Advice & Information on College Applications, Spring edition
Extracurricular Activities During a Pandemic?!
Seniors Thinking About Enrolling at Community College?
Seniors Thinking About Enrolling at Community College?
Obviously going out and accomplishing things is hard/impossible right now… but this is also the case for students all over the country. And in terms of UC/CSU applicants-- which is overwhelmingly California students– everyone is in the exact same boat. So yes, this is not great, but don’t be too stressed out. A couple hundred thousand California high school Juniors are dealing with the same exact restrictions as you.
However, this can be a great opportunity for creativity and ingenuity. What can you do to help your community– however you define community (family, friend group, school, city, region, state, country)– while staying safe yourself? What are the needs of your community? Physical goods, like masks or canned goods? Or emotional needs, like keeping others sane or helping with depression or loneliness? Perhaps there are also educational needs, like peers or younger students who need tutoring…
So how can you solve these community needs? Organized, consistent study groups? Organized delivery of goods? Organized phone/video bank to keep others, especially the elderly, company?
Notice I kept mentioning the word organized? Because when it comes time to sell yourself to schools and what you managed to accomplish during this time, you’re going to want proof. Anyone can say they helped their community, but who can prove it? Before you’d work with a group, like Reading Buddies, which by itself would give you and your service credence. But now, there are no groups, just you.
- So document things; keep a log, create a website or social media feed, etc. But now is the time to demonstrate some creativity and resourcefulness to showcase why you shouldn’t be considered an average college applicant next year.
Seniors Thinking About Enrolling at Community College?
Seniors Thinking About Enrolling at Community College?
Seniors Thinking About Enrolling at Community College?
Follow these 6 steps in order to best set yourself up for success at a community college:
- If you don’t already have an account with the community college, create one!
- Next, submit online application for Fall 2020
- Make sure AIPHS knows where to send your final transcript
- Apply for financial aid from the community college you’re going to attend
- Go into your FAFSA and re-submit it to the community college
- Schedule meeting with community college academic advisor to create plan
These last two steps are extremely important. Do not forget to do them!!
Options for Transferring to a University
Seniors Thinking About Enrolling at Community College?
Options for Transferring to a University
Guarantees admission via California community college to any of the following UC schools as long as you complete the prerequisite classes and maintain a certain GPA, both of which varies by school, with the GPA range between 2.8-3.5 (specific info will be supplied to you by CC academic advisor):
UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz
*While UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UCLA are not included in the TAG program, they do have an acceptance rate over 20% from CA CCs.
If you know what major you want but not which specific UC school you want to attend, Transfer Pathway is a set of classes to help you prepare for your major no matter which UC you attend. These majors are often the more sought-after ones.
Same as original Transfer Pathway, but with the Transfer Pathway+ you are guaranteed a spot in that major at any TAG school, while also boosting chances for admission to the three non-TAG schools
The two Transfer Pathway programs both aim to ensure that you hit the ground running academically once you arrive at a UC and graduate on time. The TAG program itself, while it guarantees a spot for you, does not guarantee a major.
If you’re interested in transferring to a UC, definitely visit this page and create an account and academic planner so that you and the UC system are in-sync.
College Application Tips
Mr. Gordan's Quick + Easy Personal Statement Tips
What makes writing a personal statement so difficult for so many students is quite simple: personal statements cannot be formulaic, which is how students are taught to write essays. Naturally this makes it hard for scholars to go against their natural instincts.
Here are some quick tips to make that essay pop just a bit more:
*Start in scene!
*Backstory is meaningless! If you must, 1-2 sentences max!
*Be personal! They don’t care about learning about your friend or father. They want to learn about you! Instead of writing about what makes Grandma amazing, write about how you've been inspired by that amazing grandmother.
*Remember the psychology of the physical layout of the page! No blocks of words. Use paragraphs where natural breaks occur. Formulaic essay structure is no good here!
*What did you learn from “this” experience?
*Be personal! Be vulnerable! Be specific!
Most of all, know your audience. These admissions officers read hundreds of essays a day. In order for them to enjoy reading your essay, you must have had fun writing it. So write about something you like! Don't force it! Rest assured that if you enjoyed the event or experience you're writing about, the reader will as well.
UC System Personal Statements
Every AIMS Seniors must apply to UC schools. In order to complete this task, the student must write four (4) personal statements, or as they call them, personal insight questions, to turn in with their application.
Four personal statements may seem like a lot, but each one cannot exceed 350 words. In terms of content, the UC system provides eight (8) prompts for the student to choose four (4) to write about.
Here is the link to the official site of the UC personal statements. This is a really cool page because not only do they provide the prompts to choose from, but they also give tips on what they are looking for when they review the essays. It is always awesome when you can go directly to the source to receive information. It's like being able to ask Stephen Curry how to improve your jump shot. You would not ignore his advice, so do not ignore the UC system's advice either!
As AIMS Seniors create drafts of these statements, it is my job to review them and give feedback. Do not let your scholar waste any time! Send them my way!
What Is a Liberal Arts Degree?
This is perhaps the most challenging question for students and parents alike, with a stigma attached to it that drives parents away.
My quick answer: A Liberal Arts degree ensures your child emerges from college a well-rounded scholar and person, equipped to be a versatile player in the employment marketplace.
For a more thorough discussion on this, here are three articles I enjoyed on the subject:
That 'Useless' Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech's Hottest Ticket, by George Anders from Forbes.com.
What Can You Do With That (Useless) Liberal Arts Degree? A Lot More Than You Think, by Rob Sentz from Forbes.com.
See All You Can Do With A Degree In Liberal Arts, by Catey Hall from mycollegeguide.org.
Did You Know...
Did you know with your College Board log-in information you have access to free SAT study plans designed specifically for you by Khan Academy based on your PSAT and SAT results?
Well, you do! Here are the instructions on how to do so.
Good luck!