Applying to Be a CTE Transitions Student In order to receive college credit for your high school CTE Transition classes, you must apply to one of the colleges in the San Mateo County Community College District (Cañada College, College of San Mateo or Skyline) and receive a G#. What is a G#? Your G# is the identification number that will tie you to your records at the San Mateo County Community College District schools. It is used instead of your Social Security Number. Have a G# Already? If you have a G# from any school in the San Mateo County College District (Cañada College, College of San Mateo or Skyline), you do not need to repeat the process. Your G# is the same at all three colleges. If you do not remember your number there are two ways to retrieve it: 1. If you know your Social Security # and used it in your original application Go to : https://websmart.smccd.edu/ Login using your SS# as the User ID. The default PIN (password) is your six digit birthdate (mmddyy). You will find your G# under My Profile >> Your Account Information. Forgot your password? If you set up security questions, you will be able to provide answers and then reset your PIN. 2. If you did not register with a Social Security # or you are unable to login. Need to get a G#? Go to the Admissions & Records department for any of the community colleges with a photo id. They will provide you with your G#. Getting a G# is a two-step process: 1. You will apply for an OpenCCC Account. This is a single sign-on account that will allow you to track your applications to any California Community College now and in the future. 2. You will then create your community college application. For this process, you will need a few pieces of information: An email address that you can check regularly, for example your school email address. Your Social Security Number (NOT REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION) If not a US Citizen, Alien Registration Number or Visa/Alien Registration Issue Date, Visa/Alien Registration Expiration Date This guide will walk you through this process. You can start this process on the CTE Transitions website: http://www.smccd.edu/ctetransitions/ You will find links to the OpenCCC website under the Applying tab: CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 1 of 17
From this tab, you will be able to access the each of the college s Application for Admission. Choose the application for the community college with which you school has articulation agreements and at which you would like to submit a Petition for Credit: The first thing that you will be prompted to do is to create an OpenCCC Account. If you have applied to any California Community College (e.g. Skyline, College of San Mateo), you may have an a OpenCCC account. If this is your first application, you will need to create an OpenCCC account. OpenCCC Account Creation If you do not have an OpenCCC Account, you can create one by choosing Create an Account. If you have an Account, choose Sign In. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 2 of 17
On the next screen, hit the Begin Creating My Account button. If you have created an account in the past, there is also a Sign In button on this screen. When you begin creating your account, you will be asked to provide some basic information about yourself. This page is divided into three sections. Create Account Page 1 On page one you will be asked to provide basic contact information. The page is broken down into three sections. Use your full name, not a nickname or a shortened version of your name. On this screen unless you have changed your name, you should check No to the Do you have a previous name? question. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 3 of 17
Enter your date of birth using a mm/dd/yyyy format (e.g. 01/27/1995). It is not required that you provide a Social Security Number. If you do not have or do not wish to provide your social security number, please check the box at the bottom of the screen. When you have completed the information, hit the Continue button. Create Account Page 2 On the second page of the OpenCCC application, you will be asked to provide an email address (and then repeat it to make sure it is correct). Use an email address that you check regularly, such as your school address. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 4 of 17
You will also be asked to provide a Main Telephone Number, using a ###-###-#### format. If you have a personal cell phone, you should use this as the Main. If you are willing to receive text messages, check the I authorize text messages box. A second telephone number is not required, but you may enter your home telephone number here. The last piece of information that you will need is your permanent address. This should be your home address someplace where you will get mail if it is sent. Be sure to include an Apartment or Unit # if you have one! Once you have completed the information on this page, hit the Continue button. This will take you to the 3 rd and final Account Creation screen. Create Account Page 3 In the final step, you will pick a User Name and Password that will allow you to access this information later. Be sure to pick something that you will be able to remember and to write it down so you can access your Account later. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 5 of 17
Username must be at least six (6) characters (any letter, number or special character). Your password must have between 7 and 20 characters and contain at least one number. You will be asked to enter it twice both entries must match. Your user name must also be one that is not already in the system. When you type one it, it will be checked. If nobody else has chosen that one, you will see the following message: Once you have picked a username that is not already in use, you can then choose your password. In addition, you will be asked to choose a 4 digit number as a PIN (Personal Identification Number). This is additional security and will help identify you if forget your password or contact them by phone. Finally, you will be asked to set up some security questions. This will allow you to be recognized as the account creator if forget your password or pin. You must choose three from the drop down list and then enter your answers. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 6 of 17
Pick 3 that will be easy for you to answer in the future. Before you create your account, you be asked to type in randomly generated code that appears at the bottom of the screen: This is proves to the system that you a real person and not a hacker using a computer to generate accounts. Once you enter the code, push the Create My Account button Your OpenCCC Account has been created and you have finished the first step in the process! Community College Application Use the Start A New Application button to create a new application. If you have started an application and not finished it, it will also be available here, so that you can return and finish it. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 7 of 17
Before your application is started, you are provided with some helpful information and instructions. Take a moment to read it. Please note that you should use the Continue button this will check that what you have entered is what is required. The Save button will save the information you have entered, but will not check it. To start the application, you will be asked to choose several items from a drop down menu: 1. Term Applying For: Choose the Term that is closest to the one during which you are filling out the application. 2. Intended Major or Program of Study: Please choose Concurrent Enrollment Student. This choice will also allow you to participate in the Community College s Concurrent Enrollment program, if you like to take classes on the college campus. In this program, your fees are waived if you are taking fewer than 11.5 units. You can learn more here: Cañada: http://canadacollege.edu/ce/ CSM: http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/highschool/concurrentenrollment.asp Skyline: https://www.skylinecollege.edu/highschool/concurrentenrollment.php CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 8 of 17
3. Educational Goal: Choose the option Complete credits for high school diploma or GED. Once you have completed the Enrollment Information, hit Continue to fill out your Account/Mailing Information. All information from your OpenCCC application will automatically be filled in. If you notice an error, you can use the Edit Account button to update the information on your OpenCCC application. If your current mailing address (where you live now) is the same as the one entered check the My mailing address is the same as the Permanent Adress in my OpenCCC Account above box. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 9 of 17
Once you have done this, hit Continue to move on to the Personal Information Section. All personal information is kept private. You will be asked to fill out three sets of information: 1. Gender and Sexual Orientation 2. Parent/Guardian Education Levels 3. Race/Ethnicity The Gender and Orientation information in the first section is used for reporting purposes only and providing this information is OPTIONAL, not required. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 10 of 17
The Parent/Guardian Education Levels must be completed. If you do not know, choose Unknown and if you were not raised by a parent or guardian, choose the No parent or guardian raised me. You must do this for Parent or Guardian 1 and Parent or Guardian 2. In the final section, you must provide Race/Ethnicity information. This is required and must be completed. First, indicate (Yes or No) if you are Hispanic or Latino. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 11 of 17
If you select Yes, you will also be asked to select from four groups: Please check any that apply. Under Race, you may check as many as apply to you, as well. Once you have completed the personal information section, hit Continue. In the next section you will answer questions about your education level. As a high school student, you should choose Enrolling in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time for Entry Level (even if you are a Senior and intending to enroll in Community College the following year) and Will be enrolled in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time for High School Education. These two answer must match or you will not be able to continue. Estimate your high school completion date as best you can. If you are a Senior and have been in high school in California for the whole time, choose Yes when answering Have you attended high school in California for three or more years? If you are in a grade lower than Senior, choose No for this question. In the next section, you should choose I attended high school. When you do this, the fields to choose the State that your high school is in will become available. Type the beginning of your High School s name. When you do this, you will get a list of high schools with similar names and the city. Please select the high school you are currently attending, making sure that you are selecting one with the right name AND the right city. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 12 of 17
Under College Education, choose No degree. Choose None for the number of colleges you have attended. Choose continue to go on to the Citizenship/U.S. Military section of the application. Choose your Citizenship Status and then supply the additional information required: U.S. Citizen No additional info Permanent Resident Alien Registration Number Temporary Resident/Amnesty Alien Registration Number Refugee/Asylee Alien Registration Number Student Visa (F-1 or M-1) Visa Type, Visa/Alien Registration Issue Date, Visa/Alien Registration Expiration Date (check if no expiration) Other Visa Type, Visa/Alien Registration Issue Date, Visa/Alien Registration Expiration Date (check if no expiration) In the next section, if neither of your parents is actively serving in the military, choose None apply to me. If you have a parent who is in the military, you may choose Dependent, spouse or child of currently active CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 13 of 17
military and choose the state that that parent legally lives in and the state where they lived when they entered the military. If they are stationed in California, choose yes, otherwise, no. Choose continue to move on to the Residency section of the application. You will be asked about how long you have lived in California. The first question asks if you have lived in California for at least 3 years. You will then be asked about Special Residency Categories. Generally, the first three will not apply to high school students and can be answered no. The final one asks if you are in the Foster Care system. If you are, please answer Yes. If you answer yes to the Have you ever been in court ordered Foster Care? question, you will need to answer a few extra questions. These questions will help the college provide additional assistance to you, if you need it, but doesn t affect your eligibility to apply or attend. If you are in Foster Care, select the one that applies to you: CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 14 of 17
In the last section, you will be asked about Out-of-State activities. Generally, these do not apply to high school students and No can be selected for each. Once you have completed all questions, please choose Continue to continue on to the Needs & Interests section of the application. In the first section, you will be asked if you are comfortable reading and writing English. Please answer Yes or No. In the Financial Assistance, you may indicate Yes about receiving information if you believe you may want to attend the community college in the future. If you do not check yes, information will still be available to you at a future time. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 15 of 17
Since you will not be on campus, as a high school student, you may answer No, I am not interested in particpiapting in a sport under Athletic interest. Since you will not be taking classes on campus, you may skip the Programs and Services section. Coninue your application by hitting the Continue button. In the next section, you will be asked to agree to the release of information for very specific purposes, such as planning and provision of services. Read the Full Statement of Consent for complete information. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 16 of 17
Once you have indicated whether or not you consent, hit the Continue button to review your now complete application. On the final page, you will be able to view your complete application. If you notice any errors, you can correct them by clicking on the tab that you would like to update and then making the changes and hitting the Continue button at the bottom of that page. If the Application is correct, hit the I have reviewed this application and confirm that it is complete and accurate button at the bottom of the page. You will then be taken to the final submission page. After you read and understand the statements on the submission page, check the two boxes and hit the Submit My Application button. Your application is complete! If you leave the site before you submit your application, you work will be saved. When you return to the OpenCCC page and login, you will see a section of Applications in Progress. Simply hit the Resume button and you will return to your application. On this screen you will see the page you stopped on, as well as when you began the application and when it was last modified. CTE Transitions Application Instructions Page 17 of 17