California Colleges

University of California

• Explore the UC system at www.universityofcalifornia.edu
• Application information at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions

The University of California system has been designed to admit the top 12.5% of California high school graduates to at least one of its nine campuses. It provides degree programs up to the PhD and post-doctoral levels. It is also the most expensive of the public systems to attend, and because of current budget pressures, fees are expected to rise for at least the next few years . Basic undergraduate tuition will be about  $10,300 for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Students applying to UC campuses must meet certain requirements to be considered “eligible” for admission:

• Complete the 15 high school classes that meet the “a-g” course requirements set by the UC and CSU systems;Meet minimum academic eligibility with their high school UC/CSU GPA, which is calculated on the “a-g” subjects in grades 10 and 11—for Fall 2010 UC freshmen, this GPA is currently 3.0;
• Meet the “eligibility index”, which is a balancing test between GPA on one hand, and SAT (or ACT) test scores on the other—see the calculation at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html
• Each campus performs its own “comprehensive review” of each applicant; admission rates in for Fall 2009 varied from 22% to 78% of applicants, depending on the campus (Berkeley 26.6%; Davis 46.2%, Irvine 42.3%, UCLA 21.7%, Merced 77.8%, Riverside 78.3%, San Diego 37.3%, Santa Barbara 48.3%, Santa Cruz 63.2%)  UC says that “because the data do not reflect other academic accomplishments and/or personal achievements considered in admissions decisions, the information is useful only as a general guide to selectivity, not as a predictor of an individual’s chances for admission to a particular campus or program.”

The application process for Fall opens on November 1 of the prior year, with all applications due by November 30. Decisions are communicated in March. Applicants must complete the application online (with few exceptions); it includes two essays but no counselor or teacher recommendations. Applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores (including the ACT writing test), and two SAT Subject tests, but note that beginning with high school class of 2012, no SAT subject tests will be required (except that some majors at some campuses, such as engineering, may recommend particular subject tests). The student completes one application and then decides which campuses to send it to; the application fee for Fall 2010 was $60 per campus. Note that unlike some other colleges, UC will not allow an admitted student to defer entrance for a year.

California State Universities

Explore the CSU system at www.csumentor.org or www.calstate.edu

The CSU system is designed to admit the top 1/3 of California high school graduates. It provides degrees up to the MA/MS level, and partners with UC in some PhD programs. It is the “mid-priced” option among California public colleges, and provides extensive student support in a “hands-on” environment of fieldwork and practice. A proposed tuition increase of 10% for 2009-2010 will bring annual tuition to about $4026 per year.

Some campuses are considered “impacted” at the freshman level, which means that more students apply as freshmen than can be admitted, so each of these campuses uses its own criteria to select from its applicant pool. For Fall 2010, the 12 “impacted” campuses for freshmen are: Chico, Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Diego State, SF State, San Jose State, San Marcos, and Sonoma State. In addition, some campuses are impacted for certain majors, eg. engineering or nursing.

The application process for Fall opens on October 1 of the prior year, with applications for impacted campuses due by November 30. Applications for non-impacted campuses continue past November 30 until the campus is full. Applicants must complete the application online (with few exceptions); the applications do not require essays, counselor or teacher letters of recommendation. Eligibility is determined by a weighted combination of GPA in the “a-g” courses and SAT or ACT test scores. For 2009, students with at least a 3.0 GPA do not need to submit test scores (except at impacted campuses, which require test scores) but are encouraged to take the tests since scores will be used in selection for impacted campuses or programs, and may replace the English and math placement tests.

Note: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo offers an early decision option during the month of October.

California Community College System

Explore the community colleges at www.cccco.edu or www.cccapply.org

The community college system is available to all high school graduates and all students 18 or over. Community colleges, sometimes called “city colleges” (Santa Barbara City College) or “junior colleges” (Santa Rosa Junior College), are the least expensive public higher education option in California. There are no application fees and no tests required for admission. High school students can enroll for courses if they have the consent of the high school, their parent or guardian, and meet the college’s requirements for “concurrently enrolled” students.

Some community colleges have higher transfer rates to 4-year colleges than others, so if that’s your goal, choose a community college carefully and plan your courses accordingly. There is a defined program of general education requirements for transfer to the UC or CSU systems at the upper-division level (as a junior). There is also a “guaranteed admission” program to some UC campuses from some community colleges, available to students who meet its requirements.