Pursuit of higher education:
Getting accepted to universities and
postgraduate schools
December 27th, 2014
AAYSP 2014 Professional
Development National
Conference
Outline
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Introduction
Community college
California State University
University of California
How to prepare for admission
Postgraduate education admission
Degree options
Community College – 2 years (Optional)
Associate’s Degree
University –4 years
Bachelor’s Degree
Degrees after B.A./B.S.
University-2 years or more
Master’s Degree(CSU, UC,
Private)
University –3 years or more
Doctorate Degrees-Ph.D, Ed.D, M.D.
Professional Degrees-Law Degree
(UC, Private, some CSU offer(special
circumstances)
4 Systems of higher education
University of California (UC)
California State University (CSU)
California Community Colleges
(CCC)
Independent and Private
Colleges/Universities
College options
High School
Community college
• Students can attend part-time or full-time
• Some have honor programs( many benefits)
• To enroll, students have to be 18 + or have a
High School Diploma
• Prepares students to transfer to a 4 year
institution
– General education & IGETC (CSU and UC)
– Transfer admission guarantee(TAG) to UC
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/tagmatrix.pdf
High School
California State University
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General education & IGETC (CSU)
G.P.A 2.0 or greater on transferable
courses
Submit application
http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/requi
rements/
California State University
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General education & IGETC (CSU)
G.P.A 2.0 or greater on transferable
courses
Submit application
http://www.calstate.edu/transfer/requi
rements/
High School
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“a-g” courses ( HS Diploma)
Minimum G.P.A 2.0 must
take SAT or ACT
G.P.A 3.0 or greater SAT or
ACT not required.
Eligibility index = 2900 min
Some “impacted CSU” have
additional requirement.
https://secure.csumentor.edu/
planning/high_school/
EI=(Your GPA ) x 800 + Your
SAT Total
University of California (UC)
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General education & IGETC (CSU)
G.P.A 2.4 or greater on transferable
courses
Submit application
Transfer admission guarantee (TAG)
http:/admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
University of California (UC)
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General education & IGETC (CSU)
G.P.A 2.4 or greater on transferable
courses
Submit application
Transfer admission guarantee (TAG)
“a-g” courses ( HS Diploma)
• Science(Chem, Bio,
Physics not sci 1,2, 3
Minimum G.P.A 3.0
must take SAT or ACT
Top 9 % students in CA or
high school guaranteed
acceptance to any one UC
High School
Can submit one application to all UCs
http:/admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
Private Universities/Colleges
• 77 Private Universities/Colleges in CA
• Vary in size, prestige, and cost
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Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate’s, and Professional
degrees
• Accepts high school graduates and Community College
Transfers
• Professional Schools-Law, Medicine, Education,
Engineering, Journalism, Social Welfare
Review of Options
High School
How to start preparing now
for college
• READ, READ, READ – Good readers make good thinkers and good writers.
“The more you read, the more you know.”
• Meet with counselor discuss your options.
How to be competitive for college
acceptance
• Learn the college-preparatory course requirements:
– Push to get into these courses in high school
– Push to get into honors and AP courses in high
school, if available
• What you do outside of class matters:
– Sports, Clubs, Work, community services, Honor
Societies, etc.
• Take the PSAT by the 9th or 10th grade
– It’s good practice for the SAT!
How do college admission
committees make their decision
• Admission officers want to know
– How have you taken advantage of your opportunities
– What will you bring to our campus(private schools)
• Comprehensive evaluation
– Class rigor
– G.P.A / transcripts
– Personal statement/ essays (not just content but how
well you write)
– SAT /ACT score (recommended SAT subject)
– Extracurricular activities (clubs, sports..etc.)
– Letters of recommendations (some private school)
Type of admission process
• Early decision: Binding plan, meaning student can apply
to one college early and if accepted student must
withdraw other college applications during the normal
application process . Students are allowed to apply
regular.
• Early action: Similar to early decision but student has
option to accept/decline admission.
• Regular action: normal application process
– Application open between
• CSU October 1- Nov 30th
• UC Nov 1-30th
• Private Varies
How to prepare from now
Complete all testing by the end of your junior year
Retake by December of senior year if not happy with scores
How to prepare from now cont..
• UC- Two part personal statement
• “Show don’t tell” remember to be concise. The reader at
the admission office will look at It for 2-3 minutes so
impress them.
• Private universities- require an essay on specific topic
(answer the essay prompt)
• CSU and community colleges (no essays)
How many colleges to apply
• In general, apply to at least five
universities .
– 1 reach
(highly competitive)
– 3 possible (competitive)
– 1 likely
(probable )
Example in chemistry major :
UC-Berkeley> UC-Davis=UC-Irvine= UCLA> CSU San Diego
Common myths
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Senior grades don’t count
Once I’m accepted to college I can stop studying
I must declare a major
I should know what I want to do for the rest of my life
C students don’t go to a 4-year college
UC-Berkeley is the best school for me
CSUs are not good schools
Community colleges are only good for students that
didn’t do well in high schools
How to prepare for graduate
school admission
• Minimum undergraduate G.P.A 3.0
• B.S/BA degree from accredited university
• GRE exam (math/verbal/writing)
• GRE subject test (depending on university)
• Personal statement
How to prepare for Graduate
school admission cont..
• Recommendation letters from professors you took
courses with and research adviser (especially if they’re
famous and write a good letter for you.
• E-mail potential professors that you’re interested in their
work (they may have some influence on the admission
process) you also have to have the qualifications as well.
• Undergraduate research experience
– Bonus if you are co-author on a journal publication
How to prepare for professional
school admission
• Pre- med/pharm/law courses
• B.S/ B.A degree except (pharm) not required but
recommended
• G.P.A 3.0 minimum (varies with each school)
• Testing (MCAT, PCAT(not req in CA), LSAT).
How to prepare for professional
school admission cont..
• Community service
• Prepare for interview process
• Volunteer based on your school interests: clinic, hospital,
pharm retail store, dentist office, district attorneys office
or law firm. Also United nations NGOs.
Resources
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Teachers/ professors
Counselors
Workshops(info, writing, etc..)
College admission websites
AAYSP
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
http://www.calstate.edu/admission/?source=homepage
Acknowledgment
• All of you: for investing in higher education
• AAYSP National Board and organizers
Q&A