from school, you will need a bus pass. The cost for a bus pass can accumulate but luckily there are programs that offer discounts for students! Additionally, these offers have unlimited rides for your semester/quarter.**
- Orange County and Irvine Students
- Bay Area Students
- Clipper Card
- Will be able to use on Caltrain Golden Gate Transit, Marin Transit, Muni, SamTrans, etc… Check the FAQ for more information
- Must have an income level below $89,320
*keep in mind some places do not allow pepper spray, tasers or anything sharp inside their perimeters
**rules may vary, visit websites for more information
HS & First Year Students
Application season is here again! Below are several Cal State Apply updates as well as some helpful reminders to assist students.
The priority application period for the Fall 2021 semester opens October 1, 2022, and closes November 30, 2022. We encourage you to apply early.
Validation is Here! Students are highly encouraged to find their high school, so they do not need to manually enter their high school coursework, complete a-g matching, and ensure validation is properly applied. Students can now search for their high school using the CEEB code.
Cal State Apply Submission Review! The application has been updated with a Submission Review page. The page provides key academic and application information that students may need to review. Please review this information carefully and correct any issues prior to submission.
SAT and ACT Test Scores
- The CSU has temporarily suspended the use of SAT and ACT test scores for admission purposes. To find more information on the admission requirements for Fall 2022 please visit the First-time Freshman Guidance.
- If SAT and ACT test scores are submitted, the CSU will use scores for placement in English and mathematics courses. Please visit the CSU Student Success site for additional information on placement. If a student has not taken a test, they can opt-out of the Standardized Tests section of Cal State Apply.
Cal State Apply Helpful Links
All Cal State Apply resources have been updated and posted to the Counselor Resource site under First-time Freshman Section. Here are some helpful ones, visit this site for more. There are a lot of resources available for counselors, but some are quite helpful for students.
CSU Video and Campus Virtual Tour Links
For a new CSU overview video and virtual tours of all 23 campuses go here.
Reminders & Clarifications
College-Dual Enrollment Coursework – If you have taken college classes while in high school on your own or through a formal dual enrollment program, you should specify on the application that you are a graduating high school senior with college credit. Any college courses taken that will appear on a college transcript should be reported on the College Coursework page. For more information please see the College-Dual Enrollment Coursework Guidance.
Help students not miss the deadline to apply for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Some but not all campuses have a deadline of November 30, 2022, for EOP applicants. Even if you have submitted their application to the CSU, you can still go back into Cal State Apply to indicate you are interested in applying for EOP if you haven’t missed the campus’s deadline. To check the deadline for the campus(es), go to EOP Admission by Term (also available as a PDF). Also, at least one of the recommendations must be from someone who knows your academic history, such as a teacher or counselor. The other recommendation can be from an individual who can comment about your potential to succeed in college but cannot be the student or a family member.
DACA, undocumented or AB540 students should enter “None” as their citizenship status. Under “Residency,” they should select “California” as their state of residency if they consider California their home.
There have been changes in impaction on both campuses and degree programs for the 2022-23 academic year. Impaction means that there are more qualified applicants for a program or campus than can be accommodated. For the most current information, visit the Impaction center on Calstate.edu.
This resource was compiled with information from the CSU Office of the Chancellor
HS & First Year Students
Applying to California State Universities is an incredible accomplishment! Congrats to you! Sometimes the process can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several resources out there to help you! Including, our website! So you are in the right place. Whether you are applying to a CSU as a first time student or as a transfer student, the process can be overwhelming. Keep on reading to get started!
* This quick guide is intended to support undocumented first-time freshmen and transfer students applying to the CSUs for Fall 2022* To check which CSU’s are still accepting applications click here.
Applying to the CSU as a first-time student
Overview of Applying to the CSU (for full details and steps click here: Quick Guide for Undocumented Students Applying to the CSU as a First-time Freshmen)
- Visit the Cal State Apply page (Cal State Apply | CSU)
- Completing Your Profile
- Degree goal: Select “First Bachelor’s Degree”
- Current educational goal: As a first year applicant, you will choose “Graduating High School Senior or equivalent” with or without college credit. This is based upon classes completed and your academic transcripts.
- Previous attendance: If you have attended a CSU campus before and are returning to complete an earlier program, make that clear. Contact the campus to find out how to apply for re-admission.
- U.S. Military status: Indicate your current or anticipated U.S. Military status at the time of application.
- Residency: Indicate if you have or will need an F1 student or J1 exchange visa. Undocumented
- My Application Dashboard: Your dashboard gives you access and details to each part of the application you need to complete. The four sections you must submit are:
- Personal Information
- Academic History
- Supporting Information
- Program Materials
NOTE: In order to be officially coded as an AB540/ SB68 student and pay resident fees at the CSU, you must submit your affidavit and an official copy of your transcripts/attendance records to the Admissions offices at each of the universities where you applied. Check with each campus for their deadline.
- Choosing Your Programs
- Selecting programs: Click on the plus icon next to add programs/major. Add alternatives if desired.
- Residency: The state where you claimed residency in the profile section will already be entered. Visit your profile section to change it. Select the state you claim as your permanent home. If you qualify for AB540/SB68, choose “yes” for California residency. Enter the date your present stay began.
- Race and Ethnicity: Indicate how you identify. You may decline to answer these questions.
- Parent/Guardian Information
- Other Information
- Academic History
- High Schools Attended
- High School Coursework
- College Coursework
- Submitting Your Application
- Be sure to review each section to ensure that your information has been properly entered. Mistakes could complicate or prevent your admission to the CSU.
- When you apply through Cal State Apply, you are automatically considered for an application fee waiver based on the information you entered.
- REMEMBER: Undocumented students who will qualify for AB 540/SB 68 non-resident tuition exemption can be considered for the fee waiver.
For the full guide, go Quick Guide for Undocumented Students Applying to the CSU as a First-time Freshmen
Applying to the CSU as a transfer student
Overview of Applying to the CSU as a transfer student (for full details and steps click here: Quick Guide for Undocumented Students Applying to the CSU as a Transfer Student
- Visit the Cal State Apply page (Cal State Apply | CSU)
- Completing Your Profile
- Level of degree you’re seeking: Select “First Bachelor’s Degree”
- Entry status: As a transfer applicant, you have two options:
- If you are transferring with an Associate Degree for Transfer, select “Transferring with an Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T, AS-T) from a California Community College.” Indicate your community college and ADT program. You may enter up to two.
- If you are transferring from a CA community college or another college, select “Transferring from a California community college or from another two-year or four-year institution.”
- Choosing Your Programs
- Selecting programs: Click on the plus icon next to add programs/major. Add alternatives if desired.
- You may be asked to select an alternate choice for certain programs that are impacted. Impacted programs are majors that receive more applicants than available spaces. You will automatically be enrolled in this alternate program should your first choice become unavailable.
- My Application Dashboard
- Personal Information
- Academic History
- Supporting Information
- Program Materials
NOTE: In order to be officially coded as an AB540/ AB2000/SB68 student and pay resident fees at the CSU, you must submit your affidavit and an official copy of your transcripts/attendance records to the Admissions offices at each of the universities where you applied. Check with each campus for their deadline.
- Submitting Your Application
- Be sure to review each section to ensure that your information has been properly entered. Mistakes could complicate or prevent your admission to the CSU.
- When you apply through Cal State Apply, you are automatically considered for an application fee waiver based on the information you entered.
- Payment: Cal State Apply charges $70 to apply to each program
- REMEMBER: Undocumented students who will qualify for AB 540/SB 68 non-resident tuition exemption can be considered for the fee waiver.
For the full guide, go Quick Guide for Undocumented Students Applying to the CSU as a Transfer Student
Provided by:
