Mr. Gonzales/Mrs. Calonge
Prepare For College
As a parent your expectations have a huge influence on
what your child expects of himself or herself.
 Take an active interest in your child’s planning and
preparation for college.
 Furthering your child’s education should be an
expectation and discussed often.
 Encourage your child to take college prep courses in
high school and to work hard to earn good grades.
 Reading daily is an important habit for students.
College TimeLine
Middle School
 Establish strong study habits and get good grades
 Take challenging courses including honors and
advanced math
 Do your best on your CST’s so you are able to enroll in
college preparatory classes
 Begin exploring the CSU Mentor website
 Think about possible career choices at
www.whodouwant2b.com
 Read, read, read
College TimeLine
9th Grade
 Work hard to get good grades
 Get involved in school and community activities
10th Grade
 Take college prep courses
 Be involved in activities
 Take the PSAT and PLAN
11th Grade
 Research and consider your college options
 Take the PSAT in October
 Take the ACT and SAT in the spring
 Meet with your APA to discuss college plans
College TimeLine
12th Grade
Take the ACT and SAT in the fall if necessary
Complete college applications
To apply for financial aid, submit a FAFSA as soon
after January 1st as possible: www.fafsa.ed.gov
In the spring, compare college offers and make a
decision, submit your letter of intent
Apply for scholarships
Maintaining and Increasing Your
GPA In High School
 Even though you are applying for College in October
and November, a campus can rescind your admission if
your senior GPA falls dramatically. Ask about tutoring
services: It’s never too late!
 Work with your teachers at lunch or after school –
especially for those classes that challenge you.
 Don’t become lazy with an all‐electives course load.
 Mix it up! Take Honors, AP, and Community College
courses in addition to fun electives.
 Note: CC classes not only offer an opportunity for
early college credit, but help prepare you for the
college mindset.
Preparing for College: A‐G
Requirements
A: 2 yrs
History and Social Science
B: 4 yrs
English
C: 3 yrs
(4 yrs. Rec. for both)
Mathematics (algebra, geometry, and algebra II)
D: 2 yrs:
(3 yrs. rec. for UC)
Laboratory Science (1 year of biological science and 1 year of
physical science)
E: 2 yrs:
(3 yrs. rec. for UC)
Foreign language (both years must be in the same
language)
F:1 yr:
Visual and performing arts: art, dance, theatre/
drama, or music
G:1 yr:
Elective chosen from the subject areas listed above or other
college preparatory course (2 semesters or 1 year-long course)
SAT/ACT Registration
 SAT Registration: www.collegeboard.org
 ACT Registration: www.actstudent.org
Know Your High School CEEB Code
Choosing The Right College
Type of College
 2 Year Community Colleges offer affordable career programs. Students
can also start at a 2 yr. college and then transfer to a 4 yr. college
 4 Year Colleges are either public or private. Public colleges are generally
larger and less expensive
Size and Location
 Colleges vary in size-small colleges are more personal; larger colleges offer
more programs and majors. Big city or small town, you choose
Academic Programs
 All colleges offer a variety of majors, however you must find a college that
offers the major you are interested in
Cost
 College costs vary greatly!
 Must complete the A – G requirements
 Must take the SAT or ACT exams
 Accepts the top 9% of high school graduates
 Apply Nov. 1st – Nov. 30th of senior year
 Requires a personal statement
 There are 10 UC campuses
 Cost of tuition is $13,200 per year
Examples of UC campuses: UCLA, UC Santa Barbara,
CAL or UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Riverside
Where is that UC?
 Must complete the A-G requirements
 Must take the SAT/ACT
 Accepts the top 33% of high school graduates
 Apply Oct 1-Nov 30 of senior year.
 There are 23 CSU campuses
 Tuition is between $6,593 – $7,207 a year
 4 year degrees (BA, BS) as well as graduate degrees
Examples of campuses: CSU San Bernardino, Cal Poly Pomona,
CSULA, CSU Fullerton, San Jose State University, CSU East Bay
Private Colleges/Universities
 Must complete the A-G requirements
 Must take the SAT/ACT
 Many are very competitive
 Must check with individual schools to see application deadlines
 Many campuses to choose from
 Cost of tuition varies but is usually anywhere from $35,000 to
$44,000 per year
 4 year degrees (BS, BA) and graduate degrees
Examples of campuses: La Verne University, USC, Harvard,
Redlands University
Community Colleges
 Must be 18 years old for full time admission
 You DO NOT need to take the SAT/ACT
 Must take an English and Math placement test upon
admission
 Apply in March of senior year
 Cost of tuition is about $980.00 per year
 Two year degree’s (AA)
 Certificate programs
Examples of campuses: Chaffey College, San Bernardino
Valley College, Mt Sac Community College
Vocational / Trade Schools
 Typically open to anyone who wants to attend
 You do not need to take the SAT/ACT
 Rolling admissions
 Cost of tuition is usually quite expensive anywhere from
$22,000.00 per year to $35,000.00
 Most schools offer certificate programs not Degree
programs
Examples of campuses: ITT Technical Institute, UTI,
FIDM
National Collegiate Athletic Association
If you are a high school athlete who plans on pursing
college athletics, please visit:
www.eligibilitycenter.org
If you want to participate in athletics
or receive an athletic scholarship
during your first year, you must:
 Graduate from high school
 Complete 16 core courses
NCAA 16 Core Courses
SUBJECT
DIVISION I & II
English
4 years
Mathematics (Algebra 1 or
higher)
3 years
Natural/Physical Science
2 years (1 year lab)
Additional English, Math or
Natural /Physical Science
1 year
Social Science
2 years
Additional Courses from
Above
4 years
College Admissions Criteria
 GPA (Grade Point Average)/Class Rank
Colleges consider a student’s GPA in college prep courses to be the
most important admissions criteria.
 Strength of Subjects
Colleges examine high school transcripts and look for advanced and
honors courses.
 Test Scores
Most 4-year colleges require students to submit ACT or SAT scores.
The more selective the school, the more important the test scores are.
 Extracurricular Activities
Colleges are interested in seeing meaningful involvement, focus and
commitment, evidence of leadership and unique interests or talents.
 Recommendations
Colleges often ask for letters of recommendation from counselors and
teachers, scholarships also generally require them.
Financial Aid
 Grant – money given, usually because of financial
need.
 Scholarship – money awarded for academic
achievement or an outstanding talent or skill.
 Work Study – money earned by working at a parttime job provided by the college.
 Loan – money that must be repaid
CSU Mentor: A Useful Tool
Career
 Get a Reality Check on living in the Real World! This
site allows you to choose your lifestyle and total up
living expenses. It's also a great resource to find out
about careers. http://californiarealitycheck.com/
 Career information from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics-check out the Occupational Outlook
Handbook on the BLS.gov homepage for a full listing
of the occupations. http://www.bls.gov/k12/index.htm
Parenting Resources
 Parent Institute. The Parent Institute-publishes a
variety of materials and provides ways to encourage
parent involvement in the education of their children.
http://www.parent-institute.com
 California Association for the Gifted. Lots of great
resources for parents, students, and teachers.
http://www.cagifted.org/
Test Taking/College Prep
 Test taking strategies. Here's a great test taking skills
website. It has many tips and strategies to help
students and adults with dealing with tests and test
anxiety. http://www.studygs.net/
High School
 California Department of Education. This is the
official website for education in California. Check the
site’s DataQuest pages for statewide data, including
the latest STAR, Academic Performance Index (API),
and Advanced Placement (AP) results.
www.cde.ca.gov
 California High School Exit Exam. These California
Department of Education pages provide resources to
help teachers prepare students for the California High
School Exit Exam. Released exam items and exam
results are included. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/
College Information
 College Board. This site offers information on over 3500 colleges and
universities. http://www.collegeboard.com
 College Planning Network
College Planning Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to
providing college information.
College Planning Network, a Seattle based non-profit organization,
maintains this site, which includes college selection and admissions
information, financial information, a quarterly newsletter for parents
and students, and links to college planning sites like CollegeView.
http://www.collegeplan.org/
 CollegePrep-101
CollegePrep-101 is an excellent place to learn about going to college
from people who are there: faculty, staff, and students. There are two
dozen lessons including college terminology, transition to college, and
choosing a major. Great stuff! http://collegeprep.okstate.edu/
College Continued
 California Colleges. Find and compare colleges within California.
http://www.californiacolleges.edu
 UC schools. University of California system website-offers
valuable resources and information about the UC system.
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/welcome.html
 Cal State schools. California State University system website-
offers valuable resources and information about the CSU system.
http://www.calstate.edu/
 Black Collegian. The Black Collegian Online-the electronic
version of the 26-year-old national career opportunities
magazine. http://www.black-collegian.com/
Financial Aid
 Find College Scholarships NOW! This site can help you get
scholarships for college. Check it out! Start NOW!!
www.fastweb.com
 FinAid! The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
FinAid was established in the fall of 1994 as a public service. This
award-winning site has grown into the most comprehensive
annotated collection of information about student financial aid
on the web. http://www.finaid.org
 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Inc.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute has developed one
of the most complete and concise collections of Hispanicspecific financial aid information currently available.
http://www.ma.iup.edu:80/Pueblo/financial_forum/chci.html
Financial Aid Continued
 Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid-the largest
source of student aid in America.
 Find help for every stage of the financial aid process.
http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/
 Student Loan Reform. Coalition for Student Loan
Reform-increase student access to loans.
http://www.cslr.org/
 http://www.Scholarships.com
Math/Science
 Math site for practice, games, and more.
http://www.math.com
 Our science book has a website for you to explore the
various concepts covered this year. There is a list of
codes in the front of the science book once you log on.
http://www.scilinks.org
 More math fun, lessons, practice, games, and more.
Grade levels K-8. http://www.aaamath.com
Math/Science Continued
 The Yuckiest Site on the Internet. This site uses bugs, worms,
belches, and blackheads to teach science concepts.
http://yucky.com
 National Geographic for Kids
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
 NASA for middle-school students
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/58/features/index.html
 Middle School Activities.
http://www.education.com/activity/middle-school/
Questions?