Category: parenting

Interestingly enough, as I’m winding down from my day…I received this cluster of articles from a former HS counselor, asking people on Nextdoor if we’d like information about competitive colleges. It is seriously so tough for kids these days…

Advice for High School Students Regarding College Admissions (2)
People
Advice for High School Students Regarding College Admission

©2008, Angela Ann Horine

Angela Horine has been an independent college counselor and was a public high school Career Center Specialist at HHS. Now she enjoys giving free college advice as a volunteer speaker and college counselor.

Article 1: Who Should Attend a Competitive College?

We live in a town where property values are sky high. This is a place where many residents have money to spend; they buy nice clothes, expensive cars and high tech equipment for their homes. Most residents also value and encourage quality higher education for their children. In fact, many local students will tell you that parental expectations are that they attend an Ivy League-caliber college. Realistically, however, most students who actually apply to such places are not admitted. Stanford received applications from 42,167 hopeful high school seniors for the class of 2018. Of this number, 2,138 students were offered admission. The admit rate was about 5%, so fewer than 5 out of every 100 applicants were admitted. Most of these applicants are stellar students. In the three following articles, I will outline a comprehensive “competitive college game plan.” Included are pointers to maximize one’s chances of being admitted. UCLA received 86,000 applications for freshman admission for a class of 6,000 freshmen for the class of 2018. UCLA also had 19,000 hopefuls apply as transfer students. However, even though I consider my “game plan” advice to be accurate and a good general guide, there is more that needs to be said.

As a public high school college and career counselor, I have had my heart sink more than a few times when a parent tells me that “my daughter/son will be going to Stanford” even before the application is submitted. The certainty of the parent is often inversely proportional to the chance the child will actually be admitted. One father told me that his daughter would attend Stanford because she was on her high school drill team, as if that were a sufficient reason for her being accepted. When I checked this young woman’s grades, SAT scores, the quality of her classes and her academic workload, I knew there was no way she would be matriculating at Stanford. I felt sorry for the father, but even sorrier for his child, who would disappoint him in not fulfilling his dream for her.

Certainly, parents should be realistic about their child’s limits. If taking difficult classes and doing well in them don’t bring the child joy, then that child shouldn’t be doing this. And, often, that child won’t! For many students, a highly competitive college environment is not the best choice, even if they are intellectually and academically qualified. Kids may thrive at a small, supportive college, whereas going to a huge rather impersonal school like UC Berkeley might be a disaster in terms of their fitting in, feeling good about themselves, contributing and thriving. I am a firm believer in a good match between student and college.

In another incident that happened when I was a public high school college counselor, one of our students was admitted to a top California university on a football scholarship. He had not fulfilled the UC requirements, did not take AP or Honors classes, flunked quite a few classes and had about a 2.0 GPA. He had scored approximately 480 total on his SAT 1, was kicked out of a second SAT for trying to cheat, and then he finally resorted to using a “ringer” to pass the test high enough to enable him to play college football. His high school teachers said he was functionally illiterate. Stanford wouldn’t touch him, yet he got into another stellar university. Should he have been admitted? Could he survive there? Obviously not. He was being used for his football talent, which was considerable, and he was never really considered a true student. Of course he never graduated. Even if a few unethical “athletic booster” professors sometimes cut incredible athletes slack in their classrooms, as has been reported over the years in newspapers, most do not; so these academically inferior students don’t have any hope of earning a college degree. How much better for this young man to have gone to a community college where he could have developed his reading and writing skills. He could have succeeded and felt successful, and, finally prepared for academic rigor and challenges, he could have eventually transferred to a CSU or UC school.

From my observations, the student who is accepted by a competitive college is a self -motivated, responsible, proactive young person with a fire in his or her heart about learning. These kids love to read. They enjoy creative solutions. They think analytically, and they often come up with wonderful ideas and analysis. They often have unique interests and talents. Sometimes they are so focused that they learn about a single subject in such depth that they are considered an expert at age 17 or 18. I have met these students, and they are so enthusiastic that it is a real joy to behold such incredible academic exuberance.

I applaud parents who encourage the love of books by reading to their young child, who take their children on trips to museums, art galleries, plays, musical events, to science fairs, and who spend time as a family exploring the wonders of nature. Limiting television, video and computer games is also a gift to one’s offspring. However, as these children grow, they often march to the beat of their own drummers. Parents can only advise and guide their children so much and so far. Yes, it is probably a positive thing to encourage one’s children to take all the UC-approved classes they need, to add to their schedules AP and Honors classes in which the student is capable of doing well, to be involved in community service activities, etc. Yet concerned parents can’t really make their student study, they can’t make them learn. It’s the proverbial “you can lead a horse to water…” My advice is, if your young person is not self actualizing and does not love to study and to learn, back off on your expectations, at least as far as an extremely competitive college is concerned. A student hoping to attend Stanford, MIT, Harvard or Princeton, etc. has to be not only smart but also highly self motivated. Even an academic record of straight A grades is not compelling enough for most competitive universities. Schools like Stanford, who could fill their freshman class four or five times over with 4.0 students, also look for evidence that an applicant is highly motivated and has that drive and incredible interest and focus in one or more areas, and who also possesses a true joy of learning. If the admissions staff does not find this evidence, the student is not admitted. And this is a positive thing, as a “good match” between student and university should always be top priority.

Article 2: Competitive College Game Plan, Part 1

This is part one of a three part series that details a game plan for being admitted to a competitive college. Most college-bound students would view Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Caltech, Columbia, Williams, Amherst, Dartmouth, Pomona, UCLA, UCB, UCSD, etc., as “dream schools” or “reaches.” It is neither recommended nor realistic to push one’s child to set his or her hopes on getting into an ultra-competitive college unless that student is extremely bright and highly self-motivated.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
If your goal is to attend one of the top U.S. colleges, your game plan should be put into action in middle school.
Take at least 2 years (3 if possible) of foreign language. Algebra I must be completed in middle school. Develop good study habits, such as doing homework ASAP, concentrating and studying diligently in advance for tests. Think about participating in a community service activity such as tutoring elementary-age kids, teaching adults to use a computer at the library, planting a garden to provide produce for a food bank. Also develop unique interests on which you can focus, in which you can be involved , and about which you are knowledgeable. Unusual hobbies that show you have a social conscience or academic expertise “beyond your years” will be huge pluses for you when it comes time to apply for college. You should continue to expand on these interests throughout middle school and high school.

FRESHMAN YEAR (9th grade)
NO F’s.
NO D’s.
NO C’s.
Only 2, 3, or 4 B’s throughout high school – all the rest A’s. The exception to this is that you’ll be allowed a few more B’s if these are in AP or Honors classes, or if you fit into any of the ”special consideration” categories listed in the “What Colleges Look For” section in the following article. Take all the AP and Honors courses possible.
Take Biology or another lab science (Chemistry, Physics) if available.
Take Geometry (Honors, if possible) or Algebra 2/Trig.
Take at minimum of 5 “UC approved” academic classes per semester. Six academic classes are even better, but some high schools do not offer this option for freshmen, and to do this may also be overwhelming. Take the second (or third) year of the language in which you have decided to specialize. Consider signing up for and taking the PSAT for practice. Don’t forget doing community service!

SOPHOMORE AND JUNIOR YEARS (10th and 11th grades)
Continue studying, concentrating, and doing all assigned work well and in a responsible and timely manner. If possible, do extra if your teacher allows extra credit assignments. Concentrate on your unique interests and talents. Do a summer internship at a company or college in a field you might wish to pursue. Challenge yourself! Become well informed! Be resourceful! Be responsible! Be enthusiastic! Take the hardest classes possible (AP and Honors) and do well in them. You should take a language (Spanish, French, etc.) AP, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and English (Honors and/or AP), Algebra II/Trigonometry AP and Calculus AP (you should finish at least Calculus by end of your senior year). Take five or six UC-approved, rigorous academic classes per semester. In October, take the PSAT both sophomore and junior years (most college-bound kids take the PSAT junior year only). You can even take the PSAT as a freshman if you want the extra practice. Take the SAT Reasoning test plus writing (or the ACT plus writing) and two SAT subject tests in both your Sophomore and Junior years in May and June, respectively. Most colleges will accept your highest score for the SAT Reasoning test and writing and the highest scores for each of two individual subject tests (regardless of if they are taken at different test sittings, so taking the SAT (or ACT) tests only once is very unwise). If you want to try one more time to improve your scores, take the SAT Reasoning test plus writing in October of your senior year and the SAT subject tests in November. Although it would most likely put you at a disadvantage to take these tests only once, I recommend three times each as the upper limit. I have heard of some students taking the SAT Reasoning test six or seven times, but that may be viewed unfavorably by the college admissions staff (especially at competitive private colleges) as somewhat obsessive-compulsive, an impression you definitely do not want the admission staff to have of you! Keep up your involvement with community service projects!

Article 3: Competitive College Game Plan, Part 2

Before I address the topic of what one realistically needs to do to be accepted into a competitive college, I want to emphasize that this game plan is not only not for everyone, but it is also only for the very few highly self-motivated students who want to make the considerable effort to position themselves for possible admission. There are many other fine options available, and there are certainly many wonderful colleges that may be a much better match for you (and where you’ll be much happier and more successful) than the few Ivy League-type universities.

The following is part two of a three part series with suggestions about what you will need to do if your goal is to be accepted into a competitive college.

During the summer before your senior year, do one or more of the following: work at a “real” job, volunteer, research colleges (I strongly recommend buying and reading The Fiske Guide to the Colleges 2015). Take SAT prep classes or use SAT prep software to improve your score for your last SAT attempts in the fall of your senior year (unless you are happy with the scores you already have).
The best time for a college visit is not during the summer, but rather during Spring Break of either your Sophomore or Junior year when colleges are in session and prospective applicants can visit classes, spend time in a dorm, have an interview, meet students and go on a campus tour. Also, once you’ve been admitted, if you are unsure of your final choice, visit, for a second time, all colleges to which you’ve been accepted to help you decide which school will be best for you.

During your senior year, continue taking the most rigorous academic program possible i.e. five or six UC-approved academic classes per semester, including AP and Honors classes. Continue community service. Sign up immediately for the SAT Reasoning Test plus Writing in October of your senior year and for the SAT Subject Tests in November. For many colleges, these are the last dates to take these exams. Study, study, study and do well! DO NOT drop a class. If you do, you must explain this to the colleges to which you’ve applied. Keep grades up at “A” level. Any “C”, “D”, or “F” grade (especially any D’s or F’s!!!) will disqualify you from competitive private or UC schools. One can be rejected by a college even after an acceptance letter has been received if poor senior year grades prove you to be unworthy of admittance.
Many colleges and universities will give special consideration, meaning that they will cut you some (but not a whole lot of) slack on your grades and test scores if you fall into any of the following categories (which were revealed to me by an associate dean of admission at Stanford):

—-Legacy, meaning that one of your parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles or siblings is attending or is a graduate of that institution. I was told that in a “toss up” situation between two candidates for admission, the legacy will be the one admitted. But big exceptions are not made. You still have to be a
very strong student with top grades, rigorous classes and stellar test scores, plus you’ll need to have participated in community service and to have shown a passion for learning and to have demonstrated achievement and excellence in one or more specific areas of interest.

—-Under-represented minorities, meaning to most colleges: a person of African-American, Chicano/Latino, Native American, Aleut, or South Sea Islander (a native from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, etc.) ancestry.

—-World-Class athletes, i.e. Olympic hopefuls or someone who will play on one or more of the college’s top athletic teams.

—-World-class math students

—-Amazingly talented artists or musicians

—-A unique talent, someone with in-depth knowledge of a subject or with
experience doing something the college would consider especially noteworthy.

—-A student who is the first in his/her family to attend college

—-A student from a socio-economically “poor” or “disadvantaged” background

—-A student whose parent is employed by that (or even another) university

—-A student with a relative who has contributed millions of dollars to the university

—-A student with a disability

—-A student who has overcome challenges and/or hardships

And this, according to Stanford: As you position yourself for a successful future, always be mindful that colleges value those who are kind, compassionate and who “would be a good roommate.”

My next column will cover the process of applying to college and what you can do to make your application stand out from the rest in the stack.

Article 4: Competitive College Game Plan, Part 3

This is part three of a three part series that details a game plan for being admitted to a competitive college. Included are some helpful hints about the process of applying to college and what you can do to make your application stand out from the rest in the stack.

Apply to UC and CSU colleges before the end of November of your senior year. The UC “priority filing” period for applications is November 1 – November 30; have yours submitted on November 1 (but not before 12:01 a.m.). This will increase your chance of being admitted; at least this has been true in the past. You may submit your application to CSU schools starting on October 1 of your senior year. The end of the priority filing period for CSUs is November 30, but some majors at some of the campuses that are not as competitive may still have space for additional students (for instance, this is not true for most majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the most popular CSU campus) to apply after that date. But don’t count on this. My recommendation is to apply to the UCs on November 1 and to the CSUs on October 1. Also, other states’ colleges have different admission deadlines (The University of Oregon starts accepting applications, on a rolling admission basis, on August 1 and Oregon State University starts accepting applications on September 1). One online application (with the campuses to which you want to apply marked and the application fees paid for every campus) will suffice for all UCs and another online application will suffice for all CSUs. Deadlines are different for private colleges and public universities in other states. Usually, the earlier you submit your application, the better chance you have of being admitted. Many colleges now require an online application. Some colleges accept either, but almost all applications are now submitted online. The “Common Application” can be simultaneously sent to many college offices of admission. If you do hand-write any of your applications, make copies of all the applications before you mail out the original. Each time you send out an application, get a receipt from the post office, so that you could prove the date sent if your mail were delayed or lost in transit.

If your #1 choice college offers “early decision,” be sure to apply early. This will greatly enhance your admissibility. Do everything on time, such as arranging for interviews (either on campus or with alumni admission interviewers). Always be polite, shake hands, and look the interviewer in the eye. Smile, and ask intelligent questions. Send a thank you note to the interviewer, thanking him or her for his/her time and consideration. Neither UCs nor CSUs require interviews, but many private schools do. UC and CSU schools depend more on the quality of academic program, your grades in these classes and your test scores rather than on personal qualities such as leadership, community service, and unique interests. However, California public universities have recently been looking more closely at these qualities, especially for socio-economically disadvantaged students and also for the top students who apply to be Regents’ Scholars at UCs. For private institutions, all of these qualities are important.

Do not send unsolicited letters of recommendation from friends or other family acquaintances (even if they are rich and famous). If a college asks for letters, they usually want them from a teacher, school counselor or employer or someone who knows about your volunteer work. Choose these people carefully. Make sure they know you well and think that you are absolutely wonderful (which includes: honest, trustworthy, motivated, smart, wise, kind, caring, creative, and passionate about learning). Give them an addressed stamped envelope in which they should send their letter. Follow-up with a reminder a week or two before the letter is due in the admissions office. One Stanford admissions officer told me that one rule of thumb the admissions staff quotes is: “The thicker the file, the thicker the kid” (which means that the kids who send in too much extra stuff, especially unsolicited letters of recommendation, usually aren’t too bright!).

Stay out of trouble. Any criminal record will keep you from being admitted. Keep up in all your classes. Remember, don’t drop any class. Get A grades. Keep volunteering. Colleges look for students who are self-motivated, knowledgeable and especially those who are passionate about learning. Under no circumstances should you slack off at any time during your senior year, including after you’ve been accepted to your dream school. Unmotivated students can find themselves with a rescinded invitation to enroll if classes are dropped or if grades plummet during the last semester of their senior year.

Article 5: The College Application Essay

In January, high school seniors who are applying to the University of California have already submitted their online applications, complete with a long and a short essay. Some private school application deadlines have passed and other college deadlines still loom. Almost all private colleges require one or more essays to be submitted as part of their application process. How important are these essays to the decisions that admission offices make? For some colleges, the application essay is a key component of their decision. For others, it counts only a little. And, for the UCs, most of the college application essays are not even read. That is not to say that they are unimportant. Because, if the essay is read, it becomes very important in the particular UC’s decision of whether to admit a student…or not. Essays are also key if one is applying to be a Regents’ Scholar.

Almost all high school counselors are aware that some students cheat regarding their essays. For instance, I have had parents tell me, without any embarrassment, that they are writing their child’s essay. Completely. Aside from the fact that this is dishonest, the parent is giving his/her child the message that the parent is much more competent, much smarter, and a much better writer than is the applying senior. This has the effect of sending the student a “no confidence” message. Moreover, if the student is admitted on the strength of the adult’s essay, perhaps that student will struggle and flounder in the absence of mom or dad to write the essays required for class or during an exam. And we have almost all heard of students taking their essays from a “How to Write Your College Application Essay” or “100 Best Application Essays” book. Essays are also readily available online. However, if a student has the bad judgment to appropriate one of these ubiquitous ready-made essays as his or her own, that student is jeopardizing his or her chances for admission. If the deception is discovered, the student is rejected. Since the admission staff is now acutely aware of this temptation, they are on the lookout for purloined essays. I’ve also heard of essays being written by parental employees, such as the movie executive who had a screenwriter produce his son’s college essays!

Colleges do scrutinize each essay for sincerity, and also for age-appropriateness. Did a seventeen or eighteen year old actually write what the application readers are reading? I spoke to someone from the Stanford University admissions office, and he said that readers are trained to be skeptical. Does the writing seem age appropriate? Is a very well written essay consistent with the SAT writing score and English grades on the student’s transcript?

Colleges have always expected and assumed that essays would be checked, either by a teacher or parent, for spelling and grammar. Now, most computers have spell and grammar check programs, so to use these is acceptable. But the content must be each student’s own work.

How should one approach this important essay (or essays, as is now the case at most private schools as well as the UCs)? Write from the heart. Write about something meaningful to you. The more unique and thoughtful and reflective of your interests an essay is, the more it will capture the attention of the admissions reader. Forty years ago, it was perfectly fine to submit an essay about your trip to Europe. But now, unless you can relate what you really learned and how this changed your thinking, or what you did to help others along the way, your trip will not be of interest. It might even make the admissions office think that you are rich, spoiled and privileged in ways that would suggest that you have had every advantage and should be even more academically successful than the average applicant.

I have a friend who was an Associate Dean of Admission in Stanford’s admission office, and he told me about “kiss of death” sentences. Even a small error in judgment can derail one’s application, especially at the most competitive private colleges. I’ve seen mistakes of this kind, sometimes just one or two words, in about half of the application essays I’ve read recently. One extremely brilliant high school senior wrote about his sneaking out of the house behind his parents’ backs, partying wildly, getting drunk and doing stupid things while inebriated. Although he was smart, he was neither mature nor wise. Almost all application readers would refuse to admit him. One doesn’t need to include every odd thought, even in the attempt to be humorous.

Leave out anything that would make you seem immature, wild, thoughtless, self-centered, arrogant or condescending. Essay readers appreciate thoughtful applicants who have been proactive in their accomplishments and who have had interesting and unique insights and experiences.

Article 6: Once Applications Are Submitted

In December, what remains for a college-bound senior to accomplish vis-à-vis the admission process?
Applications for UC (University of California) and CSU (California State University) schools should have already been submitted. Some private colleges have later deadlines, however, so it is not too late to apply to these schools.
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The other big error that some students make is deciding that they can slack off and not work so hard once they’ve sent in their applications listing their grades through their junior year. But make no mistake, colleges require your senior year transcript. If you drop classes capriciously or if you get any Ds or Fs, they will find out and you will be in big trouble! Even students who have previously received an acceptance letter can be “uninvited” if their grades plunge or if they opt for an easy second semester after previously stating on their application that they planned a rigorous academic course load.

I recall several UC meetings for high school counselors where the deans of admission for each campus of the University of California spoke about their expectations for their applicants. The dean of UCLA warned us to tell our students that UCLA only wanted highly motivated and responsible students who would continue their excellent performance throughout their senior year. She said that every year several hundred students were “uninvited,” for the reasons aforementioned, even after they had received their letters of acceptance. Particularly poignant were her stories of students in the process of moving into the dorms who were notified that they could no longer attend after the admission office staff had read their “less than stellar” final transcripts.

This is common sense advice: do stay out of trouble. Any criminal record will keep you from being admitted. Keep volunteering and keep up with your sports, clubs and other high school activities.

Finally, if your first choice college has denied your application, it is always possible to appeal the decision. Appeals appear to be most effective at UC and CSU schools. Some small private colleges also seem receptive to appeals if you are able to make a good case for yourself. Stanford and other Ivy League-type institutions typically do not consider appeals as they are overwhelmed by so many stellar applicants during the initial application phase. Send a letter to admissions, stating your desire to be admitted and to attend that particular campus or go in person to speak directly with someone on the admissions staff. Include any positive recent articles about you, a list of your current endeavors (such as job, volunteer work, elected office, etc., which were not listed on your original application). But, by far, the most compelling of all, is a transcript or report from the registrar of your high school that shows your current rigorous academic program, and, hopefully, outstanding grades.

Article 7: Our Wonderful California Community Colleges

We are fortunate to be living in a state that supports over 100 community colleges. From Foothill in Los Altos Hills and De Anza in Cupertino to Diablo Valley in Pleasant Hill, Chabot in Hayward and Las Positas in Livermore, the community colleges in the bay area are among the tops in the entire country.

According to the California Community Colleges website (http://www.cccco.edu): “Our system of two-year public institutions, composed of 109 colleges statewide organized into 72 districts, serves more than 2.5 million students and represents the largest system of higher education in the world.”

These schools are recommended for just about everyone:
o For students wanting a four-year degree and trying to save money by spending their first two years at a community college
o For adults seeking retraining or a new career
o For older seniors striving to maintain an open and active mind
o For students over the age of 18 who have not graduated from high school but who are hoping to continue their education at the college level.
o For students desiring a two-year degree and/or certification in a specific program (such as dental hygienist, nurse, paralegal, radiology technician or veterinary assistant)
o For students wishing to participate in apprentice programs such as a painter’s apprenticeship, pipefitting/steamfitting or sheet metal apprenticeships
o For students seeking unique specialties (such as farrier science, otherwise known as horseshoeing, which is offered at Lassen College).

Community college is one of the best deals available to graduating seniors or any person over the age of 18, graduate or not. Also, some high school students are permitted to enroll for advanced courses that their own schools do not offer. The cost to attend a community college is incredibly low. The greatest student expense will probably be textbooks. A California state resident is charged $26 per unit (in 2008), with the average course load of approximately 15 units per semester. Waivers are available for students who cannot afford these fees.

For students who wish ultimately to matriculate into a four-year college or university, such as a UC or CSU school, the transfer track program is designed for a student to complete an almost equivalent first two years of classes that can easily be transferred.

Although most students live at home while attending a nearby community college, some study at community colleges throughout the state. While most of these students live in apartments, there are some community colleges that offer dormitory housing such as these northern California community colleges: Columbia, Feather River, Lassen, College of the Redwoods, Santa Rosa, Shasta, Sierra, College of the Siskiyous and Yuba College.

One of the “Frequently Asked Questions” on the California Community Colleges website is: “Is a Community College Right for me?” Part of the answer is “A community college is a good choice for any student who may want to attend a four-year school later but who is not yet academically, personally, or economically ready to begin study at a university. In a community college, students can choose to work toward an associate (two-year) degree in hundreds of academic and technical fields that will enable them to transfer to a college or university to complete a baccalaureate degree; or, they can complete a one or two year training or certificate program in a choice of occupational fields, various health professions, and/or high-technology job fields.”

Article 8: Class Rank and What Juniors Can Do To Plan Ahead

I appreciate the concern regarding whether students who attend a competitive high school might be penalized because their class rank may not indicate their achievement and academic potential. Since there are so many students who excel at our local schools, even very bright and high achieving students may have less than stellar class rankings. Some of us recall that, many years ago, class rank was considered in admission decisions. So this is a valid concern, but I think the answer is that today students are typically not evaluated by class rank nor are those with lower class rank necessarily penalized during the admission process. Almost all of the private college representatives to whom I’ve spoken (and we have approximately 120 college representatives come to speak with our students every year at the public high school where I worked as career and college counselor) are aware of each high school’s competitiveness. When selecting students, the admission staff will look much more at the difficulty of classes taken, the grades in those classes, the student’s test scores and other interests and activities outside the classroom. So, for private institutions, I don’t think you need to worry. They do have extensive knowledge about the students at each school, most don’t rely on “class rank”, and the evaluation is more fair and more savvy than if class rank were seriously taken into consideration. The UC and CSU schools had formerly not considered class rank, but, since their goal is to recruit a diverse student body, admissions sometimes will favor the top, but actually less qualified students, from less academically rigorous high schools. In fact, this is now built into the UC admissions policy, and I do think that this disadvantages some students from the more competitive high schools. I just read that for next year’s class, the UCs would accept the top 9% of the students from each California public high school (up from the 4% now accepted). Several years ago, this standard did not exist, but, rather, the UCs accepted the top high school students, without regard for their rankings at their specific high schools. Therefore, if your student were attending a lower ranking high school, and if he/she were achieving at his/her current level, his/her chances of admission to a UC would probably be greater. But, on the other hand, by attending an excellent competitive high school, the student will benefit tremendously and will be much better prepared for the rigorous college classes ahead. So I’d advise you not to worry about “class rank”. The transcript and test scores will be scrutinized, and they will speak for themselves.

I have a grandson who is also a high school junior. Here is some advice I recently wrote to him:
If you take this opportunity to do things right this year (meaning study diligently, do all your homework, get mostly A grades), you will probably be admitted to a good UC school like UC Davis, UC San Diego, etc., as well as to a lot of private colleges. Be sure that you are signed up to take the PSAT in October and for the SAT Reasoning test plus Writing in May and the SAT subject tests in June (sign up now, so you can be sure you reserve a spot to take these tests at your school and without a late registration fee). You may also want to sign up for the SAT reasoning test when it’s given in late winter or early spring, but, even if you don’t do this, the PSAT will be great practice and will provide feedback on what you need to study for the SAT Reasoning test in May. Take the Subject Tests in June when you are studying for your finals and the subject matter is, hopefully, fresh in your mind.

Also, you can now download the UC application (meant for this year’s seniors primarily). Download it, and fill it out for practice. By doing this now, you can see exactly what is expected, what grades and classes you’ll need to qualify for UC admission, what sorts of activities you can list and what the essay questions will probably be when it’s your turn next year to apply. The essay questions are usually about the same from year to year, from my observation. This summer, when you have lots of free time, you can write your UC essays. I just heard that the UC application will be available online starting in August, instead of October, so on August 1 of your senior year, you can download the UC application for the freshman class of 2016, and it should be very similar to the one you already completed during the summer. The priority filing period for submitting your application will be November 1 – November 30, 2015. The earlier you submit your application online…I’d recommend November 1, the better chance you have of being admitted to the school of your choice; at least this used to be the case, and it’s never a bad idea to get your application in early in the process. Actually, now is a good time to think about some schools to which you’d like to apply. If you ask for their application and viewbook (if they have hard copies, otherwise download this info from online), you can study these during school breaks or summer, and, like the UC application, you can get a head-start on filling out the information, since, as with the UCs, the applications don’t change much from year to year. Plus, many colleges are now using the Common Application, with some schools, like Stanford, MIT, Princeton, etc., also requiring a supplemental section. So, if you print out this year’s common application, and fill it out, along with filling out the UC application, you’ll be about half done with your college applications, since you can just transcribe most of the information onto the 2015 forms.

Article 9: Post High School Planning

High school graduation can be one of life’s most important milestones. Or, on the other hand, it can be just another stepping stone toward one’s chosen goal.

It is essential for each student to start thinking early about what he or she will be doing after high school graduation. Depending on the student’s goals, the time-table for when to start post-high school planning varies dramatically. Whereas some options may be considered as late as senior year, other options call for some decisions to be made as early as middle school.

What do you see yourself doing after you graduate? What career do you wish to pursue? Finding a job you enjoy and/or doing something which will make you feel fulfilled are keys to a happy life.

1. You can get a job right out of high school.

2. You can become an apprentice in one of the trades, working toward being a plumber, electrician or heating specialist. You can also learn to be a hair stylist or become an apprentice in other areas of health and beauty care.

3. You can join the military. If you chose this option, there is a very good chance you will be involved in military action overseas, so keep this in mind when considering enlisting.

4. You can attend a technical institute, art school or business college for additional training such as Embry-Riddle for training in aeronautical careers, Heald or DeVry for business and technology or the California Culinary Academy where you can learn to be a chef. If you are artistic, you might want to explore a career in fine art, industrial design, photography, animation, fashion or interior design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. There are several other fine arts schools in California, such as Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara or the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

5. You can attend a two-year program at a community college, either ending up with a two-year degree in a field such as veterinary technician, radiology technology or dental hygiene, or you can opt for the two-year “transfer track,” completing the requirements to transfer into a UC or CSU or private college as a junior. There are over 100 community colleges in California.

6. You can matriculate directly into a four-year college. This option requires different degrees of effort and excellence, depending on the demands of the target institution. It is typically easier to get into a CSU (California State University) school (with some exceptions, notably some sought-after majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) than into a UC (University of California) school. There are 23 CSU schools in California and 10 UC schools, including UC Merced, which is the newest UC campus. Some private schools accept almost anyone willing to pay their tuition fees. And some private schools, such at Stanford and the Ivy League Universities (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale), require stellar grades, high SAT scores, community service and compelling personal qualities. This is where long-range planning comes in.

It is imperative to be realistic and mindful that your being a “good match” with your future plans or future college is paramount. Don’t sell yourself short, but don’t expect to attend an Ivy League school with a 3.0 high school G.P.A. (grade point average). In the meantime, for the college-bound, I strongly recommend reading The Fiske Guide to the Colleges 2015.

Note to a student just finishing his junior year:

What to do during the summer between junior and senior years:

As you recall, I want you to read, in the Fiske Guide 2015, about all the schools mentioned in the last email I sent you. Then, with your parents’ help, I want you to pick the schools to which you plan to apply. You might as well apply to all six UCs on the list and all 3 CSUs too, since you can use the same application for each group of schools (and the only difference is a fee for every college in each system, but, in the scheme of things, it’s a bargain). So I suggest applying to about 8 – 10 additional colleges, which will be 16 to 18 applications in all (but only one application form needs to be filled out for any number of UC schools and also one form for any number of CSU schools, so it is not as daunting as task as it may appear). Be aware that you should include several “fallback” or “sure thing” colleges on your apply-to list, because a few students who neglect doing this end up being admitted no where! Many of the other colleges use the common application, so it’s not as much work as it once was, although some colleges also require a supplemental section to be filled out specifically for their school.

1. Print out a hard copy of this year’s UC application.

2. Print out a hard copy of this year’s Common Application

3. Print out a hard copy of this year’s CSU application

4. Email or call all the colleges on your final list (except for CSUs and UCs) and request a hard copy of their viewbook.

5. If any of these schools has next year’s application on their website, print them out. If they have this year’s only, still print it out, if possible (as applications usually don’t vary much year to year for the same school).

6. Own the process. Please do all of the application downloading and the emailing and calling colleges yourself. Do not have your parents do these things for you (I doubt if they would anyway, but it always surprises me how many parents take this important job away from their offspring and appropriate what should be their child’s responsibility!). Write your own essay. Fill out your own applications. I will give you both guidance and feedback after you have the applications filled out and the essay written.

Here are the 8 things on which college application readers focus, in order of what I perceive to be the most important:

Grades

Difficultly of coursework (AP and Honors)

ACT and SAT test results

Teachers’ and counselors’ ratings and written information about the student

Essays

Activities, including sports, clubs, awards, etc.

Volunteer work/Community Service

Demonstration of energetic, enthusiastic passion for learning (which the essay can highlight, plus the awards, activities, and community service. Stanford considers this the key factor in deciding to admit the students that pass muster on the grades/coursework/test score part of the application).

Some interesting, informative articles from the New York Times:

“Why are colleges so selective?”

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/09/12/why-are-colleges-so-selective/lessons-learned

“College applications: fill in the blanks”

“College applicants: Before you hit ‘send,’ proofread”