College OptionsInTheCity, Inc. Workshop SeriesThursday, January 22nd, 2015Amaru Tejeda

What we’re going to talk about:•Breakdown of Types of Colleges•Requirements

▫A-Gs▫SAT vs. ACT▫Applications, etc.

•How do I choose what’s right for me?▫Case studies

•Q & A

Why College?

College 101• Choose a “Major”

▫List of classes you need to take before they hand you a degree. i.e. “Requirements”

▫Not all colleges offer all majors. Research!• YOU choose your classes! Choose well!

▫They must fulfill requirements dictated by your Major, or you do not graduate

• It requires money▫But there is financial aid▫Different colleges have different price tags

HINT: “Better” schools usually have more financial aid available—you can get PAID to go to school

Undergraduate Degree Options:

What are the different types of colleges?

California State Universities (CSUs)

•Public universities with 23 campuses in CA (7 in LA)

CSUs in LA County Miles from Lincoln Heights

*Cal State LA 5

*Cal State Dominguez Hills

21

*Cal State Northridge (CSUN)

27

Cal Poly Pomona 27

Cal State Long Beach 28

Cal State Fullerton 36

Cal State San Bernardino 62

*Accepts any qualifying LA County HS Graduate

CSUs: Pros & Cons

PROS CONS

Wide variety of campus locations and majors

Cheapest university option

Relatively easy application

Less prestigious, lower graduation rates

Overcrowding can make it difficult to graduate in 4 years

Fewer resources for more students

University of CaliforniaPublic Universities with 9 undergrad campuses in CA

Undergrad Campuses Miles from Lincoln Heights

UC Los Angeles 20

UC Irvine 43

UC Riverside 56 UC Santa Barbara 107

UC San Diego 109

UC Merced 278

UC Santa Cruz 347

UC Berkeley 373

UC Davis 399

UCs: Pros & Cons

PROS CONS

• Best public schools in California

• Some are rated the best in the nation

• Wide variety of majors• Reasonably priced for a

world-class education

• More intensive application – Includes Essays

• Stricter admission requirements

• Costs a lot more than a CSU

• Campuses are large and can also be overcrowded for undergrads

Private Colleges & Universities•Do not receive government funding to

operate•The small ones are often referred to as

“Liberal Arts” – i.e. Well RoundedPrivate Campuses in California Miles from Lincoln Heights

Occidental College (Oxy) 4University of Southern California (USC) 9 5 Claremont Colleges – Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer

33

Cal Tech 8University of San Diego (USD) 118Stanford 357…and More!

Private Colleges – Pros & Cons

PROS CONS

• The best schools in the nation

• Smaller campus, smaller classes most resources for fewest students

• Provide interdisciplinary education

• Very expensive, but best schools have Financial Aid

• (Most schools ranked in the top 20 charge no tuition for families making <$60k/year)

• Some are only average• Lower rated schools have

less financial aid and can leave students in lots of debt

• Liberal arts colleges may not offer technical majors such as engineering, business, nursing or accounting

For-Profit Schools: Stay Away!• Do NOT go to a for-profit school! Examples:

University of Phoenix, American Career College, West Coast University

• Advertisements make them look great, but their goal is to make money, not for you to succeed.

• Help students take out lots of loans and put them in classes without proper preparation.

• University of Phoenix: After 6 years, only 4.3% of students who started have graduated.

• For profit colleges leave more than 50% of their students with over $30,000 of debt and no degree.

• Subject to government investigations for scandals.

Community Colleges•Let you earn a certificate, Associates degree,

or transfer to a 4-year (but no Bachelors degrees)

Local Community Colleges Miles from Lincoln Heights

East Los Angeles College (ELAC) 8

Pasadena City College (PCC) 9

Glendale Community College (GCC) 7

Los Angeles Trade Tech 7

Los Angeles City College 8

Community Colleges are great if you:

• Want to pursue a certificate program▫Electrician, Drug and Alcohol Counseling,

Nursing, etc.▫Practical 2 year programs that lead to high

demand jobs with decent salaries• Haven’t fulfilled A-G requirements

▫Better support systems for basic Math and English

• Are committed to completing a transfer degree• Want the absolute cheapest option• Join a sports team or special program for extra

academic support

Dangers of Community Colleges•Lots of people enter community college,

get stuck, bounce between schools, and never graduate

•Budget cuts have make is hard to get classes, talk to a counselor, and graduate on time

•Local community colleges have low transfer rate to 4-year schools (13-24%)

Community College – Pros & Cons

PROS CONS

• The cheapest option • An opportunity to make up

A-G courses • There are many campuses

to choose from locally• Grant certificate degrees

needed for jobs like nursing, electrician, accounting, etc.

• Provide extra support and guidance to students doing sports

• If you are unfocused, it can take longer to transfer than it would to graduate

• CANNOT grant a 4-year BA or BS degree

• Some campuses are VERY crowded, and it can be hard to get the classes you need when you need them

Requirements:How do I get In?

What you need to apply:Community Colleges:

1. H.S. Diploma OR

2. 18 years or OlderCSU (Apply between October 1-November 30):

1. H.S. Diploma2. A-G Requirements (grade of C or better)3. G.P.A. of 2.0 or Higher4. SAT Reasoning or ACT Plus Writing

UCs (Due November 30) /Private Institutions (Generally due around Jan 1):

1. H.S. Diploma2. A-G Requirements (grade of C or better)3. G.P.A. of 3.0 or Higher4. SAT Reasoning or ACT Plus Writing & (some) SAT Subject Test5. Personal Statement (essay)6. Honors / Awards7. Extra-Curricular Activities8. Community Service

A-G RequirementsA. History/Social Science - 2 years required:

▫ One year of U.S. History or ½ year of U.S. History and ½ year of civics or American Government. CSU requires one additional year of Social Science. UC requires one year of world history, cultures, and geography.

B. English - 4 years required: ▫ Four years of college preparatory English

C. Mathematics - 3 years required, 4 years recommended: ▫ Classes must include the topics of algebra, geometry, and intermediate

algebra. Approved integrated math courses can also fulfill this requirement.

D. Laboratory Science - 2 years required, 3 years recommended: ▫ CSU requires one biological and one physical. UC requires classes in at

least two of the following areas: biology, chemistry, and physics.E. Language Other Than English (Foreign Language) - 2 years

required, 3 years recommended: ▫ At least two years of the same language.

F. Visual & Performing Arts - 1 year required: ▫ One yearlong course in dance, drama/theatre, music, or visual art.

G. College Preparatory Electives - 1 year required: ▫ One additional year in any of the above A-F areas or other approved

elective.

SAT vs. ACT• Get fee waivers from your counselor!• The more competitive schools will require

you to take either the SAT II or the ACT Plus Writing, AND SAT I subject tests▫Plan on taking the SAT II (or ACT) once near

the end of your junior year, and again at the start of your senior year

• Do your research to determine whether the ACT or SAT is for you▫http://www.testprepauthority.com/guides/act-

vs-sat/

SAT vs. ACT (cont.)

•Remaining dates for SAT:▫March 14th, 2015 – REGISTER by February

13th▫May 2nd, 2015 – REGISTER by April 6th ▫June 6th, 2015 – REGISTER by May 8th ▫Sign up at: www.collegeboard.com

•Remaining dates for ACT:▫April 18th, 2015 – REGISTER by March 13th!▫June 13th, 2015– REGISTER by May 8th!▫Sign up at: www.actstudent.org

Application Process• Typically, deadlines to apply for CSUs and UCs for

Fall admissions is : November 1st-30th • For private colleges and universities, the deadline

is usually: November 30th-December 31st

• For community colleges, deadlines are typically 1-2 months before the start of semester/quarter

• Financial Aid▫Fill out Free Application for Federal Student Aid

(and CSS Profile*) – www.fafsa.ed.gov▫Know the difference between loans, grants, work

study, and other forms of aid

*if you are applying to private schools

Next Steps:•9th and 10th Graders:

▫Take challenging classes (Honors and AP)▫Get As & Bs and NO Ds or Fs ▫Start researching colleges

•11th Graders:▫Create a College Board account and plan to

sign up for the SAT II OR register for ACT + Writing

•12th Graders:▫Pass all your remaining classes with As and

Bs ▫Take care of any other graduation

requirements▫Look up information on nearby CCs and

when to register

Case Studies

Case Study 1

Student A is a junior in high school. He knows he wants to go to college, but doesn’t know what to study. He has most of the A-G requirements, and can finish them by senior year, but has struggled especially in math and science. He has a 2.2 GPA, and is a 2-sport athlete. Where would you recommend he goes to college?

Case Study 2

Student B wants to be an engineer. She struggled a lot her freshman year and even failed a few classes, but turned it around sophomore and junior year and earned an A-G GPA of 3.2. She volunteers once a month with a service club at her school. She doesn’t want to go too far from home, but is eager to move out and work hard to become an engineer. Where would you recommend she go to college?

Case Study #3

Student C . Her parents are worried about paying for her school because they make very little money at their jobs and she has two younger siblings.

Closing Thoughts•The more research you do, the better•ASK for help! •The BEST preparation for college starts

now.▫Do your homework DAILY (before TV, etc.)▫Turn in assignments on time▫Keep a daily/weekly planner▫Keep to your word▫Don’t make excuses▫Don’t settle for the bare minimum

The End!

References

CSU Guaranteed Admission areas: http://www.calstate.edu/sas/publications/documents/CSULocalAdmission-ServiceAreas.pdfA-G Comparison: UC vs CSU:http://www.calstate.edu/sas/publications/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf