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College Admissions 101

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Public In-State, Public Out-of-State & Private Institutions...?

Public institutions are government-funded through tax dollars

Since state taxes are used to fund public college/universities, tuition is lowest for in-state residents. Out-of-state residents must pay additional out-of state tuition fees

Private institutions do not receive government funding and are supported by student tuition and private & alumni endowments.

Private institutions charge the same tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students.

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California Community Colleges

https://www.cccco.edu/

116 Colleges

High School Diploma, or
18+ years & board approval, or
K-12 Special Admission

Career Education
Certificates & Associates Degrees
Transfer

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Cal State University

www.calstate.edu

23 Campuses

Freshman Admissions Requirements

High School Diploma
A-G Requirements
GPA 2.5+ (some campuses may consider students with 2.0-2.49 based on supplemental factors)
SAT/ ACT Exams will not be considered for admissions
Supplemental Factors by campus (click here)
Local Area admissions priority

Degrees Awarded

Bachelor’s Degrees (*nearly ½ of CA Bachelors are awarded by the CSU)
Master’s Degrees
Post Bachelor Credentials/ Certificates (Ex. Teaching Credentials)
Doctorate programs at select campuses

public systems are going to be looking at all right Cal

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State now when you you see the map you probably think to yourself wow that's a

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lot of schools to apply to and absolutely Cal State is definitely one of the larger

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system um in comparison between the two and when I say large I mean it has many

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many campuses there's 23 of them and for freshman admissions you really need a

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high school diploma meet your a through G requirements um you also need to make

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sure that you maintain above a 2.5 GPA there are some campuses that may

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consider students with a lower GPA um but you do have to have some

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supplemental factors or some extra in your application and keep in mind that the

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SAT and ACT exams are not considered for admission so there is I think on the Cal date there isn't even a place to put

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them or at least the last time I checked there wasn't um and then supplemental factors are

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different by campus so what maybe Long Beach is looking for may not be the same thing as somoma

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or humble the types of awards that um this

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particular system has they do have bachelor's degrees they also have Master's and post

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credential or certificates and they also have doctoral programs um however

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from my research and from me personally there weren't too many like PHD programs

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most of them were more professional development or professional

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doctorates a good example of this is like if you get like a a Doctorate in

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Education it'll have like the Ed on on the uh

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University of California (UC)

www.universityofcalifornia.edu

10 Campuses ( 9 open to Freshman/Transfer)

Freshman Admissions Requirements

High School Diploma
A-G Requirements
GPA 3.0+
Extracurricular Involvement
Personal Insight Questions (PIQ)
SAT/ ACT Exams will not be considered for admissions

Degrees Awarded

Bachelor’s Degrees
Master’s Degrees
Post Bachelor Credentials/ Certificates (Ex. Teaching Credentials)
Doctorate programs

in so the USC system has technically 10

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campuses however nine are are open to freshmen and transfer students meaning there are

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nine schools that have Balor programs the only one that doesn't is you see San

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Francisco um they only have graduate level and professional

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degrees so for freshman admissions requirements you do need a high school diploma you do do need to meet the a

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through G requirements you need at least a 3.0 likely above a 3.0 for many of the

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campuses um they also have a space in their application to look at extracurricular involvement your

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personal Insight questions or PIQ statements um and there

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are it's either six or eight and you have to pick like four of them and then

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SATs and act exams are not considered for admissions they do have a space to put

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them though um but it's not but you don't have to have it so for uc's they

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also offer bachelor's degrees master's degrees um and of course any like

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postback certificate or doctoral

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658

Out-of-State Public Institutions

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Private Institutions Breakdown

Private Institutions in USA

This number includes both for-profit & non-profit institutions and 4-year & 2-year institutions

Association of California

Colleges & Universities

All AICCU institutions are nonprofit, 4-Year WASC accredited

AICCU

Private Institutions in CA

This number includes both for-profit & non-profit institutions and 4-year & 2-year institutions

1,367+

85

331

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Non Profit Private vs. For-Profit Private Institutions

For-Profit Private Institutions

Owned and operated by a private company or business with shareholders
They generate revenue that is used for non-educational purposes (ie. investors & stakeholders).
Usually offer career-based & occupational training programs but school may not be accredited and courses may not transfer

Non-Profit Private Institutions

Nonprofit colleges are schools that channel funds from tuition and fees into educational programs.
Offer certificates and degrees that lead to careers and continuing education opportunities (transferable courses) & are accredited

Research Accreditation

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Types of Private Universities

01

02

04

05

06

03

Liberal Arts

Religious Affiliation

Research Universities

HBCU

Emphasis on undergraduate programs in the humanities, arts & sciences. Small classes

Connected to a religious faith. The connection may be historic only, or it may affect day-to-day student life.

Research is the central part of the institution’s mission. Emphasis on graduate programs.

Historically Black Colleges/Universities

Single-sex Institutions

Art Colleges

All Women or All Male institutions

Focus on the arts. In addition to regular course work, these colleges provide training in areas such as photography, music, theater or fashion design etc.

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Types of Private Universities

01

02

04

05

06

03

Liberal Arts

Religious Affiliation

Research Universities

HBCU

Single-sex Institutions

Art Colleges

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Types of Private Colleges

01

Liberal Arts

These institutions emphasize a broad-based education across multiple disciplines, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking, analytical skills, and interdisciplinary learning. They often have small classes and foster close relationships between students and teachers.

Well Known Institutions

US News Rankings

Williams College

Amherst College

Pomona College

Swarthmore College

Wellesley College

Bowdoin College

Carleton College

Annapolis (US Naval Academy)

Claremont McKenna

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Types of Private Colleges

02

Religiously Affiliated

Connected to a religious faith. The connection may be historic only, or it may affect day-to-day student life, such as required coursework.

Well Known Institutions

College Raptor Rankings

Duke University

University of Notre Dame

Georgetown

Hillsdale College

Emory College

Boston College

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Types of Private Colleges

03

Women’s Colleges

US News Rankings

Wellesley College

Smith College

Barnard College

Bryn Mawr College

Scripps College

Mount Hollyoke College

Men’s Colleges

Wabash College

Morehouse College

Saint John’s University, Minnesota

Single-sex Institutions

All Women or All Male institutions

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Types of Private Colleges

04

The primary responsibility of professors and faculty is not only to teach undergraduate courses, but also to conduct and publish cutting edge research. Emphasis on graduate programs. These schools tend to be larger and focused on research

Well Known Colleges

MIT

Harvard

John Hopkins University

Stanford

CalTech

Duke

Princeton

Cornell

Columbia

Research Universities

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05

Types of Private Colleges

Well Known Institutions

US News Rankings

Howard University

Spellman College

Tuskegee University

Morehouse College

HBCU’s

Historically Black Colleges/Universities. These institutions were originally established to serve the African American community during times of segregation. They continue to provide education primarily to students of African American descent and often have a strong sense of community and a rich cultural heritage.

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06

Types of Private Colleges

Art Colleges

These institutions focus on arts-related disciplines, such as fine arts, performing arts, music, and design. They provide specialized training and education in creative fields.

Well Known Visual & Performing Arts Schools

The Julliard School

Fashion Institute of Technology (NY)

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

California Institute of the Arts (CalArt)

Boston Conservatory

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Important Considerations

Affordability: what institutional help they will provide.
Fit and Culture: Research the college's mission, programs, and campus environment to determine if it aligns with your academic and personal goals.
Reputation and accreditation: Consider the reputation and accreditation status of the institution. Accreditation may affect the transferability of credits and future employment opportunities.
Resources and Support: Investigate the availability of research opportunities, internships, career services, academic support, and extracurricular activities.

When applying to private universities, it is crucial to consider the following factors:

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Admission Types & Deadlines

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	Description	Usual Time Frame
Regular Admission	Specific deadline set for all applicants. Apps are reviewed after closing date, every applicant is compared before any acceptance or rejection is made.	November - January
Rolling Admission	Applications accepted during a set timeframe and reviewed for admissions as they come. Those who apply later have less of a chance with spots filing up.	September - July
Open Admission	Any student who applies and meet the requirements is offered admissions	Multiple Enrollment Periods

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	Description	Usual Time Frame
Early Decision Admission	Allows students to apply prior to larger application pool for early placement. This is a binding agreement, you agree to attend this school if accepted without knowledge of financial aid offer. If you receive an acceptance letter, you must withdraw any other applications to other schools.	October - Mid November
Early Action Admission	Allows students to apply prior to larger application pool for early placement, but not a binding agreement. If offered admissions you can decide not to accept. Note Single Choice Early Action restrict you from applying to backup schools until admissions decision has been made.	October - Mid November
Deferred Admission	This works well for students who want to take a gap year without having to re-apply for admissions the following year.

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Admissions Requirements

GPA

Varies depending on institution.

Course Requirements

Varies. Many will align with A-G, but you may have to report all course, including non A-G..

College Entrance Exams

SAT/ ACT Trend has shifted towards test-optional admissions, but exams may still be required.

Supplemental

Varies but can often include:

Personal Essay
Writing Supplements
Resume
Letters of Recommendation (typically 1-2 sometimes 3)
Interview (less common)
Portfolio
Mid-Year Report (Counselor)

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Private/ Out of State- Transfer Path

Students transferring to independent or out-of-state institutions should refer to the school’s website or catalog and meet with a counselor to determine what community college courses meet the appropriate transfer requirements.

The transfer path to private colleges is typically shorter than the CSU GE -Breadth & IGETC pattern required for CSU & UC

Although CSU GE-Breadth and IGETC patterns are agreements specific to CSU and UC campuses, 35 of AICCU schools accept Associates for Transfer Degree programs offered by California Community Colleges (AICCU Transfer Guide)

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Financial Aid Planning

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Cost of Attendance

Cost of Attendance (COA) for Private colleges will be higher than public in-state COA, but private colleges may also offer more financial aid to offset the higher cost.
Out-of-State public colleges will charge additional (double) tuition fees to non-resident students but may also participate in reciprocity/exchange agreements and other tuition reduction programs

California residents benefit from the Western Undergraduate Exchange agreement
Legacy (Parent attended) tuition reduction
Tuition Waivers & Scholarships for low income and/or high performing students.

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Institutions Committed to Cover 100% of the Financial Need

Harvard University
Yale University
Princeton University
Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Amherst College
Williams College
Pomona College
Swarthmore College
Vassar College

100% Need Based Aid List

Several private institutions are committed to covering 100% of the demonstrated financial need of admitted students. Some examples include:

$

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FAFSA + CSS Profile

Required by more than 400 of the top Private & public out-of state institutions
The CSS Profile provides a more thorough picture of your household income to schools than the FAFSA does, allowing colleges to determine which types of institutional aid they can award in addition to any federal aid you might have received.

Unlike the FAFSA, you have to pay to send the CSS profile to schools. The cost is $25 for the first school, and $16 for each additional one.

Students may qualify for a fee waiver

Find out if your college requires it here

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APPLYING

Individual Institutional Application

An internal institutional application submitted directly to school

Collective Platform Application

Common Application

Common Black College Application (HBCUs)

The Coalition Application

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Common Application

Accepted by over 966 private and public out-of-state institutions.
Students only have to fill out details that most schools require, including name, address and extracurricular activities, one time for all colleges and then complete supplemental sections for each institution they which to submit app to.
Application Fee varies by college but range from $30 to $75. Fee waivers may be awarded by individual schools.
Application platform opens August 1st.

Common App Member Colleges

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Downloadable Common Application Resources

How the first year Common App Works (Click here)
Understanding Testing on the Common App (Click here)
How to approach the Common App essay (Click here)

Understanding the recommendation process (Click here)
Counselor Brag Sheet (Click here)
Teacher Brag Sheet (Click here)

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Common Application Essay Options

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2021-2022

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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How Can You Prepare?

Start your research early with Naviance:

Career Exploration

Interest Survey/Profile
Education/Training Requirements (Pathways)

College Exploration

Majors & Programs Offered
Eligibility (Admissions) Requirements
Cost & Financial Aid Availability
Application Deadlines & Requirements

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Log in to Naviance through your school’s Clever Account

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