College Planning
Planning for college can be a daunting task. The earlier students and their parents start planning, the better. This section of our website will provide information and links to information on applying to college and financial aid, preparing and registering for college entrance exams, along with career guidance and other resources that will help guide students as they make plans for the future.
| Planning High School Course Work One of the first things a student needs to do is plan their high school course work. Our Course Planning and Graduation Requirements pages provide information on the coursework and sequence that college bound students need to complete in order to meet the University of California and California State University Admissions requirements. While meeting the "a-g” subject requirements is the most common method of admission to the California University system, other options are also available. Private universities, community colleges and trade and vocational programs have their own requirements. Students should explore those as well. |
Here are links to California State University and University of California Admission Requirements:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman.html
Here are links to the Community College Systems of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties:
Alameda: http://www.peralta.cc.ca.us/homex.asp?Q=Homepage
Contra Costa: http://www.4cd.net/
| Self Assessment Before making post high school plans, students need to have an understanding of their goals, passions, and hopes for the future. Taking career assessments, reading about different careers and talking to people about different occupations are all good ways to begin developing a plan for the future. Based on occupational goals students may find that attending a four year university isn’t the only or best option for them. Vocational and Trade schools and Community Colleges may be suitable options. See the Vocational and Career section of our website for more information. |
| The California College System California boasts one of the finest university systems in the world. Three distinct systems combine to provide students with abundant opportunities for advanced learning and career preparation. In addition to public institutions, there are many excellent private universities as well. Together, there are several hundred schools of higher learning in California. A lot to choose from and well worth the research to determine which one is right for you! |
California Community Colleges: www.cccco.edu
- The Community Colleges provide many options to students. They offer 2 year Associates Degrees in a variety of subject areas, Technical and Vocational training, and transferable coursework to the California State University and University of California. Any person who is a high school graduate or equivalent or who is eighteen years of age or older is eligible to apply.
- One of the benefits of attending FAME Public Charter School is that students can take classes at a Community College and receive both high school and college credit. Requirements for taking community college classes include:
- The courses taken must meet the requirements of the student’s educational plan
- Students may take no more 6 community college units in any given semester
- Students must submit the concurrent enrollment forms to the Academic Counselor for signature at least two weeks before the beginning of the course
- Student EUs may be used to cover the expense of the textbook but no other fees
- Credits will be awarded as follows: 1 c.c. unit = 2.5 FAME credits; 2 c.c units = 5 FAME Credits; 3 or more c.c. units = 10 FAME credits
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Students may take a maximum of 6 community college units in any given semester
California State University: http://www.csumentor.edu/ Applications: http://www.csumentor.edu/
- The CSU system has 23 campuses throughout California. The system prepares students for professional positions in the workforce with specific emphasis on training teachers, nurses, social workers, and engineers.
University of California: www.ucop.edu Applications:www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply
- The UC system prepares students for professional positions in the workforce and conducts some of the world's best research in hundreds of disciplines at its campuses, national laboratories, medical centers and other research facilities around the state. UC provides a unique environment in which leading scholars and promising students strive together to expand fundamental knowledge of human nature, society, and the natural world.
Private Universities: www.aiccumentor.org/ Applications: See School’s website
- Private Universities are varied in their emphasis and admission requirements. Use this website to start researching what is available.
| Applying to College Good planning is essential for college bound students. Waiting until the last minute will not only cause much anxiety but may also lead to missed opportunities. Planning based on appropriate coursework and testing and admission cycles will ease the burden of a busy senior year. |
Here are is glimpse at a junior and senior year plan:
11th Grade Activities:
- Meet with the Academic Counselor to make sure coursework is on track
- Attend College Fairs and University night programs
- Research universities that meet educational goals
- Begin visiting college campuses on application list
- Maintain high grades
- In October: Take the PSAT; a practice exam for the SAT
- If taking Advanced Placement courses, register to take the AP exams in the spring
- Prepare for the SAT or ACT
- Take the SAT or ACT in the spring or the summer; results will be available in time to determine whether retesting is required.
12th Grade Activities:
FALL
- Register online for the SAT or ACT. www.collegeboard.com
- Make a master calendar with test dates and application deadlines
- Narrow list of colleges to between 5 and 10 and get applications and financial information for each and gather high school transcripts and recommendations
- Begin the college application process
- Continue to visit campuses you are most interested in and meet admission and outreach officers
- Research scholarship and financial aid opportunities
- Sign up for a PIN number at www.pin.ed.gov to file the FAFSA online in January
- Use Scholarship Search at www.collegeboard.com to research scholarship opportunities
WINTER
- Submit Financial Aid Application (FAFSA) as soon after January 1 as possible.
- Talk with your counselor about getting your GPA verification for CAL Grants
SPRING
- Compare acceptance letters and financial aid offers
- Notify each college acceptance or rejection of offers of admission or financial aid by May 1st
| Tests Most universities use the SAT or the ACT in the admission process. In addition to the SAT, the University of California also requires two SAT II subject tests; other institutions do so as well. The SAT and ACT measure student academic achievement in different ways. Students should be familiar with both exams and understand how the scores will be used in the application process. University admission websites should be consulted before students register for and take the tests. |
For information about both tests go to the following websites:
SAT: www.collegeboard.com
ACT: http://www.actstudent.org/index.html
| Financial Aid One of the biggest mistakes a student can make is to assume that they cannot afford the college of their dreams. All universities offer financial aid packages and a variety of sources exist to help students finance their educations. Some of the funds come in the form of grants and scholarships (free money); others come in the form of low cost loans or work study. It pays, literally, to know the options. |
Financial aid in a nutshell:
FAFSA: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
The first step in applying for Financial Aid is to fill out the FAFSA. This is the Federal Student Aid application. It can be filled out online at the website listed above. The FAFSA is filed between January 1 and March 2nd of each year. The application is fairly lengthy and is based on your (or parents) previous year’s tax return. It is the basis of the majority of financial aid awards.
CAL Grants: http://www.calgrants.org/ and http://www.csac.ca.gov/
Cal Grant awards are state funded monetary grants given to students to help pay for college expenses. The awards do not have to be paid back. They are based on financial need and GPA. There are three different Cal Grants. Students need to have filled out the FAFSA before filing for a grant. Our Academic Counselor has the Gal Grant forms and will provide the GPA verification that is required to go along with them. The filing deadline is March 2nd of each year.
Scholarships: Many organizations offer scholarships. Some scholarships are based on achievement in academics; others are based on participation and/or achievement in extracurricular activities such as sports, community involvement, leadership, or affiliation with certain clubs. There are many books and websites available to aid students in locating scholarships. Here are two: www.fastweb.org and www.finaid.org
Additional Recommended College Application Websites:
www.californiacolleges.edu: Provides information and links for applying to Community Colleges and Universities.
www.review.com: The Princeton Review provides information on colleges all across the country including: conducting a college search, applying for and financing an education. The site also has information and resources for testing and a program called Counselor-O-Matic which generates a list of 15 schools that may be a good fit based on a student’s particular portfolio.
www.petersons.com: A comprehensive resource on education and careers. The Peterson’s guide is also available in book format.
www.free-4u.com/minority.htm: information on scholarships for minority students
http://www.bayfoundation.org/page19455.cfm: information on available scholarships offered by Bay Area Community Foundation.
