Please scroll down for links to the State of California University System:
http://www.assist.orgthis website covers UC, CS & CC transfer info, and all admissions
requirements, as well as all degrees offered. Links to the UC, CS,
& CC are below and on assist.org Alphabetical List of Private Colleges & Universities in CA Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities
International Affiliates:
Related Sites in the State of California University System
California Community College Campuses and System Link
University of California Campuses and System Links
California State University Campuses and System Links
The three links above go to web sites for the system offices overseeingthe California Community Colleges, California State Universities, andUniversity of California campuses. These sites provide a variety ofinformation of value to students, such as campus locations, links tocampus web sites, admissions requirements, fees, frequently askedquestions, etc. The sites also provide information for faculty andstaff, and anyone interested in the activities and opportunities atthese public institutions.
The CaliforniaColleges.edu
This web site provides information to help students plan their academicfuture, such as information about career choices, admissionsrequirements, financial aid, and choosing the right college oruniversity for a student's academic goals.
High School A-G Lists
To satisfy the California State University and University of CaliforniaSubject Requirement for admission, prospective freshmen must complete aseries of high school courses known as the "a-g" requirements. Thissite explains these requirements and displays high school courses forindividual schools that satisfy university admissions requirements.
UC Admissions
ThisUniversity of California web site provides students with allthe information needed to prepare for attending and succeeding ata University of California campus. It provides links to UC campuswebsites and includes information about applying to the Universityof California, transferring to the UC, admissions, housing, financialaid,and email links for contacting individual UC campuses.
UCTransfer.org
ThisWeb site explains what you'll need to do to transfer to the Universityof California and how you can make smart course choices now that willmaximize your chances of being admitted to UC.
CSU Mentor
CSU Mentoris an online resource designed to help students and their families learnabout the California State University system, select aCSU campus, planto finance higher education, and apply for admission.CSU Mentor is avaluable tool in choosing a CSU campus, planning to meet admissionsrequirements, and getting answers to frequently asked questions.
California Virtual Campus
The California Virtual Campus links you to online courses offered by California's colleges and universities.
CAN (California Articulation Number System)
TheCalifornia Articulation Number System (CAN) is a course identificationsystem for common core, lower-division, transferable,major preparationcourses taught on CCC and CSU campuses. More information is available ontheir site.
CPEC (California Postsecondary Education Commission)
TheCalifornia Post-secondary Education Commission web siteprovides information about financial aid, admissions requirements,application deadlines, and fees and tuition for California collegesand universities. ASSIST Information Center
TheASSIST Information Center web site provides information forarticulationofficers and administrators at California colleges and universities whoare involved in maintaining the information displayed in ASSIST. Thissite focuses on communicating information related to the ongoingactivities of keeping the information in ASSIST accurate and up to date.This site is not designed for student use. GPA - How It Helps In College Admissions Author: Devin Yeo
There's really nothing more important in your college applicationthan the strength of your academics. Unlike essays and the SATs whichcan be polished in several weeks, the transcript is a culmination offour years of academic work you did in high school. There's little youcan do to change your academic record. That is why admissions officerswill always turn to the transcript before anything else. After all, toget an idea of how you will perform next time in college, it's onlylogical to assess how you've been performing so far.
Whatcourses you take in high school and what grades you get will determinewhere you end up in September. When colleges look at your folder, thefirst thing they will see is your transcript. "Has this studentchallenged herself?" "Are his grades showing an upward trend,declining, or stagnant?" Challenged means taking the toughest coursesyou can handle.
Please bear in mind that when while you areencouraged to go for the most demanding schedule, you must be able todo well. No point taking the toughest courses if it eats into yoursocial and extra curricular activities. Admissions officers can seethat you're trying too hard, and it may instead work against your favorin the college admissions process.
"Is it better to get a B in the Advanced Placement class or an A in the regular class?"
Notsurprisingly, this question gets asked a lot of times. Of course, thebest thing would be to get an A in the AP class. But seriously,admissions officers would rather you get a B in the AP class. APclasses are much tougher than regular ones, and getting a B - despitethe grade itself - shows that you can handle tough workloads.
Justthink about it, if A was so important, then every student would try topad his and her transcript with courses like Getting Slim for the 21stCentury just so they could fatten their GPA. That is why grades aloneare not enough.
An important thing to note here is that whilecolleges consider grades, they also consider your performance relativeto your classmates. That is where class rank comes in. Class ranks helpcolleges determine whether the C you got in Calculus is a result ofslacking on your part, or a really strict marking system. If yourschool does not rank, don't despair. Colleges are adept enough atcoming up with a ranking for you based on your school profile andacademic trend in your school report.
For example, my schooldoes not rank. But my guidance counselor was able to predict my rank asif there was a ranking system, by looking at the performance of mypeers in my class that year. So she will write something like "Top 5%of the class this year" for her students. Even if your school policyforbids ranking - as mine do - your transcript can still tell a greatdeal about what kind of challenges you went through in high school.
Know Your Goals
Youacademic preparation should also reflect your goals. What kind ofschool do you want to go to? If you are eyeing for highly selectivecolleges, then you should take as many AP classes as you can; again,without harming your grades or extra curricular activities.
Atthe Ivy Leagues and its cousins, you'd probably need all the As you canget from AP classes to have a shot. These academic behemoths are socompetitive that a B might (read: I said might because it will stillultimately depend on your overall application strength) not work inyour favor.
On the other hand, large state universities use adifferent rule. These schools attract tens of thousands of applicationseach year and so they often rely on grades and test scores to makedecisions. Here GPA would be more important than the level of courses.In other words, how tough your course selection is isn't necessary, aslong as they are college preparatory.
"What if my school does not offer AP courses?"
Don'tfret. Designing the curriculum is the responsibility of your school;your job is to take the most challenging ones available. If your schooldoesn't offer AP English, and every senior takes regular Englishclasses, then yes, that is the most rigorous one. If you come from areally competitive high school, you will be evaluated based on theschool's curriculum. Even if you rank near the bottom, there are someschools who will love to take you in since you come from a ‘strong'school.
But if your high school isn't so tough, then it may be more important for you to rank near the top.
Areally good way to stand out in a selective pool is to go beyond whatyour school has to offer. This means doing things that are otherwisenot offered in your school. If you've studied all the physics coursesin school, try taking up advanced courses at a local college. If youlove maths and finished calculus in junior year, work with a professorto do research into multi-variable equations. These actions show ad-comsthat you are intellectually curious and always ready to learn newthings - a plus point in the admissions process. About the Author:
Devin is a college applicant who has researched the complexity ofthe college admissions process for two years. His acceptances includethe honors program at the Univ. of Michigan and Cambridge University inthe UK. He runs an admissions website at http://www.admissions-guide.info dedicated to helping students in the college admissions process.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/gpa-how-it-helps-in-college-admissions-24117.html Your Educational Budget and Federal Loans Author: John Nowly
The educational budget, also called the student budget, holds aboutthe same level of importance as the EFC. Think about all the thingsthat you will need financially during the school year. Colleges takethe sum of those things, and lump them together as your educationalbudget. Schools take your student budget, and subtract your EFC todetermine the amount of financial aid you will be awarded. So, itsobviously something you should be very familiar with.
Now,you've probably already guessed that a student budget has to includeyour tuition and room and board. But, did you know that there is anumber calculated for those students who are not living on campus? Theamount will differ based on your living situation. For example, are youliving on your own, or do you intend to live with your parents whileyou go to school? Or, do you plan to live on campus?
There arefour main sections which comprise the student budget. The first istuition. Then comes living expenses, transportation, and finallypersonal expenses. One piece that could be included under the subtitleof tuition is the cost of your books and fees. Its impossible topredict the exact amount your books will cost. After all, you might bethe one taking Biochemistry while someone else is taking a course incomposition. Your books will most likely be more expensive. So, to makethings even, an average cost of books is added into the student budget.Do not worry, you'll probably be the one taking creative writing nextyear, while your friend is struggling through statistics! Other feescould include your student body card, the yearbook, or your applicationfee.
We've briefly discussed room and board, or livingexpenses, but here are a few more examples. How about your home orrenters insurance, your phone bill, the internet bill, and yourutilities? An educational budget has to take all of these things intoconsideration. After all, you do have to survive outside of yourclasses, and its very possible that your classes could prevent you fromworking a full, or part-time job.
Transportation should beself-explanatory, but if its not, let me briefly touch on itsimportance. The amount of transportation is certainly going to differif you are a student who lives on-campus. But what if you are not? Willyou be taking the bus, or driving your car? And, if you are drivingyour car, how will you pay for gas, car insurance, and car maintenance?For those students who have traveled long distances, there is theconcern about flights home at different times throughout the year.These are all issues which would fall under the category oftransportation.
Finally, we have the personal section. You maythink we've covered everything, but for both the on-campus andoff-campus student, there are other things to consider. Under personal,we would be looking at your recreation time, your health insurance,childcare if applicable, life insurance, laundry, and clothing. About the Author:
Professor Now.com offers free educational courses in an easy tofollow format in various subjects. To view a free online coursecovering the subject of this article, please visit ProfessorNow.com.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/your-educational-budget-and-federal-loans-94441.html
Top Academic Strategies for College & University Admission
Author: Karen Bolton
Copyright (c) 2008 Karen Bolton
With the rising cost ofcollege, it is important to utilize as many cost cutting strategies aspossible. Let's explore some top academic and admission strategies tohelp reduce the cost of college.
1.Career Planning
Career planningis often overlooked during the college planning process.However, thisis one of the most important decisions that students will make. Withoutproper career planning, many students take 5-6 years to complete adegree. Many students receive degrees in declining growth fields orfields with a surplus of applicants and cannot find employment aftergraduation.
However, this can play a critical role in reducingthe overall cost of college. A contributing factor in the collegedropout and transfer rates is a lack of career planning anda failure tomake college decisions based on career goals. Research by the US Dept ofEducation and American College Testing show that eachyear,approximately 50% of college freshman leave the college in which theyfirst enrolled. Of the dropouts, about 30% transfer to other colleges atleast once, and 20% transfer twice and typically take 6 or more years tocomplete a 4-year program.
Students who receive career planningprior to college selection and attendance have few major changes andcollege transfers, graduate on time, and tend to be more goal- andacademic-focused. You may want to check out web-based career planningservices at www.careerdimension.com and www.myroad.com.
2. Use Smart Admission Strategies
Apply wherethe student is academically above the incoming freshman class profile.Private colleges place a premium on good students and will often usetuition discounts to attract them to their campuses.
Apply foradmission early. The student should submit an application to the collegeas soon as possible in the senior year of high school(September throughDecember). After a college begins to fill the upcoming year's freshmanclass, the need for the college to offer a tuition discount diminishes.Colleges need to complete their enrollment quotas as early as possible,so they often offer scholarships (tuition discounts) to the students whoapply early (even students who do not qualify for need-based aid).
Applyto schools that have a low enrollment yield factor. The lower acollege's enrollment yield (yield percentage), the higher theprobability of the student receiving tuition discounts. The enrollmentyield is calculated by dividing the number of students enrolled by thenumber of students admitted.Enrollment is key to a college's survival.Many colleges select students for admission to their school, only tohave them enroll in another school. The colleges have a constant battleto fill seats every year (lesser-known private colleges are even morechallenged because they must compete with the low cost of publicuniversities and the popularity of the elite private schools).
Thestudent should also apply to private colleges. Many private collegeshave declining enrollments due to their high cost and competition fromlow-cost universities and popular elite private colleges. These collegesoften give a tuition discount to students to fill empty seats at thecollege.Private colleges must compete with less-expensive,state-subsidized public universities.
Many private colleges offerincredible financial award packages to attract good students. Plus theyoffer smaller class sizes, which increase the student's chance ofattaining a degree in four years. Be sure to include a few privatecolleges in your selection process. You might be surprised with theoutcome.
The student should apply to six to eight colleges. Donot limit your ability to negotiate the price of college. Apply toseveral colleges to maximize your financial opportunities. By applyingto several colleges,the student is given the opportunity to receive atuition discount from one college and use that discount to ask for acomparative discount, orbetter, from the college the student prefers toattend. Try to pick at least several schools where your child lies inthe top 25% of theincoming freshman class. This strategy is moreapplicable to students attending private colleges.
If the studentis planning to attend a private college, the student should createcompetition between colleges. The following types of colleges willcreate competition for your child:
A college in the same athletic conference
The studentshould apply to colleges that are competitive in the same area orlocation, athletic conference, or intellectual fields. Themost competition often occurs between colleges that are in the sameathletic conference.
An in-state public university
Eventhough your plan to go to a private college, always apply to a goodin-state public university. The public university's low cost may forcethe private college to offer a tuition discount to make its costcompetitive with the public university's cost. Low-cost publicuniversities are theprivate colleges' main competition.
A similar college outside of the student's region of residency
Thestudentshould apply to similar private colleges that are located outside of thestudent's region of residency. Most private colleges tryto achieveregional diversity in its student body. The college may offer tuitiondiscounts to entice students who are located in adifferent region.
3. Use the CLEP Program and AP Tests to Reduce the Cost of College
College-Level ExaminationProgram (CLEP) is a widely accepted credit-by-examination program in theUnited States today. Although Advanced Placement (AP)courses areusually taken by above-average students, CLEP exams seem tobenefit theaverage student and also the non-traditional (adult ed)student. TheCLEP examinations are a series of examinations in undergraduate collegecourses that provide the student with the opportunity to demonstratecollege-level achievement and achieve college credit. The examinations,which are sponsored by the College Board, are administered at collegesyear-round. All CLEP exams are delivered on computer, providing testtakers with instant score results. Be sure to check the college's CLEPpolicy before taking any exam. The CLEP program can help students savetime, save money, and advance to more specialized courses.
Perhapsthe easiest and most effective way for a student to stand outacademically for admissions is to score well on Advanced Placement (AP)tests offered by the College Board (www.collegeboard.com).Whilethese studies are for the academically gifted student, theycan represent real dollar reductions in the cost of college. Thestudent can receive a full year's credit and be granted sophomorestanding from more than 1,400 higher education institutions by earningsatisfactory grades on enough AP Examinations.
About the Author:
Your Financial Watchdog, LLC provides online affordable, easy-to-use financial tools for individuals. http://www.yourfinancialwatchdog.com/tools/college_toolkit.php
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/top-academic-and-admission-strategies-for-colleges-652357.html
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