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Resources

Please take this brief survey:

Presentation

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College Planning Night

Presented by TCA’s Counseling Department

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Agenda

Overview
A-G Requirements
College exploration
Testing (SAT, ACT)
College Admission (4-year)
Financial Aid
Community Colleges
Military, CTE, & Apprenticeships

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Overview / Timeline

(College Planning Timeline)

1. Take college preparatory classes and actively participate in extracurricular activities (All grades)

2. Use available resources to explore options (All grades, especially Juniors)

3. SAT and/or ACT Testing

4. Narrow choices to 3 - 9 colleges (Seniors: Fall)

5. Apply to colleges (Seniors: Fall/Winter for 4-year colleges; Spring for 2-year)

6. Apply for financial aid (Seniors: October)

7. Make a final decision (Seniors: May 1 deadline)

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Course Requirements

A-G Course Requirements (A-G Course Requirements) - You must take these courses to get into any UC or CSU and most 4-year universities
These courses ensure students are prepared for courses, majors, and programs offered at UC and CSU
All A-G courses MUST be passed with a “C” or higher IF you’re applying to a UC or CSU
For other colleges’ course requirements, go to www.collegedata.com. For each college, click on the Admissions tab and scroll down to the HIGH SCHOOL UNITS REQ OR RECOMMENDED.

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College Planning Process:

Step One

College Selection - Identifying best fit schools for you.

Develop criteria for selecting a college (Next Slide)
Do a Self Inventory: what are your interests, passions, priorities
Use resources to narrow your college search
College Bound Checklist- by grade level!

Do Your Research!

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Best Fit for You

(Steps to Selecting a College)

Type of college
Location / environment
Size - large or small classes
Residential or Commuter
Financially feasible
Program availability - impacted majors
Internships / career placement assistance

Academic rigor
Athletics
Greek life
Military prep - ROTC
Religious affiliation
On campus housing

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Types of Colleges

(Types of Colleges)

Specialized Colleges/Trade Schools - Certification

Pros: easier; quicker; only have to take courses in area of interest
Cons: limited options; more difficult to get promotions or change jobs

Community Colleges - Certification, Associate’s Degree, Transfer credits

Pros: cost; easier; quicker degree; convenient
Cons: usually takes longer to earn 4-year degree; inconsistent quality

4-year Colleges - Bachelor’s Degree

Pros: most options; better salaries/promotions; college experience
Cons: cost; must be admitted

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UC vs CSU

UC (Universities of California) - 9 campuses

Focus is on research and theory, preparing students for grad school
More self-motivated style of learning... Some classes possibly taught by graduate students pursuing a PhD
Residential culture (Most students live on-campus, the college experience)
Tuition: In State - $15,384

CSU (California State Universities) - 22 campuses

Focus is on a more hands-on education, preparing students for jobs in non-research based professions
Typically not as difficult to get into as UC’s (except Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
Commuter culture (Most students live off-campus)
Tuition: In state - $6,450

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Resources for College Search

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College Visits

(College Visits Guide)

It’s impossible to evaluate some characteristics without actually seeing the campus virtually or in person
Use Mondays and school breaks for college visits
Include both formal and informal aspects of a college visit
Virtual college visits
UC Fall Campus Events; Cal State Campus Events

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College Planning Process:

Step Two

SAT and/or ACT Testing (SAT & ACT Information)

Test blind vs. Test optional
Some colleges require SAT/ACT - do your research!
UC’s and CSU’s will not consider test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships. If you choose to include them, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements
May earn you merit scholarships
FREE Official SAT Practice through Khan Academy

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College Planning Process:

Step Three

Applying to colleges (How to Apply)

Check application for requirements and deadlines
Request transcript if needed
Request letters of recommendation if needed
Write personal statement(s) if needed (Personal Essay Tips)
Prepare supplemental materials if needed
“It depends…”

Watch your deadlines!

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Types of Applications

(Application Info & Links)

UC System	CSU System	Common App	Individual Schools
Application window Oct. 1 - Dec. 1 Personal Insight Questions (PIQ) required No LOR required Does not accept SAT/ACT scores Grades are self reported	Application window Oct. 1 - Dec. 1 No essay required No LOR accepted Does not accept SAT/ACT scores Grades are self reported	Application window opens August 1, submission deadlines vary Essay required Counselor & Teacher LOR generally needed Additional Materials may vary by school (SAT scores, essay questions, etc.)	Application windows vary greatly Materials required vary greatly Need to check individual school’s admission websites for details

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Types of Admission

(Types of Admission)

Admissions Type	Application Deadline	Notification of Admission	Binding?	Number of Applications	Decision Deadline
Early Decision	October, November	December	Yes	1	Automatic
Early Action	October, November	December	No	No Limit	May 1
Single Choice Early Action	October, November	December	No	1	May 1
Regular Decision	Varies (winter months)	March, April	No	No Limit	May 1
Rolling Admission	Varies	Usually within 1 month	No	No limit	May 1

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College Athletics

Check colleges’ athletics webpages and complete

a Contact the Coach form

Get guidance from your current coach(es)
NCAA – www.ncaa.org, https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/
NAIA - www.naia.org, www.playnaia.org

Make sure that you meet the eligibility requirements!

(NCAA & NAIA Eligibility)

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College Planning Process:

Step Four

Financial Aid

Financial Aid Seminar

Thursday, November 6th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Studio Caiman Hall

Check college websites (or do a Google search) for Net Price Calculators (estimate of how much you personally would pay out-of-pocket to attend a particular college based on your finances, grades, etc.)

Watch your deadlines!

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�Types of Financial Aid Awards

Need Based Aid	Merit Based Aid
Based on how much money your family needs to make education affordable Grants - A financial aid award you do NOT have to pay back Loans - A financial aid award you WILL have to pay back WITH INTEREST Work Study - Guaranteed job on campus	Academic Scholarships - Based on your transcript and/or test scores Athletic/Special Talent Aid - Based on your extracurricular activities and talents Expectation you will use your talents to benefit the school; could possibly lose scholarship if you are injured or no longer want to participate

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Financial Aid & Scholarship Resources

(Scholarship Information)

studentaid.gov (Federal Student Aid)
fafsa.gov (NOT fafsa.com)
cssprofile.collegeboard.org (CSS Profile - Used by nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal aid)
CAHS Scholarships Page
College financial aid offices
Parent’s or student’s employers, associations, etc.
www.sdfoundation.org/students (local scholarships)
www.goingmerry.com, finaid.org/scholarships, bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/scholarship-search
Western Undergraduate Exchange (Western colleges with reduced tuition for CA residents) – www.wiche.edu/wue/students

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FAFSA

Students seeking funds for 2026-27 may file FAFSA starting October 1 using 2024 tax forms (PPY Tax Data)
FAFSA final deadline:

Varies by school so check colleges’ websites
March 2 for Cal Grant

Student’s GPA is automatically submitted for Cal Grant unless they opt out
www.studentaid.gov

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Community Colleges

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Community College

Great option for AA/AS degree, certificate programs, general education
Apply for admission online via CCCApply by early May of senior year
SAT/ACT not needed; Any high school GPA accepted
Promise Program: Complete the entire application process by early May (first come-first served after course registration opens in May)

Must complete the FAFSA!

MiraCosta: www.miracosta.edu

Palomar: www.palomar.edu

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Transferring to a 4-Year

Transfer Admission Agreements �

Palomar & MiraCosta Colleges have transfer agreements with 6 UC schools & offer AD-T degrees
Cal-GETC (General Education) for UC/CSU (Palomar, MiraCosta)
UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG program)
UC Transfer Admission Planner (TAP)
CSU Transfer Information
For other universities, check individual websites and articulation agreements (Assist.org for CA schools)