Additional Resources for Community College Students
Direct from the Campus
Figuring Out What You Want to Do
Direct from the Campus
Sign up at Picture Yourself at Berkeley! to get invited to Berkeley admission functions.
Check out the UCLA Admissions Blog for the latest admission information directly from the source.
Access the general catalogs for every UC campus from a central UC campus catalog portal; browse the catalogs for free online or follow the purchase links to buy paper copies.
Register at Zinch.com and create a profile to show colleges why you are the ideal student for them. Every UC campus is using the site to recruit students but each employs a different strategy to screen prospective students. In your profile, be sure to highlight your academic strengths, extracurricular activities, leadership skills, special talent, and/or special circumstances.
U.S. News & World Report, the people who invented the college ranking system, also publishes numerous college admissions articles covering typical admissions related topics such as college choices, test prep, college essays, and financial aid. Keep in mind the articles are very generalized and do not apply to all colleges. As always, take everything you read with a grain of salt and when in doubt, check directly with the college admissions office.
College Prowler offers FREE college guides online that review all different aspects of the college campuses (academics, health and safety, on and off campus dining, athletics, nightlife, local atmosphere, drug safety, on and off campus housing, parking and transportation, weather, and lots more). Each category is assigned a grade based on student feedback and the grades are backed up by stats and student reviews.
Move aside, College Board! Check out the fancy College Navigator from the U.S. Department of Education, complete with color graphs and hard-to-find facts. Aside from the usual enrollment and financial aid stats (but in full color bar graphs and pie charts), you can also find stats for retention/graduation rate, size of enrollment for each major, team size for varsity athletics, campus crime rate, and federal student loan default rate.
The California Postsecondary Education Commission has a great set of data on transfer rates of each California community college to the UCs and CSUs.
Choose a California community college that offers an honors/scholars program. Participating students receive priority registration at the community college which will allow you to complete your general education and major prerequisite requirements in a timely fashion. UCLA also gives additional consideration to students in the honors/scholars program (Transfer Alliance Program).
The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), allows students in participating western states to enroll in some two- and four-year colleges at 150% of the college's regular resident tuition. WICHE member states are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
To get the most accurate and up-to-date WUE admissions information, you must call the college's admissions office and ask to speak to someone who is familiar with WUE. You may need to follow special application instructions in order to qualify for WUE consideration. Some WUE colleges may honor AB 540, you will need to contact the college's admissions office to verify.
College Financial Aid Policies for AB 540 Students is a home-grown document that has been passed around by teachers and counselors since 2009. It's not a comprehensive list but a place to start if you are considering private or out-of-state colleges.
Figuring Out What You Want to Do
The Career Chronicles is a good book to flip through for you to get an idea of what it is like to actually work as a pharmacist, architect, lawyer, accountant, or any of the 24 different jobs included in the book. Use the "Search Inside" function on Amazon to see if the job you are interested in is listed.
Maybe your dream school didn't accept you and you are not looking forward to spending another year in community college or working. Why not take advantage of a gap year program and see the world (and enrich your personal statement for your college application next year)? For general information, pros and cons, and resources on planning a gap year, check out Gap year: Time off, with a plan from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Opportunities are available through organizations like Student Conservation Association, City Year, and AmeriCorps. You can also use the Volunteer Matching Services to find additional opportunities. There are also a variety of study abroad and exchange programs available and many offer scholarships to cover part or all of the expenses. Here are couple programs that offer full or partial scholarships: ISS Service Learning in Paris and Youth For Understanding.
This page was last updated on Thursday, December 29, 2011 07:17:18 AM PST
DISCLAIMER: This website is not in any way affiliated with, or endorsed by, the University of California. I am not employed by the University of California or any of its campuses nor am I a licensed counselor. My advice is based on my research and experience, but it is not sanctioned by the University of California or any of its campuses.
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