Myth #1. College Is Too Expensive. I/We Can't Afford

BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE APPLICATION HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS & FAMILIES OF SENIORS CLASS OF 2013

College Board (CEEB) School Code for Berkeley High School: 050290

1980 Allston Way  Berkeley, CA 94704  510-644-6121 1

Attend the BHS College Information Workshops for Parents and Guardians Dates are listed below. In case there are any changes, recheck the dates for these workshops in the College and Career Center Bulletin on the BHS etree.

All workshops will be held 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the BHS library.

Wednesday, September 19 Senior Parent/Guardian College Information Night covers the how-to’s of applying

Wednesday, October 3 Senior Parent/Guardian College Night features representatives from the UC system, CSU system, and private colleges

Wednesday, November 14 Financial Aid Information Night

-end r

Applications due this month for some private and out-of-stateschools. Last test date for UCs and CSUs. Start gathering yea DECEMBER financial info. Some schools have early Jan. deadlines. Advisor’s Bulletin for

details on

for full

Nov. 30. Nov. lletin and the College -

46 ranscript reques t

Finalize essays if not yet Finalize essays if not yet done. NOVEMBER sending test scores when registering for the December tests. Check p. , especially if applying early. early. if applying Attend , especially Secondary School Report and

Attend UC, CSU & Common Application workshops. Give teachers recommendation forms or email them the link at least one month before due date (some want it by Nov. 15), with info about work done in their class. Answer teacher’s preparedrequired. questions,if Early applications due, some as soon as Nov. 1. Turn in OCTOBER OCTOBER application period is Oct. 1 CSU priority UC application online Oct. 1; 1 - 30. submit Nov. forms for non-Common App schools to College and Career Center by Oct. 4 if applying early; Nov. 2 for regular admissions. For CSUs, see p. 35. Not needed for UCs. Continue to listen or read the Daily Bu announcements about various deadlines, scholarship info, etc. Senior Parent College Night (p. 2): Hear college reps. Students: attend college rep visits. still tests Take any you need. reviewed. Expect to do

Determine interview policy and dates for interviews. Sign up.

If not yet done, ask teachers if they will write letters for you. Senior Profile due. Senior Parent College Info Register for needed Start writing. Have essays are finalized. until they revisions several Organize application materials if you haven’t yet done so. Obtain corrections if SEPTEMBER Check Senior Calendar in Student Workbook. Night (p. 2): How-to’s of applying. Students: attend college rep visits. SAT/ACT tests. needed. Make sure it gets transcripts done before are sent out. (Private colleges only) Review the FAFSA and obtain two PINs, one for a parent and one for the student. If applying to private colleges, find out if CSS PROFILE needed, and register. Make a list of deadlines for each school you are applying to Financial Aid Information Night in Nov. (p. 2).

-taking plan. Figure out test requirements t

SUMMER Work on Senior Profile. Talk to relatives, neighbors, friends, teachers, coaches. Visit colleges. Attend college fairs. Decide if you will seek early admission. (See pp. 27.)25 - Develop tes for colleges you’re interested in. Start thinking about college application essays. Review transcript through junior year for accuracy and completeness. Consult detailed timeline - on pp. 68 69.

College Application Timeline 2012-2013 PREPARATION (pp. 28 - 32) COLLEGES: CHOOSING INFO RESEARCH AND GATHERING (Ch. 2) COLLEGE ENTRANCE TESTS (Ch. 10) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (p. 38 - 40) Private colleges only ESSAYS COLLEGE (Ch. 11) APPLICATIONS (pp. 33 - 42) TRANSCRIPTS (pp. 31, 33, 35, 40- 41) INTERVIEWS (p. 41) FINANCIAL AID (Chs. 12 & 13) JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE

LETTERS OF Write thank-you notes to teachers who

RECOMMENDATION have written you recommendation letters. Statement of Intent to Most decision letters sent Register must be sent to by April 1. If no letter by college you plan to attend Many private colleges have January 1 or 15 April 10, contact College by MAY 1 (postmark or APPLICATIONS regular application deadlines. Some have Advisor. See Ch. 17 re How online, depending on February deadlines. to Resolve April Admissions school). Remember, you Dilemmas. can send the Statement to one school ONLY. Turn in request form to If needed, turn in Midyear request forms June 3 – last Registrar in D173 to send and transcript request forms to Registrar in day to turn in TRANSCRIPTS final transcript to college D173. (Sent automatically to Common transcript you will be attending App schools only.) See p. 41. request form. (including UCs). Submit FAFSA no earlier For Cal Grants, If estimated numbers were than Jan. 1. Submit CSS submit supplied on FAFSA or CSS PROFILE if needed. Many Release Form PROFILE, make corrections schools want FAFSA to Registrar in with final figures and send FINANCIAL AID and/or CSS PROFILE by D173 by Feb. to each school. Feb. 1. 1. See Ch. 17 re How to Attend hands-on workshops for help in Compare Financial Aid and completing the FAFSA. Scholarship Offers. POST-APPLICATION Complete your planned courses and keep thos ADVICE even after acceptance.

e grades up through senior

year. Failure to do so co

uld reverse your admission, Table of Contents

College Application Timeline ...... i 1. Introduction ...... 1 2. Choosing Colleges ...... 5 The Nine Basic Questions ...... 5 Gathering Information ...... 6 How Many Colleges Should Your Student Apply To? ...... 8 Important Reminders ...... 8 Tips from Parents on Choosing Colleges ...... 9 3. Higher Education Systems in California ...... 11 Comparing the Four California Segments ...... 12 Naming Rules—and Exceptions ...... 13 4. Choosing to Attend a Community College ...... 15 5. Overview of Course Requirements ...... 18 Sample Minimum College Admission Requirements (chart) ...... 20 6. Questions about Grade Point Average (GPA) ...... 21 Calculating My Student’s GPA ...... 21 The UC and CSU GPA ...... 22 Other Questions about the GPA ...... 23 7. Types of College Admission …………………………………………………………25 8. Beginning the College Application Process ...... 28 Tips from Parents on the Application Process ...... 31 9. The How-To’s of Applying to College ...... 33 How to Apply to California State University Campuses ...... 34 How to Apply to University of California Campuses ...... 36 How to Apply to California Community Colleges ...... 37 How to Apply to Public Colleges and Universities in Other States ...... 37 How to Apply to Private Colleges ...... 37 10. SAT and ACT Tests ...... 43 The SAT and the ACT ...... 44 Registering...... 46 SAT Subject Tests ...... 47 Test Dates ...... 48 11. Writing the College Application Essay ...... 49 Preliminary Considerations ...... 50 15 Specific Pieces of Advice ...... 50 Common App Essays ...... 51 UC Essays ...... 52

5 iii 12. Introduction to College Costs and Financial Aid ...... 54 How Much Does it Cost to Go to College? ...... 55 How Much Will our Family Need to Pay? ...... 56 Additional Questions about Paying for College ...... 59 What Types of Financial Aid Are Available? ...... 60 Tips from Parents ...... 63 13. Applying for Financial Aid Step by Step ...... 65 Financial Aid Timeline ...... 68 14. Intercollegiate Sports ...... 70 How To Be Certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center ...... 71 Other Important Steps ...... 71 15. Visual and Performing Arts …………………………………………………………. 73 16. If Your Student has a Physical or Learning Disability ...... 76 17. April Advice for Seniors and Their Parents ...... 81 What to Do If Your Student Hasn’t Heard From One (or More) Colleges ...... 81 What to Do If Your Student Didn’t Get Into His or Her First Choice, Got Wait Listed, or Got Deferred, and Still Wants to Try to Get In ...... 82 What to Do If Your Student Got Into More Than One College that He or She Really Likes . 83 What to Do If Your Student Didn’t Get in Anywhere ...... 83 How to Compare Financial Aid/Scholarship Offers ...... 84 Important Education Tax Credits or Deductions ...... 86 Tips from Parents ...... 86 18. When Your Child Goes Off to College ...... 88 19. Resources ...... 91

Appendix A: Historically Black Colleges and Universities ...... 96 Appendix B: For Those Who Want More Detailed Information about Financial Aid ... 98

Afterword ...... 102 Index ...... 103 Acknowledgments ...... 104

Copyright  2000-2012 by Sally Adams, Jahlee Arakaki, Annette Blackman, Kathy Burns, Frances Cohen, Victoria Elliott, Lynne Fingerman, Hope Friedman, Abby Ginzberg, Nancy Halloran, Sandy Horwich, Hilary Hoynes, Jill Israel, Nancy Koerner, Bob Laird, Kathy Lee, Kaki Logan, Randi Roberts, Nina Robinson, Dianne Ruyffelaere, Elizabeth Tolero, and Betsy Wahl. Contents cannot be reprinted without permission (contact Frances Cohen at [email protected]). iv

1. Introduction

This chapter introduces you to the college application process:

Using the services of the College Advisor and the College and Career Center

Common myths and misconceptions

Thinking about college—where do you begin?

Welcome to The College Application Handbook for Parents and Families of Seniors.

This is the thirteenth edition of the Handbook, written by a group of Berkeley High parents and graduates with expertise or experience in the college application process.

The Handbook is designed to:

 Make the college application and admission process as easy to understand as possible,

 Reduce the anxiety of families and students who may put too much pressure on themselves during this process, and

 Point you to the best possible information in publications, electronic sources, and our own direct experience.

For families approaching this process for the first time, it may seem overwhelming. Good planning and research will make this process more manageable. With a bit of planning, the support of the College and Career Center, and by paying attention to the series of important deadlines, you can learn what you need to do.

Berkeley High is fortunate to have two outstanding College Advisors, Angela Price and Skyler Barton.

Using the services of the College Advisor and the College and Career Center

In the fall the College Advisors:  Present to senior classes the college application procedures and provide students with a workbook and additional handouts to make the application process clearer.  Provide seniors with instructions to access the “Career Locker,” a resource website for BHS students to help with career exploration, college planning, or test preparation.  Hold additional workshops for students including early action/early decision procedures, writing the college application essay, filling out college applications, and applying for financial aid.  Schedule presentations with college representatives who come to Berkeley High.  Offer informational evening presentations for parents/guardians. • Senior Parent/Guardian College Information Night (Wednesday, September 19 at 6:30 pm in BHS Library) covers the how-to’s of applying. • Senior Parent/Guardian College Night (Wednesday, October 3 at 6:30 pm in BHS Library) features representatives from the UC system, CSU system, community colleges, and private colleges. • Financial Aid Information Night (Wednesday, November 14 at 6:30 pm in BHS Library)

All meetings and workshops are publicized in the College and Career Center Bulletin and listed on the Berkeley High e-tree. (To sign up for the e-tree, send a blank email to [email protected] and type only one word in the subject line: subscribe.) Meeting dates may change; so double-check.

The College and Career Center has an excellent collection of books that students may check out, as well as course catalogs from many colleges in the U.S. and internationally. It also has SAT and ACT booklets and registration forms and scholarship applications.

The College and Career Center website (from http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net, click on “Resources,” then on “College Career Center”) contains useful information. By mid-September it will have a pdf of this Class of 2013 College Application Handbook. If you don’t have access to a computer at home or work, you can use free computers at the Berkeley public libraries and at the College and Career Center.

Seniors with questions can drop in at lunchtime or after school to see Angela or Skyler. Both parents and students with questions are welcome to email or call Angela ([email protected]; 644-6804) or Skyler ([email protected]; 644-4576). Because of their heavy workload (800+ seniors), however, they can schedule only one formal appointment for each senior (either with or without parents) in the fall.

Common myths and misconceptions

Myth #1. College is too expensive. I/we can’t afford it. Generous financial aid programs can make college more affordable to every family. Community colleges may be a more affordable college choice.

The truth is that your student can’t afford not to continue his or her education after high school. A college education is the best preparation possible for the rapidly changing job market and economy

2 that we face over the next 50 years. A strong education will enable students to learn the skills that may be needed 20 years from now for a job that hasn’t even been invented yet.

Here is an amazing statistic: A college graduate will earn over $1,000,000 more than a non-college graduate over his or her lifetime. Perhaps more important, a college education can open new worlds of ideas and interests and instill a confidence that enables your student to move comfortably through a wide range of experiences and circumstances.

Myth #2. Only people with excellent grades and high test scores get into college. Colleges consider not only the courses students have taken and the grades they’ve earned, but also who they are as people and what they’ve accomplished.

Most colleges look at grades and test scores as part of a much larger picture. They also consider the person’s particular set of circumstances (“Is English this student’s first language?” “Did this student’s parents graduate from college?” “Does this student have a disability?”), and they compare the student’s test scores with their courses and grades over time. Community colleges do not require SAT or ACT tests or a particular grade point average (GPA).

It’s important not to let fears about test scores and grades keep students from applying to colleges in which they are truly interested. Chapter 10 discusses college entrance tests, and suggestions for preparing for them. The website www.fairtest.org gives you a list of colleges that don’t require the SAT or ACT.

Myth #3. Community colleges are second-rate colleges. Community college can provide the first two years of a college education more affordably than any four-year college. Community colleges also offer Associate (2-year) degrees and specialized career tracks in a variety of fields. Four-year colleges value transfer students from community colleges, and their data show that these students do very well academically after transfer. The pros and cons of community colleges are discussed in Chapter 4.

Thinking about college—where do you begin?

1. Talk to your student. What are his or her thoughts about life after high school, his or her interests and dreams? Is your student considering college? Why or why not?

2. Discuss what type of college he or she would like to attend. You could read through Chapter 2 of this Handbook (“Choosing Colleges”) together to help in your discussion.

3. Ask your student what he or she is interested in studying in college. Colleges differ in which programs and majors they offer (for example, engineering, classics, film).

4. Suggest that your student talk to friends and relatives who are in college. Teachers and counselors are also good sources of information about college. Students should discuss which colleges are within their reach academically.

5. Talk with your student about the different steps of the process of applying (see Chapters 8 and 9) and application strategies. Allow your student to take charge of the process but offer to help if needed, such as with remembering important deadlines.

6. Have a family conversation about the cost of attending college and how much your family can afford.

7. Investigate financial aid. You might be surprised at the number of financial aid opportunities available, even for community colleges (see Chapter 12). Attend the Financial Aid Information Night (see page 2) to find out the process (Chapter 13). At the end of the calendar year 2012 begin to get the financial information ready to fill out the FAFSA.

The Gap Year The “gap year”—taking a year off between high school and college—is an option for some students who use the time to explore interests, travel abroad, or get work experience. The recommended way to prepare for a gap year is to apply to college and negotiate a one-year deferment after acceptance. Many colleges will agree to this deferment of admission because they recognize that a student may need a break after four years of rigorous academic work. However, note that the UCs, CSUs, and some out-of-state public universities don’t grant deferments and require reapplication the following year.

Tips

“Our family found it helpful to have a weekly check-in with our daughter about the progress on college applications. That saved a lot of agony the rest of the week.”

When each of my sons was a senior at BHS, I opened up a joint checking account and credit card account with him. I felt that it was crucial for my children to learn how to balance their checking account, how to budget, how to avoid overspending, and how not to exceed their credit limit…. Credit cards are essential in case of emergencies—car problems and plane ticket crises, to name a few. I also wanted my sons to understand that they had to pay off their credit card amounts every month….

It is really important for students to understand how to spend—and not spend—money when they leave home. Like many people, I thought that the largest debt students incurred in college was from student loans, only to find out that it is credit card debt. You can do your children an enormous favor if you help them set priorities and limits for themselves. If you’re like me, you’ve overindulged your children, and showing them that they can’t have everything isn’t easy. It is, however, an invaluable lesson. Why not open up an account and work with them now before they go to college. — Rory Bled, former Vice-Principal and former College Advisor, BHS

2. Choosing Colleges

This chapter offers suggestions for sorting through the many colleges students can choose from. You’ ll find information on

The nine basic questions

Gathering information

How many colleges should your student apply to?

Important reminders

Tips from parents on choosing colleges

The Nine Basic Questions

Answering the questions below will help guide your student’s college research. The College and Career Center has an excellent worksheet to help students identify important factors to consider in choosing a college.

1. What kind of colleges and universities are realistic, given your student’s academic record and personal strengths? (Two-year colleges? Four-year colleges? Selective colleges?)

2. How close or how far away from home does your student want to be?

3. What size college will work best for your student?

4. How important is cost?

5. Does your student want an urban, suburban, or rural setting? 5

6. How important to your student is the prestige/academic reputation of the college?

7. Is your student interested in single-gender, Historically Black, Hispanic-serving, or religion-based colleges?

8. What qualities does your student want in a college (for example, a reputation of being academically-focused, technologically-oriented, or having nationally-recognized sports teams)?

9. If your student already knows what he or she wants to study, which colleges offer that major? • Find out if your student would be admitted directly to that major (for example, nursing, engineering, theater) or if there will be an application to that major, additional screening steps, or obstacles after your student has enrolled. • Are there important differences in what is required for this major among the colleges your student is considering? (College websites can be helpful here.) • Be aware that some colleges may have unfamiliar names for common majors.

If your student doesn’t know what he or she wants to study, that’s OK. Almost all colleges encourage Undecided or Undeclared applicants, and many students change their majors once enrolled. In fact, the most common major for college freshmen is “Undeclared.”

Gathering Information

1. Check the College and Career Center Bulletin on the etree.

2. Consult printed guides. Many parents recommend The Fiske Guide to Colleges as a good place to start. The College Advisors recommend College Board’s College Handbook 2013, which gives facts about every accredited college in the United States. Note that some guides charge colleges to be included in the guide or to have a special section in the guide (such as The Princeton Review’s Complete Book of Colleges, Peterson’s College & University Almanac, Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges, and Peterson’s Competitive Colleges). Refer to the Resources chapter (Chapter 19) for a list of other college guides that have been recommended.

3. Explore individual college websites but be skeptical. Individual college websites can be great sources of information—but they are also marketing tools designed to get students to apply to that college and, if they do apply and are admitted, to get them to enroll. Other websites that claim to give insider information about admission can be misleading or unreliable.

4. Look at the website of the College and Career Center. Go to http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net, click on “Resources, then on “College Career Center” to check out resources on the website.

5. Explore other college-related websites. Some useful ones are: www.californiacollege.edu (contains information about all California colleges--using their Undergraduate Student-Campus Matching Assistant you can search for majors, distance, and other characteristics); www.collegeboard.org (contains admission requirements, cost of attendance and other details about each college; allows you to compare different ones);

6 http://www.ucan-network.org (gives a simplified visual picture of basic facts about each college and has links that take you directly to sections of the college website, such as student housing); www.collegeresultsonline.org and http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator (provide graduation rates and other key information about colleges and allow you to compare different ones); www.cacareerzone.com (information on colleges, interests and choosing a career field); www.eligibilitycenter.org (The NCAA eligibility center website provides details about college recruitment, eligibility, and amateur certification and links to the NCAA’s Guide for the College- Bound Student-Athlete).

6. Have your senior student attend presentations by college representatives. Many colleges send representatives to the Bay Area to present information about their school. By attending, your student shows interest, which is noted by the colleges. Seniors need to check the College and Career Center Bulletin for times and dates. Students must sign up and get their teacher’s permission to miss class to attend the presentation. Students may only attend 10 presentations, so they should choose carefully.

7. Seniors should set up an appointment with their College Advisor or drop in to see him or her at lunch or after school. Students can get feedback on their college list, get ideas of additional schools, and make sure that they have included schools where they will be happy and likely to be admitted.

8. Visit colleges.  You can visit a variety of colleges (small, large, public, private) in the Bay Area to see what each type is like.  If visiting colleges, try to do so when classes are in session and students are there.  Ask hard questions. (Not “What’s the student/faculty ratio?” but “What percentage of freshman classes/discussion sections enroll 25 or fewer students?” Not “Do you have financial aid?” but “What is the average total loan indebtedness at graduation?”)

Where can we find more information about Historically Black Colleges and Universities?

Appendix A lists well-known black universities and provides a brief description of each school. A more comprehensive and complete list can be found at www.hbcuconnect.com.

You can also search for HBCUs by majors offered, location, size, etc. at www.hbcumentor.org. Some schools will accept the Black College Common Application

(at www.eduinconline.com). This website also has scholarship information.

There will be a Black College Expo and Scholarship Contest in January or February 2013; watch for an announcement on the e-tree.

Where can we find information about Hispanic-serving colleges and universities? There is a list of Hispanic-serving colleges at www.hacu.net.

Get organized Here are some simple suggestions to help your student organize the information he or she has gathered:

 Your student should get a calendar and fill in all the important deadlines.

 Keep all the college information together in a crate or box (or if it’s more convenient, in electronic files). This box can contain your student’s SAT/ACT scores, transcript, and a copy of all applications along with a checklist of what documents each school requires.

 Put this Handbook in a handy place for easy reference.

 Keep a separate file for each college your student is interested in.

How Many Colleges Should Your Student Apply To?

If your student plans to attend a two-year or community college, you may feel comfortable in his or her registering at only one college, but check first to see if the community college offers the courses or program your student wants. See Chapter 4.

If your student plans to attend a four-year college, he or she could consider applying to between five and ten colleges if your budget permits. Colleges charge an application fee ($40 to $70 per college), and testing agencies charge fees for sending test scores to each school. The College Advisors will help your student develop a list of colleges that might work for him or her. This list should include both “reach” schools and “safe bet” schools. A “reach” school is one that your student would very much like to attend but realizes that the chances of getting accepted are slim. A “safe bet” school is one that your student would like to attend and is confident in the chances of getting accepted. To figure out if a college is a “safe bet” school for your student, visit the college’s website to determine expected GPAs and test scores, or consult a good college guide. If your student applies to colleges with very low acceptance rates, be realistic about the chances of admission. Yale, for example, admitted only 6.8% of applicants applying in fall 2011.

Also pick at least one “financial safe bet school,” that is, a college that you are certain your student will get in, that your family can afford even if you do not get significant financial aid, and that your student is willing to attend.

Important Reminders

• Your student—not his or her parents or friends—must choose the right college.

• Search widely. Broadening the search to include some of the small liberal arts colleges or public colleges can increase students’ chances of finding what they want in a college. Remember it’s not as important where they go to college as what they do once they get there.

• Because a college sends your student information does not mean that the college really wants the student or that he or she will be admitted. Colleges buy the names and addresses of students from the testing companies and send out information to a broad list. The brochures can be very helpful, but they (and anything else a college may send out) are also marketing tools.

8 • Trying to manipulate the system is risky and every year some students outsmart themselves. For example, students applying to UC Berkeley who really want electrical engineering might put down a non-engineering major as their intended major, thinking that they will switch into electrical engineering once they have enrolled at Berkeley. Many of these students are never able to make that switch and then have to either decide on another major at Berkeley or transfer to a college or university where they can get electrical engineering.

Cautions for students about online information If you have any questions about using online resources, contact the College and Career Center at BHS.

1. Some information on blogs or in chat rooms might be inaccurate. Do not assume that everything that you read or hear in chat rooms or on blogs is true.

2. Social network sites can be accessed by colleges or scholarship programs. Inappropriate material on a student’s personal site may hurt his or her chances for acceptance or scholarships. Be careful about what you put on your social network sites.

3. Some colleges may publicize your address to show where their students are coming from, which will result in a loss of privacy. Check with colleges about granting permission to list your address, and do not grant permission unless you want this information broadcast widely.

4. Colleges occasionally send out e-mails in error. Always double-check information you see online via email follow-up.

Tips from Parents on Choosing Colleges The following tips and reflections are from parents who have gone through the college application process. These excerpts show that different strategies may work for different families, that students change and grow over the senior year, and that there are different pathways to success.

Listen “I really think that parents need to LISTEN to their kid. Don’t push them into choosing the college YOU want if that’s not the one THEY really want.”

Pick some safe bet schools that reflect the same priorities as the reach schools “If a child wants a particular kind of school (such as a small liberal arts college), then all the safeties (safe bets) should not be large universities. At least some of the backups should be small liberal arts colleges.”

Consider some schools that are different “Have your student apply to one or two schools that don’t fit the profile the student thinks he or she wants. In the fall my daughter was very enthusiastic about two small liberal arts colleges but completely uninterested in them by April. In the fall she was disgusted with BHS’ size and bureaucracy; by the spring, she thought she would feel suffocated in a small school in a small town! In the end she chose a school which definitely was not her first choice when she began the application process.”

Think beyond the Ivy League “Some very good students (with very high GPAs and SAT scores) were rejected by all the Ivy League schools they applied to. However, we learned that for the excellent student there is definitely life and LOTS of merit scholarship money to be had in many other private colleges and universities.”

What helped the most in choosing colleges “1) Starting early, and 2) Spending the night at her top choices. She found that just getting the Admissions Office tour did not give a true picture of campus life. Some places that looked great on a tour proved not to be so hot once she spent the night and got the real flavor of the student body and what was going on on campus. Large state schools won’t arrange these visits for you, so you have to get a referral from friends to an actual student to contact for help in making an overnight visit. It is definitely worth it!”

Visit schools after admission “Most schools have special events for admitted students, either on their campuses or in our local area. These were especially useful in helping my daughter make up her mind.”

Looking for a lower-cost, out-of-state college? “California residents are eligible for reduced tuition rates (150% of the resident rate) at some out-of- state public colleges and universities as part of the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). See http://wiche.edu/wue for details. Look carefully to see if the listed college accepts California students under the reduced-rate program (not all do), and if specific ACT/SAT test scores or GPA minimums are required. Those that offer a reduced tuition rate include the University of Northern Colorado and Western Oregon University. Contact the school’s admission office before you send in your application for advice on how to apply for the WUE discounted rate.”

Interested in performing arts programs? “There are performing arts programs at many of the UCs and CSUs that aren’t highly advertised and require auditions. Preparing for these auditions long before applications are due is important. It was only because someone told me about such programs that I inquired. Even then, it wasn’t easy to find out about the programs.”

Consider Canadian universities “Canadian universities are often eager for foreign students (including those from the United States) and they are fascinating, good, affordable, diverse, and altogether worth looking at with some care. We were quite taken with the University of British Columbia. The book Guide to College in Canada for American Students, by Nancy Vis, is very helpful for those interested.”

Recommended book “I think every senior parent should read Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years, by Karen L. Coburn and Madge L. Treeger (HarperCollins Publishers, 2009).”

3. Higher Education Systems in California

Comparing the four California segments

Naming rules—and exceptions

Of the four types of colleges and universities in California, three of these are public—that is, they are supported by public tax dollars: • The California community colleges • The California State University (CSU) system • The University of California (UC) system

During the fall of 2012, stay informed about how state of California budget revisions will affect California public colleges and universities. The UC, CSU and community college systems have reduced the number of students they accept. In this environment it’s particularly important that your student meet all application deadlines, fill out the application completely, and routinely check his or her email for updates. Note also that faculty layoffs and cuts in the number of courses may make it difficult for a student to complete required courses and graduate in four years. Depending on the November election tax measure results, UCs and CSUs may have to increase tuition mid-year.

The fourth group is the private colleges and universities, also sometimes called “independent” colleges and universities. The independent colleges are not a system. Each establishes its own admission requirements, admission policy, and application procedures.

These four segments of California higher education differ in two major ways.

1. Admission policy. California’s Master Plan for Higher Education defines the percent of the state’s high school graduates that each of the public systems will accept. The University of California, for example, has admission requirements that are designed to admit the top 12.5% of the state’s high school graduates. The California State University system accepts the top 33.33%. California community colleges, on the other hand, have an open enrollment policy, and anyone who is a high school graduate, or has passed the GED, or is 18 years of age may attend. Independent colleges and universities do not set admission policies in the same way that the public schools do, and they vary in their degree of selectivity. The most competitive independent colleges—for example, Stanford and the California Institute of Technology—are highly selective, while other independents admit a much larger percentage of their applicants.

2. Cost. The California community colleges receive the most financial support from the state and are fairly low cost to attend. The California State University system also receives a lot of state funding, though not as much as the community colleges do. The UC system has the lowest percentage of public funding, so its fees are more than double those of the CSU system. The independent colleges and universities receive no public funding but can use their endowments to provide substantial need-based or merit-based financial aid. The annual tuition/fees listed in the following table are current as of July 19, 2012. Although the system-wide fees are standard for the CSU and UC systems, the total cost of attendance at individual campuses within a system varies because of differences in campus-specific fees and room and board charges. For example, the estimated cost of attendance (excluding transportation) for a UC student living on campus for 2012–2013 ranges from $28,691 at UC Irvine to $32,607 at UC Santa Cruz. Transportation costs would add another $684 to $962 per year.

Comparing the Four California Segments

Number of Admission Annual Tuition/Fees ** 1 Campuses Policy (State Residents)

2 California Community Colleges 112 100% $ 1,380 California State University 23 top 33.33% $ 5,4723 4 University of California 10 top 12.5% $12,192 Independents 76 varies $31,000-$45,000

NOTE: The “Tuition/Fees” column covers fees or tuition only. The annual cost of attendance also includes room/food, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

1 The percent of the state’s high school graduates eligible for admission. For UC, the top 9% of the students in each California public high school and the top 9% statewide who complete the basic UC admission requirements are guaranteed admission to at least one campus (see UC admission website for details). 2 Based on 15 units per semester. Excludes supplemental fees of approximately $100 per semester. 3 Excludes other supplemental fees, which vary from campus to campus and which will total close to $1,000 each semester. 4 Excludes health insurance fee and other supplemental fees, which vary from campus to campus and which may total more than $1,000 each semester.

12 Naming Rules—and Exceptions: How to Determine Which College Belongs to Which System

California Community Colleges Most California community colleges originally called themselves “junior colleges;” later some switched to “city college” or “community college” instead. Now most community colleges use only the word “college” in their official names. Some examples include:

 College of Marin  Los Angeles Trade Technical College  Palomar College  Santa Monica College

However, some still use “city,” “community,” or “junior” in their names:

 City College of San Francisco  Berkeley City College  Glendale Community College  Santa Rosa Junior College

California State Universities (CSU) In general, the names of these schools begin with “California State University,” followed by the city where the campus is located. For example, California State University San Marcos, California State University Bakersfield. The school may be called “Cal State_____” or “CSU_____” for short. California State University Los Angeles could be called “Cal State LA” or “CSU Los Angeles” or “CSULA.”

With other long-established campuses, the city name is followed by “State University”:  Fresno State University  San Diego State University (or Fresno State)  San Francisco State University  San Jose State University

Some are quite different:  California State Polytechnic  Humboldt State University University at San Luis Obispo (named for its county)  California Maritime Academy  California State University East Bay  California State Polytechnic (formerly Hayward State) University at Pomona

…but all of these schools are part of the CSU system.

University of California These all begin with “University of California” in their official names (usually abbreviated “UC”) followed by the name of the city where—or near where—they are located:  UC Berkeley  UC Los Angeles  UC San Diego (or “Berkeley” or “Cal”) (UCLA)  UC Santa Barbara  UC Davis  UC Merced  UC Santa Cruz  UC Irvine  UC Riverside

NOTE: UC San Francisco is a graduate health sciences campus and, in general, does not admit undergraduates.

California Independent Colleges and Universities You can tell the independent colleges and universities because they do not say “City College,” “CSU,” or “UC” in their titles. Some examples are:  University of Redlands  Stanford University  Pitzer College  University of the Pacific  Pepperdine University  Mills College  University of Southern  Loyola Marymount University  Whittier College California

San Diego and San Francisco institutions are particularly confusing. To clarify, look for the words “city college,” “state,” or “UC” to tell you to which system it belongs.

Community College: San Diego City College City College of San Francisco State University: San Diego State San Francisco State University of California: UC San Diego UC San Francisco Independent: University of San Diego University of San Francisco

See Chapter 19, “Resources,” for websites for California public colleges.

4. Choosing to Attend a Community College

Benefits of community colleges

Limitations of community colleges

Factors to consider

Career schools compared to community colleges

Going to a community college instead of a four-year college can be the right choice for some students. Community college can serve as a bridge between high school and a four-year college and also provide specialized training programs that prepare students to go into the job market.

Benefits of community colleges Community colleges are relatively inexpensive. Tuition/fees for the 2012-2013 academic year will average around $1,380. There will be additional costs for books, room, board, and personal expenses, such as entertainment and transportation. If the student lives at home or with family, room and food can be cheaper than if the student lives away from home. Financial aid is available and awards are higher for full-time students.

Besides the lower costs, students may benefit from community colleges’ smaller classes, easier access to instructors, and classes that are offered at different times of day, making it easier to work or pursue other interests while going to college. Some community colleges offer honors programs. Some classes are offered online.

Students of all ages, from all over the world, and with different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds attend community colleges. They tend to be commuter colleges, however, so there are 15 often fewer student activities and less of a sense of student life on campus. Going to a community college requires more self-motivation. Nine California community colleges have dorms.

Limitations of community colleges There may be downsides to choosing a community college over a four-year college.  A particular community college may not offer all the courses a student might want or need in order to transfer to the UC system or complete prerequisites for a particular major.  Because of the continuing severe budget crisis, California community colleges will receive decreased funding over the next two years, and are projecting a drop in faculty and classes offered. To try to avoid getting shut out of classes they want, students will need to sign up for classes early and attend each of the first few class meetings.  Because most community colleges do not have endowed scholarships or extra college fund sources to devote to financial aid, there are fewer sources of financial aid.  Research opportunities and research jobs are limited.

Factors to consider Choose a community college as carefully as you would a four-year college. Consider course offerings, transfer programs and counseling services, proximity to the university you might want to transfer to, and housing options. To find out which California community colleges have dorms, go to www.cccco.edu. At the top click on “Community Colleges,” then on “College Housing.”

With careful planning a student can complete 60 semester or 90 quarter units of core requirements at a community college and transfer as a junior to a UC, CSU, or four-year private college. California’s public universities (CSU and UC) give preference to transfer applicants from California community colleges, and some public and private four-year colleges offer transfer guarantee programs. CSUs may give preference to community college students who were enrolled in honors programs. Check the individual UC websites to see if that UC has a preferential relationship with certain community colleges and/or if it offers a transfer guarantee program and what it requires.

Transfer to some UC campuses, especially Berkeley and UCLA, can be very competitive, especially in fields such as business administration, engineering, and computer science. Overall, Berkeley admitted 27.3% of its fall 2008 transfer applicants. The UC Berkeley business and engineering programs were even more competitive than that. Other UCs admit 40-70% of community college transfers.

Career training at community colleges Numerous careers that can lead to well-paying jobs require only an Associate Degree (2–3 years of college) or a certificate. These include airline mechanic, automobile service technician, broadcast engineer, carpenter, chef, dental assistant or hygienist, court reporter, graphic designer, paralegal, nurse, webmaster, and medical assistant.

Not every community college offers every specialized program. To find which offers the program your student wants, go to www.cccco.edu and click on “Tools for Students.” In the “Find a College” box, on the “By Academic Program” line, enter the program key word (such as “culinary”).

To learn more about jobs that require only an Associate Degree or certificate, consult Great Careers in 2 Years, 2nd Edition: The Associate Degree Option—High-Skill and High-Wage Jobs Available Through Two Year Programs, by Paul Phifer. The book has job descriptions, the professional and personal requirements for each job, information on how to get started in a profession, earnings, the job

16 outlook, and professional organizations in each field. Also, check bookstores for other books on this topic.

You might suggest that your student talk with someone in the field before signing up for a career- linked program. Many professionals are willing to talk with a student interested in that career.

Career schools compared to community college programs Career schools are for-profit schools (like Heald College and ITT Tech). They also offer job-preparation programs but you should compare their programs to those offered at a community college.

 Cost. Some career school programs cost tens of thousands of dollars; the same courses

cost much less at a community college.

 Student loans. Beware of taking out large loans. If you don’t get a job after graduation, you will still have to pay off your student loans. The federal government is cracking down on career schools with high student loan default rates and in the future may not allow such schools to offer federal student loans. The government sees high default rates as a sign that the institution did not prepare students for a job by which they could repay their loan.

 Cal Grant program. The June 2012 state budget will deny Cal Grants to students if the college they want to attend had a graduation rate of lower than 30% or a three-year cohort student loan default rate that exceeded 15.5%. A three-year default means that the college’s borrowers are not making loan payments three years after leaving school. Almost all for-profit career colleges in California (including Heald and ITT) will exceed the cutoff rates, so students will no longer be eligible for Cal Grants at these schools.

 Accreditation. Check to confirm if the career school is accredited. Unaccredited schools cannot provide federal student aid, some employers may not recognize the degree awarded, and credits earned may not transfer to a four-year college or university.

A Final Note

Students should not make the mistake of blowing off high school just because they know that they are going to attend a community college. If students do poorly in high school or do not take challenging courses, they may have to take a year or longer in community college to make up that work before they can begin to take courses that will count for transfer. As a result, they may have to spend three or more years at a community college before transferring.

5. Overview of Course Requirements

In this chapter you’ll find answers to the following questions:

What classes does my student need to take to get into college?

Any alternatives for students with non-traditional course backgrounds?

Additionally, we’ve included a helpful chart

Sample minimum college admission requirements

What classes does my student need to take to get into college? Most four-year colleges require that students complete a set of required college preparatory courses (for example, four years of English). These college preparatory courses have a “P” after the course name in the BHS catalog. To determine if your student has taken these classes, look for the courses designated “(P)” on his or her transcript. If you can’t find the copy of your student’s transcript, you can get an unofficial transcript from your student’s academic counselor. Official transcripts can be requested from the Registrar, Barbara Mellion, in D173 by filling out a blue transcript form, which the parent has to sign if the student is not yet 18, and attaching a stamped, self-addressed envelope (if you want it mailed to you instead of picking it up). You will need your student’s Berkeley High ID number for the form.

The UC and CSU systems require a specific pattern of courses for admission called the “a-g requirements” (for more detail, see the requirements list on the University of California website). These requirements are also listed in the BHS Course Catalog and in the BHS Organizer. All students at BHS are required to complete the “a–g” requirements. New UC admission guidelines also allow

18 students to meet some “a–g” requirements by completing college courses or by earning certain scores on SAT Subject Tests or AP or IB exams. See the UC admissions website for details.

Berkeley High School’s approved list of college preparatory (P) classes is on file with the UC system. The list is updated during the school year and may not reflect recent additions. You can check the UC-approved course list online at: https://doorways.ucop.edu/list. Type in “Berkeley High School” and click on the school name when it appears. The list of courses approved for 2012-2013 will appear. Since the awarding of “P” status can change from year to year, be sure to check the status for the year your child has taken/is taking the course (click on earlier years to check).

What courses do other colleges require for admission? These requirements vary from college to college, and a few do not have a specific list of required courses. The table on the next page summarizes the course requirements for different colleges. This sampling gives an idea of the range of college course requirements. Also, the chart lists the minimum requirements for admission. However, it generally strengthens a student’s application to take additional solid academic courses beyond the minimum listed, and most selective colleges expect you to do so.

Please check each college’s website because requirements may change.

Any Alternatives for Students with Non-Traditional Course Backgrounds?

Is there a way to be eligible for the UC system without taking the specific course pattern listed in the catalog? Yes. Students can meet minimum eligibility standards for admission by earning very high scores on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test and on two SAT Subject Tests. In the past only a very small percentage of students met minimum eligibility based on examinations only. For more detail see www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman, then on the left click on “Admission requirements” and then on “Admission by exam.”

My student refuses to take all the required college courses. Can he still get into college? Meet with your student’s College Advisor to discuss the options available. Certain colleges are more open to accepting students with non-traditional backgrounds; the College Advisor can help you to determine which may be suitable for your student. Also, community colleges do not require a set list of high school courses.

Sample Minimum College Admission Requirements (Note: Many colleges expect students to go beyond the minimum) Only “P” (college preparatory) classes are accepted to fulfill requirements listed below

Required Number of years required for each subject tests

Colleges

English Lab Science Math Social Science/ History Fine/Performing Arts Electives Number of SAT Subject Tests Required World Language Test/ACT SAT Reasoning

Arizona State University1 4 3 4 2 2 1 X

Bates College 4 2 3 3 2-4

2 3 Brown University 4 3 3 2 3 1 X 2 California Community Colleges High school graduation or equivalent required.

California State University 4 2 3 2 2 1 14 X5 “a-g” requirements “b” “d” “c” “a” “e” “f” “g”

Columbia University 4 3-4 3-4 3-4 3-4 X 2

Georgetown University6 4 1 2 2 2 X

7 Howard University 4 2 2 2 2 X University of California 4 2 3 2 2 1 18 X

University of Oregon 4 2 3 3 2 X U. of Wisconsin, Madison 4 3 3 3 2 29 X

1. Arizona State University: Some course or test requirements can be waived depending on a student’s GPA or SAT/ACT scores. 2. One can be a non-laboratory science course. 3. Brown does not require any SAT Subject Tests if the student takes the ACT Plus Writing. 4. University of California and Cal State University also require one year of electives, which can be composed of additional visual and performing arts, history/social science, English, advanced math, laboratory science, or foreign language. 5. At some CSUs, the SAT/ACT is optional if the GPA is 3.0 or higher. 6. Georgetown has additional high school course requirements for students planning a major in math/science, nursing, business, or language/foreign service. 7. There are different admission requirements for each undergraduate school. Also, Howard University has a guaranteed admission program for students graduating from high school with at least a 3.0 GPA and minimum required scores on the SAT or ACT. Check with the specific program. 8. Same as footnote #4. 9. University of Wisconsin, Madison requires two additional years of electives chosen from fine or communication arts, computer science, English, history, laboratory science, foreign language or math.

6. Questions About Grade Point Average (GPA)

Calculating my student’s GPA

The UC and CSU GPA

Other Questions about the GPA

Do other colleges follow the same procedure as the UC and CSU systems or do they count 9th grade courses in determining GPA? It varies considerably from college to college. A brief survey of six well-known colleges revealed that in figuring grade point average, some colleges include only grades from courses taken in 10th–12th (for example, Princeton, Stanford) while others consider grades from 9th–12th (Claremont McKenna, Grinnell, Harvard, University of Texas). If you want more information about this issue, ask the colleges to which your student is applying.

The GPA used by a particular college may be different than the BHS GPA. Colleges may count only “P” classes, may drop 9th grade classes from the calculation, or may calculate GPAs separately for each year of high school.

The UC system gives a higher weight to grades in AP and IB classes and certain Honors classes in determining GPA (for example, an “A” in an AP class gets 5 points rather than 4). Do other colleges do so also? Most other colleges do not use a weighted GPA. Most colleges with strong competition for admission expect applicants to have taken Honors, AP, or IB classes if they’re available in the high school because it shows the student is taking a rigorous course load. Colleges have access to the course offering list at every high school, and do evaluate what level of courses the student takes compared to what is available at his or her school.

Students in BHS small schools may have fewer AP classes. This should not negatively affect a student’s admission. A description of each small school’s program is automatically sent out with each BHS transcript. If students want to comment on it in their applications, they can articulate the philosophy of their specific small school program. This can be done under the “Additional Information” section following the essay prompts in the online version of the UC application or it could be incorporated into one of the UC essay prompts. Those filling out the Common Application can write about it under “Additional Information,” available on the online (but not the printed-out) version of the Common App. For help in deciding how to incorporate this information, your student should speak with the College Advisor.

What does it mean to have a “good GPA?” How will I know if my student’s GPA is “good” enough to be admitted to college? What is considered a “good GPA” depends almost entirely on what colleges your student is interested in attending. Colleges also look carefully at personal attributes and accomplishments, extracurricular activities, special talents, and other achievements, and most colleges also consider college entrance test scores.

For the UC and Cal State systems, students must earn a minimum grade point average in their college preparatory courses; for the UCs it is 3.0 and 2.0 for the CSUs. GPA is not considered alone but rather in combination with the student’s SAT or ACT scores.

For the CSUs, the GPA and SAT or ACT are used for eligibility. To determine your student’s eligibility for the CSU system, Google “GPA for CSU” to find the CSU “Eligibility Index Calculator.” (Note that the CSU Eligibility Index uses the total of the SAT Critical Reading and Math scores only. The SAT Writing score is not counted.) On the website under “Eligibility Index,” you can click on “Campuses that Have Higher Standards” to see which CSUs are harder to get into. For impacted campuses or majors, a higher GPA may be needed.

See page 36 for a summary of the eligibility rules for the UC system. The UC GPA is used as one of the criteria to determine minimum eligibility for the UC system and as one of the selection criteria used by individual UC campuses in making their admission decisions. Be aware, however, that campuses emphasize different aspects of the GPA in their decisions. Each UC campus uses a process called comprehensive review to look at both academic and non-academic factors. These criteria are listed on the UC admissions website under “How applications are reviewed.” Campuses consider these criteria differently; for information on how specific campuses use comprehensive review, on the right side of that website page click on each campus, then on “freshman selection process.”

7. Types of College Admission

In this chapter you’ll find information on

Early Decision

Early Action

Rolling Admission

Regular Admission

Deferred Admission

There are five types of college admission. The rules for early admission programs change from year to year and from college to college. To be certain, read the college’s admissions website carefully or call the admissions office for clarification. Warning: Early admissions applicants have earlier deadlines for most of their college materials and must get teacher letters of recommendation submitted early.

Early Decision (ED)  Early Decision is for a student who has determined a first-choice college early in the fall of the senior year in high school.  Early Decision is a commitment on the part of both the applicant and the college. A student is agreeing to attend that college if accepted.

The student applies Early Decision only to that college by its Early Decision deadline, usually in early November. Students may apply to only one school under this plan. Check each college’s rules for additional restrictions. It is okay to apply to UCs, CSUs and other colleges with regular application deadlines, but these applications must be withdrawn if the student is accepted to the ED school. The College Advisors recommend that students apply ED only if they are certain that the school is their first choice after evaluating it thoroughly. Among the UCs and CSUs, only Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has an

ED option, with the application due October 31. Applying early is a complex process and your chances of being admitted early vs. regular admission can vary enormously from one college to another.

Students who are not accepted Early Decision will either be rejected or deferred. Deferment means that the student’s application will be reviewed again with the regular admission applications.

Early Decision II—offered by a few colleges—has a second “early” application date, and decisions are given usually in February. This commitment, too, is binding.

Early Action has application deadlines and acceptance dates similar to Early Decision. However, an Early Action acceptance does not bind a student to attend that college. The college commits to the applicant, but the applicant is free to apply elsewhere and may ultimately choose to go to another college.

Single Choice Early Action (sometimes called “Restrictive Early Action”) is a policy a few colleges follow, under which a student may apply Early Action but to only one school.

Advantages and disadvantages of early admission programs from the vantage point of parents who have observed the process

Some advantages are:

1. The student, if accepted, may only have to do the work of submitting one application. 2. The college application process can be much less stressful and difficult if a student is accepted in the early admission round. 3. The student interested in applying early must research options and clarify his or her decisions earlier. 4. Students are required to be better organized early on.

Some disadvantages of Early Decision are:

1. Regular admission allows a student to compare financial aid packages and, perhaps in some cases, negotiate between schools. Early Decision does not allow for this opportunity. 2. Early Decision requires that students start the college search process earlier. This process can include visits to schools they are seriously considering. In addition, SAT or ACT tests, requests for teacher letters of recommendation, and school reports must be completed by very early in the senior year. 3. Students mature a lot during their senior year and develop greater clarity about their priorities. This wisdom might help them make a better decision in April than they were prepared to make in November. 4. The process of choosing among schools that the student has been accepted to helps the student learn more about herself or himself and the priorities that are most important. Issues such as location and academic areas of interest may not come into focus until a student has to make this choice.

Myth: Some parents believe that applying early can increase a student’s chances of admission; however, this is sometimes not true and is not by itself a good reason to apply early.

Rolling Admission means that applications are reviewed and acted upon as received. Students who apply to a school with Rolling Admission during the fall may learn by January whether or not they are accepted and do not have to wait until the fixed notification dates (in March or April) used by most schools. Examples of schools with Rolling Admission are University of Wisconsin, University of Oregon, and University of Michigan.

Regular Admission is a process in which there is an application deadline and a formal notification date and response deadline. A good way to get this information for individual colleges is by looking at their websites or at www.collegeboard.org.

Some colleges will Defer Admission to the winter or spring quarter or to the spring semester, rather than to the fall semester for which the student originally applied. Students and parents should seriously consider this option. Many mistakenly feel insulted by such offers, but deferred admission is often a very good way to enroll at one’s first–choice college.

TIP First quarter grades are important, especially for Early Action/Decision “For those students applying Early Action or Early Decision, more and more colleges are contacting high schools mid-semester to ask for the student’s most recent grades. Some seniors get off to a slow start at the beginning of the senior year. In addition, there are teachers who grade low at the beginning of the semester to motivate students to do better. Low quarter grades can have a negative effect on Early Action/Early Decision admissions. Related to this issue, if a student is ‘wait-listed’ to a college or is rejected and appeals the decision (particularly relevant at UCs), the college may ask for the third-quarter grade.”

8. Beginning the College Application Process

This chapter gives an overview of the basics of applying to college and touches on a few important areas of concern.

Meet with the BHS College Advisor

Communicate with colleges

Prepare for the SAT/ACT tests

Write personal statements—the college essay

Pay attention to each college’s housing information

Warnings about important application issues

Meet with the Berkeley High College Advisor If your student hasn’t already had an appointment with the College Advisor to discuss which colleges to apply to, he or she should make an appointment now. Parents may attend but it is not required. • If your student met with the College Advisor in the spring of junior year, this is a good opportunity to finalize the list of possible college choices.

• Without an appointment, your student can drop in to see the College Advisor any day at lunch or after school.

28 • In September the College Advisors will give all seniors a yellow folder, with important college application information and deadlines. Review the folder with your student.

Communicate with Colleges • Each college your student applies to will give him or her an identification number. Your student will need to keep a list of all ID numbers and passwords so he or she can track the applications all the way through to the admission decision. You can use the last page of this handbook to record PINs and passwords.

• Your student may want to create an email address that he or she uses only for communications about colleges and not for personal email. The email address shouldn’t appear inappropriate.

• Important information from colleges will be sent directly to students’ email, and parents may need to monitor these emails to insure a timely response to colleges’ requests. Sharing their password with you is easier if students have created an email address only for communications about colleges.

• Some colleges and universities suggest that students lower the setting on their spam filters to receive important information they send out in mass emails to students. Your student should check rejected emails carefully so not to miss important emails from colleges.

• Before your student joins a Facebook group administered by a college, see page 9.

Register For SAT/ACT Tests (see Chapter 10 for full information) • Check to see which tests (SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, ACT, ACT Plus Writing) are required by the colleges to which your student is applying.

• Your student needs to figure out which tests he or she still needs to take and sign up for them before the registration deadlines or your student may not be able to take the tests required.

• A new requirement this fall is that students must submit a head-and-shoulders photo (online or by mail) when they register to take the SAT or ACT. See page 44 for more detail.

• Fee waivers or reduced fees are available for low-income students. Your student should check with the College Advisor early (see page 46).

• Your student’s scores must be re-sent in senior year (also, see page 44 for the College Board’s SAT Score Choice option); scores sent in the junior year are not retained. Test scores must be sent from the testing agency directly to the college.

Prepare for the SAT/ACT Tests Students don’t have to enroll in an expensive test prep course, such as the Princeton Review or Kaplan SAT prep course, to get better scores. Be sure to ask the College Advisor about the free SAT test-prep courses, offered every semester at Berkeley High. Other ways students can prepare for the ACT and SAT tests include: • Reading for pleasure (this can help boost their vocabulary and comprehension). • Forming their own small study group to prepare for the tests. • Taking practice tests as part of their preparation (they can buy a relatively inexpensive book called The Official SAT Guide: For the New SAT or practice at www.number2.com). The College and Career Center will also lend students books with practice SAT and ACT tests. For the ACT, use The Real ACT Prep Guide. 29

• Using test preparation tools and taking practice tests on the “Career Locker” website (see page 2).

Students can take the real SAT Reasoning Test or ACT (and SAT Subject Tests, if they need them) more than once if they are not satisfied with their first scores (refer to page 44 for more details about reporting of multiple scores). Remind your student that he or she is not defined by SAT or ACT scores.

Also, over 700 colleges and universities, including Bates and Bowdoin (both in Maine), Lawrence University (in Wisconsin), Mount Holyoke, and Sarah Lawrence, do not require the submission of SAT or ACT scores. For a list of schools that do not require standardized test scores, go to www.fairtest.org.

Write Personal Statements—the College Essays (see Chapter 11) • Most four-year colleges require students to write personal statements as part of the application. Students should allow plenty of time to write these essays.

• Early in the fall the College Advisors hold workshops before and after school on writing the college essay, have helpful handouts in the College and Career Center, and arrange to have parents and other volunteers (many of whom are talented writers and editors) available to help students with essays.

• Essays are not required for CSUs or community colleges. Public universities in other states vary in their requirements: Some do not require essays, some require them only for students with a lower GPA, while others require essays from all applicants.

Pay Attention to Each College’s Housing Information • For each school your student applies to, carefully read the information about housing. Some schools send out housing applications automatically, but others require that you request a housing application. If you’re not sure, call. Priority may be determined by the date the housing application is received. Your student may need to submit a housing application before he or she is admitted. Note that some CSU campuses have limited housing that fills up in early spring.

Apply for Financial Aid • If you want financial aid for your student, you will need to complete separate financial aid forms. Full details and a Financial Aid Timeline are in Chapter 13.

WARNINGS • If your student drops a class second semester of the senior year, your student must write a letter to the admissions offices of every college that he or she has applied to. The letter should tell them the changes made in courses and reasons why and your student’s plans for any extra time in his or her schedule (for example, internship, volunteer work). Ask the colleges for confirmation that they received this information.

• Dropping classes or making poor grades during the senior year (not maintaining the GPA the student’s acceptance is based on) can impact the student’s admission. For 2010–2011, 55 students had their admission to UC Berkeley rescinded because they did not maintain the grades or courses their admission was based on.

• Students must also maintain personal conduct expectations all the way through senior year. Some colleges require copies of disciplinary records be sent to them, and disciplinary actions late in the senior year can result in an offer of admission being rescinded.

Tips from Parents on the Application Process The following tips and reflections are from parents who have gone through the college application process. In some cases, the contribution has been shortened and the details have been modified slightly to protect the identity of the writers.

Ask if your student would like help “For most students, the application process is a completely new and confusing experience, even if they don’t say so. Look out for signs of being overwhelmed, ask if they’d like help and even volunteer to make a single list of things that have to be done by this or that time. You certainly shouldn’t just do it all yourself, but a little doing together is fine.”

Check course requirements “As part of the registration process for the following fall, students are given a copy of their transcript. You can also get a copy from the College Advisor in D-221. You and your student should review the transcript to make sure the student is taking the necessary courses for graduation (including P.E.) and to meet college requirements. Then adjustments can be made in their schedule if necessary.”

Check that BHS sports team participation is listed on the transcript “If your child played on a BHS sports team, check to be sure that it was listed on the transcript each year he or she played to show that P.E. credit has been given. Your child cannot graduate without four semesters of P.E.”

Consequences of an inaccurate transcript “One thing that I have discovered is the need to validate the transcript. The reason for this is that I didn’t find out until my son had already passed up numerous scholarship and educational opportunities based on the transcript that we were given at the end of the junior year. Specifically, an “A” in a class that he was due from his freshman year was omitted from his transcripts because a textbook was not returned to the class. It turned out that this was an error, but the transcripts were never corrected, nor was I ever contacted by the school regarding this book. The result was that my son’s GPA was lower than it should have been: he had a 2.93 versus the new 3.0. Most of the scholarship programs require 3.0 GPA and we did not apply based on the error. Also, our choice in schools was influenced by the low GPA. This has had a tremendous impact on us. My son, an African American student, will be the first in our family to go to college. We do not have the financial resources to send him away to school and the scholarships would have helped. The colleges have offered a minimal Stafford loan and have suggested a PLUS loan, which I am not eligible for. The financial issue could have been addressed in a different way if we had discovered the inaccuracies earlier.”

Create a chart “In order to help my child focus on the application process, I created a large chart. The colleges and the date their applications are due (for example, “College A: 12/15/11”) went across the top. Along the side were the requirements for each college (for example, teacher recommendation, request for transcript, essay, application fee). Then as bits and pieces were done, she checked them off. This physical chart permitted her to see the progress she was making and that the job was not insurmountable. And it helped her to see which application needed to be done first.”

The college essay “Colleges expect a very well written college essay. Many students didn’t put enough time/effort into the essay writing. Further, you need to emphasize the fact (even more) that before sending it in, the essay needs to be seen by many pairs of eyes and go through drafts. I know many of my daughter’s friends wanted it ‘to be their own work’ and didn’t seek enough feedback.”

“Students need to write their own essays in their own words.”

A Buddhist saying (paraphrased):

“A journey of a thousand miles is made one step at a time.”

This year alone, I calculate that your children will take 1,738,240 steps toward college. In their confusion and anxiety, please remind them of this adage. The first call to get an application, the first page of the application filled out, the first sentence of the essay written—one step at a time. —Rory Bled

9. The How-To’s of Applying to College

This chapter includes information on the following topics:

Application requirements for different types of colleges

How to apply to California State University campuses

How to apply to University of California campuses

How to apply to California community colleges

How to apply to public colleges and universities in other states

How to apply to private colleges

The chart on the next page provides an overview of the forms your student will need to send to different types of colleges he or she might apply to. The sections following describe the steps to apply to the CSU system, the UC system, California community colleges, and private colleges.

All colleges require an application form. The college your student chooses to attend will require a final high school transcript be sent in June.

The name and address on the application must match the name and address on the BHS transcript and on the SAT/ACT tests. If they don’t match, your student should talk to the College Advisor.

Application Requirements for Different Types of Colleges

semester senior grades) grades) senior semester

Colleges st Essays Test/ACT SAT Reasoning Scores Test Scores SAT Subject Transcript through Official Junior Year Counselor’s Recommendation (Secondary School Report) Midyear Report (1 Teacher Recommendations Supplements

No UC system Yes Yes No* No No No No (self-report)

CSU system No Yes No Yes** No No No No

Community No No No No No No No No Colleges

Non-California Check Check Check Check Check Check Check Check website Public Colleges website website website website website website website

Check Check Check Check Check Check Private Colleges Yes Yes website website website website website website

* See page 43 for how to find out which UC’s majors recommend students take SAT Subject Tests. **Unless the CSU sends a message when it confirms receipt of your application, telling you not to send the transcript

How to Apply to California State University Campuses

1. Gathering information about the different CSU campuses • The CSU website (www.csumentor.edu) provides information to help your student decide which campuses to apply to. Click the Explore Campuses tab to see which CSU and UC campuses offer specific majors, where the CSUs are located, and other helpful information about the CSU system. Your student can also see how his or her GPA and test scores match those on different campuses. • See pages 24 to see how to determine if your student is eligible for the CSU system (CSU Eligibility Index). • To find out which CSUs are hard to get into, see page 24 (or www.calstate.edu/sas/impaction- campus-info.shtml). • For information about the costs of going to a CSU, see pages 12 and 55. • To learn how much Cal grants cover for eligible students going to a CSU, see pages 98-99. • If your family income is considered low, your student should talk with the College Advisor about the Early Opportunity Program (EOP), which requires a separate application.

2. Completing the applications • The CSU application is available at www.csumentor.edu. CSU campuses strongly recommend that students apply electronically (but the paper application can be downloaded from the website). Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo and San Diego State require that you apply electronically. • Students can submit their application beginning on October 1. It is a good idea to submit this

34 application as soon as it is available online. The last day to submit a CSU application is November 30. CSU website servers can get overloaded as the deadline nears, so students should apply early enough to avoid frustrating delays at the end of November. • For help filling out the CSU application, your student can attend one of the CSU workshops offered through the College and Career Center. Dates are listed on the BHS etree in the College and Career Center Bulletin and in the Daily Bulletin. • The CSU application will ask your student to use an unofficial transcript to self-report grades. • Each campus requires a separate application. The student doesn’t have to fill out a whole new application for each campus, but does have to enter campus-specific information—such as the major—before sending the application electronically to each campus. To avoid having to make multiple corrections, before creating a second application make sure the information on the first application form is absolutely correct. After each application is submitted electronically, it is important to print out and save the confirmation of receipt. • If applying with a paper application, your student needs either to fill out one application for each campus or to make photocopies of a partially-completed CSU application and then fill in the campus-specific information. The student must sign each application individually. The completed applications need to be mailed, along with a check, to each campus, after October 1. Get a Certificate of Mailing from the post office (do not mail the application by certified mail). • Follow the directions to pay the application fees (last year the fees were $55/campus). • Whether the applications are sent electronically or by mail, it is important to keep a copy of them.

3. Creating CSU accounts • Upon receipt of the application, each CSU campus will ask the applicant to create an online account. Your student will receive directions for how to set it up. Students are expected to check their CSU accounts (each campus requires a separate account) regularly for updates on their admission status and to see if the CSU wants additional information to be sent (such as first semester grade reports).

4. Sending SAT or ACT test scores • Tell the testing agency to send SAT Reasoning Test scores to each of the CSU campuses your student is applying to; use the code 3594 and pay only one fee. If your student has listed a CSU campus as an ACT score recipient, he or she can use the ACT Scores Manager on the CSU Mentor website to release ACT scores to additional campuses for free. First send scores to one CSU campus, then follow instructions for sending the scores to the other CSU campuses. • Some CSUs (for example, San Jose State, Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, and San Diego State) require that all college entrance tests be taken by November. Check individual CSU websites for the last acceptable test date.

5. Sending transcripts • Send a transcript to each CSU when the CSU confirms receipt of the application, unless the school says not to. Follow these steps: a. Complete and sign a transcript request form (blue) for each campus. If your student is under 18, the parent or guardian must sign the request form. Forms are available in the Registrar’s Office (Room D173). b. Paper-clip each transcript request form to a stamped business-size envelope, addressed to the correct campus. On the envelope, write out the BHS return address: Berkeley High School, 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704. c. Turn these in to the Registrar’s office in D173.

6. Applying for housing • Not all CSUs guarantee housing for first-year students. Priority for housing is determined by the application receipt date. For many CSUs, housing applications should be submitted soon after the regular application is sent in, even though your student does not know if he or she is accepted. But if applying to San Francisco State, call the Housing Office (415-338-1067) to request a housing application or apply online, since housing fills up quickly there. You can send in your housing application even before sending in your regular application.

7. CSU assessment (placement) tests • Before accepted students enroll, CSUs may require assessment tests in math (ELM) and English (EPT) if the student has not received certain scores on ACT, SAT, or AP English and math tests. The CSU will send students more information about this requirement.

Note: CSUs do not require teacher recommendations, school reports, Midyear Reports, essays, or personal interviews.

How to Apply to University of California Campuses

1. Gathering information about different UC campuses • The UC website, www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman, provides detail about each UC campus, including the majors offered. Your student can compare his or her grades and test scores to those listed for each UC campus. Under the tab for “California residents,” you can click on “2012 admissions index,” to determine if your student’s grades and test scores meet UC eligibility requirements for guaranteed admission. • Minimum eligibility requirements are: 1) Completing the “a–g” subject requirements either by 1) completing 11 of the 15 courses by end of the junior year; or 2) earning a specific score on the listed SAT Subject Tests or AP/IB examinations; and 2) A 3.0 Grade Point Average across these courses (UC calculation method); and 3) Having taken the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Plus Writing by December of the student’s senior year. • What does it mean to be eligible? It means that a student’s application will be reviewed by the UC campuses the student applies to. Each campus makes its own decision about which students to admit. Although a student may be eligible for admission, not all eligible students will fall into one of the groups set to receive guaranteed admission. See the UC admission website for more information about guaranteed admission. • For UC essay prompts, see page 52. • For information about the costs of going to a UC, see pages 12 and 55. • To learn how much Cal Grants cover for eligible students going to a UC, see page 98.

2. Completing the application • The UC system has its own application, which must be completed online at the UC admissions website listed above. The application is available online after October 1 and must be submitted between November 1 and November 30. If your student is unable to apply online, he or she should see the College Advisor. • Your student can go to the workshops held at BHS if help with the UC application is needed. Dates will be listed in the etree’s BHS Daily Bulletin. • Your student will need to write essays for the UC application, in response to the listed essay prompts. Essay readers are available at Berkeley High to help you. Read Chapter 11 of this handbook for more information on writing college essays. • The UC application will ask your student to use an unofficial transcript to self-report grades. • A student only needs to complete one application and check off each UC campus he or she wishes to apply to. A fee is charged for each campus (last year the fee was $60/campus).

36 Payment is made by credit or debit card. • After the application is submitted, it is important to print out and save the confirmation of the application’s receipt, along with a copy of the application.

3. Sending SAT or ACT scores • The UC system requires students take the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Plus Writing by December of the senior year. If applying to more than one UC campus, you do not need to have the testing agency send multiple scores; you can send scores to one UC campus only and scores will automatically be sent to the other UC campuses you applied to. • If you choose to take SAT Subject Tests, the last test date the UC system will accept is December.

Note: The UCs do not require official transcripts be sent at the time of application. UCs do not offer personal interviews and will not accept teacher recommendations or other supplemental information.

How to Apply to California Community Colleges

1. Gathering information about colleges and programs • On the website www.cccco.edu, click on “Tools for Students” then use the Find a College box to search for community colleges by city or academic program. • Nine community colleges (including Shasta College and College of the Redwoods) offer on- campus housing. • Each community college’s website lists specific courses offered and will indicate if there are dorms on campus or if the college has a housing program to assist students seeking local housing.

2. Completing the application • California community college applications can be obtained from the particular college (or one can apply to them online at www.cccapply.org ). There is no application fee. Applications are available in the spring, when special sessions in the College and Career Center will allow students to get help in completing their registration. Some community colleges (such as Berkeley City College) hold special sessions to explain their programs to prospective students. If your student has questions, he or she should see the College Advisor. • After submitting an application electronically, it is important to print out and save the confirmation that the application was received. Keep a copy of the application. • Students applying to community colleges must take English and math assessment tests (often called “placement tests”) before registering for classes. The tests are used to determine what level English and math classes a student is ready to take. Check each college’s website for the specific testing requirements and when assessment tests are offered. If applying to more than one community college, students don’t have to re-take the assessment tests, but it will be necessary to arrange to have scores sent to the other school.

How to Apply to Public Colleges and Universities in Other States

Since other public colleges’ application requirements differ greatly, check the schools’ websites for specific application procedures.

How to Apply to Private Colleges

1. Gathering information See Chapter 2 on “Choosing Colleges” and Chapter 19, “Resources.” 37

2. Completing the Senior Profile The Senior Profile is a Berkeley High form that students and parents fill out to help academic counselors complete the Counselor Recommendation (Secondary School Report) for private colleges. By thoroughly completing the Senior Profile, students create a record of their achievements and experience during their high school years. A detailed Senior Profile can also help the student stay focused and consistent when filling out applications. The Senior Profile can be picked up from the College and Career Center or downloaded from its website. • The Senior Profile is due to the College and Career Center by September 10 at 4 pm. • Students should allow themselves ample time to do a thorough job. • The first page of the Senior Profile must be printed out on yellow paper. Students can copy the first page onto yellow paper in the College and Career Center.

3. Completing the application For private colleges, students use the application provided on the college’s website or the Common Application. The Common Application is an online service that allows students to apply to multiple colleges by submitting application. Berkeley High only uses the Common Application’s electronic services. For colleges that don’t require the Common Application, check the college’s website to determine what additional forms are needed.

If your student chooses to submit a paper application by mail, it is vital to keep a copy of the entire application for your records. Get a Certificate of Mailing from the post office. Do not use certified mail.

4. Using the Common Application • Begin by going to the Common Application website www.commonapp.org. Your student can register and create an account. Write the Username and Password in a safe place (or on the “pin and password” page at the end of this book). • In the Common Application account “My Colleges” section, your student will be able to select colleges to which he or she plans to apply. There are excellent instructions on how to set up these accounts. Once these are selected, you will be able to keep track of: • Each portion of the application completed • Supplements • Teacher Evaluations • School Reports • Midyear Reports • When each college downloads the application • When your student sends the completed application to a college, you pay the application fee. You can send in applications to different schools as you finish them or all at once. After submitting an application electronically, it is important to print out and save the confirmation of the application’s receipt, along with a copy of the application. • If you have already sent an application to one or more colleges, you can make changes in subsequent applications to other colleges. Read the instructions on how to do this. • To submit by mail, your student must complete the application form and supplements, and print them out for each school he or she is applying to. Each application must have an original signature. Be sure to make copies before your student signs each application. Save a copy of each application.

5. Teacher Evaluations (also called recommendations) Teacher recommendations are required by many colleges. First check your college admissions website or the Common Application Requirements Grid to determine the number of recommendations your college requires. Note that once you log into your Common Applications

38 account, there is the option for submitting more than the required number of recommendations. Your student could choose additional recommenders who will enhance his or her application to a specific program or school. • Your student may need one or more recommendations. Consider getting one from a humanities teacher and one from a math or science teacher from the student’s junior or senior year. Students should confirm which teachers they plan to request recommendations from early in the school year. Popular teachers get many requests and often limit the number of recommendations they will write each admissions cycle. • Teachers will emphasize the student’s academic performance. Students should try to choose a teacher who knows their academic work well. • Before they write a recommendation, some teachers require that students respond to a series of teacher-written questions. Students should leave enough time to answer these questions thoughtfully. • If a teacher doesn’t have a list of questions, it is useful for students to write a detailed note to the teacher, including: the student’s accomplishments in the teacher’s class, contributions the student made, and examples of some of his or her best work in the class. This helps teachers who may not remember the details. • Follow these steps at least one month before the first recommendation is due. For many colleges, this means teachers need to have the recommendation forms by November 15 so they can complete them before winter break. Students applying early decision or early action will have to do this in September.

Teachers can choose to submit recommendations online or on paper. Determine which method each teacher prefers. If a college is not part of the Common Application and does not have an online option, then download the recommendation form from the college website (see below for details) and give this to your teacher.

• If your teacher wants to submit online: • Confirm the teacher’s e-mail address • Open your Common Application Account and select “School Forms” • Complete the “Release Authorization” section • Under “Recommenders,” click on “Invite Official” • Under “School Official Type,” choose “Teacher.” Write in the teacher you want to recommend you and his or her email address. Then click “Send Invitation.” • You will be able to keep track of when the invitation was sent, when the teacher completed it as well as when the college downloads it. If any of these tasks are not completed in a timely fashion, your student must contact the teacher and ask why.

• If your teacher wants to submit a paper recommendation: • For Early applications, teacher recommendation requests will be required in September. • Download the form from the college’s website. Complete the student section and sign as required. • Paper-clip this form to an envelope (#10 business size) with the college’s Admissions Office address on it, but leave the return address space for the teacher to add his or her return address. Do NOT put your own return address there. Put postage on the envelope. • For each teacher who wants to fill out the recommendation form on paper instead of online, make a packet for the teacher that includes: • Information requested by the teacher, or a note to the teacher, listing some of one’s accomplishments in his or her class. 39

• Place all the paper-clipped Teacher Recommendation forms and stamped envelopes in a large manila envelope. • On the front of each teacher’s manila envelope, attach a sheet listing each college the teacher will be sending recommendations to and the due dates, starting with the college with the earliest due date. Note on this sheet anything specific your student wants a teacher to mention in the recommendation for a particular school.

Students can check online to see if the teacher recommendations have been received. It is the student’s responsibility to follow up with teachers to be sure they have completed the recommendations. Students should write each teacher a thank-you note within two weeks of giving them the recommendation packet.

6. Secondary School Reports (aka Counselor Recommendation Forms) and Transcripts The School Report is a recommendation written by the student’s high school academic counselor and is sent to the college with the student’s transcript. Each academic counselor uses the Senior Profile to fill in the required information and write a letter for the student. Most requests for School Reports will be made through the Common Application website. If you are applying to a college that does not use the Common Application, look on the college’s admissions website to find the appropriate form. Download the form, sign it, and turn it into the College and Career Center by the deadline.

If the college is on the Common Application • Find your academic counselor’s e-mail address. • Enter your Common Application account. Complete the section of the Common Application referred to as “Education.” • Next go to the start page and you will see a section called “School Forms” for each college that you entered under “My Colleges.” • Select “School Forms” and complete the “Release Authorization.” • Under the option to “Invite Official,” choose “Counselor” and complete the information including your academic counselor’s name and email address. When complete, click on the “Send Invitation” button. This will automatically send a request to your academic counselor to complete the forms and submit them to your Common Application account. • Follow through and check that this invitation has been issued for each college on your account. As the application process progresses, you will be notified that your counselor received your invitation, that the forms have been submitted to the Common Application, and finally that the forms have been “downloaded” by each college. If any step in this is missing, it is important for your student to check on why the document is missing (resend an invitation to your counselor, or speak with the counselor in person) or has not been downloaded (contact the college). • Common Application schools will automatically receive Midyear Reports.

If the college does not use the Common Application: • Download the required form from the college website. • Complete a “Transcript Request Form” (available from the Registrar in D173) and sign it. If the student is under 18, the parent or guardian must sign. • Paper-clip the Transcript Request Form and the college’s form to a large manila envelope addressed to the college, with the Berkeley High School address as the return address. Put on $1.30 in postage (that is the large envelope 3 oz. rate). • Turn in all the large manila envelopes to the College and Career Center by October 4 for those applying Early Decision/Early Action and by November 2 for those applying regular admission. Put on top the College Application Checklist (available at the College and Career Center).

7. Completing forms for schools that only require an official transcript and not a Counselor Recommendation: Submit the following forms to the Registrar in room D173: • A signed transcript request form for each college. If the student is under 18, the parent or guardian must sign it. • Clip each transcript request form to a stamped business-size envelope addressed to the college with Berkeley High School as the return address. Clip all forms and envelopes together.

8. Sending SAT or ACT test scores It is the responsibility of each student to make sure that test scores are sent to each of the colleges that require them. The request to send test scores needs to be made through the appropriate website: • For ACT scores: www.act.org • For SAT Reasoning Test scores and SAT Subject Test scores: www.collegeboard.org

9. Sending Midyear Reports to non-Common App schools • Midyear Reports are the first semester senior grades, which some colleges require. • This form can be downloaded from the college’s website. Fill in the required student information before printing the number of forms required. • Students should turn in the Midyear Reports forms by January 10 to the Registrar in room D173 with a stamped business-size envelope addressed to each school. Do not include the Midyear Report forms with the Secondary School Report forms submitted in November.

10. Sending supplements if required • Many colleges have required supplements (college-specific, athletic or artistic supplements). To find out which ones are required, look at the Requirements Grid or the college’s website. • College-specific supplements are carefully reviewed by admissions officers (see page 51).

11. Setting up and attending college interviews if needed College interviews are conducted primarily by private colleges. An interview is a two-way street. Students can use this opportunity to gather information about a college as well as give the college representative a sense of who they are. Interviews generally cannot hurt a student and can often help. More information on interview policies can be found at individual college websites. There are several ways to set up an interview with a private college: • Contact the college early and ask about their interview policy. Some colleges require the student to sign up by December 1. • If your student is visiting a college and plans to apply, your student can request an interview but must do this in advance. • Some colleges send admissions representatives to the area with the specific purpose of interviewing candidates. • Colleges from other parts of the country may have area admissions representatives who live in the West and are available for interviews. • Some colleges use alumni interviewers. Generally, the interviewer will call the student to set up the interview, but the student may be asked to contact the interviewer directly. These interviews are generally very informal and can vary widely depending on the person doing the interview. • If a college representative is coming to visit Berkeley High, your student could ask ahead of time about the possibility of setting up an interview while the representative is in Berkeley.

12. Showing interest in the school. There is evidence that some private colleges deny admission to or wait list applicants with very strong academic and personal achievements but no demonstrated interest in that school, preferring

41 to admit applicants who show real interest over those with more stellar records. Colleges want to admit students who will choose to enroll. Your student can demonstrate interest by: • Visiting the college if possible (be sure your student signs in at the admissions office so the office will have a record of the visit). • Having an on-campus staff or off-campus alumni interview (if the school offers it—note that some colleges require the student to sign up for an interview by December 1). • Attending the college’s presentation at Berkeley High and filling out an interest card. • Attending the college’s information reception if they hold one in the Bay Area and filling out an interest card. • Writing or emailing the college, inquiring about relevant programs or activities.

10. SAT and ACT Tests

In this chapter you’ll find information on the following topics:

The SAT and the ACT

Registering

SAT Subject Tests

Test Dates

The ACT and SAT Reasoning Test (the “SAT”) are standardized tests required by many major colleges and universities (including the UC and Cal State systems). The beginning of the senior year is the time for students to complete any entrance tests they might need. All colleges that require a test will accept either the SAT or the ACT. Some colleges (including most community colleges) do not require a college entrance test, but some of the schools strongly recommend that students take them. Check each college’s website to see what is required. For a list of over 700 colleges that do not require the SAT or the ACT, go to www.fairtest.org.

Some private colleges also require two or three SAT Subject Tests. Check each college’s website carefully to see how many SAT Subject Tests are required and which SAT Subject Tests qualify. Some colleges will allow the ACT Plus Writing to substitute for the SAT Subject Tests.

UC system college entrance test requirements The UC system requires that students take the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Plus Writing. Some UC campuses recommend that students take specific SAT Subject Tests if applying for certain majors. To determine which UC campuses recommend SAT Subject Tests, see the website www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman and on the left click on Admission requirements, then on Examination requirement, then on SAT Subject Tests.

New SAT and ACT registration procedures—photos required during registration! To produce an honest and fair test-taking process for all, the College Board (for SAT tests) and the ACT testing agency (for the ACT) will now require enhanced security measures for all students taking college entrance tests.  Students will be required to submit a current, head-and-shoulders photo that will be printed on the new photo admission ticket. A digital photo can be uploaded during online registration or a photo can be included with the paper registration form. See www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org for details about what type of photo is acceptable (each agency has slightly different photo requirements). Get the photo ready now to avoid having to do this in a hurry at the last minute if your student may be registering.  On testing day, students must present both their photo admission ticket and an acceptable form of photo ID or they will not be admitted to the test center. They will also need to show both documents after breaks and when turning in their answer sheet. Be sure to check ahead of time on the www.collegeboard.org or the www.act.org website about what type of photo ID is acceptable. Testing agencies vary in what they will accept.  Standby (walk-in) testing will no longer be permitted for the SAT. Students can go online to request wait list status for the SAT up to five days before the test date. Standby testing will be available for the ACT, but check their requirements; several days before the test date students will have to register their intent to test standby (and include their photo).  Changes in the test center location will no longer be permitted on the day of the test; changes must be requested in advance.  Test results with student photos on them will be automatically sent to the student’s high school so high schools can review them.

SAT score-reporting policy (Score Choice) Some students take SAT tests more than once. The Score Choice policy allows individual colleges to indicate if students will have some choice in which SAT Reasoning Test scores (by test date) or which SAT Subject Test scores (by topic) are to be sent to colleges. Each college has set its own score-reporting requirements, and some, such as the UCs, want all SAT scores. To find out the score-reporting requirements for a college, on the College Board homepage choose “SAT,” then click on “Score Choice,” then on “Learn more about Score Choice.” Under FAQs, click on the item indicating there is a list of score-reporting requirements for individual colleges. Then click on the SAT Score-Use Practices List link to obtain an alphabetical list of the SAT score-use practices of particular colleges and scholarship programs.

At the time that students request that scores be sent, the online form will automatically inform them of the score-use practices of each of the colleges they list. If students don’t select the score- reporting feature, or if the college doesn’t allow it, all SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Test scores will be sent.

The SAT and the ACT

What is the SAT Reasoning Test? The SAT Reasoning Test is a 3-hour, 45-minute test of developed reasoning ability composed of three sections—critical reading, mathematics, and writing. Scores on each section range from 200- 800. A total SAT Reasoning Test score is the sum of the critical reading, math, and writing section scores; the maximum is 2400.

44 The SAT Reasoning Test includes the following:

Critical reading section • This section contains short and long reading passages. • Sentence-completion questions (students must pick the words that best fit the meaning of the sentence) measure knowledge of the meaning of words and usage in sentences.

Math section • This section covers coursework through Algebra II; number and operations; algebra and function; geometry; statistics, probability, and data analysis. • The content also includes exponential growth, absolute value, and functional notation. • Questions include both multiple choice and student-produced responses. • Students can use a calculator.

Writing section • The writing section includes both a 25-minute student-written essay and multiple-choice questions on grammar and usage. • The student essay comes first in the order of testing. • The multiple-choice questions measure a student’s ability to improve sentences or paragraphs and to identify sentence errors (such as diction, grammar, subject-verb agreement). • Two sub-scores will be provided for the writing test: a multiple-choice sub-score (ranging from 20-80) and an essay sub-score (ranging from 2-12).

For study purposes, the College Board offers a book that includes practice tests: The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT. Copies of this book are available at many bookstores and can be used in the College and Career Center.

What is the ACT and how is it different from the SAT Reasoning Test? The ACT is a 2-hour, 55-minute test that measures skills in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. The composite score range is from 1 to 36. There is an optional 30-minute writing test. Students have to take this optional writing test only if the colleges they are considering require it (the UC system does; the CSU system does not). The ACT is accepted as equal to the SAT Reasoning Test by every college in the United States (including the UC and CSU systems). Most colleges permit students to submit scores from both the ACT and SAT tests, and will choose the higher score.

Besides the different content areas tested, other differences between the SAT and the ACT include: • On the ACT there is no penalty for guessing; the SAT subtracts 1/4 point for each wrong answer. • ACT score reports do not include results from prior test dates; the student can choose which test scores should be sent to colleges. As described above, the SAT score report will include all prior test scores if the college policy is that all SAT scores must be sent (however, some colleges allow students to choose which SAT scores to send). • ACT score reports take longer to process (generally, ACT scores are mailed four weeks after a test date; SAT scores are mailed three weeks after testing). • The ACT has a science reasoning section (that tests the ability to read charts and graphs).

Why should your student consider taking the ACT? Some parents have asked if students would do better on the ACT than on the SAT. The answer is: some might. While many students’ scores on the ACT parallel almost exactly their scores on the SAT, others have found that they get higher scores on one test than the other. It has been suggested that some students do better on the ACT because it is more subject-based and thus tests more of what students actually have been learning in school. Some students take both tests to see which they do 45 better on, while others take practice tests online and compare their scores. Also, some colleges will allow the ACT Plus Writing to substitute for both the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests.

Meet each college’s test deadline. Most colleges list the date that test scores are due OR the last testing date acceptable for meeting the test score submission deadline (for a quick answer, www.collegeboard.org). The December test dates are the last acceptable dates for UCs. Some CSUs recommend or require that students take the SAT or ACT no later than October (San Diego State, Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo early decision applicants) or November (Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo regular applicants, San Jose State). If a student is taking the test on the last testing date the college will accept, it’s critical to list on the registration form all the colleges that need the scores. If you or your student wants to review the scores before asking the testing agency to send them, the scores may not reach the colleges in time.

Students cannot take both the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests on the same day. Also, if students want to take one of the SAT listening tests in a language other than English, please note that they are given only in November.

Important note about sending test scores to colleges: Do not assume that SAT or ACT scores sent to colleges during a student’s junior year have been kept on file. Some large schools discard these scores at the end of each academic review cycle. Re-send official copies of all test scores during the senior year. Colleges require official score reports sent either from the College Board (for the SAT) or from the ACT agency (for the ACT).

Registering

SAT. For the SAT Reasoning Test, students should pick up the Online Registration Flyer and two booklets: SAT Preparation Booklet and the SAT Registration Bulletin at the College and Career Center. Students can register electronically at www.collegeboard.org or by mail. Payment must be by credit card. If you cannot afford the test fee, the student may apply for a fee waiver through the College Advisor, but must do so well in advance of the registration deadline date. To receive a fee waiver, the student must meet the low-income guidelines stated by SAT (check their website). A student can register online with a fee waiver; if applying by mail, one must enclose the fee- waiver card with the registration form. SAT test dates and deadlines are listed at the end of this chapter. When using a fee waiver, students cannot register late (except for the October test). Students can take the SAT twice using a fee waiver.

ACT. The booklet Preparing for the ACT offers general information about the ACT, a description of the content of each test section, and a practice test. Students are encouraged to register online (www.act.org); payment must be by credit card. The student can pick up the ACT Student Registration Packet at the College and Career Center to register by mail. Students who qualify can take the ACT twice using a fee waiver, which is available from the College Advisor. Check the ACT website for their low-income guidelines. Students can register online with a fee waiver. If they register past the regular registration deadline, they will be required to pay the late or standby fee.

Where are tests given? The SAT and ACT are administered at many locations around the country, including Berkeley High School and the UC Berkeley campus. Students can register to take the tests at any location (for example, a student who spends some weekends with a parent who lives in San Jose can take the test there). Register early to get your preferred test site.

If your student has a disability. Students may receive testing accommodations for the college entrance exams. The College Board recommends that this form be submitted early, preferably in the spring prior to the year the student takes his or her first College Board test. It generally takes seven weeks or longer for the College Board to approve a request for accommodations—and it could take as long as three or four months if your student’s disability is complex—so it is important to start early. Students must consult their academic counselor or Special Education case manager. The student and BHS must complete special forms, and the school then sends the forms and/or documentation to the testing agency.

To request testing accommodations for the SAT (and AP tests), students must complete the Student Eligibility Form for Accommodations on College Board Tests based on Disability (available from the academic counselor). The Services for Students with Disabilities section of the www.collegeboard.org website provides further information about the steps that need to be taken and the type of documentation needed on file at Berkeley High. If your student received accommodations on the PSAT, the same accommodations will be available for the SAT and AP testing.

To apply for testing accommodations for the ACT, use ACT forms and procedures, available from your student’s academic counselor. The form or letter to be completed depends on the type of accommodation that is requested. See full details at www.act.org/aap/disab. The materials must be mailed in along with the ACT registration packet.

Students who want to play Division I or II sports in college and are submitting NCAA eligibility forms (see page 71), should indicate that they want their scores sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center by using the Eligibility Center code 9999 as a score recipient.

SAT Subject Tests

What are the SAT Subject Tests (formerly known as the SAT IIs)? The SAT Subject Tests are offered in Literature, U.S. History, World History, Math Level 1 or Level 2, Biology E/M (Ecological/Molecular), Chemistry, Physics, and several languages other than English. Each test is an hour long, and a student can take up to three Subject Tests on a testing date. Students can register electronically or by mail. Two free booklets (available at the College and Career Center) provide basic information and registration forms: SAT Registration Bulletin and Taking the SAT Subject Tests. They list the test centers available, test dates, deadlines for applying, costs, the preparation recommended, and sample test questions in each subject. It’s useful to review the sample test questions to see which tests match a student’s strengths. For those who can’t afford the cost of the tests, fee waivers are available through the College Advisor, but students must obtain them in time to register by the regular registration deadline. Students can take the SAT Subject Tests twice using a fee waiver.

Taking two or three SAT Subject Tests is mandatory for some private colleges (some do not require Subject Tests if the student has taken the ACT Plus Writing). For an overview of Subject Test requirements at specific colleges, check www.collegeboard.org or www.compassprep.com/admissions_req_subjects.aspx. It is very important to verify all SAT information at the college website. The UC system no longer requires SAT Subject Tests but some majors recommend that specific SAT Subject Tests be taken (see page 43).

Some of the SAT Subject Tests are quite challenging, and a standard high school course may not cover all the information tested on the exam. Students may need to study extra materials for the exam, (such as parts of their text not covered in class or using SAT Subject Test review books). For example, California curriculum guidelines dictate that high school U.S. History courses should start at the Civil War. However, the SAT Subject Test booklet shows that 20% of the SAT U.S. History 47

Subject Test covers pre-Columbian history to 1789 and another 40% of the test covers the period from 1790 to 1898. Because not all Berkeley High U.S. History courses cover this time period, some students may need to independently review U.S. history from the pre-Columbian period to the Civil War prior to taking the Subject Test in U.S. History.

Test Dates

SAT Reasoning Test and Subject Test Registration Dates for 2012–2013 Note that on the March 9 test date, only the SAT Reasoning Test is administered. There is an extra cost for late registration. See page 44 about the possibility of wait list registration and testing if your student misses the late registration deadline. A fee waiver cannot be used after the regular registration deadline, except for the October test.

Test Date Oct 6 Nov 3 Dec 1 Jan 26 March 9 May 4 June 1 SAT Reasoning Test only Registration Deadline (regular) Sept 7 Oct 4 Nov 1 Dec 28 Feb 8 Apr 5 May 2 Late Registration Deadline (at Sept 21 Oct 19 Nov 16 Jan 11 Feb 22 Apr 19 May 17 increased cost)

Note: The Language Tests with Listening are offered only on the November test date. The Chinese Listening test is offered only in Mandarin.

ACT Test and Registration Dates for 2012–2013 Students can use a fee waiver to take the ACT twice. If your student misses the regular registration deadline, he or she can still use the fee waiver but will need to pay the late fee or standby fee. See page 44 for the possibility of registering for standby testing..

Test Date Sept 8 Oct 27 Dec 8 Feb 9 Apr 13 June 8 Registration Deadline (regular) Aug 17 Sept 21 Nov 2 Jan 11 Mar 8 May 3

Late Registration Deadline (at increased cost) Aug 24 Oct 5 Nov 16 Jan 18 Mar 22 May 17

11. Writing the College Application Essay

In this chapter you’ll find information on the following topics:

Preliminary considerations

15 specific pieces of advice

Common App and UC essays

Other unusual essay topics from the past several years

Many colleges and universities require applicants to write one or more essays (the UC system requires two). The essay may also be called a personal statement.

The essay is written in response to a question or topic, called a “prompt.” For most colleges, students can choose from several prompts.

This is a challenging writing assignment that requires students to think about who they are, what they have accomplished, and why those things are important to them. Although the essay may be difficult to write, it is an important opportunity for students to distinguish themselves from other applicants. This is a chance for students to highlight special achievements or answer questions raised by the information they provide elsewhere in the application. Many students waste this opportunity by not taking it seriously or by putting it off until the last minute. The college application essays should be revised many more times than any writing students have done for their classes at Berkeley High. Help is available at the College and Career Center.

Preliminary Considerations

1. What do most colleges really want to see in a personal statement? • Insightful, thoughtful reflection • Evidence of a creative intelligence at work • A sense of the full, three-dimensional human being behind your student’s GPA, SAT scores, courses taken, and the list of his or her extracurricular activities

2. How do students get started? Students should think carefully about how they have chosen to spend their time on the planet, what they are passionate about and what they have accomplished. They need to step out of themselves and review their experiences objectively and reflectively.

3.How can a student distinguish himself or herself from other qualified applicants?

Be strategic. Colleges look for specific qualities. In the essay, students can use their activities or accomplishments to show qualities such as: • Intellectual achievement • Self-discipline • Creativity and curiosity • Tenacity • Motivation • Complex intelligence combined • Commitment to others • Leadership with knowledge

15 Specific Pieces of Advice for Your Student

1. Start early—the best essays require several drafts.

2. Write your own essay in your own voice, and write to the prompt.

3. Read the instructions before beginning to write. Pay attention to word count, spacing, and page requirements.

4. If you want to use one essay for multiple colleges, make sure the essay fits each prompt.

5. Tell a story only you can tell.

6. An essay is not a list of your activities and accomplishments.

7. Allow enough time for your essay to sit a few days between drafts so that it can roll around inside your head.

8. Trying to be wildly funny or wildly creative can work against you unless you are Dane Cook or Chris Rock.

9. Avoid clichés and trite statements. It can be difficult to know when you are being trite. What is genuine and sincere to you may seem trite to a jaded admissions officer as he or she reads your essay at 4:30 on a cold, drizzly Friday afternoon. • “I just want to leave the world a better place.” • “After watching my grandmother die from cancer, I want to become a doctor and help other people.” • “Through sports I have learned the value of hard work and commitment.”

50 10. Don’t overdramatize your life experiences.

11. Ask people whom you trust to read your essay and to tell you—gently—the truth. This process may be awkward or embarrassing, but it can help strengthen your essay in very important ways.

12. Show your essay to someone who doesn’t know you and ask what they have learned about you from reading it. College essay readers are available in the fall in the College and Career Center. Watch the BHS etree for dates and times.

13. Don’t be cute with font and format options in an attempt to call attention to yourself.

14. Edit and proofread. • Carelessly written essays elicit scorn. • Watch out for the words that Spell Check won’t catch, such as “there” and “their,” and “deer” and “dear.” • Use Search and Replace if you’re going to use an essay for more than one college. Make sure you use the correct college name in each essay you send.

15. Do not rely heavily on the sample essays found in college essay-writing books. At the same time, don’t be intimidated by their sample essays.

Supplements are important too! Many private schools require students write supplemental essays. These can be found on the Common App website under the table for “supplements” or on the college’s website. The name is misleading. Students may think these essays are not as important and may not need as much attention as the main application essay. But that is false. The content of these supplements is closely reviewed by each school.

Common App Essays From the 2011-12 Common Application (for Fall 2012 admission):

Please write an essay of 250-500 words on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below, and attach it to your application before submission. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It also will demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. NOTE: Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on a supplement form. • Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. • Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. • Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. • Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. • A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. • Topic of your choice.

The Common Application also requires a Short Answer section: • Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. [Five lines are provided.] 51

UC Essays From the UC application for Fall 2011 admission (note that two essays are required):

The Personal Statement In reading your application, we want to get to know you as well as we can. There’s a limit to what grades and test scores can tell us so we ask you to write a personal statement.

Your personal statement—consisting of responses to two prompts—is your chance to tell us who you are and what’s important to you. Think of it as your opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions and scholarship officers reading your application. Be open, be honest, be real. What you tell us in your personal statement gives readers the context to better understand the rest of the information you’ve provided in your application.

A couple of tips: Read each prompt carefully and be sure to respond to all parts. Use specific, concrete examples to support the points you want to make. Finally, relax. This is one of many pieces of information we consider in reviewing your application; an admission decision will not be based on your personal statement alone.

Instructions • Respond to both prompts, using a maximum of 1,000 words total. • You may allocate the word count as you wish. If you choose to respond to one prompt at greater length, we suggest your shorter answer be no less than 250 words. • Stay within the word limit.

Prompt #1 (freshman applicants) Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community or school— and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Prompt #2 (all applicants) Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Other unusual essay topics from the past several years

The college application essay question usually asks what individual, event, literary character, or experience has most influenced a student’s life. However, some colleges attempt to delve deeper into who the student is by asking the question in a different way. Following are some of the essay prompts asked in past years:

Describe a trait or characteristic that has been passed along to you by your family. Tell us why you like or dislike this aspect of yourself.

What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?

52 Using the quotation that follows as a jumping off point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. “Some questions cannot be answered./ They become familiar weights in the hand,/ Round stones pulled from the pocket, unyielding and cool.” —Jane Hirshfield, poet

You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217.

Several students who should have been accepted to competitive colleges weren’t. Puzzled, I called to find out the reasons for their being turned down. “He didn’t present himself well,” was one explanation. “Her application was flat” was another. Clearly these answers have nothing to do with the stark reality of the GPA and standardized test scores. Nor, I suspect, were their activities lists unattractive. What actually killed these applications were the essays. Not that they weren’t grammatical and literate. They were simply lacking spirit. As one student said recently, “When you get finished reading my essay, you should see me exactly the way I am.” Or, as I read in a book on Zen: “When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.” In other words, be yourself, in everyday language. Take advantage of the opportunity to explain a passion of yours, or the reason (if valid) why your grades dropped. I’ve

read a lot of college essays. Some of the best have… touched me greatly, others have made me smile. What the best had in common was their straightforward way of telling their very own story, without gimmicks or whining.

Parents, this is not an easy task for your children. You can help them by reading over essay topics, then listening to ideas your children have, and reminding them of their special traits. Please, however, do not rewrite for them! Every year professional writers volunteer to read college essays for students…. Not enough students take advantage of this opportunity, despite my pleas in the bulletin. Encourage them to see us. We’ll be honest yet supportive. And, after

all, wouldn’t you rather that we criticized the essays rather than letting the admissions officers have first crack? —Rory Bled

12. Introduction to College Costs and Financial Aid

In this chapter you’ll find information on the following topics:

How much does it cost to go to college?

How much will our family need to pay?

Additional questions about paying for college

What types of financial aid are available?

Tips from parents on the financial aid process

The costs of attending college have risen sharply in recent years. Colleges are sensitive to this issue and are responding in creative ways, with programs targeted to families with all levels of financial need. Some colleges, including the UC system (The UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan and the UC Berkeley Middle Class Access Plan), have announced plans to increase financial aid for students of low- and middle-income families. Since each college has devised a different plan, check the financial aid sections of the colleges’ websites carefully to see what the college plans may offer. Because of the way financial aid works, your family’s cost may be the same whether your student goes to an expensive private college or a public university.

If you are concerned that your income is too high to receive financial aid and don’t know if you should apply, you can get an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) using online calculators available at financial aid websites (see page 56). Private colleges differ from one another in their method of determining financial need. You may be eligible for aid at some private schools, but not at others. You should apply for financial aid if you think you might need to take out a loan or if your child will want a work-study job at college (at some schools, these may be the best jobs on campus). Some colleges require that applicants seeking merit aid complete financial aid forms.

54 To apply for federal financial aid, the student must be an American citizen, a U.S. national, a U.S. permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen. If your student is a male ages 18-25, he must be registered with the Selective Service to be eligible for aid, or he must register on the FAFSA if he’s not already registered. (Younger males will need to register when they turn 18—forms are available at most local post offices.) If you have concerns about the implications of registration for Selective Service, contact the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors at http://objector.org.

How much does it cost to go to college?

The Cost of Attendance is the sum of the following five items. 1. Tuition/fees 2. Room and food at school 3. Books and supplies 4. Personal expenses 5. Transportation, including travel home at least twice a year

The Cost of Attendance is the total cost for one year of college. You will find it listed in the school’s catalog and on their website (usually in the financial aid section). If a particular college is far from Berkeley, be sure to include, as part of the cost, round-trip airfare for visits home.

You can also find college costs at www.collegeboard.org. Use the “Search by College Name” box or the “College Quickfinder.” Type in the college name and click on “Find,” then click on “Paying” to get the total cost for each school. These totals often exclude transportation expenses.

College costs vary widely, from very expensive private schools to inexpensive community colleges. To get an idea of the range, listed below are the costs of attendance estimated for 2012-2013 (excluding transportation) for students living on campus at a selection of schools. Because of financial aid, not everyone pays the full price; see page 57 for how to get an estimate of what your family’s net price might be for each college.

Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) $ 59,738 Amherst College (Massachusetts)) 59,060 Emory University (Georgia) 57,280 Macalester College (Minnesota) 55,317 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 50,112 for freshman or sophomore year, and varies by (out-of-state students) major; cost is higher for junior or senior year Arizona State University 37,765 (out-of-state students) UC Santa Cruz* 32,607 UC San Diego* 28,731 San Diego State University* 24,631 San Francisco State University* 24,394 (*California residents)

For a community college, the tuition/fees are around $1,380/year; books and supplies add another $1,530/year. The room, food and transportation costs will vary if the student will be living away from home.

If a student lives with relatives instead of living on-campus, the cost of attendance will be reduced. For example, the estimated cost of attendance (excluding transportation) at UC Berkeley would drop from $32,296 to $21,891.

Two courses of action that were very common years ago are no longer possible:

• Establishing state residency for your child at a public university in another state. Plan on paying non-resident tuition for every year your child is an undergraduate at an out-of- state public university. Consult www.collegeboard.org for residency requirements in each state.

• Declaring an undergraduate child financially independent from you for financial aid purposes. This is almost impossible under current federal laws.

How much will our family need to pay?

Your cost is based on the cost of attendance, your expected family contribution, and your demonstrated financial need. To apply for financial aid, you must submit information about both the parents’ and the student’s assets and income. As explained in more detail below, agencies use this financial information to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is the sum of the amounts colleges expect the parents and the student to pay. Colleges subtract the amount of the EFC from the cost of attendance. What’s left is your demonstrated financial need. Most colleges—but not all—cover a student’s demonstrated financial need through a combination of grant, scholarship, loan, and work-study. Thus your student may have to shoulder debt or work responsibilities to fulfill part of his or her demonstrated financial need.

For example:

Cost of Attendance $ 24,500 minus Expected Family Contribution (EFC) - 9,700

Your demonstrated financial need = $14,800

There are three ways agencies determine the Expected Family Contribution. 1. To determine eligibility for federal and California state aid at public universities and private colleges, the amount of the EFC is calculated from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). There is no charge for applying. The FAFSA calculation of EFC is based on the total household income and parents’ and student’s assets. The EFC is adjusted for the number of dependents, the number of family members attending college, and how close the parents are to retirement. Parental debts (for example, mortgage debt, credit card debts) are not taken into account in determining the EFC.

2. The CSS PROFILE (often referred to as the PROFILE) is used by some private colleges to calculate their own EFC; there is a charge for this application. One major difference between the PROFILE and FAFSA calculations is that colleges using the PROFILE often consider all or a portion of the parents’ home equity as an asset in determining the amount of money potentially available for college education. Another difference is that if parents are divorced, many private colleges request that both divorced parents complete the financial application, which is not required for the FAFSA.

3. Other private colleges, particularly the Ivy League schools, may require additional forms to be completed, and calculate an EFC following their own rules.

For more detail on how the EFC is calculated from the FAFSA and the PROFILE, see page 101in Appendix B.

Can I get an estimate of my EFC? You can calculate your EFC online at one of the following sites: www.fafsa.ed.gov. Use this United States Department of Education online tool (under the “fafsa4caster” tab) to estimate eligibility for a Pell grant and the amount of the Expected Family Contribution. www.collegeboard.org. The calculator can be found under the “For Parents” heading www.finaid.org. This site provides financial calculators to help parents determine how much college loan debt that a family can afford.

Net Price Calculator All college websites are required to have an online tool called a Net Price Calculator, which is intended to help give students and families a more accurate estimate of real costs. Net price calculators allow you to view an estimate of how much and what kind of need-based financial aid you and your student might receive at the college. It is meant for use by prospective students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and is based on 2011-2012 cost and aid data. (The awards to your student will be based on 2012-2013 estimated costs and awarding guidelines.) To access the Net Price Calculator, type “net price calculator” in each college website’s search box. Or go to the College Navigator website (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator); after typing in the school’s name and clicking on it, click on “net price,” then at the bottom of the page click on “visit this school’s net price calculator.” . Does financial aid cover the rest of the cost? Colleges expect parents and students to use a certain amount of their income and assets each year to pay for college. When demonstrated financial need exceeds the family’s EFC, colleges will offer a “financial aid package.” This package can include federal or state grants, private scholarships, loans, or work-study.

Not everyone pays the full cost of attendance. The following table shows the average net price for families with different levels of income and illustrates that colleges with large endowment funds are able to reduce the net price for middle class families.

Grant and Scholarship Aid and the Cost of Private Colleges and Universities

 The “full” price (cost of attendance) reflects the price before any aid. Because many families are offered some aid, the relevant price is the net price.  Private colleges and universities have increased the number of grants and scholarships (both need- and merit-based).  To have access to aid at any private or public college, you MUST fill out the FAFSA.  Look for colleges who will fully or come close to fully funding financial need. Use websites such as http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator, http://mycca.net, or http://collegedata.com.

Example: Average Net Price Paid by Family Income (2009-2010) for Sample Colleges

Family Income Occidental Lewis and Clark Wesleyan Brown $0 – $30,000 $12,189 $18,847 $8,580 $5,771 $30,001 – $48,000 $14,077 $20,348 $10,511 $4,884 $48,001 – $75,000 $17,932 $23,054 $15,907 $12,853 $75,001 – $110,000 $24,446 $27,786 $24,218 $20,742 $110,001 and more $36,684 $33,508 $40,826 $41,001

Cost of Attendance $52,973 $47,583 $53,797 $52,030

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

If I need financial aid, is there a way to avoid taking out loans? The Project on Student Debt (http://projectonstudentdebt.org) maintains a list of colleges that have pledged to eliminate loans for needy students, replacing them with grants. The website shows the income levels eligible at each college (click on “Financial Aid Pledges”).

What financial aid forms are needed? The FAFSA must be completed by everyone applying for financial aid.

The Cal Grant Program is for students who want to attend private or public colleges in California. To apply, you must complete the FAFSA by March 2, 2013 and complete an additional form—the Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form by February 1, 2013. This form goes to Ms. Mellion in D173.

The CSS PROFILE is required by some private colleges. There is a charge for this application (see www.collegeboard.org for more information).

Supplemental financial aid forms may be required by some private colleges. A family might have to fill out three or more sets of forms to apply for financial aid.

For detailed information about completing these forms, see Chapter 13.

58 Additional Questions about Paying for College

What if our family has unusual circumstances—for example, the student has no contact with the parents or a mother just lost her job? Before filling out the FAFSA or PROFILE, your student may want to talk with the College Advisor. You could also call FAFSA directly to ask for their advice (1-800-433-3243). If you’ve already completed the financial aid applications and your situation has changed (for example, one of the parents has lost her job), contact the financial aid officers at the colleges you are applying to and explain the situation to them. Financial aid officers are available and helpful.

What if my student is undocumented? Students who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents of the United States can qualify to attend CSU or UC as California residents. A law known as “AB 540” allows undocumented students who have attended high school in California for three years or more and graduate from a California high school to be treated as California residents for tuition purposes, which means that they will not be required to pay out-of-state tuition. Students who are undocumented and applying to college should speak with their College Advisor. They can obtain additional information about AB 540 from the website of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF): www.maldef.org.

Under federal law, however, these students will not be eligible for federal financial aid, but state financial aid will soon become available to them. The California Dream Act (AB 131), which becomes effective January 1, 2013, will allow documented and undocumented students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for and receive institutional grants (such as the Educational Opportunity Program, UC Grants, State University Grants, and Cal Grants). For more information see www.ucop.edu/sas/sfs/docs/ca-dream-act-uc.pdf and www.ucop.edu/sas/sfs/docs/ca-dream-act- table.pdf

Our Expected Family Contribution is $20,000, but we don’t have the money to pay it. What can we do? • Students can seek out merit scholarships (www.meritaid.com). • Students can contribute by getting a summer job before college begins. • Families can try to find ways to shave the costs of college (for example, they may consider having the student plan to buy used textbooks online, choosing a lower-priced dorm if available, or lowering transportation costs by having the student come home less often). • Students can try to get a well-paying job at college. • Students who don’t qualify for financial aid can usually borrow through the federal student loan program (unsubsidized Stafford Direct Loans). Because the loans are unsubsidized, interest starts accruing right away, but the interest rate is usually lower than other sources of loans. • Parents can also borrow through the federal PLUS loan program or take out a home equity loan.

Be very frank with your child before he or she applies to college so that your student is prepared to go to a less expensive school if you don’t receive the necessary financial aid.

Is there any way to attend college for free? Yes, but competition is stiff. A few colleges offer free tuition and free room and board: • The highly selective federal service academies offer free tuition, room and board, and a monthly stipend: U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York; U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Merchant 59

Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York; and U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Following four years at an academy, there is a military service requirement of several years. A congressional appointment is required for consideration at all the federal academies except for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; further, candidates must meet high scholastic and physical qualifications. For more information about application procedures, see the College Advisor. • Deep Springs College (Deep Springs, California): This all-male, two-year college is located on a working ranch. Tuition and room and board are free; students must participate in running the day-to-day activities of the ranch.

The following three colleges offer free tuition (but not free room and board): • Berea College (Berea, Kentucky): Students must work 10-15 hours/week as part of their 4- year full-tuition scholarship. • Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (New York City): A highly selective school that provides all its students in the schools of arts, engineering, and architecture with a four-year full-tuition scholarship. • Frank W. Olin College of Engineering (Needham, Massachusetts): All admitted students receive a full tuition scholarship (but must cover their own room and board, books, and personal expenses).

What Types of Financial Aid Are Available?

Four types of financial aid are available: grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study opportunities.

Your FAFSA is your application for all federal grants. The Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form is the additional application required for all Cal Grants.

1. Grants Grants are “free money” that does not have to be repaid and are awarded on the basis of financial need. Both the federal government (Pell grants, FSEOG grants) and the California state government (Cal Grants A and B) award grants to low-income students. For example, the federal government offers Pell grants (ranging from $400 to $5,550) to every undergraduate student who meets the financial requirements. See “For Those Who Want More Detailed Information About Financial Aid” in Appendix B for more information on federal grants.

Some colleges also award their own grant money based on need or the college’s own criteria.

2. Loans Loans are money for college that does need to be paid back. Student loans are taken out by the student and may not need to be paid back until after graduation; parent loans may require payments while the student is still in school.

See Appendix B for more detailed information about the types of student and parent federal loans that are available and the interest rates charged.

Be wary of non-federal private student loans, which may have variable or high interest rates.

PLUS loans (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) are a federally subsidized educational loan program. With parent loans, the accrual of loan interest begins while the student is in school. It is possible for parents to reach their credit limit and be unable to borrow more funds.

With the increased rates for parent loans, now fixed at 7.9% for the federal Direct PLUS program, parents may want to investigate if they can get a lower interest rate from a home equity loan. Interest from home equity loans is tax deductible for many people who itemize. PLUS loan interest is tax- deductible as an adjustment to income using the Student Loan Interest Deduction only if a parent’s 60 adjusted gross income is less than $75,000 per year (or less than $150,000 if married filing jointly). The amount of deduction is limited for those with an adjusted gross income between $60,000 and $75,000 ($120,000 and $150,000 if you file a joint return).

Student loan forgiveness programs (for example, for AmeriCorps workers or for graduates who later work in public service jobs) will later “forgive” (eliminate) a portion of one’s federal student loans. Rules are complicated and there are many limitations (check those rules at www.finaid.org/loans/publicservice.phtml). These forgiveness programs do not apply to private loans or to parents’ PLUS loans.

3. Work-Study (Federal Work-Study Program) Work-study means that students have the opportunity to apply for designated on-campus jobs. At some colleges, work-study jobs may be the best jobs available on campus. If you believe that your student may need to work while attending school, it is useful to receive federal work-study status.

4. Scholarships Scholarships are “free money” that does not need to be repaid, are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, special talents, and/or financial need, and usually have conditions attached to them (for example, maintenance of a certain grade point average in college). Some colleges may offer scholarships not based on financial need—for example, “merit scholarships” (see www.meritaid.com).

Students must report to the colleges’ financial aid offices every scholarship they are awarded. Any scholarship may reduce the student’s financial aid package. Usually outside scholarships will replace loan or work-study, thus reducing the work or debt burden. By federal law, a college may not award a student receiving federal financial aid more than the Cost of Attendance minus the Expected Family Contribution.

• The UC system awards Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarships to entering freshmen and transfer students based on their outstanding overall achievement. These scholarships cover the full demonstrated financial need. An honorary award ($1,000 or more, depending on the campus) is offered to recipients with no demonstrated financial need. Each campus determines the precise award method. Consult the UC Application for Admission for additional information.

• Each college bestows specific scholarships to students who meet certain criteria (for example, a woman majoring in engineering, a theatre arts student, etc.). Information about these special scholarships is available from each college the student applies to, and is specific to that school. At the UC system, for example, students apply for these scholarships as part of the admission application.

• Based on their PSAT scores taken in their junior year, students may be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program are notified early in the fall of their senior year and must complete additional materials and tests to be eligible to become a finalist. If the student passes this review and is designated a National Merit Finalist, he or she may receive a scholarship from one of a number of different sources. Please note that the UC system does not participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program because the University objected to the use of the PSAT as the primary determinant for scholarship eligibility.

• Many scholarships are sponsored by corporations (for example, PG&E), associations, and agencies. If you work for a large corporation (company, union, educational institution), check to see if they offer college scholarships for children of employees

• The BHS etree’s College and Career Center Bulletin and the BHS Daily Bulletin list, on an ongoing basis, scholarship competitions and deadline dates. In the College and Career Center there is 61

also a box containing additional scholarship applications. Check the scholarship box weekly as new scholarships come in regularly. There is a lot of free money available and many BHS students are able to reduce their loan debt in the freshman year of college by applying for these scholarships.

• The www.collegeboard.org site has a scholarship search engine and information on typical first- year earnings for a wide variety of college majors (so you can get realistic information about expected salaries).

• The www.finaid.org site offers useful links to a free scholarship search engine (www.fastweb.com) and to college financial aid offices.

• For information about athletic scholarships, see the chapter entitled, “Intercollegiate Sports.” Athletic scholarships are generally available only from Division I or II schools (but not from the Ivy League schools).

• Financial aid, in the form of full or partial scholarships plus a small monthly stipend, is also provided for those who join ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) for the Army, Navy, or Air Force. ROTC allows college students to earn an academic degree and an officer’s commission at the same time. Following college, there is an obligatory time of service (four years of active duty and two years in the reserves). Students must apply for ROTC scholarships early in the senior year of high school. If your student is considering opportunities in the military pre- college, carefully investigate the recruitment offer’s details describing the funding of college costs. The benefit may cover a much smaller portion of the total cost of college than one expects.

Important: There is no reason to pay for a scholarship search service when the same information is available free on the Internet or in the College Career Center.

The following table shows the types of grants available for the UC system (Blue and Gold Program) and for the UC Berkeley campus (Middle Class Access Plan) for families at different levels of income. Note that for all levels of family income, the student is expected to contribute $8,000/year (this can be paid through student loans).

62 Financial Aid for the University of California

UC Blue and Gold Program – families with incomes below $80,000 (and satisfying other qualifications) pay no tuition. Available at all UC campuses.

UC Berkeley Middle Class Access Plan (MCAP) – sets a 15% cap on parental contributions for families with gross income from $80,000 - $140,000.

Example for UC Berkeley in 2011-2012 (Cost of Attendance $32,634):

Family Expected to Pay Grants Family Pell Cal MCAP Income Student Parent Grant Grant UC Grant Grant $20,000 $8,000 $0 $5,550 $10,302 $8,782 $0 $40,000 $8,000 $1,200 $4,650 $10,302 $8,482 $0 $100,000 $8,000 $15,000 $0 $0 $1,534 $8,100

http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/home/cost.htm

Tips from Parents on the Financial Aid Process The following tips and reflections are from parents who have gone through the college application process.

Set aside plenty of time to complete financial aid forms and start early “Those who are self-employed or have complicated investments should be sure to start early in completing tax forms. Also, the PROFILE requires a lot more specific financial information (including calculating the equity in your home) than does the FAFSA.”

Talk about money issues “Have some honest talks about money. When all the acceptances came in (along with the financial aid information), we couldn’t justify the burden of huge loans down the road and it can be disappointing when it appears that the sky is the limit if it really isn’t. We ended up making a spreadsheet and showed our child what the debt would be after four years. Staying in state made sense in the end.”

Start in the fall to check out college-specific scholarships “While we felt entirely prepared for getting our FAFSA in early (thanks to the advice of the College Advisors and the College Handbook), we missed some deadlines for college-specific scholarships. One college had a priority deadline for financial aid right around the time that applications were due (or before). We got so wrapped up in getting applications and essays out that we let our guard down concerning some of the financial aid and scholarship deadlines.

“For my next child, I will start finding out where on the colleges’ websites the financial aid and scholarship information resides, and get all the deadlines on a calendar. I advise parents to start checking on financial aid and scholarships as early as your child is starting to write applications and essays. It can take a LONG time to pore through all of the opportunities, and you don’t want to miss out on any, as we did.”

Tax consequences of grants “Apparently we can get TAXED in the following year on grants that cover room and board from universities—that part is treated as taxable income. Scholarships and grants are tax-free only if used to pay for ‘qualified education expenses,’ such as tuition and required books. (Room and board and travel costs are not ‘qualified educational expenses’ and thus are taxable.) This is all explained in IRS Publication 970. Something to consider in the equation.”

Private vs. California public schools “If you qualify for financial aid, in some cases it can be cheaper to attend a private university than our own state universities.”

Try to be clear about what you can afford “We know of two families where the child was accepted to his or her dream private school and now the parents want them to go to a UC for financial reasons. In both cases the parents assumed the child would not be accepted because the dream school was so hard to get into. It seems cruel to let the child apply and then say you’re not willing or able to pay.”

13. Applying for Financial Aid Step by Step

Completing the FAFSA

Applying for Cal Grants A and B

Completing the CSS Profile

Completing supplemental financial aid forms

Financial aid timeline

A timeline for completing financial aid information is at the end of this chapter (pages 68 to 69).

Completing the FAFSA

Fill out the FAFSA, either electronically (www.fafsa.ed.gov) or on paper. You can get a copy of the form (either the worksheet for the online FAFSA or the paper application) in January at the College and Career Center.

The advantages to completing the electronic FAFSA are: 1) there are built-in edits to minimize errors and a faster processing time—days, compared to weeks for the paper version; 2) you can more easily edit the final form if your tax information changes; and 3) you can list up to 10 colleges (only 4 can be listed on the paper form).

1. Getting started • For help with completing the form, attend the Financial Aid Night for Senior Parents which will be held November 14 at BHS. Look for announcements on the BHS etree and in the PTSA Newsletter to confirm the date and time. • Get FAFSA personal identification numbers (PINs) for the parent and the student (required to submit the FAFSA online), at www.pin.ed.gov. Keep a record of these numbers. You can write them on the last page of this handbook.

2. Gathering information • At the FAFSA website, you can find detailed information on what financial records you will need to gather in order to complete the form. • Don’t wait until the last minute to start gathering the financial information needed for the form. As the calendar year 2012 ends, start compiling a list of the value of each of your assets. Plan to do your taxes as early as possible this year, and for the next four years. • Those whose family situations are complicated may find it helpful to consult books that take the reader step-by-step through the FAFSA, call FAFSA directly to ask questions, or consult a financial aid specialist.

3. Timing/deadlines • File the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1, 2013. It takes longer for the processing center to scan in your initial information than it does to correct it. Many colleges require that you complete the form by February 1, 2013 or earlier, to increase your chances of receiving an Official Offer Letter in early April. The FAFSA must be postmarked or sent electronically by March 2, 2013 to be eligible for a Cal Grant and/or financial aid from a UC or CSU. • Remember not to sign, date, or submit the FAFSA before January 1, 2013. • If you mail the FAFSA, be sure to obtain a certificate of mailing from the post office and keep a copy for yourself. • You can fill the FAFSA out before you complete your income tax returns. Simply check off (for both student and/or parents/guardians) the “will file” box that indicates that you will file but that you have not yet filed. You can use estimated tax information and then correct it once the processing center sends you back the computerized printout (known as the Student Aid Report or SAR). It is most important to meet the earliest financial aid deadline of the colleges to which the student is applying. That is more important than having the exact, correct figures since the figures can be corrected later in the process.

4. Sending to multiple colleges • If you are applying for financial aid at more than ten colleges (or more than four if using the paper application), you will need to change the names on the form after the SAR has been submitted to the first group of schools. You can never have more than ten college names on the FAFSA at any one time. After the first submission has been processed (the student will receive an email about the SAR), go back to the FAFSA, delete enough schools so you can add additional schools and still keep the total within ten on the modification. Submit the modification. Be sure to keep at least one California college on the FAFSA each time so that your information will be sent to the Cal Grant agency. List the most expensive California college first on the FAFSA on step five.

5. After filing • Obtain your copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR). If you submitted the FAFSA electronically, you will be sent an email a few days later, giving you a web-based link to the SAR. This will allow you to make corrections quickly. If you submitted by mail, you should expect to receive a paper copy of the SAR three to four weeks later. • Your confirmation page will list your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) without a dollar sign. EFC=08920 means that your Expected Family Contribution was judged to be $8,920. • Check over the SAR carefully. Errors do happen. Revise any errors immediately and send the corrected information back either electronically (the preferred method) or by mail. • If the report indicates that your form can’t be processed, get back to them as soon as possible to find out why. • Make corrections on the SAR. If you filled out the FAFSA by using your estimated income for 2012, you must remember later to correct it to reflect your true income and tax payment information. You must then send this updated FAFSA to each college that your student is

66 applying to. Without this information, the colleges will be able to provide you with only an estimated financial aid award letter before May 1, rather than the final official letter. If you sent the FAFSA to more than 10 schools, send the update to the first ten colleges. After you receive the revised SAR, change the schools and send the updated information to the additional colleges. • Submit documentation of your financial information, if asked. A certain percentage of FAFSA applications are selected at random for verification, and others are chosen for verification because of inconsistent information. If selected, you must submit the documents requested to each college your student is applying to, which might include copies of parents’ and/or student’s income tax forms or documentation of income or assets. Note the date that information is due and follow the procedure required by the college requesting the verification. Many schools use the Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) of the College Board for collection of documents. • You will need to fill out a FAFSA each year you apply for financial aid. To make the process easier the following year, print out a copy of the completed FAFSA and save it, along with the parent’s and student’s PINs. Keep them in a place where you can find them the following January.

Applying for Cal Grants A and B The Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form is available in the College and Career Center and the Registrar’s office in December. If your student is applying for financial aid to any public or private California college or university, be sure to: • File your FAFSA by the due date. • List the most expensive California college or university first on the FAFSA under Step 5. • Complete a Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form and give it to the Registrar’s Office in D173 by February 1, 2013 so that the Registrar can process the forms prior to the March 2, 2013 deadline. This is a very simple form to fill out.

Completing the CSS PROFILE (for private colleges) For private colleges, check with each one to see if you need to fill out the CSS PROFILE in addition to the FAFSA. • The CSS PROFILE registration form is available from www.collegeboard.org. To complete the PROFILE, you must register and pay a fee. There is an additional charge for sending the report to each college that requires it. Registration for and completion of the PROFILE must be done online, beginning on October 1, 2012. Register for the PROFILE after your student has decided which private colleges he or she will apply to. You will be informed if any of those colleges require completion of additional forms (such as the Noncustodial Parent’s Statement), which can be downloaded from the website. After you fill out the PROFILE, you will be notified if you are eligible for a fee waiver. • Check the due dates; for some schools, the required PROFILE information must be submitted by December. • If you are applying for any early decision programs, find out when forms must be submitted. • If you need to update information later, send the update directly to each college. • Keep a copy of the CSS PROFILE; it will be useful if you have to complete it the following year.

Completing supplemental financial aid forms Check with each private college you apply to, to see if additional forms or documents are required and to find out their deadlines (some colleges require all financial aid applicants to send copies of income tax returns).

Final step Add the financial aid due dates for each school to your master calendar. 67

Financial Aid Timeline

October Determine how much you can afford to pay.

Decide whether you will apply for financial aid.

You can calculate an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) online (see page 57).

Pick a “financial safe bet school” (see page 8).

November Attend Financial Aid Information Night on November 14. Discuss the details of college financing with your student.

If you are applying to private colleges, register online for the CSS PROFILE (see page 67).

Check private colleges to see if they have additional financial aid forms.

If you are applying Early Decision and need financial aid, find out what type of financial aid forms the college wants you to submit and when.

Check if colleges have early deadlines for submitting scholarship applications and what is required.

Make a list of dates the FAFSA and PROFILE are due at each college. Some colleges have deadlines as early as the beginning of January or February. Plan to submit the FAFSA and PROFILE no later than the earliest date on your list.

Review the FAFSA website (or the paper application) to determine what financial information you will need.

Get FAFSA PINs—one number for you and one for your student (see page 65).

If your family’s situation is complicated, talk with all family members (step- parents, divorced partners) about committing to submitting the required financial information for the FAFSA and PROFILE.

If your tax situation is complicated (for example, involving partnerships or trusts), consider consulting a tax advisor.

December Gather in one place all end-of-year investment statements and paycheck stubs. Both parent and student information will be required.

68 January Submit the FAFSA and PROFILE with complete data early.

You have two choices for how to proceed: • If you have all your financial information (W2 forms, 1099s) and are ready to complete your tax forms, do so. You can then complete the FAFSA and PROFILE using the information on your tax forms. • If you are not ready to complete your tax forms, use last year’s returns and your December pay-stubs to estimate your income. Later, after you complete your taxes, you will need to correct the estimated figures on the FAFSA and PROFILE and send the updated information to all the colleges.

Save a copy of the FAFSA and PROFILE. These forms have to be completed yearly with updated information. Put the PINs in a place you can find them next January.

FAFSA information can be submitted to only ten schools at a time (four, if you’re using a paper application). If you are applying to more than ten schools, see page 66 for information on what to do.

February-March Complete the Cal Grant form by February 1.

Check the Student Aid Report (SAR) for your Expected Family Contribution and to make sure there are no errors on your FAFSA.

Once you have completed your federal tax forms, if needed, update information on the FAFSA. See pages 66-67 if you have applied to more than ten colleges. For the PROFILE, send updates directly to each college.

April Colleges will be sending acceptances and financial aid offers. To evaluate financial aid offers, consult Chapter 17, “April Advice.”

File your federal taxes by April 15. Colleges may require you to send in a copy of the completed federal income tax forms for parents and student (or non-filing forms, if applicable) as part of the financial aid application process.

14. Intercollegiate Sports

This chapter contains information for students who plan to participate in intercollegiate sports.

How to be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center

Other important steps

For intercollegiate sports, colleges are divided into four categories: three for the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)—Divisions I, II, and III—and fourth, the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). Division I and many Division II schools offer athletic scholarships to recruited athletes. (Note: Ivy League colleges are Division I but do not offer athletic scholarships; however, being a recruited athlete can be a significant advantage in the admission process.) Athletic scholarships pay part or all of the total cost of attending college.

If your student is being recruited or plans to participate in intercollegiate sports while in college, you and your student should read the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. This publication is available from the Berkeley High School Athletic Director, from www.NCAAstudent.org, or by calling 1-800-638-3731. Details about eligibility requirements, recruitment, and amateurism certification can be found at the website www.eligibilitycenter.org. For questions, call 1-877-262- 1492.

The NCAA Guide contains worksheets to help students monitor their progress in meeting NCAA initial-eligibility standards, the activities that are permissible or not under the pre-enrollment amateurism rules, and a summary of recruiting rules for each sport.

All prospective Division I and II student-athletes must be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center, which determines initial eligibility status for incoming freshmen. Even if your student is not sure that he or she will apply to a Division I or II school, it is a good strategy to be certified by the Eligibility Center. Detailed instructions follow.

70 How to Be Certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center:

1. Register online with the NCAA Eligibility Center at www.eligibilitycenter.org if your student hasn’t already done so. Use the BHS code 050290. He or she must also complete the amateurism questionnaire.

2. The $60 fee must be paid online by debit or credit card or e-check. Students can obtain a waiver for economic need through the NCAA Eligibility Center or from the College Advisor if the student has already received a waiver of the SAT or ACT fee.

3. Print a copy of the completed registration form and download and print a copy of the transcript release form. Under Resources, go to Forms, then to Select Transcript Release Form.

4. Fill out the BHS blue transcript request form from the Registrar’s office. The parent must sign it if the student is under 18. The student should leave it with the registrar, Barbara Mellion, in D173 along with the NCAA transcript release form and a stamped envelope addressed to the NCAA Eligibility Center (the address is listed on the form). On the envelope, put the following return address: Berkeley High School, 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704. If you do not list the high school return address, the Eligibility Center will not accept the transcript.

5. The same transcript process must be repeated at the end of the student’s senior year so the final high school transcript can be sent to the Eligibility Center. Students must also finalize their amateurism questionnaire online before they enroll in college.

6. When registering to take the SAT or ACT, students should indicate that they want the scores sent to the Eligibility Center by using the NCAA Eligibility Center code 9999 as a score recipient. Students who have already taken the tests should instruct the testing agency to send the SAT or ACT scores to the Eligibility Center.

7. Questions about the following topics are addressed in the NCAA Guide. • Core GPA/Test score index for Division I and II for NCAA eligibility • Questions about Independent Studies (all courses acceptable to the NCAA are listed in the office of the BHS registrar and on the www.eligibilitycenter.org website) • Any exceptions to core course policy • Students with disabilities • Foreign students applying to colleges and hoping to participate in sports programs

Other Important Steps:

1. Students should talk to their coaches about how colleges recruit in their sport. Some sports have showcases or camps where coaches from many colleges attend to observe prospective players. Students should make sure to find out where and when these events happen and plan to attend.

2. It is valuable to go online or to the library for information on schools and their sports programs, including: • What Division (I, II, or III)? • Who are the coaches and how long have they been there? • What is the team’s record? • How many “away” games does the team play? (How much will this interfere with a student’s class schedule—for example, lab or section meetings?) From the team roster you can find out: • Does the team recruit nationwide or only within the state? 71

• What positions might be opening up (either through graduation or players leaving college early)? • How many players play the position your student is most interested in?

3. With the research complete, students should write to the coaches at the schools that interest them. Although many college athletic departments have online recruiting forms for students to fill out, this information goes to the athletic department, and sometimes takes a long time to get to a specific coach. A student letter will be more personal and should go directly to the coach of the sport or the coach in charge of recruiting. The student should also include his or her athletic resume, which should list contact information, GPA, SAT/ACT scores, sports statistics, positions played, individual and team honors, camps/clinics attended, and references. If your student chooses to send a video, be sure that his or her name and address are on the video. The video should be short and showcase only his or her skills. Coaches rarely watch more than five minutes of a video.

4. Students should not choose a school only to play their sport. It’s important to remember that the primary reason a student is going to college is to get an education. Being a college athlete may not work out. For example, the student may not like the coach or get enough playing time, or the student may get injured. If a student’s athletic experience is unsatisfactory, that student will want to be at a college where he or she likes the academic and social environment. Students should check with their current coach, who should suggest they look at a variety of schools in all divisions (some Division I, some Division II, some Division III). This will insure that students consider a range of schools where they can realistically participate in athletics and get a good education.

5. The college athletic recruitment process is complex and often confusing. Initial recruitment letters from colleges may or may not be an indication of genuine interest. Some coaches may say things that are flattering, misleading, or simply untrue. To keep perspective, it is important that the parents are included in this process, to ask coaches very precise questions (e.g., how many shooting guards are you recruiting?), and to demand candid answers to these questions.

6. Caution: Many websites and businesses make promises to help students get recruited as an athlete. Some are legitimate; many are not. Check with coaches and friends before giving money to these programs. Ask colleges if they use this online recruiting service.

7. If you’ve been offered an athletic scholarship, determine if the school will honor that scholarship if you experience a career-ending injury.

15. Visual and Performing Arts

Students who wish to study visual or performing arts have unique challenges and options during their college search. In addition to completing a college application, they will likely need to prepare a portfolio or audition. As a result, they will need to begin working on applications earlier than other students. They should work with their music, theatre or art teachers to determine a list of schools and to prepare their auditions or a portfolio well in advance of the application dates. Parents and students should work together and lay out a calendar of tasks with deadlines. Parents could help with scholarship applications and making travel arrangements for college visitations and auditions.

Although the portfolio or audition is an important part of the application, arts programs also consider academic record and test scores. Some schools place greater value on academics, while others emphasize the portfolio. Most colleges balance the student’s creative talent with his or her academic achievements. There may be advanced classes that can enhance your application, such as AP Art History, AP Studio Art, IB Studio Art, AP Music Theory, IB Music, or Advanced Theater Projects (Honors). Developing an ability to discuss artistic work will be helpful in essays and interviews.

Colleges are impressed with applicants who are organized—the portfolio or audition, application, and resume should reflect the student’s finest artistic achievement. Each school has different specifications which will be posted on its website. If you have questions, contact the school’s admissions office.

To begin, students of the arts must determine is the type of college they wish to attend. Three major choices include 1) an art school, 2) a conservatory, or 3) a liberal arts college or university with an arts program or conservatory. Art schools and conservatories place more emphasis on performance and skill development than academics and may be a great choice if performance is the goal. Some arts schools have an academic curriculum, strong arts program and the option to focus on auxiliary programs such as arts management or teaching. A few colleges have a conservatory associated with the school, allowing more academic flexibility than attending a stand-alone conservatory. Liberal arts colleges with an embedded arts curriculum allow students to focus on both art and a strong liberal arts education, and may be a good alternative if performance or the life of an artist is not the goal.

To find out more about different options for pursuing the arts, the following resources may be helpful: A Guide to College Choices for the Performing and Visual Arts by Buck and Schoenberg and Creative Colleges, a Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians, and Writers by Loveland. The Peabody Institute of The John Hopkins University website has a helpful section (http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree), clarifying the various degree options in music. When

73 beginning the search for colleges, students should consider the philosophy, programs, and teachers at various schools. Fine arts or music programs will have very different emphases. For example, one music program may emphasize classical music, while another specializes in more modern forms, such as jazz. Similarly, the intensity of competitiveness, workload, and pressure varies from school to school.

Visiting campuses of interest can be one effective way to get a feel for the different emphases of programs. Prospective students can observe the environment, the pace, and the expectations of the program. In addition, students can explore: • How extensive are opportunities to perform, exhibit, or intern? • How abundant is access to professional venues such as museums, galleries, theaters, and concerts? Also, do these venues attract regional, national, or international talent to inspire and educate the students? • How accessible are practice rooms and studio space? Are performance or exhibit venues available on campus? Are darkroom facilities or other technology or other resources available?

It’s not always about you Each school will have particular needs in a given year, or may be emphasizing certain instruments, styles, or levels which may or may not work in your student’s favor. One teacher may be eager for more students; someone else may be cutting back. In many conservatories, positions for new students on any given instrument may be very limited, or undergraduates may be competing with graduate students. Students will have no control over these variables, so they should just do the best they can, being sure to apply to several schools. General college application wisdom applies to artists, too: students should apply to reach, good match, and safe bet schools.

Visual Arts

If a portfolio is required, it could include works from one or more of these categories: observational art, personal art, or a home test (for example, drawings following particular guidelines and subject matter specified by each school). Check the websites of colleges for portfolio requirements for each school. For more info about how to put together a portfolio, see http://www.artschools.com/articles/portfolio/.

Find out about portfolio reviews—college fairs especially for artists—at which art teachers will evaluate student portfolios. One is usually held in the Bay Area each October. Fair dates are listed on the www.nacacnet.org website or at www.portfolioday.net.

Performing Arts

Auditions are one of the most important aspects of the college application process for students wanting to major in performing arts. The auditions vary from school to school, and may be brief or very comprehensive, live or taped. However, whenever possible, students should arrange a live audition either at the school or at a regional audition. Not appearing in person will put the student at a distinct disadvantage.

Students should be thoroughly prepared for their audition in every way. For guidelines and tips about how to prepare for live music, dance, and drama auditions, get a copy of the Visual and Performing Arts Handout at the College and Career Center (or view it on the College and Career Center website in mid-September). More information about live auditions can be found in the links at the end of this chapter.

Music Auditions. Music auditions sometimes include theory and ear-training exams, interviews, and even keyboard placement. At some schools, scoring well on theory tests can serve as a tie-breaker between two otherwise equal applicants, or it may just determine the student’s placement in a class once he or she enrolls. Regardless, students need to demonstrate professional ability.

Dance Auditions. Dance auditions are structured to show a range of skills. Auditions typically include three parts (for example, ballet, a modern combination, then a solo) as well as an improvisational piece. For excellent information on preparing for dance auditions, http://danceu101.com is a useful site.

Drama Auditions. It is to your student’s advantage to audition in person. An in-person audition will give the college a chance to work actively with your student and better judge his or her skills, especially improvisational skills and the ability to work with an ensemble. Unless the school’s requirements state differently (check the website of each school), your student should plan on preparing two contrasting monologues from plays of his or her choice. Musical theater requirements generally consist of one up-tempo musical selection and one ballad, as well as a monologue from a play or musical. All combined, the college audition pieces shouldn’t exceed five minutes.

Recorded Auditions. Schools may require a recorded, preliminary audition. From these auditions, some students are then invited to audition in person. To create a recorded audition, follow requirements exactly and use the best equipment available. See more recommendations in the Visual & Performing Arts Handout.

Resources

Additional information on college auditions can be found at: http://auditioningforcollege.wordpress.com http://danceu101.com/

Preparing for College Auditions is aimed at string students but with lots of good information for other artists also. See http://music.cua.edu/html/gatwood/college_auditions.html

A College Audition Preparation Workshop (for wind, brass and percussion students in grades 10-12) at Indiana University is held for a week every summer: http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/colaudpre/colaudpre.html

The website http://www.larrykrantz.com/caraudit.htm has a series of very useful articles on the audition process as well as information on music careers

16. If Your Student has a Physical or Learning Disability

In this chapter you’ll find information on the steps involved in applying to college for students with a physical or learning disability, and about how your student will manage his or her disability at college. You’ll also find information on:

Resources

Financial aid for students with disabilities

The most important skill your student will need to develop for college is an ability to advocate for himself or herself. Colleges are required only to make “reasonable” accommodations for students with disabilities, whereas high schools are required by law to have accommodations in place for all students. Your student will need to be his or her own best advocate.

Start gathering information early. It takes extra time to look for colleges that will meet your student’s needs, and the application process is often more complex when the student has a disability.

SAT and ACT testing accommodations must be secured early in the process. It can take six to eight weeks—or as long as three or four months if your student’s disability is complex—for the accommodations to be processed by the College Board or ACT. See page 47.

Some students may benefit from bridge programs, which take place prior to attending a college or university. These programs are designed to help students with disabilities work on improving sets of basic skills (for example, executive functioning, time management) so they are in place when the student enters a four-year college or university. Bridge programs can be for a summer, a semester, or as long as a couple of years.

Before applying to a four-year college or a bridge program, the following steps need to be taken:

1. Your student should get his or her documentation in order. • To apply for college he or she will need to have: • 504 Plan or IEP • SAT or ACT test accommodations (see page 47) • A transition plan • It is crucial that your student attend and participate in the IEP or 504 Plan meetings, even if he or she has never gone to these meetings before. It helps develop self-advocacy skills. • Be sure that the transition plan for the student’s post-secondary education includes the annual IEP from age 14 to present. • The IEP or 504 must include the step-by-step objectives the student needs to meet his or her goal of attending college. • The student should talk to his or her teachers, case manager, tutor, and academic counselor about working together to specify what assistance will be needed in order to succeed in college. Make sure these strategies are included in the IEP or 504 Plan. • Include successful accommodations in the IEP or 504 Plan. While your student is still in high school, he or she should try different and new accommodations—extended time for tests, a quiet room to take tests, a note taker, books to download or on CD, having a reader for tests, sitting in different locations in the classroom—in order to find out what works best for him or her.

2. Make sure your student’s diagnostic testing is current. • Diagnostic testing, both educational and psychological assessments, must be current (usually within three years). Most colleges require current test results to obtain services. If your student has an IEP, the need for up-to-date testing should be part of the transition plan. • Your student should be familiar with his or her diagnostic reports and be able to discuss both his or her abilities and the disability.

3. Students should know their strengths and use them to compensate for their weaknesses. • Students should take charge. They should do everything they can on their own: • Make their own appointments. • Order their own books on tape. • Work on their assignments independently as often as they can. • When they need assistance, learn to ask for it. • If that does not work for a student, he or she should look for different assistance. • Students should improve their skills: • Use their daily planner. • Work on improving their weakest skills by using their abilities. • Students should attend programs for students with their particular disabilities, if available.

4. Explore colleges. • Review the college guides listed at the end of this chapter. • Your student should contact the Disabled Student Program (DSP) on the campuses he or she is interested in to learn about the services that exist and to explore the ability of the campus to accommodate his or her needs. Your student must be clear about what those needs are, so the DSP knows how to make the accommodations.

Generally, colleges have two types of services for students with

learning disabilities:

Special services: All colleges have these services. Special services provide the

accommodations allowed in a student’s 504 Plan. They do not usually include special

studies, time with a learning specialist, or special courses.

Comprehensive services: These additional services (for which fees may be charged) may

include regular time with a learning specialist, priority registration, tutoring, advocacy,

time management, learning strategies, assistance with writing, and other individual help.

5. Students should start the college application process early. • If students apply to a college with a comprehensive program, this often entails two separate applications and essays: one set for the college, and one set for the comprehensive services program. • The college application essay is an excellent opportunity for your student to discuss how he or she copes with the disability, how he or she has succeeded in spite of it, and how it has affected his or her academic program or extracurricular activities.

6. Visit colleges. If possible, students should visit colleges before they apply. • Meet the staff in the DSP office and ask: • Does this college have experience working with students with this disability? • Can your student meet with other students with the same disability to discover firsthand how the accommodations are working for them? • Is the staff in the DSP full or part time? What is their training? How often can your student meet with a service provider? What role does DSP play in freshman orientation? • How does the student access tutoring help at this college? Who does the tutoring— staff, students, or outside providers? • Are there support groups for students with disabilities, and how are they organized? • Your student should spend time in the residence halls. • Meet the residential life staff. See what training they may have in working with students with this disability. • Look carefully at the residence halls. Will they work with your student’s accommodations? Even single rooms have thin walls. • Unless your student has applied to and been accepted into a comprehensive disabilities program, it will be up to your student to contact the disability services office at the college and learn how to have his or her accommodations put into place. Your student may want to do this before submitting his or her application. Often the disability services staff will work with the admissions department to review disabled students’ applications. This collaboration could make a difference in terms of admission.

How Your Student Will Manage His or Her Disability at College In college, students are expected to work directly with the DSP and to manage their own disability on campus. For example, the student is required to communicate directly with professors to receive classroom and testing accommodations. This may be a new role for the student, but helps him or her to gain independence and feel more empowered.

Parents need to know that once the student is 18 and enrolled in college, legally the DSP cannot give parents any specific information about their student unless the student has signed a release of information form. Without this release, the parent can only call the DSP to get general information about campus programs and resources. Some parents may find this quite helpful when the student first enrolls. The same legal restrictions apply to the college’s Counseling Center: psychologists or psychiatrists cannot acknowledge they are treating the student or discuss student information unless the student has signed a release. However, parents can call and give information to the therapist.

When medical monitoring is necessary, students can either maintain their hometown doctors or find doctors in their new location. Confidentiality rules are the same off-campus; parents need a signed release of information form to be able to obtain medical details about their child 18 years or older.

It is crucial for students and parents to find ways to keep the lines of communication open once the student is in college. Before college begins, parents and students might discuss which ways will work best for them.

Resources

College Guides: These guides are full of information and are a good place to start your college search:

The K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder, Princeton Review, 2007.

Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder, Peterson’s, 2006.

Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent’s Guide to Student Success, Ann Palmer, 2005.

Websites: University of Arizona SALT Center (This is an excellent website to begin to understand what a comprehensive program is like, and to begin to understand the application process): www.salt.arizona.edu/

To see what the resources are like at a UC campus: www.DSP.berkeley.edu

Do It / Transition to College: www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/college.html

LD OnLine: www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/postsecondary/hrc_gettingready.html

The Advocacy Institute has a number of interesting publications, including “College Opportunities for Students with Learning Disabilities”: www.advocacyinstitute.org/LDA2004/index.shtml

College Planning for Students with Learning Disabilities: www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/college.planning.LD.html

Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities

A great way to begin the search for financial aid information is to check these excellent websites: www.finaid.org/otheraid/disabled.phtml and www.heath.gwu.edu.

Be certain that your student’s 504 clearly states all of the services and supplemental equipment he or she might need for college. The cost of these needs should be calculated into the student’s “cost of attendance” for each college. (See page 55, which explains what the cost of attendance is.) For example, if your student’s 504 indicates he or she requires a single room, and that cost is more than a standard room at that college, you want this higher cost to be added to the cost of attendance and to be reflected in the financial aid award from the college. After your student is accepted, the college’s Disabled Student Program (DSP) may be able to help your student communicate with the financial aid office about these issues.

Scholarship help may be available from public or private community organizations to cover some of your student’s unique needs. If your student gets one of these scholarships, you must let the financial aid office at the college your student will attend know that your student received funds to cover a specific disability-related need. You want to be sure it goes toward covering the correct specified expense. Your student should also contact the DSP, Student Services Personnel, 504 Coordinator, or Disability Support Services Office at the college he or she will attend to see if any aid is available specifically for the assistance required.

Assistance may also be available through federal Vocational Rehabilitation agencies, including additional funding for tuition, room and board, transportation and commuting, books and supplies, and other disability-related services your student requires. Because the goal of the Vocational Rehabilitation program is employment for the future, the department will evaluate each student’s educational plans against how they fit with his or her plans for future employment. Awards will be allocated with this in mind. To find a Vocational Rehabilitation office near you, consult the website www.rehabnetwork.org/directors_contact.htm.

Once your student arrives on campus, he or she can find ways to contact other students who have the same disability. They may be able to tell your student about low-cost alternatives within the community to meet some of the needs of their disability.

17. April Advice for Seniors and Their Parents

In this chapter you’ll find information on some of the April admission dilemmas:

What to do if your student hasn’t heard from one (or more) colleges

What to do if your student didn’t get into his or her first choice college, got wait listed, or got deferred, and still wants to try to get in

What to do if your student got into more than one college that he or she really likes

What to do if your student didn’t get In anywhere

How to compare financial aid/scholarship offers

Important education tax credits or deductions

Sending the final transcript

Tips from parents

What to Do If Your Student Hasn’t Heard From One (or More) Colleges

Not all decision notices arrive by April 1. A few may trickle in after that date (have your student check the websites for each college he or she has applied to). If your student hasn’t heard by April 10, he or she should see the College Advisor, who can help find out what is happening with a particular college. • If the college is behind in its process and has not issued its decision letters, the College Advisor can help find out when the decisions will be sent.

• If a college has already sent its decisions but your student hasn’t received it, the College Advisor can help learn why.

What to Do If Your Student Didn’t Get Into His or Her First Choice College, Got Wait Listed, or Got Deferred, and Still Wants to Try to Get In

Keep perspective. Even though your student may be disappointed, he or she still has some solid options.

The first thing is to call or email your student’s first-choice college and ask if the application was complete. If it wasn’t, your student should immediately submit any missing items and ask that the file be reconsidered.

Your student must send the Statement of Intent to Register and the deposit (if required) by May 1 to his or her best choice school.

Appeal. Your student may consider writing a letter of appeal, but know that chances of success are small. Check with the college to see if they accept appeals or have specific requirements for such an appeal. As a parent, help your student think carefully about the content of the appeal letter to give your student the best chance of succeeding. The letter should include any new information that was not in the original application, including any honors or awards your student has gained since he or she applied. • If your student has not already sent a Midyear Report, he or she should include the first- semester senior year grades.

• Your student should describe the remarkable person the college would be getting if it decides to admit him or her on appeal. If the college did not require letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or peers as part of the original application, provide—or offer to provide—one or two letters. Enclose these letters in envelopes with the writer’s signature across the sealed flap and include them in the larger envelope with the letter of appeal.

• The letter should be straightforward and friendly, not angry, outraged, disappointed, or whiny.

• The College Advisors are available to review the letter of appeal before you send it.

• UC campuses provide specific information on their websites about how to submit appeals. Note that UC campuses that use waitlists are unlikely to grant appeals except in unusual circumstances. CSU does not accept appeals.

Wait List. If your student has been put on a wait list for a college, he or she may write a letter similar to the appeal letter described above. The student should restate his or her strong interest in that college, provide any new information not in the original application, and include a Midyear Report. If not already sent, one may also include additional letters of recommendation that will highlight the student’s strengths. However, UC campuses admit students from their wait list in order on a space-available basis. UC campuses do not ask for, and likely will not consider, additional information when admitting from their wait lists.

Colleges which admit students regardless of financial need (called “need blind”) may not be able to meet full financial need for students who are admitted from the wait list. Check the financial aid offer carefully if your student is offered admission from the wait list.

Deferred. If your student has been offered deferred admission to the winter or spring quarter or to the spring semester, consider those options seriously. Many students mistakenly feel insulted by such offers, but deferred admission is often a very good way to enroll at one’s first-choice college simply by enduring a four- or five-month delay.

Transfer. Your student might consider transferring to that college in one or two years. He or she can call the Admissions Office or look at the college website to see the requirements for transfer.

What to Do If Your Student Got Into More Than One College That He or She Really Likes

The few weeks students will have to make their decision before the May 1 response deadline will go by very quickly.

• If possible, visit the contenders in person—preferably when classes are in session so your student can sit in on classes, eat on campus, talk with a variety of students, and possibly spend the night in a dorm.

• If your student can’t visit the schools in person, revisit them electronically, look at the school newspaper, and check out student groups online.

• With your student, review the college website for general education requirements, major requirements, whether or not there are obstacles to declaring popular majors, and other topics.

• Consider the freshman retention rates, percentage of students who graduate within four years, student loan default rates, and transfer rates. These can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator

• Your student should attend Bay Area receptions for students admitted to those schools.

• The College Advisors have the names and email addresses of many Berkeley High graduates who are attending colleges across the country. Your student can email these students directly. He or she should be sure to contact a range of students to get a variety of viewpoints.

• As soon as you know for sure that you can definitely rule out a school that has admitted you, inform the school that you will not be attending.

• After gathering as much information as is available, your student should make the decision.

• It is unethical for a student to submit a Statement of Intent to Register to more than one college. It can jeopardize admissions to both colleges.

What to Do If Your Student Didn’t Get In Anywhere

Your student should make an appointment with the College Advisor to ask about the clearinghouse list from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). NACAC puts together a list each spring of colleges that still have space available. Your student may find a college on that list that’s right for him or her. Interested students then apply directly to each school, just as they did in the fall.

Your student could consider attending a community college and transferring to his or her first choice college after one or two years. Some four-year colleges and universities offer a transfer guarantee program in partnership with California community colleges. Check out the transfer requirements before signing up for classes.

How to Compare Financial Aid/Scholarship Offers

Comparing Financial Aid/Scholarship Offer Letters

See page 56 of this Handbook to learn how a college determines your eligibility for financial aid.

1. Determine which of the financial aid/scholarship offer letters are Official Award Letters and which are Preliminary Offer Letters (called “Estimated,” “Tentative,” or “Unofficial” letters). Official Award Letters tell students what they will actually receive. Preliminary Offer Letters are estimates. The actual amounts and types of money may change significantly from the Preliminary Offer Letter to the Official Award Letter.

If you can’t determine from the letter whether it is Official or Preliminary, contact the college financial aid office directly and ask. • Ask specifically how much difference there has been in each of the last two years between their Preliminary Offer Letters and their Official Award Letters. • Ask when the Official Award Letters will be distributed.

2. Determine what each institution will cost in total for the next academic year (the technical term for this amount is “Cost of Attendance”).

The Cost of Attendance should include the following five items: Tuition/fees Room and food at school Books and supplies Personal expenses Transportation (including travel home at least twice a year)

If one or more of the offer letters doesn’t include all five of these items, you need to uncover the missing information (website, general catalog, direct inquiry) and add it in. It is critical to be sure that you are comparing the same costs from all of the colleges your student is considering. The College Advisor has a form to help you make the comparison.

3. Compare the net cost for each college (not the total amount of financial aid being offered by each college—and certainly not the Cost of Attendance at each college). The financial aid package includes money that doesn’t have to be repaid and money your student will have to work for or pay back. Loans and work are part of the net cost to you.

As an example, say that a college’s Cost of Attendance is $24,500 and the total amount of financial aid offered to your student by that college is $14,800 ($7,700 in grants and scholarships, $4,500 in Work-Study, and $3,200 in loans).

If your EFC is $9,200 for the parental contribution and $900 for the student contribution, the net cost of this college would be $17,800. Work-Study ...... $ 4,500 Loan ...... 3,200 Parental Contribution ...... 9,200 Student Contribution ...... 900

Net cost ...... $17,800

Once you have calculated the net cost of each college, you can make a true comparison. Useful websites for comparing net costs of colleges are www.nelliemae.com/calculators and www.collegeboard.org.

4. Determine how much loan indebtedness you and your student are willing to incur. • Your student needs to consider what his or her loan indebtedness will be at graduation, About half the students at public universities are currently taking out loans, and it is not unusual for them to graduate with $24,000 in loan indebtedness. This amount of debt may be higher at private colleges. • Consider whether your student is planning to go to graduate or professional school and will incur further debt by doing so. • Make sure your student realizes how much he or she will have to pay back monthly for student loan payments after graduation. This information is sent to students on a yearly basis; students need to consider how that number will add up for four years of loans.

5. Ask if financial aid in subsequent years will contain the same mix of grant/scholarship and work/loan, assuming your family’s financial circumstances remain roughly the same.

Some colleges award a great deal of grant/scholarship money and very little loan to incoming freshmen and then reverse those ratios in subsequent years. This practice, called “frontloading,” can lead to much greater indebtedness at graduation than a family might project from the first-year financial aid offer. If your family’s financial circumstances improve in future years, your financial aid could be reduced.

6. You can try to negotiate your financial aid offer with a particular college. It may help to speak with the College Advisor for advice on this process.

If you decide to try to negotiate with a particular college, your tone and manner are critical. It is more effective to be low-key and courteous than aggressive and hard-edged. • Some colleges invite comparison shopping and ask you to show them offers from other colleges that you think are better. • The mix of work-study versus loan is sometimes negotiable. • It is possible, but more difficult, to have the mix of grant/scholarship versus work- study/loan altered. • The Expected Family Contribution may be altered if your circumstances have changed. Such circumstances might include loss of a job or decreased pay or high medical bills. • Remember that the total award will not be greater than your demonstrated financial need (see page 60).

Some colleges have been hit by the current financial crisis and cannot meet every family’s full need. If an appeal of your financial aid package is not successful, you will need to look to other sources, such as private scholarships or loans, to help cover the cost of attendance.

Important Education Tax Credits or Deductions

Federal education tax credits may help offset the costs of college: • The American Opportunity Credit (up to $2,500 per eligible student), has replaced the Hope tax credit. It can be used by parents for the first four years of your student’s postsecondary education. Students must be enrolled at least half-time. • The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit (up to $2,000 per taxpayer return, not per student) is available for post-secondary enrollment at any level including courses to acquire or improve job skills.

Tax-free funds used to pay for eligible expenses generally don’t qualify for these IRS education credits. Further, these programs have limitations and gradations. You cannot take more than one of these education credits in the same year for the same student. Taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is $90,000 or more ($180,000 if married filing jointly) cannot take the American Opportunity Credit. Taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes of $61,000 or more ($122,000 or more for married taxpayers filing jointly) are not eligible for the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. The credit amount is reduced for those whose income is close to the eligible limit.

You cannot take the American Opportunity Credit if your student has a federal or state felony conviction for possessing or distributing a controlled substance.

If you have more than one student in college, read IRS Publication 970 (also available online) to see which credits you can take for which student. This publication also provides further details about limitations and what types of expenses qualify (room and board does not). Or talk with a tax preparer for details.

• The Tuition and Fees Deduction can be used if you cannot take the American Opportunity or Lifetime Learning Tax Credits. The deduction is taken as an adjustment to income on Form 1040 or 1040A and can reduce the amount of your taxable income by up to $4,000. You cannot claim the Tuition and Fees Deduction if your modified adjusted gross income is more than $80,000 ($160,000 if filing a joint return). The deduction is reduced for those whose income is close to the eligible limit. For other limitations, see IRS Publication 970.

Sending the final transcript (the Common App calls it the “Final Report”) The college or university your student chooses to attend will require a copy of his or her final transcript. Submit the final transcript request to the Registrar in D-173 by June 3.

Tips from Parents The following tips and reflections are from parents who have gone through the college application process. In some cases, the contribution has been shortened and the details have been modified slightly to protect the identity of the writers.

Consider sending in housing deposits early “It may be worth it to pay the housing deposit of $30 or so to ensure a spot at all or most of your schools, even while you’re waiting to hear from others; however, some housing deposits may be $200 or more. My daughter is on a waitlist for on-campus housing at one large university, even though we applied by their recommended March 31 date, because they had a much bigger application pool than they thought. We won’t really know whether she has housing 86

until after May 1, so we now can’t base our decision about attending this university on whether she can get the dorm experience.”

Don’t be afraid to ask “What we learned in very practical terms was that if you don’t ask, you won’t get it. The financial aid package offered from a private university my daughter wanted to attend was negligible. There was no way we could consider the school, and my inclination was to suggest that she give it up. Her disappointment was so great that I realized we needed to ‘process’ it, so we visited the school anyway. At the end of the visit, we met with the financial aid officer who heard her story and our family’s financial situation. The next day a revised financial aid package was offered and it was not just better—but met our need in total. We were shocked and obviously extremely grateful for this unexpected turnaround.”

Deferring college for a year “Not all colleges allow students to defer starting college for a year, but some may be willing to allow a deferment if the student has a clear plan. Don’t assume a college will not allow it—ask!”

College health insurance “Your student may be able to opt out of the college’s health insurance policy if you can prove that your health insurance plan is equivalent to or more than what the college offers in every situation. However, your student may not want to have to go back home for medical care and there may be an increased cost and a deductible to go to ‘out-of-network’ doctors near the college.”

If you want access to your student’s financial records at college “If you want to be able to track your college payments and your student’s financial aid disbursements once your student enters college, ask your student to complete the form giving you access.”

18. When Your Child Goes Off to College

Thoughts for parents to keep in mind

Ideas you could suggest to your student

Thoughts for Parents to Keep in Mind

Your child is finally going off to college. After all the stress and work and emotion of the senior year, as a parent you may feel relief and pleasant anticipation for your child and for yourself. It is certainly an exciting, exhilarating, and possibly anxious time for your children. When your child gets to college, he or she will experience wide freedom, new and varied relationships, an incredible array of choices, and often a great deal of fun. Some students (and parents) seem to sail through the freshman year without a hitch, but for others it is more of a struggle. Keep in mind:

• Although an exciting time, going away to college can be stressful for students and parents. All are experiencing separation.

• Some students are away from their families for the first time and can be overwhelmed and very homesick. Even those who have been away before may experience these feelings.

• Students may find that managing their lives and advocating for themselves is challenging.

• Roommates may become best friends but can also be the source of anguish.

• College may be the first time your student will not be getting A’s. This can be hard on your son or daughter.

• Some students who worked very hard in high school feel burned out when they get to college. Others who were not stellar students in high school may become better students in college, discovering for the first time their own passion for learning. Whatever kind of child you have, don’t give up hope!

• Their college atmosphere may not (and probably won’t) be as diverse as Berkeley High. This is an eye opener for our students and it can also be upsetting to find out that the world is not exactly like Berkeley!

• It’s not uncommon for freshmen to experience moments when they think they chose the wrong college. These can be made worse by loneliness or homesickness. For most students, this is a natural part of the adjustment process and passes in a few weeks or months. If your child goes through such a period, don’t panic: take his or her feelings seriously, but also encourage him or her to give the school more time. The vast majority of students end up very satisfied with the choice they made. At the same time, if the fit seems really wrong, transfer is an option—either immediately, at the end of the sophomore year, or after completing lower division work at a community college.

• Remember, if your child is having a hard time, he or she is probably not the only one. Find other parents to talk to.

• For students with disabilities, this is a particularly important transition (see pages 78–79).

• The advent of cell phones, instant messaging, and email are now a part of the mix and have changed the sense of distance and separation many parents used to feel when their child went off to college.

• As a parent, listen and be supportive but realize that you cannot solve problems for your child. Generally, many people are available to help (resident advisors, academic advisors, peer counselors, and deans).

• Once your student is 18 and enrolled in college, he or she is considered to have the privacy rights of an adult. You will not get grades, health or financial information from the college without your student’s signed permission. You should ask your student to allow you access to his or her tuition billing account. You might want to talk with your student about his or her increasing independence as a young adult and how to communicate about college issues.

• The post office has “flat rate boxes” in three sizes that you can use to mail items to your student. The cost is the same regardless of the weight.

Ideas You Could Suggest to Your Student

• Encourage your student to use the academic support services the college offers, such as the writing labs.

• Some college websites publish student evaluation summaries. This can be a source of useful information in choosing classes and professors.

• Get to know at least one faculty member each semester. • Contact your professor by email if you have a request or concern. • Most professors encourage students to drop in to see them during their office hours. 89

• Take a mix of courses (and some small classes, if possible). • If you can, take a freshman seminar. • If available, take a course from a well-known professor—it might be fun, and it will give you exposure to those instructors whose presence helped both give the college its reputation and enticed you to enroll!

• Studying in groups can often be helpful for understanding course material and feeling connected to other students.

• Study another language. The smaller class size and group work usually found in world language study will help counteract the anonymity of large lower-division lecture courses.

• Set aside uninterrupted stretches of time to study (college courses require a more concentrated approach).

• Do a lot of writing.

• Get involved in outside (non-academic) activities.

• Encourage your student to join student groups focused on his or her major.

Note: Credit card companies used to try to push credit cards onto college students. The Credit Card Act of 2009 does not allow students under age 21 to get their own credit card unless they have a co-signer or can show proof of income. If you want your child to have a credit card for emergency use or to cover ongoing expenses, you could co-sign the new account or could add your child as an authorized user on your credit card account. In either case, the parent becomes responsible for all the credit card charges.

19. Resources

Websites

Good books to read

The College and Career Center

The student athlete

Financial aid

SAT and ACT information and preparation

Visual and Performing Arts

The following resources are mentioned in this Handbook or are recommended by parents. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. Libraries, bookstores, and the Internet are great resources for finding materials that may be even more specific to your needs.

A note of caution regarding websites: Online resources are an excellent source for college information, but be wary of “.com” sites. For example, there is a “FAFSA.com” site which states it will fill out your FAFSA form, but for a fee. The federal government’s FAFSA site and other federal educational websites end in “.ed.gov,” and California government sites end in “.ca.gov.” The information on these government sites is offered free, as are their publications. Nonprofit organizations end in “.org” and are more reputable than “.com” sites, although some .org sites charge for certain services.

For more information on California colleges, visit the following websites: University of California system www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/ freshman This site provides detail about UC admissions requirements and information about selection criteria used by UC campuses; for each campus, it lists the majors offered and important phone numbers.

California State University system www.calstate.edu/ or www.csumentor.edu California Community Colleges www.cccco.edu to apply online: www.cccapply.org Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) www.aiccu.edu Overview of California colleges www.californiacolleges.edu

Gathering Information on Colleges: The College Board Handbook 2013 The Fiske Guide to Colleges The Black Student’s Guide to Colleges Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges (30th edition) Princeton Review’s The Best 376 Colleges Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges

Website Information on Colleges http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator Department of Education easy-to-browse database with key statistics about almost all public and private colleges www.collegeboard.org Comprehensive site; details about colleges and comparisons http://wiche.edu/wue Lists out-of-state public colleges and universities that offer reduced tuition rates to California residents as part of the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program, and details any specific requirements students must meet www.commonapp.org Access the Common Application and link to (private schools) colleges that use it www.myroad.com College Board sponsored site—very comprehensive. $19.95 registration fee for one year membership. Free only for PSAT/NMSQT takers www.mycollegeoptions.com Extensive information about college preparation, financing www.molis.org Minority Online Information Service www.myblackinfo.com/education.html Information for African-American students www.hbcuconnect.com A complete list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including a search engine www.hacu.net Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities

www.fairtest.org List of schools that do not require SAT Reasoning Test, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests

http://hecaonline.org Some families consider hiring a private college advisor for advice and assistance for their students, though most students at Berkeley High navigate the application process without a private advisor. This website provides guidelines on what to expect from a private advisor.

Good Books to Read Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know about Getting into College, Sally Springer, Jon Reider, and Marion Fauck, 2009. The All-in-One College Guide: A More-Results, Less-Stress Plan for Choosing, Getting into, Finding the Money for, and Making the Most out of College, Martin Nemko, 2004. College Unranked: Ending the College Admissions Frenzy, Lloyd Thacker, 2005. Colleges that Change Lives, Loren Pope, 2006. The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life, Princeton Review, 2007. Guide to Colleges in Canada for American Students, Nancy Vis, 2003. The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, 2009: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 35th Edition, Yale Daily News Staff, 2008. Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the College Years, Karen L. Coburn and Madge L. Treeger, 2009. Parents’ Guide to College Life: 181 Straight Answers on Everything You Can Expect Over the Next Four Years, Robin Raskin, 2006. A Parent/Student Guide to the College Admission Process, Dianne M. Librot, 2008. The Simple Guide to College Admissions and Financial Aid: How to Select the Right College, Applying for College Admission, Writing the College Essay, the Financial Aid Process Made Easy, Anne M. St. Pierre and Danielle M. Printz, 2006.

The College and Career Center (Room D221) The College Advisors have a terrific library with wonderful resources. The below-mentioned pamphlets, referenced throughout this Handbook, are also available there. SAT Preparation Booklet Free Application for Federal Student Aid SAT Registration Bulletin Form (FAFSA) – available in January Taking the SAT Subject Tests ACT Student Registration Packet Online Registration Flyer Preparing for the ACT Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form “Fund Your Future” workbook (available in English and Spanish)

The Student-Athlete NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete NCAA Eligibility Center, P.O. Box 7136, Indianapolis, IN 46207-7136

For questions, call toll free 1-877-262-1492. For a free copy of the NCAA Guide, call 1-800-638-3731. For an online copy, go to www.NCAAstudent.org. Details about college recruitment, eligibility and amateur certification are found in the Guide and at the website www.eligibilitycenter.org, where students can register.

For a for-profit commercial recruiting service: www.berecruited.com

Financial Aid FAFSA online application: www.fafsa.ed.gov (Phone: 1-800-433-3243) CSS PROFILE online application (for private schools): www.collegeboard.org California Student Aid Commission: www.csac.ca.gov Federal Loans (Stafford, PLUS and Consolidated): www.salliemae.com U.S. Dept. of Education/Office of Postsecondary Education: www.ed.gov (click on “Money for College”) U.S. Dept. of Education tool to estimate eligibility for a Pell grant and amount of Expected Family Contribution (EFC): www.fafsa.ed.gov, click on “fafsa4caster” box

Other EFC calculators: www.finaid.org www.collegeboard.org

Paying for College Without Going Broke, Kalman S. Chany (thorough, detailed book with copies of forms) The A’s and B’s of Academic Scholarships, Anna Leider

Other useful websites: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp contains very useful information about Federal student grant and loan programs and eligibility criteria; under “Get Money for College,” click on “Types of Aid.” www.finaid.org student guide to financial aid; overview of financial aid process; contains financial aid calculator www.fastweb.com free search engine with access to information on 600,000 scholarships (some find this site a bit hard to maneuver, but others feel it’s an important resource) www.collegeboard.org contains online financial aid calculator, under “For Parents” section www.nelliemae.com/calculators a calculator to compare financial aid offers from different colleges http://projectonstudentdebt.org maintains a list of colleges that have pledged to eliminate loans for needy students and details the eligible income levels for each plan

www.meritaid.com lists the merit aid offered by colleges and universities in the United States 94

SAT and ACT information and preparation ACT test information and registration: www.act.org Test preparation for SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and ACT: www.number2.com College Board information on SAT and SAT Subject Tests and registration: www.collegeboard.org

SAT Registration Bulletin Online Registration Flyer SAT Preparation Booklet Taking the SAT Subject Tests Preparing for the ACT ACT Student Registration Packet The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT (find in bookstores like Barnes & Noble, or order directly from College Board) Real SAT Subject Tests The Real ACT Prep Guide

Visual and Performing Arts A Guide to College Choices for the Performing and Visual Arts, Buck and Schoenberg Creative Colleges, a Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians, and Writers, Loveland.

Portfolio reviews: http://www.artschools.com/articles/portfolio/. www.nacacnet.org and www.portfolioday.net.

Dance: http://danceu101.com

Music: http://auditioningforcollege.wordpress.com http://music.cua.edu/html/gatwood/college_auditions.html http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/colaudpre/colaudpre.html http://www.larrykrantz.com/caraudit.htm http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree

Appendix A

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Name and Address Admissions Financial Aid No. of of Institution Phone Number Phone Number Location Students Alabama A & M University Suburban campus in P.O. Box 908 (256) 851-5245 (256) 851-5400 small city; 2 miles from 3,901 Normal, AL 35762 (800) 553-0816 downtown Alabama State University 915 Jackson St. (334) 229-4291 (334) 229-4323 Urban campus 5,463 Montgomery, AL 36101-0271 (800) 253-5037 in small city Albany State College 504 College Drive (912) 430-4650 (912) 430-4650 Urban campus in small 3,062 Albany, GA 31705-2796 city Central State University 1400 Brush Row Road (513) 376-6348 (800) 367-8565 Suburban campus 1,026 Wilberforce, OH 45384-3002 in rural community Clark Atlanta University 240 James P. Brawley Dr., SW (404) 880-6605 (404) 880-6174 Urban campus 5,410 Atlanta, GA 30314 in very large city Fisk University 1000 17th Ave., North (615) 329-8665 (615) 329-8735 Urban campus 826 Nashville, TN 37208 (800) 443-3475 in very large city Florida A & M University FHAC, G-9 (904) 599-3796 (904) 599-3730 Commuter campus in 11,418 Tallahassee, FL 32307 small city Grambling State University P.O. Box 864 (318) 274-6183 (318) 274-2342 Suburban campus 5,070 Grambling, LA 71245 in small town Hampton University (757) 727-5328 Urban campus Hampton, VA 23668 (800) 624-3328 (804) 727-5332 in small city 5,190 Howard University 2400 Sixth St. NW (202) 806-2763 (202) 806-2800 Urban campus in very 10,161 Washington, DC 20059 (800) 822-6363 large city Jackson State University 1400 J.R. Lynch St. (601) 968-2100 (601) 968-2227 Commuter campus in 6,292 Jackson, MS 39217 (800) 848-6817 small city Lincoln University 820 Chestnut St. (314) 681-5000 (314) 681-6156 Commuter campus in 2,867 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0029 (800) 521-5052 large town Morehouse College 830 Western Dr. SW (404) 681-2800 (404) 215-2638 Urban campus 3,104 Atlanta, GA 30314 (800) 992-0642 in very large city (men only)

Information courtesy East Bay Consortium • 314 East 10th Street, Room 9 • Oakland, CA 94606 • 510-879-8367 96

Name and Address Admissions Financial Aid No. of of Institution Phone Number Phone Number Location Students Morgan State University 1700 East Cold Spring Lane (443) 885-3000 (410) 319-3170 Commuter campus in 5,831 Baltimore, MD 21239 (800) 332-6674 very large city Norfolk State University 2401 Corprew Ave. (757) 683-8396 (757) 683-8381 Urban campus 6,915 Norfolk, VA 23504 in large city North Carolina A&T State University (336) 334-7946 (800) 443-0835 Urban campus 7,326 1601 East Market St. (800) 443-8964 in small city Greensboro, NC 27411 North Carolina Central University (919) 560-6298 (919) 560-6202 Urban campus 5,619 P.O. Box 19717 in small city Durham, NC 27707 Prairie View A & M University (409) 857-2626 (409) 857-2424 Residential campus in 5,996 P.O. Box 3089 (800) 334-1807 small town Prairie View, TX 77446-0188 Southern University at New Orleans (504) 286-5000 (504) 286-5263 Commuter campus in 3,829 6400 Press Dr. very large city New Orleans, LA 70126 Spelman College 1,897 350 Spelman Lane SW (404) 681-3643 (404) 681-3643 Urban campus in very (women Atlanta, GA 30314 (800) 982-2411 ext. 2179 large city only) Tennessee State University 3500 John B. Merritt Blvd. (615) 963-5101 (615) 963-5701 Commuter campus in 8,404 Nashville, TN 37203 large city Texas Southern University 3100 Cleburne Ave. (713) 527-7472 (713) 313-7530 Commuter campus in 6,315 Houston, TX 77004 very large city Tuskegee University 102 Old Administration (334) 727-8500 (334) 727-8201 Urban campus 3,056 Building (800) 622-6531 in large town Tuskegee, AL 36088 University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff (870) 543-8492 (501) 543-8297 Commuter campus in 2,953 Box 4983 (800) 264-6585 small town Pine Bluff, AK 71601-2799 University of D.C. 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW (202) 274-5008 Commuter campus in 5,247 Washington, DC 20008 very large city Virginia State University P.O. Box 9018 (804) 524-5902 (804) 524-5902 Suburban campus 4,210 Petersburg, VA 23803 (800) 871-7611 in large town Xavier University 7325 Palmetto & Pine Streets (504) 483-7388 (504) 483-7517 Commuter campus in 3,581 New Orleans, LA 70125 very large city

Appendix B

For Those Who Want More Detailed Information about Financial Aid

The website http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp provides information about federal grants and loans. Under “Get Money for College,” click on “Types of Aid.”

Grants

Federal grants: Your FAFSA is your application for all federal grants. Pell grants range from $400 to $5,550 per year (depending on your financial need and the cost of the college), and are awarded to every undergraduate student who meets the financial requirements.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) range from $100 to $4,000. These are awarded to students with exceptional financial need.

The Academic Competitiveness Grants and National SMART Grants are no longer available.

This section of the federal student aid website also contains information about the Teach Grant Program. This program is open to all students who meet academic requirements (not just those receiving Pell grants). Students must complete the FAFSA but do not have to demonstrate financial need. However, not all colleges participate. Grants of up to $4,000 per year are awarded to students who take the required teacher preparation coursework and who promise to teach in a high-need field for at least four years in elementary or secondary schools that serve students from low-income families. If students do not fulfill the teaching commitment, this grant would have to be repaid as if it were an unsubsidized Stafford Loan, with interest from the date of disbursement.

California grants: Your FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Information Release Forms are the required forms to apply for all Cal Grants. Cal Grants are for students attending colleges in California. The Cal Grant A Entitlement Award helps low- and middle-income students with college tuition and fees. They are based on financial need and academic performance. The amount awarded depends on the cost of the college (for example, for the 2013–2014 school year, when your student will enroll in college, the maximum new award will be $12,192 at UC; $5,472 at CSU; and $9,084 at non-profit private colleges). After the November 2012 election, it will become clearer whether any additional changes will be made to this program, or not.

The Cal Grant B Entitlement Award provides a living allowance (and for continuing students, tuition and fee assistance) for very low-income or disadvantaged students. It is available to entering freshmen and to continuing students who first applied for the grant as an entering freshman. After the freshman year, the Cal Grant B also helps pay tuition and fees in the same amount as a Cal Grant A. For 2013–2014, the maximum living allowance will be $1,473 and the maximum for tuition and fees will be the equivalent to the maximum Cal Grant A at each school.

Unless the California Legislature changes this long-standing program due to budgetary cutbacks, all students meeting the criteria for the Cal Grant A or Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards will receive the award as long as they file all required documents by the deadline. Cal Grants are renewed for four years of college as long as a student continues to meet the eligibility criteria and files the FAFSA by March 2 prior to each school year.

Competitive Cal A and B grants are available for students who do not meet the eligibility criteria for a Cal Grant A or B Entitlement Award. However, these awards are not guaranteed and their funding may be decreased this year. Among the multiple criteria to qualify are having a disadvantaged high school experience or being an orphan or ward of the court. A 3.0 grade point average is required for the Competitive A grant and a 2.0 grade point average for the Competitive B grant. In past years, 22,500 Cal Grant Competitive Awards were awarded.

Cal Grant C Awards help pay for tuition and training costs at occupational or career colleges. For 2013–2014 the award will be $547 for books, tools, and equipment. Your student may also receive an additional $2,592 for tuition at a school other than a California community college. Check other restrictions.

What is the maximum family income for eligibility for Cal Grants? For Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards and Cal Grant C Awards, the 2011–2012 maximum family income for eligibility (for a family of six) will be $90,300; income ceilings are lower for families of smaller size. For Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, the maximum family income for eligibility (for a family of six) will be $49,600. These ceilings are adjusted annually. There is also a ceiling for parents’ assets.

College grants: Colleges have their own grants, which they offer to students who demonstrate financial need. The amount available varies considerably from college to college.

Loans

What types of loans are available? Subsidized student loans may be awarded as part of need-based financial aid packages. Unsubsidized student and parent loans can also be used to cover the expected parent and student contributions.

Student loans (students borrow the money) Type of loan Federally Based on Interest Rate When does repayment start? subsidized? financial need? Perkins Loans Yes Yes Fixed at 5% 9 months after graduation

Stafford For some Subsidy Fixed at 6.8% For students who qualify for a need-based Direct only for for loan, government pays the interest until six Loans need-based unsubsidized months after graduation. Students who don’t loans loans (for qualify must pay interest while in school or subsidized have deferred interest added to the loans only, the principal owed after graduation. There is a interest rate is 1% loan fee that is added to the amount 3.4%) borrowed. These loans generally must be repaid within 10 years.

Parent loans (parents borrow the money) Type of loan Federally Based on Interest Rate When does repayment start? subsidized? financial need? PLUS No No. Must Fixed at 7.9% Generally, payment of principal and interest Direct have good begin while student is in school. Many Loans credit lenders will allow parents to defer repayment history while the student is in school, but the deferred interest will be added to the principal if interest payments are not made as they accrue. There is an origination fee which adds another 4% to the amount borrowed (some parents don’t realize this until they sign the documents). Note that in later years of college, parents may eventually reach their credit limit and be unable to borrow more funds under this program.

Unsecured No No Varies: Shop around. Rates can vary considerably, prevailing and some interest fees and repayment terms rates, which are better with one lender than another. may be high Many different lending institutions offer these loans.

100

How My Financial Need Is Determined

How does the FAFSA work? The FAFSA formula focuses mostly on total household income. • A high income family can expect to pay the full cost of its student’s education. • The amount of parental income available for college costs is determined after first subtracting certain items from the parents’ income, such as income taxes paid and a living allowance (however, these deductions bear no resemblance to costs in the Bay Area—for example, they estimate that a family of five, with one student in college, can live on $35,730/year). A set percentage of the income remaining is judged to be available for college costs (up to a maximum of 47%).

The formula taps no more than approximately 6% of parents’ assets, depending upon a number of factors, as available to meet education expenses, and excludes home equity and retirement accounts.

After the parents’ amount is determined, the student’s assets and income are evaluated as follows: • Twenty percent of the student’s assets is expected to be used to pay college expenses each year. • There is a $3,080 subtraction from the student’s income; 50% of the rest of the student’s income in the prior year is judged available for college expenses.

What’s different between the FAFSA (federal methodology) and the CSS PROFILE (institutional methodology) methods of determining Expected Family Contribution? A few of the important differences are: • Schools using the PROFILE make different subtractions from income before calculating the percentages available for college costs, and treat assets differently. Home equity is considered as an asset, which is not true for asset calculation using the FAFSA. Students’ assets are assessed at 25%. • For most private schools there is no $3,080 income protection as is true with the FAFSA calculation. Schools using the PROFILE require that entering freshmen contribute at least $2,000 of their own income to pay for college costs (usually more for upperclassmen). • Some private schools use modified versions of these methods and include the noncustodial parent’s income in their calculations.

This is all very confusing—where can I get more detailed information about calculation of financial aid need? One way is by calling FAFSA to ask your question (1-800-433-3243). A detailed description of financial aid forms and methods of calculation, including step-by-step instructions for filling out the forms, can be found in the Princeton Review’s book, Paying for College Without Going Broke by Kalman A. Chany (Random House). This book discusses in depth the items used in calculations for the FAFSA compared to the PROFILE, and offers useful information about special case situations and how specific assets (e.g., trusts, farms) are evaluated.

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Afterword

As you parents of seniors begin to get anxious, worried about how your children will fare in their college applications, keep in mind that they are far more resilient than you are. An example—my younger son applied to a number of graduate schools. I, of course, was as nervous during this process as I was when he applied as an undergraduate (which is why I can empathize so closely with you). He was accepted at some, rejected at others. I pressed him, as only an annoying mother can do, and asked, “Are you sure you’re not disappointed?” (Please don’t ever say this to your children.) He sighed and said, “Mom, the only time I was ever disappointed was when I didn’t make the baseball team at Willard.”

It’s the perspective that counts!

—Rory Bled Former BHS College Advisor

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Index (definitions for selected items are on page numbers that are bolded)

ACT/SAT tests 20, 24, 29, 34, 35, 37, 41, 43–48, 95 loans 60-61, 84-86, 94, 100 “a-g” requirements (UC/CSU systems) 18–20 Midyear Report (of grades) 40, 41 admission, types of 25–27 music 73-75, 95 appeal of admission decision 82 athletics in college 70–72, 94 National Association for College applications 33–42 Admission Counseling (NACAC) 83 National Collegiate Athletic BHS e-tree 2 Association (NCAA) 70–72, 94 net price/net price calculator 57-58 Cal Grant GPA Information Release Form 58, 67, 98 P.E. credit for BHS sports team 31 Cal Grants 58, 59, 60, 66, 67, 69, 98–99 Pell grants 60, 98 Certificate of Mailing 35, 38, 66 Performing arts 10, 73-75, 95 choosing colleges 5–10 Perkins loans 100 College Advisors at BHS 2, 7, 28-29 PLUS loans 60, 100 College and Career Center website 2, 6 PROFILE, see CSS PROFILE college guidebooks 6, 92, 93 Project on Student Debt 58 college representative visits to BHS 7, 41 proof of mailing (Certificate of Mailing) 35, 38 Common Application essay prompts 51 community colleges 3, 11–14, 15–17, 37 reach school 8 comparing financial aid/ Reserve Officer’s Training Corps scholarship offers 84–85 (ROTC) 62 Cost of Attendance 55, 84 rescinding of admission 23, 30 course requirements for college 18–20 Rolling Admission 27 for UC/CSU 18–20 CSS PROFILE 56, 58, 67, 68-69, 101 safe bet school 8, 9 CSU Eligibility Index 24 SAT/ACT tests 20, 24, 29, 34, 35, 37, 41, 43–48, 95 scholarships 58, 61–62, 63 Deferred Admission 27, 83 Score Choice 44 demonstrated financial need 56 Secondary School Report Forms 40 disability, going to college with a 47, 76–80 Senior Profile 38 disciplinary actions reporting 30 Stafford loans 59, 100 Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) 82, 83 Early Action 25–27 Student Aid Report (SAR) 66–67, 69 Early Decision 25–27 Supplements 41, 51 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) 56–57, 59, 85, 94 Teach Grant Program 98 EFC calculators 57, 94 teacher recommendations 38–40 essays, writing the college 30, 32, 34, 49-53 transcripts 18, 31, 33, 35, 40, 41, 86

FAFSA 56–59, 60 65-67, 68-69, 94, 101 UC admissions index 36 federal education tax credits 86 UC application essay prompts 52 federal grants 60, 61, 94, 98 UC/CSU approved college preparatory financial aid 54–64, 65-69, 84-86, 87, 94, 98-101 (“P”) courses for BHS 18–19 financial safe bet school 8 undocumented students 59 gap year 4 visit colleges 7, 10, 41-42, 87 GPA (grade point average), BHS 21–22 visual arts portfolio 73-74, 95 UC/CSU GPA 22–24 grants 56-58, 60, 62-63, 64, 98-99, 100 wait list 82 Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program Historically Black Colleges and 10, 92 Universities (HBCU) 7, 96–97 workshops for parents/guardians 2, 65 housing at college 30, 36, 86-87 Work-study Program 61 interviews, college 41-42 103

Acknowledgments

This guide was written and compiled by the following Berkeley High School parents: Sally Adams, Jahlee Arakaki, Annette Blackman, Kathy Burns, Frances Cohen, Victoria Elliott, Lynne Fingerman, Hope Friedman, Abby Ginzberg, Nancy Halloran, Sandy Horwich, Hilary Hoynes, Jill Israel, Nancy Koerner, Bob Laird, Kathy Lee, Kaki Logan, Nina Robinson, Randi Roberts, Dianne Ruyffelaere, and Betsy Wahl, as well as former student Elizabeth Tolero. In addition, we would like to acknowledge Karen Rice, who made important contributions to the sections on Financial Aid; Beth Fein, who contributed to the section on Attending College with a Physical or Learning Disability; and thank Michael Weiler for his helpful comments. We are also grateful to Ada Cariño Ramsay and Jossúe Cariño Escobar, who have translated revisions for the Spanish version of this handbook. We also appreciate the help of Mary Jacobs in coordinating the mailing procedures.

We would like to especially thank the Berkeley High School Development Group for funding the publication and mailing costs for this handbook.

Special acknowledgment goes to Angela Price and Skyler Barton, current College Advisors at Berkeley High, and to Elisabeth Sandberg and Ilene Abrams (former BHS College Advisors) for their careful reading of the Handbook and helpful suggestions.

We appreciate permission to use material from the following sources:

• Quotes from Rory Bled reprinted with permission from her “From the College Advisor” columns from past issues of the Berkeley High School PTSA Newsletter.

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities Reference Guide reprinted with permission from the East Bay Consortium.

• Berkeley High School logo reprinted with permission from Berkeley High School.

• Tips and reflections from Berkeley High School parents, reprinted anonymously.

July 2012

A generic version of this Handbook on disk can be licensed from Berkeley High School for use at other schools. Contact Frances Cohen at [email protected].

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PINs, Passwords, and Other Important Information Use this space to record your PIN, user name and password (if needed) for the FAFSA, colleges, and any other organizations that use them.

ORGANIZATION PIN USER NAME PASSWORD

______

Other Important Information such as URLs for colleges and other relevant websites.

______