March 18, 2015
After PGHS graduation what next?? CA Community College (2-year) CA Public University: UC & CSU (4-year) Private College/University Out-of-State Public University
California Community Colleges With Follow-through, California Community Colleges can be a great deal: Affordability: Cost: $46 a credit hour for California residents. Eligible for the same federal aid as 4-year colleges. 29 percent of University of California graduates and 51 percent of California State University graduates transferred in from a community college. Students who earn a California Community College degree or certificate nearly double their earnings within three years. The California Community Colleges train 80 percent of California nurses, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and emergency medical technicians. **HOWEVER only 53.6 percent of degree-seeking students ever achieve a certificate, degree, or transfer preparation.
California Public Universities California State University Base tuition of $5,472 for all California residents, plus an an average of $1,161 in miscellaneous campus fees bring total average cost of tuition/fees to $6,633. On-campus room and board runs between $8902 - $12,816 additional cost depending on campus. University of California California residents at all UC campuses pay the same $12,804 in base tuition plus additional campus-based fees bring that bring total to average of $14,000.Total costs vary depending on campus. On campus room and board runs an additional average $14,300 depending on campus. Base tuition is the same for all CSU s. Fees, housing and personal expenses vary by campus.
Private Colleges and Universities There are 1,845 private/independent colleges in the US. Tuition varies per institution. The tuition listed on the college website is not necessarily the tuition you actually pay! Remember that lots of money available both merit aid and need-based aid for private colleges that is not typically available at public universities. 87% of students receive merit aid at private colleges. Average private school tuition discount is 53%. Use the college s Net Price Calculator found on the college s website to get an idea of what actual cost might be.
Keep in Mind: College is not a prize to be won, but a match to be made
Factors to Consider 1. Size: Very important. Will you be comfortable with large classes where you don t know your teacher personally, or would you do better with small classes where the professor knows your name. Many large universities have established honors colleges within the larger university for these same reasons.
Other factors to consider: 2. What major are you interested in? Many colleges don t need you to pick a major ahead of time and will allow for major changes if you change your mind. If you think you might be changing major make sure you have picked a college that allows it. 3. Location Do you want to stay within a short drive from home? Stay within California? Would you like to live in an urban area? Suburban? Rural? What s the weather like where the college is located can you handle a harsh winter? 4. Environment Does it matter to you whether the culture is conservative or more progressive? Is it important to you that you have a car on campus? 5. Specialized Features Do you need for your college to have a jazz band? A radio station? An Honors College? A football team? Sororities or fraternities?
College is priced like airline tickets: You are not necessarily paying the same as the guy sitting next to you
Financial Aid Some schools are more generous with financial aid than others. This may be an important factor to consider if financial need is a priority. Look for schools whose financial aid profile says that it meets 90% -100% of financial need.
If Financial Aid is a deciding factor: Some students near the bottom of the college s admitted group are offered some financial aid, but it may not meet their full need. What this means to you: If money is a factor in your college search and will impact your final choice, make sure to apply to some colleges in which you are in the top third or top quarter of the applicant pool. This should maximize your chances for a large financial aid package.
Cutting Out-of-State Tuition Western Undergraduate Exchange wue.wiche.edu Discounts out-of-state tuition that brings the amount closer to instate tuition at select schools in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
What if I don t get in? Don t be scared by the stories. If you only pay attention to the headlines, you might start to believe that no one is getting in anywhere!the truth is that the majority of the colleges and universities in this country admit more students than they reject. If you're willing to investigate beyond the very narrow band of highly selective colleges you'll find that you have many options that will lead to a great fit for you. Apply Broadly!!
4 or More According to the College Board: Applying to two colleges instead of one makes it 40% more likely that a student will enroll in a four-year college. The odds increase greatly when you apply to more. They recommend applying to a minimum of 4 colleges to maximize options. Make sure the different colleges you apply to vary in terms of selectivity. Counselors often recommend a range between six and eight colleges to keep a narrow, focused list.
UC Admission Rates 2014 Campus Applications Admits Admit Rate Berkeley 73,771 12,795 17.3% Davis 60,536 24,551 40.6% Irvine 66,6508 23,573 35.4% UCLA 86,521 15,760 18.2% Merced 15,288 9,780 64.0% Riverside 34,912 19,797 56.7% San Diego 73,454 24,528 33.4% Santa Barbara 66,803 24,127 36.1% Santa Cruz 40,721 23,176 56.9%
UC Freshman Profile (Fall 2014) Campus HS GPA ACT SAT: Reading/Math Berkeley 4.18 31 677/703 Davis 4.07 28 620/667 Irvine 4.05 27 596/654 UCLA 4.17 30 675/703 Merced 3.61 24 535/563 Riverside 3.77 25 562/603 San Diego 4.13 30 651/669 Santa Barbara 4.03 29 623/662 Santa Cruz 3.82 26 578/615
Attending School Far from Home Only 14% of students attend college 500 miles or more from home? Colleges seek Geographic Diversity. Could be an advantage to students willing to go far.
Students who attend their own state schools Texas 87% California 84% Florida 74% Illinois 67% Missouri 58% Pennsylvania 55% Massachusetts 43% Bottom line: Californians are often sought after by colleges in other states. This might be an admittance edge when applying out of state.
What if Test Scores So-So? For a list of SAT Optional Schools go to FairTest.org
Can Use Gender as Leverage Women represent 57% of college students Boys have advantage at LAC s Girls have advantage at science/tech schools MIT Acceptance rate: Males 9% Women 22%
Check Graduation Rates: CSU s In 4 Years In 6 Years San Jose State U 7% 47% Cal State Monterey Bay 9% 37% Cal State Long Beach 13% 57% San Francisco State 13% 47% Cal State Chico 17% 57% CSU Channel Islands 23% 51% Sonoma State 27% 55% Cal Poly SLO 28% 72% San Diego State 32% 66%
Check Graduation Rates: UC s In 4 years In 6 years UC Merced 30% 58% UC Riverside 42% 66% UC Davis 52% 81% UC Santa Cruz 52% 74% UC San Diego 57% 86% UC Irvine 66% 86% UC Santa Barbara 67% 80% UC Berkeley 68% 91% UCLA 71% 91%
Freshman Retention Rate- UC s UCLA 97% UC Berkeley 96% UC Irvine 94% UC San Diego 96% UC Santa Barbara 92% UC Davis 93% UC Santa Cruz 91% UC Riverside 88% UC Merced 85% *(This refers to freshman that return for a second year at the same school)
Freshman Retention Rates: CSU s San Jose State U 87% Cal State Long Beach 89% San Francisco State 81% Cal State Monterey Bay 79% Cal State Chico 88% Cal Poly SLO 93% Sonoma State 80% San Diego State 89% San Francisco State 81% Cal State Channel Islands 82%
College Consortiums Some colleges belong to a consortium, meaning that students may freely take classes and use resources from all colleges in the consortium group, even though they have only been accepted to one. Five College Consortium in Amherst, Massachusettes includes Hampshire, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Benefits: Cross-register for classes (more than 5,300 class options) Usage of one of the most extensive library systems in the country Work with the faculty of the Five Colleges, all at no additional cost. Access to more than 900 student organizations and activities and some 3,400 events each year open to all Free bus system connecting the Five Colleges, day and night Recruiting by almost 500 companies
Other College Consortiums: Claremont College Consortium in Southern California includes: Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer and Pomona Colleges. Baltimore Student Exchange Program in Maryland includes: College of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College, Goucher College, Morgan State, Towson University, University of Maryland, University of Baltimore and the Peabody Institute. The Eco League includes Alaska Pacific University, College of the Atlantic (Maine), Green Mountain College (Vermont), Northland College (Wisconsin), Prescott College (Arizona.)
Harvard Law Class of 2013
2014 Gallup-Purdue University study of college graduates shows Where You go To College Matters Less than What you Do while There
Think beyond the Ivy League According to a 2014 Gallup-Purdue University poll, your experiences at college matter more for your post-grad life than the type of institution you attended (unless you went to a for-profit college, which is bad news all around). Those with Ivy League degrees were not found to have more job satisfaction or sense of well being than those from other non-profit schools. The poll, which asked 30,000 college graduates to answer an online survey about their college and post-college lives, found that students with the highest quality of life post-graduation are those who made strong connections with professors and committed to an an academic or extracurricular project as an undergrad
Results from the 2014 Gallup-Purdue University poll show that
Student Profiles
Useful websites www.collegeboard.org for college search, college profiles, and looking up how much financial need a college will match. www.collegeresults.org for looking up freshman retention rates, 4 year graduation rates, college profiles, etc. www.diycollegerankings.com for college info, articles on different topics related to college search, admissions, etc. www.thecollegesolution.com is particularly useful for financial aid information.
Useful Books The College Solution By Lynn O Shaughnessy Colleges That Change Lives By Loren Pope
College Board Search Engine Use College Board s search engine to find schools that meet highest percentage of financial need. Go to www.collegeboard.org and click on the college planning tab. Click on Find College, Pay for College, or Make a Plan.
Using Naviance to research colleges www.connection.naviance.com/pacificgrove. Use student Power School log-in