Fall Saratoga seminar “College Apps Demystified” August 28th 2016 RSVP http://www.Tinyurl.com/Interested2Attend Videos/slides/pics posted at www.facebook.com/groups/collegeapp Meet the experts and get the inside scoop on applying and getting admit letters from the best schools WHERE: Saratoga Community Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue Saratoga CA WHEN: August 28th 3pm-5pm AGENDA: Presentations - see topics Panel discussion, moderated by Rishi Kumar 1:1 with Panel presenters (limited to 25 - picked by lottery) OUR ESTEEMED PANEL OF COLLEGE COUNSELORS: John TsaiI Flex College Prep https://www.flexcollegeprep.com/ Shari Schussel UCEAZY www.uceazy.com Pam Miracle Compass to College www.compasstocollege.org Purvi Mody Insight Education https://www.insight-education.net/ Priya Pullur PRESENTATION TOPICS: 
“UC's VS Private Colleges” “Never too early to start the process” “Writing a Stand-Out Essay” “Test Optional Schools” “Admission factors Seldom Discussed” Here is the flow of the agenda: 3:05pm COLLEGE COUNSELORS PRESENTATION : 3:45pm Q&A Moderation, Intro: 4:30pm 1:1 Sessions: 25 lucky winners will have the opportunity for a 1:1 counseling session, based on the order picked and available counselors. Register ASAP Look forward to seeing you, - Rishi

1. 1

2. 2
AGENDA

3. 3
PANEL
PRESENTERS

4. 4
Public
(UC)
vs.
Private
NavigaAng
the
difference
between
public
(UC)
and
private
schools
Robert
Thompson|
August
2016

5. 5
#1:
Cost
• Public
schools
are
cheaper
than
private
schools
Public
(UC
Berkeley)
Private
(Stanford)
TuiAon
$13,500
$45,195
Total
Yearly
Cost
$34,200
$62,801

6. 6
#2:
Size
• Public
schools
are
larger
than
private
schools
Public
(UC
Berkeley)
Private
(Stanford)
Total
Undergrad
PopulaAon
27,126
6,999
Total
Student
PopulaAon
37,581
16,770

7. 7
#3:
Class
&
Degree
Offerings
• Public
schools
offer
more
classes
and
degrees
than
private
schools
Public
(UC
Berkeley)
Private
(Stanford)
Total
Degrees
Offered
277
101

8. 8
#4:
Demographics
• Public
schools
usually
reflect
the
demographics
of
the
state
Public
(UC
Berkeley)
Private
(Stanford)
African-­‐
American/Black
2.8%
7.8%
Asian/Pacific
Islander
43.1%
22.9%
InternaAonal
12.0%
8.8%
LaAno
12.5%
8.0%
White
24.3%
42.5%

9. Public
(UC)
vs.
Private:
Admissions
Process

10. 10
What
do
colleges
look
for?
• Academics
• (“Hard
Factors”)
• Non-­‐Academics
• (“So>
Factors”)

11. 11
What
do
colleges
look
for?
• Academics
(“Hard
Factors”)
• GPA
• Class
Rank
• Test
Scores
(ACT/SAT
1,
SAT
II,
AP/IB)
• Course
Rigor
(AP/Honors
Coursework)

12. 12
What
do
colleges
look
for?
• Academics
(“Hard
Factors”)
• GPA
• Class
Rank
• Test
Scores
(ACT/SAT
1,
SAT
II,
AP/IB)
• Course
Rigor
(AP/Honors
Coursework)
KEY
QUESTION:
• Can
your
student
keep
up
academically
at
our
school?

13. 13
What
do
colleges
look
for?
• Non-­‐Academics
(“Soe
Factors”)
• College
Essays
• Extracurricular
Ac^vi^es
• Leadership
Posi^ons
• Leaers
of
Recommenda^on
• Awards/Honors
• Alumni
Interview
• Legacy
• Diversity/Iden^ty

14. 14
What
do
colleges
look
for?
• Non-­‐Academics
(“Soe
Factors”)
• College
Essays
• Extracurricular
Ac^vi^es
• Leadership
Posi^ons
• Leaers
of
Recommenda^on
• Awards/Honors
• Alumni
Interview
• Legacy
• Diversity/Iden^ty
KEY
QUESTIONS:
• What
makes
your
student
unique?
• What
is
your
student
passionate
about?
• How
will
your
student
enrich
our
campus?

15. 15
What
do
public
(UC)
schools
look
for?
GPA
40%
Test
Scores
30%
Extracurricular
Ac^vi^es
15%
College
Essay
15%
Elements
of
the
Public
(UC)
ApplicaAon

16. 16
What
do
private
schools
look
for?
GPA
30%
Test
Scores
20%
Extracurricular
Ac^vi^es
25%
College
Essay
25%
Elements
of
the
Private
ApplicaAon

17. 17
UC
Schools:
HolisAc
Review
“As
we
consider
each
individual
applica^on…
and
rest
assured,
we
look
beyond
grades
and
test
scores.
We
spend
^me
evalua^ng
your
academic
achievements
in
light
of
the
opportuni^es
available
to
you
and
your
demonstrated
capacity
to
contribute
to
the
intellectual
life
at
UC.”

18. Public
(UC)
vs.
Private:
CompeAAveness

19. 19
Top
Private
Schools
• No.
of
private
schools
in
USNWR’s
Top
50
Na^onal
Universi^es:
35

20. 20
Top
Public
Schools
• No.
of
public
schools
in
USNWR’s
Top
50
Na^onal
Universi^es:
15

21. 21
UC
Schools
• No.
of
UC
schools
in
USNWR’s
Top
50
Na^onal
Universi^es:
6
USNWR
Ranking
UC
Berkeley
20
UCLA
23
UC
Santa
Barbara
37
UC
San
Diego
39
UC
Irvine
39
UC
Davis
41

22. 22
UCs
are
growing
more
compeAAve…
2014
Admissions
Rate
UC
Berkeley
18.1%
UCLA
18.6%
UC
Santa
Barbara
36.4%
UC
San
Diego
33.5%
UC
Irvine
37.4%
UC
Davis
40.6%
UC
Santa
Cruz
57.0%
UC
Riverside
58.3%
UC
Merced
64.9%
2015
Admissions
Rate
UC
Berkeley
16.9%
UCLA
17.3%
UC
Santa
Barbara
32.7%
UC
San
Diego
33.9%
UC
Irvine
38.7%
UC
Davis
38.2%
UC
Santa
Cruz
51.3%
UC
Riverside
56.0%
UC
Merced
64.0%

23. 23
And
so
are
private
schools…
2015
Admissions
Rate
Stanford
5.1%
Harvard
5.3%
Columbia
6.1%
Yale
6.5%
Princeton
7.0%
MIT
8.0%
Vanderbilt
9.5%
Brown
9.5%
UPenn
9.9%
2016
Admissions
Rate
Stanford
4.7%
Harvard
5.2%
Columbia
6.0%
Yale
6.3%
Princeton
6.4%
MIT
7.8%
Vanderbilt
8.8%
Brown
9.0%
UPenn
9.4%

24. 24
How
to
make
yourself
more
compeAAve
• Get
more
involved
at
your
school
• Seek
out
opportuniAes
not
offered
by
your
school
• Take
experiences
to
the
highest
level
possible
• Depth
• Magnitude
• Connect
academic
and
extracurricular
interests

25. 25

26. 26
WriAng
A
Stand-­‐Out
Essay
Pam
Miracle
Compass
to
College
Cer^fied
College
Admissions
Advisor
www.compasstocollege.org
408.242.8680

27. 27
Why
is
this
so
important?
¨ THE ESSAY is the “icing on
the cake”
¨ Activities
¨ Recommendations
¨ Grades
¨ Curriculum
¨ SAT/ACT

28. 28
How
is
your
essay
evaluated?
• Most
colleges
read
20-­‐30
THOUSAND
applicaAons
• Most
have
similar
academic
profiles
• Readers
see
35-­‐40
applicaAons
a
day
= About 30 minutes
per application
= 3 MIN PER ESSAY!

29. 29
What
are
they
looking
for?
• MIT:
“a
team
to
climb
a
mountain”
• How
you
use
your
talent
and
abiliAes
• How
you
make
a
difference
in
the
world
• Engagement
• Interests
• CreaAvity
• Openness
• Personal
growth
• ReflecAon!

30. 30
How can I succeed?

31. 31
Think
about…
• What
excites
you?
• What
about
you
is
unique?
• What
is
your
“different
way
of
knowing
the
world?”
• What
brought
your
life
meaning
and
significance?
• How
have
events
shaped
your
life’s
focus
and
intellectual
vitality?

32. 32
Why
do
you
do
what
you
do?
• Consider
wriAng
about
ONE
of
your
acAviAes
or
accomplishments
• Tell
• Why
it’s
important
to
you
• Why
you
stayed
commiaed
• What
is
has
meant
to
you
• How
does
it
reflect
a
strong
and
long-­‐standing
commitment
and/or
passion?

33. 33
Test
out
your
ideas
o Discuss
with
a
good
listener
o Pick
the
best
one.
Develop
a
thesis
o Find
examples
to
support
o Write
each
example
with
a
goal
in
mind
o Think
about
what
this
essay
will
say
about
you
and
how
it
balances
your
applicaAon

34. 34
Reflect!
o How
has
this
story
changed
you?
o What
does
it
reveal
about
you?
o Can
you
expand
on
the
broader
discussion?
o Is
it
interesAng?
Engaging?
Have
an
element
of
surprise?
o What
will
the
reader
learn
about
you?

35. 35
Don’t
• Repeat
info
from
your
applicaAon
• Write
a
travelogue
• Forget
to
check
for
typos
and
grammar
mistakes
• Use
clichés:
“I
want
to
save
the
world
from…”
• Use
gimmicks,
famous
quotes
• Wear
out
the
Thesaurus
• Try
to
use
the
same
essay
for
every
school

36. 36
Give
them
the
reason
to
admit
YOU!
Will the world be
a different place
for YOU
having been in it?

37. 37

38. 38

39. 39

40. 40

41. 41

42. 42

43. 43

44. 44

45. 45

46. 46

47. 47

48. 48

49. 49

50. 50

51. 51

52. 52

53. 53

54. 54

55. 55

56. 56
Test
OpAonal
Colleges
Priya
Pullur
–
Independent
College
Counselor

57. 57
Lets
knock
off
the
basics
• What
does
“test
opAonal”
mean?
§ You
decide
if
you
want
to
send
your
test
scores
• What?
tests
scores
are
opAonal!
§ Yes!
I
meant
sending
SAT
and
ACT
scores
is
op^onal
• How
many
such
schools
are
there
in
US?
§ 850+
• Are
good
schools
have
test
opAonal?
§ 46
percent
of
top-­‐^er
liberal
arts
colleges
and
state
schools
do
not
require
test
scores
• Just
curious.
Are
there
other
variants
of
Test
opAonal?
§ Yes.
“Test
Flexible”
and
“Test
Blind”

58. 58
STEM….Good
schools….
Sorry!
Yale
Carnegie
Mellon
UPenn
Rice
Cornell
Pamona
Stanford
Harvey
Mudd
Georgetown
Colgate
All
UC
Schools
Top
Colleges
that
require
all
Test
scores

59. 59
Why
colleges
go
test
opAonal?
• Want
to
increase
the
pool
of
students
applying
• When
students
are
given
the
freedom
to
present
their
best
abiliAes,
many
facets
otherwise
difficult
to
assess
gets
showcased
• Beser
representaAon
of
minority
and
low
income
students
• Helps
focus
on
a
mission-­‐driven
approach
to
admissions
that
a
rankings
driven
one
• To
gain
public
asenAon
and
affecAon
Interes^ng
Data
Only
a
marginal
difference
in
graduate
GPA
scores
was
found
between
test
score
submiaers
and
non-­‐submiaers
at
test
op^onal
schools

60. 60
Why
choose
not
to
submit
scores?
• Your
test
score
does
not
match
up
your
GPA
• Good
applicant:
Research,
leadership,
volunteering,
and
strong
essays
• Students
with
disAnct
talent
in
one
area*
• Students
with
test
anxiety

61. 61
Geung
in
• Check
FairTest.org
database
to
find
schools
of
your
choice
• Understand
the
admission
requirements
of
the
school
§ Rules
may
vary
for
each
college
and
they
may
have
different
requirements
• Other
influencers
may
include
wriAng
samples,
personal
interviews,
lesers
of
recommendaAon,
commitment
to
service

62. 62
Why
choose
test
opAonal
college?
Pros
Cons
Wider
menu
of
choices
while
applying
Larger
applicant
pool
=
plumme^ng
acceptance
rates
=
disappointment
Benefit
of
studying
in
a
quality
state
school
Higher
expecta^ons
to
perform
Cost
maybe
prohibi^ve

63. 63
Useful
resources
• FairTest.org
hsp://www.fairtest.org/university/opAonal
• Top
15
Test
opAonal
colleges
Agnes
Scoa
College,
Decatur,
GA
Lewis
&
Clark
College,
Portland,
OR
Bard
College,
Annandale-­‐on-­‐Hudson,
NY
New
York
University,
New
York,
NY
Bates
College,
Lewiston,
ME
Pitzer
College,
Claremont,
CA
Bowdoin
College,
Brunswick,
ME
St.
John’s
College,
Annapolis,
MD
and
Sante
Fe,
NM
Brandeis
University,
Waltham,
MA
Smith
College,
Northampton,
MA
Colorado
College,
Colorado
Springs,
CO
University
of
Rochester,
Rochester,
NY
Earlham
College,
Richmond,
Indiana
Wake
Forest
University,
Winston
Salem,
NC
Wesleyan
University,
Middletown,
CT

64. 64
Priya
Pullur
priya.pullur@gmail.com
408-­‐836-­‐1963
Thank
You