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UC Berkeley Summer Experience Program 2011

Nohel — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:00:48 +0000

Summer is coming up in a matter of weeks. For those community college and high school students wanting to get ahead, experience university life, and possibly a shot at going to UC Berkeley, there is a great opportunity coming your way. This opportunity is called the Cal Summer Experience!

The Cal Summer Experience

The Cal Summer Experience is a two and one-half day residential program on the UC Berkeley campus for prospective high school and community college students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds (first generation, low-income, etc.). There is no cost to students for participation. However, students are expected to provide their own transportation to and from the UC Berkeley campus. Public transportation such as the bus system or BART are very accessible in Berkeley.

There are two distinct programs, one for high school students and one for community college students. The goals of each program include enhancing students’ academic preparation for the University and introducing them to the support services that will be available to them.

An additional objective is to help students prepare for the college application process and transition to the University. Activities include faculty lectures, Personal Statement writing workshop, test preparation, major selection, transcript evaluation, and other related advising. In addition, participants will receive information on housing, financial aid and advice from a current Cal student panel.

Selection Criteria and Program Dates

The Program will run from June 26th – June 28th, 2011

High School Program: Applicants must attend a high school in the Northern California area and have completed at least 30 A-G courses by the end of Spring 2011. Applicants must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.75.

For more information contact Bridget Wilson 510-643-7902, naoc@berkeley.edu or Jua Howard at 510-664-4424, jhhoward@berkeley.edu

Community College Session: Applicants must attend a California Community College in Northern California and have completed at least 30 semester transferable units by the end of Spring 2011. Applicants must also have a minimum transferable GPA of 3.5. (Students currently in high school who are concurrently enrolled in community college are advised to apply to the Cal Summer Experience for High School students.) For more information and an application contact Angela Skrivanich at 510-642-1364, ang@berkeley.edu or Ana Fimbres-Rafferty 909-985-1896, rafferty@berkeley.edu

UC San Diego Raises TAG eligible GPA to 3.5

Edwina — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:28:50 +0000

Beginning fall 2012, students who wish to submit a Transfer Agreement Guarantee (TAG) with UC San Diego must now have a minimum GPA of 3.5 in UC transferable courses. Students must also carry out at least a 3.5 GPA upon completing all coursework prior to transferring. In previous years, the minimum TAG eligible GPA was a 3.0.

UCSD TAG

UC San Diego received approximately 9,000 TAG applications for Fall 2011. Just as critical, more than 4,600 students completed an application for admission and checked off both UC San Diego TAG and IGETC. These numbers reflect an enormous interest in UC San Diego TAG!

Given the state of the budget and campus capacity, UC San Diego is unable to sustain a guarantee program at this level of participation.

Larger student enrollment have likely caused UC’s to adjust their Transfer Agreement Guarantees in response to the increase of competition. Additionally, the UC TAG application transitioned from paper applications to online applications this past school year.

In a recent email from the Admissions office to students that applied to the Fall 2011 TAG at UCSD, they provided next steps for these students:

Since you’re a student who filled out the UC Online Transfer Admission Guarantee form in September, you may be interested in some additional information. Please take a look at these updates about the TAG program, the UC application, and the UC San Diego campus specifically.

The UC Online TAG form is a way of self-reporting your classes as a preliminary look at TAG eligibility. Some campuses in the UC system are pre-qualifying TAG applicants by way of this form. However, UC San Diego is one campus that opted not to do that – if you plan to apply to UC San Diego, we will review your TAG status at the time the application for admission is read. I know this has been a point of confusion for some of you who have called to ask about it.

The important thing to remember is that you need to follow up your online TAG form with the actual University of California application for admission (deadline was November 30, 2010). On that application, you needed to check the 2 boxes you need to be considered as a TAG applicant:

1. UC San Diego TAG

2. IGETC

It’s important to check both boxes!

This applies to any applicant following the TAG program.

I want to encourage you to apply to UC San Diego – and apply as a TAG applicant. Even if the online form indicated that you may not have met the eligibility requirements, here at UC San Diego we believe it’s best if our experienced admissions officers thoroughly review your entire application to make the final determination. Then if the requirements are met, you are admitted as a TAG student; or, if ineligible under TAG, you are still considered for admission as a regular transfer student. Official decisions will be posted online starting in mid-March 2011 with postings continuing through April 30, 2011.

To view all other requirements to submit a TAG with UCSD, visit their Undergraduate Transfer Admission website.

UC Transfer Hopefuls, Start Building Your Transfer Resume

Caroline — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:00:50 +0000

Start Building Your Transfer Resume Today!

Dear Future UC Transfer Hopefuls,

Those of you out there that are serious about transferring to your first choice UC campus will need to start building your transfer resume. Although there are TAGs and TAPs to most of the UCs, impacted majors are often excluded in this agreement. The following will provide the breakdown of the form you will have to fill out when you apply to transfer.

What is the “Activities and Awards” Section?

The UC Application has a transfer resume section called “Activities and Awards”. The “Activities and Awards” section of the application is very important. It will print out as two whole pages when the admissions committee look over it. So, please do not skip it! This section of the UC Application is especially important if you are applying to schools without TAGs.

How does the “Activities and Awards” Section Breakdown?

It is comprised of five different sections:

Educational Prep Programs
Volunteer & Community Service
Work Experience
Awards & Honors
Extracurricular Activities

You will be able to list a maximum of five things under each of the five sections listed above. You are also asked to list how many hours a week you are involved and how many weeks a year you are involved. It will be ideal if you are able to completely fill up the “Activities & Awards” section. That means you will need to Therefore, it is important to start strengthening your transfer resume now. By getting active on campus activities and acquiring major-related work experience, you will be able to impress the admissions committee by showing them you are well-rounded–increasing your overall desirability as a transfer candidate.

Update to UC’s Blue + Gold Opportunity Plan for 2011-2012

Edwina — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:36:01 +0000

San Bruno, CA (CollegeToCareers.com) – Eligibility for University of California’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan has expanded for the 2011-2012 school year. Last year, UC had already increased the threshold of eligibility to $70,000 a year in family income. Now, California residents whose family earns less than $80,000 a year qualify to have all educational and student service fees covered for them. In what has been a tumultuous year for California Community Colleges, CSU’s, and UC’s in terms of finances, this expansion of the Blue + Gold Opportunity Plan will hopefully give incoming freshmen and junior-level transfers piece of mind when they begin their education at UC.

In order to take advantage of the Blue + Gold Plan, students must first apply file a FAFSA and check that a Cal Grant GPA Verification has been submitted the year you begin attending UC by the March 2nd deadline. If you have not already filed, do so as soon as possible to take advantage of other grants and financial assistance packages.

Below are the full eligibility requirements, plan coverage, and application information regarding the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan:

What it takes to be eligible

Be a California resident
Demonstrate income below $70,000 ($80,000 beginning in 2011-12) with financial need, as determined for federal need-based aid program
Be in your first four years as a UC undergraduate (first two for transfer students)
Meet other campus basic requirements for UC grant aid (for example, be enrolled at least half-time during the academic year, meet campus academic progress standards, not be in default on student loans, etc.)
Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 2 and provide any additional documentation campuses may request by the specified deadline.
Make sure your school submits a GPA verification form to the Cal Grant program, or download the form, have your school fill it out and send it to the California Student Aid Commission

What Blue + Gold covers

Under the plan, your systemwide fees will be fully covered by scholarship or grant money if you are in your first four years at UC (two if you’re a transfer student).
The plan combines all sources of scholarship and grant awards you receive (federal, state, UC and private) to count toward covering your fees. If, for example, you receive Pell and Cal Grants and private scholarships that don’t fully cover your fees, UC grant money will make up the difference.
Students with greater financial need can qualify for even more grant support to help defray other educational expenses (like books, housing, transportation, etc.) In fact, UC currently provides grant and scholarship assistance averaging $11,100 per student to more than half of undergraduates.

What you need to apply

You don’t need to fill out a separate application to qualify for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan.

Simply file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and ensure that your Cal Grant GPA Verification has been submitted by the March 2 deadline of the year you plan to attend UC.

You will receive the benefits of the Blue and Gold plan automatically if you qualify.

UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering Update

Nohel — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:49:53 +0000

San Francisco, CA (CollegeToCareers.com)- In a recent notice from the University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering has made a change to their pre-requisite requirements for Bioengineering.

Effective immediately for transfer applicants to the College of Engineering majoring in Bioengineering and the Bioengineering & Materials Science Engineering joint major, Chemistry 3B will no longer be a major pre-requisite to be accepted into the program.

As of Fall 2010, Chemistry 3B has been removed from the list of required courses for admission to the Bioengineering major and the Bioengineering and/or the Materials Science Engineering joint major. If you are in the course now or have already taken the course you will be able to use it towards the technical elective units for the Bioengineering major. If you are planning to take the course in the winter or spring quarter or semester of 2011, you can choose to remove it from your planned classes for that term. The College of Engineering will not count it towards the “required courses for admission” when reviewing applications for these two majors. Your admission will not be jeopardized without this course.

Please note exceptions to this policy:

If you are taking Chemistry 3B as part of a “series” at your school for Chemistry 3A and 3B, then you must complete the whole series in order to have credit for Chemistry 3A.
If you are a pre-med student you still need Chemistry 3B as part of your pre-med requirements. We recommend that if you have room in your schedule , you should complete the course at your community college rather than waiting to take it when you transfer.

For more information, visit Berkeley Engineering.

Get to Know Your UC Campuses

Ken — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:13:24 +0000

San Bruno, CA (CollegeToCareers.com)- It is now December, and if you are like most University of California applicants, you have already filled out and submitted your online UC application. So what’s the next step? Upon submitting your online application, the University of California has sent you an email with various reminders including:

Watching out for Application Acknowledgment
Review Scholarship Opportunities
Inform UC of Changes
Report Your Test Scores
Check Your E-mail Often

Besides these reminders, there is not much else one can do after submitting. However, for those confident in their chances of admission, or simply curious as to the various University of California campuses, a bit of research is always a good idea. Doing research on the various campuses will allow one a better sense of each individual university, and provide some assistance in choosing between two or more UCs if the time comes for it.

A helpful resource in researching the various UCs can be found on the UC website itself. Under the “About UC” section, there is a link titled “UC Campuses”. Following this link will bring you to the UC Campuses webpage, providing links to the nine individual UC campuses. Upon visiting the website containing these links, be sure to explore the numerous categories and topics regarding each individual UC. You might be interested in knowing things about the campuses such as:

Campus Culture/Life: this can include anything from Athletics and Recreation to Housing and Dining
Academics: this can include the list of different majors available, academic departments, libraries, and advising/tutoring services
Research: this can include any research programs, museums, and publications from the campus
Campus Goals & Visions: this is always an important aspect of a university to look at as it provides insight to the overall education goals, strategies, and beliefs of the campus

The general idea is to obtain a better view and understanding of each of the UC campuses you may be interested in. It is always helpful to visit the UC in person, and take a UC Campus Tour. The hard part is over, applications are in, and now it’s just time to wait for decisions to come back. Until then, take some time to get to know the UC system better, and prepare yourself for the experience of higher education.

Make the Most of Your UC Application

Ken — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:00:27 +0000

With the UC Application deadline quickly approaching (less than a week until November 30th), there are many important aspects of the UC Application that need to be addressed. Of these aspects, Scholarships and Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) are of particular importance. The reasoning for this is because filling in the Scholarship and (EOP) section of the UC Application provides you the opportunity to show the admissions officers a little bit more about your background – who you are based on your educational interests, achievements, and needs.

Do not overlook the scholarship section. The scholarship section includes many different categories and drop-down menus including:

Academic Major/Specialty
Affiliation with Group, Program or Organization
Ancestry or Family Relationship
Career Plans
Ethnicity, National Origin or Religion
School or Geographic Affiliation
Special Conditions
Miscellaneous

Below is a screen shot of the actual Scholarships Section from the UC Application:

UC Application Scholarships

Although it is optional, these scholarships are a great opportunity to provide additional personal details about yourself as well as financial support for your education at the University of California. The process is simple: just click on the category you are interested in, and check the box for the area of scholarship you wish to apply for. Each applicant is allowed a total of 16 selections from all 9 scholarship categories combined.

The second important part of the applicant mentioned earlier (EOP), is found on the following page on the UC Application. In this section, applicants from California or American Indians within the United States have the option of apply for EOP, or the Educational Opportunity Program. This is a program that basically provides assistance to those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. If one were to apply for EOP, they would need to enter their parents’ level of education, family size and income later in the UC Application.

Below is a screen shot of the actual EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) Section from the UC Application:

UC Application Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

To begin the application process for EOP, simply check to the box under the heading Educational Opportunity Program and proceed with the rest of your applicant.

It is my hope that this article has provided you assistance in your application process. And remember, although application season is a time of nervousness and stress, it is also important to take a step back and relax, as a new chapter of your education is about to begin.

UC Personal Statement Example

Nohel — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:00:23 +0000

San Francisco (CollegeToCareers.com)- High school and community college students are beginning to feel the pressure and anxiety of the upcoming University of California (UC) application deadline. November 30th is only 8 days away and most applicants have finalized their UC applications and have begun adding their finishing touches to personal statements.

In an effort to bring current and prospective college students the best resources, we have an additional UC personal statement sample from a students that was accepted to a UC straight from high school. We encourage you to review our personal statement sample written by a community college transfer student. You can download the personal statement example and our UC checklist by reading the first UC Personal Statement article we published early October.

As stated in the October’s article, you should have multiple people review your personal statement as it should be error free. Have it be grammatically correct, meaningful, and with a logical flow. Also, one important tip that we are hearing from UC’s is to stay within the 1,000 word count total for both UC prompts. How you designate the word count between the two writing prompts is up to you, but try and stick to the 1,000 word limit. If you can create a concise personal statement with less words, that will sufficient as long as it answers the prompt with personal experience.

For an additional personal statement that you can look at for ideas, tips, or simply as a reference, visit our new personal statement below:

Review our second UC Personal Statement from an accepted UC student!

Important UC Berkeley Application Deadlines

Nohel — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 02:42:43 +0000

San Francisco, CA (CollegeToCareers.com)- The office of Admissions at UC Berkeley sent out a notice to California community college counselors alerting them to upcoming deadlines that should be passed along to high school and community college students that have or are intending to apply for admissions at CAL. The UC application deadline is coming up on November 30th. While this is a major milestone on the journey for admissions, there are other steps and deadlines students should be aware of as they anticipate admission notifications.

Important UC Berkeley Deadlines For Those Applying For The Fall 2011 Term:

January 2011: Early in the month, applicants will receive information on how to log on to myBerkeleyApplication, the portal where they will receive application decisions and other information specific to their Berkeley application. (Students can check the overall application status at the University of California site).

March 2, 2011: This is the deadline for undergraduate students to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students can complete an online application at: FAFSA

March 24, 2011: Freshman decisions posted.
April 29, 2011: Transfer decisions posted.

Each individual college at UC Berkeley has it’s own major requirements. It’s important you check Project Assist for all the major prerequisites needed for your respective majors.

IMPORTANT

Be sure to sign up for our UC Newsletter to receive the most up to date information on applications, decisions, scholarships, and more. We even have other UC personal statements for you to look at for ideas as you finalize yours before submitting it by November 30th.

Revising Your UC Personal Statement

Caroline — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:00:50 +0000

Revising your Personal Statement

Personal Statement Content

The most important part of the personal statement revision process is the content revision part. Does your personal response adequately answer the prompt? What does your response to the prompt show the reader about you? These are two of the most important questions you should ask yourself when revising for content.

Continuously asking yourself if you are answering the question presented in the prompt will help you find focus throughout the writing process. Applicants too often get so caught up in telling their story when writing their response that they forget to clearly and explicitly address the question asked of them.

Forgetting to write about themselves is the second most common blunder applicants make in the personal statement writing process. Instead of writing about what they’ve learned from an experience, for example, they only write about the experience. Asking yourself what your response shows the reader about you as a person will remind you to make your personal statement centered around you. It will remind you that you will need to examine, for example, the experience you have written about and show the reader how such an experience has impacted you.

Show, Don’t Tell

Refrain from making statement without providing concrete examples. This is another rookie mistake. Why merely tell the reader that you are, for example, determined when you can show the reader. Write about how you continued practicing tennis, for example, even though your back hurt and your hands were covered in blisters. Provide a detailed description of the blistering backbreaking practices and write about how championed throughout that with determination.

Adjectives, Tone, Syntax

Pick up a thesaurus and look up adjectives to use into your response. Adding descriptive adjectives to the appropriate places will breathe life into your personal statement and take it to the next level.

Tone is another important thing to revise for. Tone in literary terms, is the attitude the author gives off about the subject he or she is writing about. The most common mistake applicants unknowingly make regarding tone is sounding negatively. Instead of saying “Although I am to very interested in Biology, I am unsure of what profession I may want to pursue”, you may want to say “I am very interested in Biology and I am open to the various career paths that my journey with Biology may lead me to”. Notice the dramatic difference in tone between the two sentences. Note how the first sentence sounded negative and unsure while the second sentence sounded positive and open-minded. Remember, you can put a positive spin to any sentence.

Syntax is, in short, sentence structure. You will want to think about the construction of your sentences and how you can revise them to best make your statement and establish your points. Have someone who has not yet read your personal statement read it. Then have this friend asterisk any sentences whose meaning may not be completely clear. Having a set of new eyes read our personal statement can be very helpful because you probably already know your personal statement backwards and forwards by now. Your response, however, may not be as clear to others as it is to you. Reconstruct any sentences that do not clearly and indisputably get your point across.

Less Can Be More

Your first couple of drafts are bound to go over the word limit. That’s perfectly fine. Do not worry about the word count until you have finished revising all other aspects of your personal statement. After you finish revising all other aspects of your response, you will need to then go back and cut out unnecessary words. Remember that less can be more. If you can say something in in five words versus ten words, do so. We often have the tendency to add unnecessary filler words like “that”, “so”, “which”, etc. to our writing since we use them when speaking. Looking for such filler words and cutting them out will make your sentences stronger and direct. Be prepared to cut out parts of sentences if cutting the filler words does not do the job. In this case, do not be hesitant to take out parts of or even whole sentences that are not essential to your response. Cutting out such parts will make your overall point more clear and concise.