CSULA MESA 2014: We All Can Go To College: We Just Need A Plan. Presentation for high school students. Yes, you can go. Prepare now.

1. We All Can Go To College:
We Just Need A Plan
Dr. Rebecca Joseph
MESA
October 17, 2014
rjoseph@calstatela.edu
@getmetocollege

2. Meet Six Amazing Students
Paola
Cal State LA, EOP
First in family to go to college
Cal Grants/Working
•Lily
University of California, Davis
First in family to go to college
USC Mentoring
90% covered, loans

3. Martin and Michelle
Martin
Villanova University
First in family to go to college
Presidential Scholarship, 100%
covered including summer programs
Rome, Summer 2010; London School
of Economics, Fall 2012
•Michelle
Univ. of Cal, Riverside
First in family to go to college
Blue and Gold Plan, 95% covered
Summer bridge

4. Alma and Jose
Alma
College of the Sequoias
Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
USC
Jack Kent Cooke Transfer
Scholarship
•Jose
ELAC, CSULA
First in family to go to college
Now a new teacher

5. College Options
• Cal States
• University of California
• Privates
• Community Colleges

6. Master Plan Visions
HIGH SCHOOLS
Percent Eligible for Admission to Public Higher
Education
100%
9%
UNIVERSITY
OF
CALIFORNIA
100%
COMMUNITY
COLLEGES
33.3%
CALIFORNIA
STATE
UNIVERSITY

7. 23 Outstanding Campuses of CSU’s
• Each Campus is unique
(separately accredited)
• CSU campuses have distinct
student populations and
programs
• “Learn by doing”
• Applied and Practical
• http://www2.assist.org
/browseCSUs.do

8. What can I study at the CSU?
• Radio/Television Film
• Business
• Dance
• Engineering –
• Interior Design
• Fire Protection
Administration
• And hundreds of others
• Dairy Science
• Education
• Hotel Restaurant
Management
• Kinesiology
• Computer Gaming &
Design
• Music Industry & Tech.

9. Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
• Support program for first generation, under-represented
students.
• Separate application includes several short answer
two recommendations.
• GET YOU’RE APPLICATIONS IN ASAP!!!
• Offers summer bridge, tutoring, mentoring, and
supplemental classes.
• Different at each campus.
• http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/eop/

10. Applying to CSU’s
• www.csumentor.edu
• Application Fee of $55.00/Fee Waivers Covers
Applications to Four Campuses for Free
• Applications are accepted from October 1st to
November 30th-

11. Per Year College Costs (estimated)
Estimated Costs of Attendance
State University and Campus
Fees
$7002
Books and Supplies $1,754
Food and Housing $12,404
(On-campus Housing)
Transportation $1,414
Misc. Personal $3,076
TOTAL $25,718.00

12. University of California
• 10 campuses – only 9 open for
undergraduates
• Target upper 12% of high
school students
• Minimum GPA is 3.0
• Application criteria is based
upon:
– A-G Courses and GPA
– SAT Reasoning or ACT with
Writing
– SAT Subject Tests
– Extracurricular Activities
and Involvement
– Personal Statement

13. What to study at UC’s ?
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Pre-Law
• Pre-Med
• Natural Science (Biology,
Chemistry, Physics)
• Management (Business)
• Sports Medicine
• Engineering
• Literature
• Foreign Language
• Computer Science
• Visual/Performing Art
• Environmental Studies
• Agriculture
• Math
• MANY MORE!

14. Applying to UC’s
• www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply
• Fall filing period is November 1–30
• Test scores accepted up to January test dates
• Students must inform each campus of any changes to
information reported on application
• Students must respond to all inquiries for information from
each campus

15. Tips for UC’s website
• Apply by November 30th
• Fee Waiver
• No Recommendations Needed
• EOP/EAP-Just Check Yes
• Scholarship Selection
• Complete All Areas
• View Videos (Admissions, FA)
• Need an email address

16. Personal Statement
• An opportunity for applicants to provide
information that supports and augments review
process
• Adds clarity, richness and meaning to
application and completes the application
• Enables applicant to make the best possible case
for admission
• An admissions decision is never based on the
content of the personal statement alone

17. UC Eligibility vs. Selectivity
• Eligibility
– Meeting minimum
requirements for UC,
CSU, Private Admission
Requirements.
– Meeting Minimum
eligibility does not mean
that students will be
accepted to their 1st
choice campus
• Selectivity
– Specific criteria or
standards that
each campus may
apply to choose
students who
apply to highly
competitive or
oversubscribed
majors

18. Per Year College Costs (estimated)
Estimated Costs of Attendance
State University and Campus
Fees
$13070
Books and Supplies $1,560
Food and Housing $13,000
(On-campus Housing)
Transportation $1,000
Misc. Personal $3,540
TOTAL $31,100

19. UC v Cal State
UC Cal State
A-G requirements Yes
Self report grades on app
Yes
Self report grades on app
SAT/ACT For admission For enrollment
EOP Yes, no separate application, Check
yes on UC application
Separate Application
Fee Waivers 4, including AB540 4, not including AB 540
Minimum GPA 3.0 for automatic consideration.
Much higher than majority of
campuses
3.0 for automatic. 2.0-3.0 must meet
eligibility index
Add Points to GPA Yes Yes, up to 8 semesters of AP or
Honors. Only 4 semesters possible
for 10th grade. Count 12th grade.
Make Up Ds and Fs Yes. Averaged into GPA Yes, replacement classes replace Ds
and Fs.
Count 9 and 12th count grades No No

20. Private Colleges
• They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very selective. The Ivy League is the top tier with
many of their colleges only accepting 6 to 10% of students who apply. There are middle level and
small colleges all over. The large majority are desperately seeking diverse students, and they
can’t find them. Their costs range from $10,000 to $57,000 per year include tuition, room, board,
and other costs.
• Some private colleges are religious and are looking for students who match their religious beliefs.
Others are Jesuit and accept all students. Jesuit colleges are very open to undocumented
students.
• Other private colleges are liberal arts. They often a great education within non-technical fields.
They offer great access to professors, amazing activities, and resources.
• Still others are technical or arts-related. There are schools like Boston Conservatory or The
Maryland Institute of the Arts that only have programs for music or acting or art. Others are
technical like MIT and only have programs related to math and science and engineering and
technology.

21. Private Colleges
Cal Tech
Massachusetts Institute
of Technology-MIT
Lehigh

22. More Privates…
• Other private colleges are liberal arts. They often a great education within
non-technical fields. They offer great access to professors, amazing
activities, and resources.
• Still others are technical or arts-related. There are schools like Boston
Conservatory or The Maryland Institute of the Arts that only have programs
for music or acting or art. Others are technical like MIT and only have
programs related to math and science and engineering and technology.

23. How Do I Find These Schools?
• How do I find these schools?
– First, you need to know your match colleges. These are based on your academic profile—
including grades and test scores. They also depend on your level of involvement in activities
and work. Your artistic and athletic talents can make a difference. Your passions also
matter—as there are schools for African American Students, all women, technology, and
more.
– You need to find a way to research these colleges.
• You can visit many of them via summer programs and fly-in programs.
• You can go online to Cappex or Unigo and research colleges.
• You can buy the book. College Access & Opportunity Guide.
http://csopportunity.org/whatwedo/guidebook.aspx. This book lists 241 colleges that are
very supportive of first-generation, under-represented students.
• You need to go on FB and other social media websites to ask for recommendations.

24. How Do I Find These Schools?
• How do I find these schools?
– First, you need to know your match colleges. These are based on your academic profile—
including grades and test scores. They also depend on your level of involvement in activities
and work. Your artistic and athletic talents can make a difference. Your passions also
matter—as there are schools for African American Students, all women, technology, and
more.
– You need to find a way to research these colleges.
• You can visit many of them via summer programs and fly-in programs.
• You can go online to Cappex or Unigo and research colleges.
• You can buy the book. College Access & Opportunity Guide.
http://csopportunity.org/whatwedo/guidebook.aspx. This book lists 241 colleges that are
very supportive of first-generation, under-represented students.
• You need to go on FB and other social media websites to ask for recommendations.

25. WHAT DO COLLEGES WANT
• Academics-Grades
• Coursework-Rigor; Difficulty; Passions
• Test Scores
• Activities—Community Service, Clubs, Mesa,
Jobs, Internships
• Special skills, passions, culture
• Applications—
– Essays
– Recommendations

26. Community Colleges
• Some people say there are no second chances in
life. Well, they are wrong. Community college in
California is the best second chance you will ever
receive.
• If you screwed up in high school or didn’t take the
right classes…
• If your SAT scores were low or you didn’t even
take them…
• If your family wasn’t ready to let you go…
• If you didn’t have the money…

27. Develop a two to three year transfer
plan now!!!
DO the best you can this year as placement tests determine your fate.
Make a plan because it takes twice as much effort to make it out of a CC than it
does a four year college.
You have three levels of requirements to fulfill:
• Remedial English and math classes
• lower division General Education (GE) requirements and
• lower-level requirements for your major (intended area of focus). Take as
many as you can, but you do not need to complete all major requirements if
you will reach 60 transferrable units before transferring.

28. How Do I Present Myself
• Great Applications Matter
– Family Info
– Demographics
– School Info
– Testing
– Activities
– Essays
– Recommendations

30. We All Can Go To College:
We Just Need A Plan
Dr. Rebecca Joseph
MESA
October 17, 2014
rjoseph@calstatela.edu
@getmetocollege