Competitive UC Admissions Information Focus: UC Berkeley

1. Competitive UC Admissions Information Focus: UC Berkeley Lisa McCahon- Guidance Counselor Teresa Ignaitis- College & Career Advisor Thursday, March 25th, 2010

2. Purpose of Tonight • Focus on UC Berkeley (Bk) • Read for Fall 2010 • Understand the competition students face at competitive UC campuses • Start planning for college now!!!

3. UC Bk Freshman Admission Profile • Fall 2010 • 215 more apps from last year • Fall 2009 • 48,650 applicants • 13,028 admitted (21.7% Fall admissions arte) • Average weighted GPA 4.34 • Average A-G semester courses= 52 (26 year long courses) • Average UC approved honors semesters = 20 (10 year long) • Average SAT I = 2033 (out of 2400) Average ACT 30 (out of 36) • 27% First Generation College • Fall 2008 • 48,462 applicants • 10,387 admitted • Average weighted GPA 4.18 • Fall 2007 • 44,120 applicants • 10,200 admitted • Average weighted GPA 4.17

4. How are applications reviewed? • Comprehensive Review/ Holistic Review • Read cover to cover. No sections are more important than others. No sections of app assigned points or weighted. • Reviewed in context of student’s life (educational opportunities and life) • What was the context the student achieved in? • What did they have to work with? What did they do with it? • Reviewed in context of Sequoia High School • Heavy focus on being compared to SQ applicants • Bk knows what SQ offers (# of IB, AP, AS honors courses offered) • Did the student take advantage of what Sequoia offered?

5. What Does Bk Look For?Criteria #1: Academics • Always compared in context of high school. • GPA • Weighted and non-weighted • Increased GPA over time or at least maintain GPA • # of A-G total courses: 10th-11th and 12th • Indicated by P or H on transcript • # of UC approved honors courses (AP, AS, College level, IB): 10th-11th and 12th • Bk knows honors courses offered

6. What Does Bk Look For?Criteria #1: Academics • Importance of senior year • In progress and planned • A-G, Honors • Maintain rigorous course load • Red flag if rigor drastically declines • Test scores: SAT, ACT, IB, AP • Readers see AP and IB tests taken & planned to take. Encourage students to take AP/ IB tests IF taking an IB course or community college level ONLY. • Do not take every AP test. This will NOT be the ticket into Bk. • For AP tests, check with your IB teacher to see if AP test is a good option for you. Teacher knows the curriculum covered. • IB classes do not prep for AP test. • In the history of the Sequoia IB Program, students who successfully complete IB courses have also been successful on AP exams should they chose to take them. • Know your student’s limits- do NOT over test causing too much stress. This does not help their admissions. • Testing is a SMALL part of everything that goes into admissions. Remember it is the WHOLE student they are looking at. Tons of passed exams is not the ticket in. • If grades or rigor went down, they must address it in application

7. What Does Bk Look For?Criteria #1: Academics • Intellectual/ Creative Achievement. • Ex: passion to answer unanswered q’s • Achievement in academic prep & enrichment programs • Time & strength of participation • See Naviance for opportunities • Academic awards outside of school

8. What Does Bk Look For?Criteria #2: Personal Characteristics • How will this applicant contribute to the culture and intellectual vitality of the campus? • Personal qualities (reflective, motivation, concern for others, maturity, character) • Apps show if students really have a passion & character. Not just doing things for college admissions but truly love what they do. See this with connections throughout app & reflection in personal statement. • Leadership (traditional roles & leadership in family) • Awards/ recognition outside of school • Example: Sequoia Awards

9. What Does Bk Look For?Criteria #2: Personal Characteristics • Non academic achievement (volunteer, internship, athletics, arts, outside & school-related activities, employment) • Sustained commitment and time spent • Like to see participation over multiple years within the same activity. • Leadership Roles within activities • What did this student do with their time outside of school? • Show activity interests in context. • EX: If you like writing, join school newspaper, enter writing contests. • If there is little activity outside of school, address in app

10. Students should express: Talent, Hardships, chronic illness, disability, family context, school context that may have had an impact on their achievement. This is not a ticket in. This helps paint life context of student. • Use Personal Statement & Additional Comments

11. Does Choice of Major Impact Admissions? • Answer varies across colleges/ universities • For Bk- major choice does not play a role in School of Arts and Sciences • School of Engineering & School of Chemistry it does • Show interest, passion and knowledge of major/ area of study • Do not confuse with impacted majors at CSU campuses

12. Typical ApplicationApplications at Bk often include: • More than just IB Diploma or AP courses • High GPA • High # A-G & Honors courses • Sustained activities • Leadership roles • Summer experiences • Internships • College courses • Okay to not do it all. Students must maintain a healthy balance vs. being competitive. Stress management is important so know your student’s limits. Limits vary student to student. It is better to not do it all and maintain healthy balance and a good GPA than do too much, get too stressed and not do things well with a lower GPA.

13. How Can You Help Your Student Be Competitive? • Help them identify passions & interest • Direct passions to volunteer/ internship/ summer programs/ school club opportunities • Encourage use of summer time • Check Naviance Enrichment Programs • Encourage Community College Courses • Balance of stress & interests & college competitiveness. Too much stress has consequences • Push high GPA with tutorials, getting help • Encourage student to update Naviance resume every semester. • College Fairs, college visits, online research

14. College Fairs • NACAC (National College Fair) • Saturday, April 171:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. • Concourse Exhibition Center SF • WACAC (Regional College Fair) • Friday, May 7 • 9:30 a.m.-12p.m. • Cal State University, East Bay

15. UC Bk Budget Cuts • 2008= 2,300 over enrolled- • Bk pays with no subsidy from state • Budget issues not impacting comprehensive review • Increasing out of state admissions- Not taking away spots from CA residents. Choice between cutting faculty and all spots vs. increasing out of state. • Less $ for outreach • Less travels to high schools • Move to online/ webinars • http://pictureyourself.berkeley.edu

18. www.CollegeWeekLive.com

19. UC Application Tips • Think of application as real estate- utilize it all • Include Algebra and Geometry math and LOTE (language other than English) in the a-g count for 7th/8th grade • Explain all activities/ clubs/ sports/ volunteer/ internships utilizing all space given • Don’t assume readers know what it is • Explain: • What you did • Leadership Roles • What you got out of It • Track in Naviance Resume

20. UC Application Tips: Personal Statement (ps) • Use to assess qualities/ characteristics of applicant • Should paint life context • Do we learn about this applicant from this ps? • Use transcript & Naviance resume. Pretend you are reader. What questions would you have as a reader. • Is ps answering questions we may have as readers- Why a C in this class? Why GPA decline? Why no honors IB courses? Why lack of outside activities? • Address what you spent your time doing in ps AND what you got out of it, how did it impact you. • Have teacher/ mentor/ college counselor/ counselor proof ps • Don’t wait until last minute.

21. UC Application Tips: Personal Statement (ps) • Many missed opportunities. • Few words allowed so don’t waste space. • Spend too much time on other people • Travel Experiences & Volunteer work/ mission trips • Too much time spent on discussing people they met, travel log or what they did on mission trip (EX: built houses by ……). Better to focus on what you got out of it AND how you utilized it and applied what you learned when you got back. • Ex: Mission trip to build homes in Mexico. Impacted to the point where I started a Habit For Humanity Club at my school and have put in hours building homes since then. • Role of parents/ world they come from • Remember, limited space. It is not your parent applying so don’t spend most of the essay talking about them. Talk about yourself. If you learned from you parents, how are YOU applying that in YOUR life. • Writing style getting in the way/ Be careful with metaphors • Lack of focus on significant experiences

22. Naviance • Do What You Are- 9th • Resume 10th • College Search: maintain list of colleges • Scholarships 9th – 12th • College visits to Sequoia • Summer Opportunities (About College, Enrichment) • Request letters of recommendations & Secondary School Reports • Order official transcripts for college & scholarships • Main source of college/ scholarship Information • Post messages and email to students & parents • Get a parent/ guardian account to stay connected • Email your student’s guidance counselor or Ms Ignaitis to get your registration code. • Go to www.sequoiahs.org click on Naviance link on right hand side

23. Naviance

24. THANK YOU