Ms. Sun's UC Admissions Blog

Fall 2012 Freshman Admission Notification, Selection, Waitlist and Statistics

All fall 2012 freshman applicants have been notified of their admission status by email and via our MyAdmissions website. In addition, admitted students received an admission packet in the mail. UC Davis offered 6,909 freshmen spaces on the waitlist and 2,655 accepted. Unfortunately, we were not able to offer admission to these students. Below are the admission statistics for fall 2012:

Applicants: 49,383 (Fall 2011: 45,806); 7.8% increase
Admits: 22,550 (Fall 2011: 21,085)
Admit Rate: 45.6% (Fall 2011: 46%)
Enrollment target for freshmen: 4,900

Financial aid offers were emailed and posted along with the announcement of admission decisions. Admitted freshmen planning to enroll received student housing information in mid-May. Students should read their conditions of admission carefully and use the "Reporting Changes" link at MyAdmissions to notify Undergraduate Admissions of any grades lower than "C," dropped courses or failure to meet conditions of admission. Final official transcripts and test scores must be received by the July 15 deadline.

Although we know most applicants who were not admitted to UC Davis will have other college choices, we hope that some will consider attending UC Davis as transfer students and participate in our Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. Freshman applicants who were not admitted are encouraged to visit our website to learn about all of their options.

Fall 2012 Transfer Admission Notification, Selection, Waitlist and Statistics

All fall 2012 transfer applicants have been notified of their admission status by email and via our MyAdmissions website. Admitted students also received an admission packet in the mail. The deadline for admitted transfer students to submit their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) is June 1. Below are admission statistics for fall 2012:

Applicants: 13,180 (Fall 2011: 13,570); 2.9% decrease
Admits: 7,673 (Fall 2011: 7,233)
Admit Rate: 58.2% (Fall 2011: 53.3%)
Enrollment target for transfers: 2,900

Financial aid offers were emailed and posted when admission decisions were posted online. Admitted transfer students will receive housing information, including information about guaranteed housing through Student Housing, after submitting their SIR at MyAdmissions.

All admitted students should read their conditions of admission carefully and use the "Reporting Changes" link in MyAdmissions to notify Undergraduate Admissions of any changes in academic status that were not reflected on their application. Changes include grades lower than "C," dropped courses or failure to meet conditions of admission. Final official transcripts and test scores must be received by July 15.

Admission decisions for waitlisted transfer students will be determined after June 1 and before July 30.

Transfer applicants who were not admitted are encouraged to visit our website to learn about all of their options.

Aggie Parent Association

Now is the time for parents to start thinking about getting involved with parent associations on campus to help stay engaged throughout their student's university experience. In addition, membership in the Aggie Parent Association provides parents with an array of events, benefits, information and resources. Please encourage parents to visit the online Aggie Parent Association website.

Math and Chemistry Placement Exams

In late May, all incoming freshmen will receive instructions and login information for the math placement exam at their UC Davis email address. This exam is administered online only. First-year students are encouraged to take the exam prior to attending orientation. For detailed information visit the math placement exam web page.

The chemistry placement exam will continue to be offered during the freshman orientation program and/or the first week of instruction of any quarter that Chemistry 2A is offered. Find out more information at the chemistry placement exam web page.

Fall 2013 UC Davis Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

Please encourage your students to use the online UC TAG Application to write a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG). We value our continued partnership with California community college counselors to promote, review and authorize UC Davis TAGs for eligible students. For more information, visit our TAG website.

Colleges want high school applicants to present themselves in the most genuine, real and authentic way they can. They thrill at students who "dare to be themselves."

The share of California high school graduates eligible for and applying to UC increased to 16.4% in 2009, from 12.4% in 1994; eligible Cal State applicants increased to 33% in 2008-09, from 19% in 1997.

But state funding for higher education has sharply declined — $1.6 billion less than 10 years ago — and California now spends more on corrections than public universities, the report found. As a result, schools have raised tuition, slashed course offerings, capped enrollment and become more selective.

California's public higher education systems were intended to be available to all high school graduates, said Hans Johnson, a fellow at the San Francisco-based institute and the report's author, adding that "we've clearly lost that."

"These enrollment restrictions end up in practice denying a place at the table," he said. "It's hard to see any improvement unless there is increased state funding."

Against this backdrop, Cal State and UC released budget scenarios this week that offer little relief. State support was reduced by $750 million for each system this fiscal year, and each could lose $200 million more if a tax measure on the November ballot fails....

[CSU] system already announced that it will freeze most enrollment for spring 2013 at all 23 campuses and waitlist applicants for the following fall term. Trustees are considering whether to make more dramatic enrollment cuts to save costs.

...

UC officials are warning that students may face a 6% tuition increase next school year if the state does not provide additional funding. Such a hike would amount to an extra $732 annually for in-state undergraduates, bringing their tuition to $12,924, not including other campus fees, room and board.

A second round of tuition increases could come next year if voters do not approve the governor's proposed tax measure.

...

Community colleges, which are open to all comers, haven't technically reduced admissions, the report noted, but they have rationed enrollment by increasing class size and reducing programs and course offerings.

"This report shows the self-inflicted damage to California's economy by our failure to properly fund higher education," said chancellor Jack Scott.

Governor Brown is set to release his revised State Budget on Monday, May 14. At this critical time in California's budget process, the Governor and legislative leaders need to hear from you that the University of California has been cut enough: It's time to begin reinvesting.

I'm asking you to please contact the Governor and the legislative leaders of both parties today and urge them to provide additional funding for UC in the 2012-13 budget and to support a long-term funding plan for the University >>

Over the last several months, members of the University's senior leadership team and I have been in talks with the Brown administration to secure long-term, adequate funding. While we have reached conceptual agreement on the elements of a long-range plan, we need your help to encourage Governor Brown to include the first installment of this funding plan in his revised budget and to ask legislative leaders to support this action.

It is crucial for California lawmakers to commit to reliable, predictable funding levels for UC to end the cycle of budget cuts and rising tuition our campuses and their students have suffered through for the last two decades of higher education disinvestment.

On May 1, I joined the leaders of the California State University and the California Community Colleges systems and scores of alumni, faculty, staff and students in Sacramento to advocate for a long-overdue reinvestment in higher education.

And I will join with UC Regents and students in Sacramento next week to urge that lawmakers make long-term UC funding a budget priority.

Now is the time to let your voice be heard in Sacramento.

We need to send a strong message to the state's political leaders to spare UC from cuts in the 2012-13 budget and to recommit to making higher education a state priority.

Click here to send the Governor and legislative leaders an email now.

Thank you for taking action today and for all you do to support UC and its students.

• I overheard the admission reps talking and was trying to discretely take notes without drawing attention to myself ... am I 100% certain I got the right numbers? Of course not. But do you rather I post what I heard, knowing that it may not be 100% accurate but at least came from a reliable source (instead of your classmate's cousin's hairdresser), or do you rather I don't post it?
  
  
• Remember the waitlist was implemented to help the UCs manage enrollment, NOT to help you. This is why the waitlist process sucks ... because it's supposed to suck! There will be contradicting information coming out of every channel and the UC campuses will be going back and forth on their own words all day long because the bottom line is they are trying to fill seats in the easiest possible way they can and if that means 5,000 students have to wait around for a month, then so be it.
  
  
• The UCs are "stealing" students from each other. As UCLA pulls students off the waitlist, a lot of them will be withdrawing their SIRs from other UCs (perhaps UCSD) and so those campuses will be scrambling to fill the now vacant seats. Should the UCs coordinate their efforts? Yes! Are they coordinating their efforts? Of course not ... that would be too easy.

Studying in California is a dream come true for many college students. The scenic coastline is just one allure. California is a richly diverse state with a wide array of cultural and economic opportunities. Find out more at California Colleges Day, a free online event dedicated to exploring all that California colleges have to offer.

Join us on May 10, 2012 from 1:00PM to 8:00PM PDT to:

• Chat live with admissions reps at colleges across the state
  
• Video chat with current college students that are already studying at one of our participating schools
  
• Enter to win a $1,000 scholarship

Search by state/country for NACAC-member colleges and universities that are still accepting applications for Fall 2012 freshman and/or transfer admission. Then click on the "Contact Info" link if you would like more information from the college/university about how to apply. Many colleges are added to the list after the initial May 2 deadline, so be sure the check back.

Space Availability Survey Results 2012

Overheard at the brunch table where some UC admissions people were talking ...

Berkeley had 107 waitlisted students, all were OOS, all were apparently admitted. Side Note: I have heard from students who were admitted on appeal and a Berkeley rep I spoke to had mentioned that most appeal decisions should have gone out before May 1.

Davis is short on the number of California resident SIRs (I didn't catch the number, it was maybe couple hundred?), so the campus should be pulling students off the waitlist.

Irvine is short on the number of California resident SIRs (I'm pretty sure I heard 1,000 students), so the campus should be pulling students off the waitlist.

UCLA is short on the number of California resident SIRs (I'm pretty sure I heard 300 students), so the campus should be pulling students off the waitlist.

Merced is a little over on the number of California resident SIRs.

Riverside is on target for the number of California resident SIRs.

San Diego (as I'm sure you've all heard) is over on the number of California resident SIRs. No students will be admitted from the waitlist (as previously posted; see below).

Santa Barbara is a little over on the number of California resident SIRs. So I don't think the campus will be accepting students from the waitlist ... get out your backup plan!

Santa Cruz is on target for the number of California resident SIRs. Better get that backup plan going.

• Reading & Composition requirement is a MUST (OR do your IGETC). Don't screw around with that, do your R&C requirement ASAP!
  
  
• Molecular & Cell Biology now REQUIRES the organic chemistry sequence to be completed prior to transfer.
  
  
• Computer Science wants to see most, if not all, recommended courses be completed prior to transfer.

• Explain why you are the right student for the campus. For example, what experiences, knowledge, skills, characteristics, personalities, and/or traits do you bring to the campus? How will you contribute to the student body and/or the campus community?
  
  
• Also explain why the campus is right for you. For example, what unique opportunities will the campus offer you that you cannot get anywhere else? How do you intend to take advantage of those opportunities?

• HS scholarship information
  
  
• CC scholarship information

• HS financial aid information
  
  
• CC financial aid information

• SIR deadline is tomorrow, May 1; try to decide today and SIR as soon as possible.
  
  
• AP exams are coming up in the next two weeks. Make sure you study and do well. But don't stress if you don't do well or skip out on the test; this will not affect your admission status.
  
  
• The Analytical Writing Placement Examination is coming up on May 12, 2012. If you have not yet received notification or if you are unsure whether you are waived from the requirement, contact the AWPE Customer Service at (800) 839-8507 or by email at awpe@ucop.edu.
  
  
• Please review your Provisional Admission Contract/Conditions of Admission carefully. Any violation of the contract/condition should be reported to the UC campus promptly. Offer an explanation for the violation and how you intend to remedy the situation.
  
  
• Sign up for orientation. Orientation helps you become familiar with the campus environment and gives you the opportunity to enroll in courses with the assistance of student/staff advisors.
  
  
• Look into summer/bridge/new student programs you can attend at your UC campus. Most UCs offer some type of program in the summer for incoming students. This will help you get a head start.
  
  
• Official, final transcripts are due to your UC campus on July 15. Failure to submit the transcripts on time may result in revocation of your acceptance. The campus will contact you by email and post a warning in your online account if any documents are missing past the deadline. Make sure you check your email and online UC account regularly and update your email address with the campus (through the online account) if you change it.

• SIR deadline is June 1.
  
  
• Please review your Provisional Admission Contract/Conditions of Admission carefully. Any violation of the contract/condition should be reported to the UC campus promptly. Offer an explanation for the violation and how you intend to remedy the situation.
  
  
• Sign up for orientation. Orientation helps you become familiar with the campus environment and gives you the opportunity to enroll in courses with the assistance of student/staff advisors.
  
  
• Look into summer/bridge/new student programs you can attend at your UC campus. Most UCs offer some type of program in the summer for incoming students. This will help you get a head start.
  
  
• Official, final transcripts are due to your UC campus on July 15. Failure to submit the transcripts on time may result in revocation of your acceptance. The campus will contact you by email and post a warning in your online account if any documents are missing past the deadline. Make sure you check your email and online UC account regularly and update your email address with the campus (through the online account) if you change it.

• Take the minimum number of required units (usually around 12 or 13 units) your first semester or quarter; UC courses will likely go at a faster pace compared to high school or community college (this is true for most 4-year colleges) so give yourself some time to acclimate.
  
  
• Take the time to get to know your roommate/floormate/suitemate and make friends with people in your classes; having a good social network is an important part of your college experience. Explore the different extracurricular activities available to you on and off campus to gain new experiences and expand your network.
  
  
• Show up at your professors' office hours to talk to them. Find out about what kind of research they are doing or ask questions about the course materials. If you can't think of anything to say, stick to simple inquiries like 1) recommendations for other reading materials that will help you in your courses (be prepared to actually read whatever the professors recommend so you can have thoughtful discussions of the materials with them the next time you go to office hours), and 2) how to prepare for the midterm or final. Once the professors put your face to your name, you will likely do better in the courses (brownie points for showing up to talk to them during office hours).

The Berkeley mobile application provides a connection to the campus that travels with you, and includes the course schedule, campus maps & tours, directory, events, news, and library tools, as well as links to Berkeley's varsity athletics and social media sites.

Designed by students for students — and for other smartphone users, of course — the mobile app helps those who need to find their way around the Davis campus, search for courses, view parking information, locate buses in real-time and more.

Find news, events, people, places, shuttle schedules, and more.

Take a Campus Tour, Watch Videos, Read News, Get Sports Scores and Listen to Bobcat Radio!

MyUCR is your guide to UC Riverside admissions – and now, MyUCR Mobile has made accessing your account easier and more convenient than ever. With MyUCR Mobile, you’ll receive timely alerts and reminders that will keep you up-to-date regarding important deadlines, upcoming events, and admissions requirements.

Use the UCSanDiego suite of services to find contact information for people, find your way across campus, read campus news, keep tabs on sport scores, watch campus-related videos, find real-time shuttle bus information, get an overview of current and future scheduled courses, and listen to podcasts of popular lectures.

Use this UCSC mobile application to access: News, Maps, Videos, Photos, Events, and Emergency.

UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry will once again be offering the online course, CHEM W1A,through the Summer Sessions program. This is an exciting opportunity for students to complete the lecture portion of Chem 1A/AL in an online format. For more information about Summer Sessions, see summer.berkeley.edu.

UCLA's Center for Community College Partnerships is pleased to announce the CCCP Scholars Program 2012-13. To become a scholar, students enter during the summer in any one of our summer programs and make a commitment to complete all the requirements throughout the academic year.

Please take a moment to review the requirements at our website at www.cccp.ucla.edu.... Complete applications require the supplemental form, the recommendation form (where appropriate) and copy of unofficial transcripts....

If selected, a scholarship will cover the cost of the program with the expectation of students completing all requirements. In the last few years, students who completed successfully the CCCP scholars program and applied to UCLA, were admitted at a 65% rate or better (compared to the average 28% admissions rate).

"BigFuture is a major investment by the College Board to help improve the college planning process for students and families, and to provide more equal access to expert guidance," said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board. "Through our advocacy work to increase college completion rates in the United States, we have identified providing better college information and planning services to all students, with a special focus on low-income students, as one of 10 key recommendations for success. We're excited about this collaboration with the Education Conservancy because it combines trusted guidance and reliable data with innovative and engaging technology."

...

BigFuture.org is a new Web experience that leverages new technologies to engage students online in the way they want to be engaged. This new resource combines guidance, tools and information to make college planning easier to navigate and help students overcome barriers that make college seem out of reach. BigFuture features interactive tools and content, including real student video stories and personalized action plans.

BigFuture replaces the College Board’s previous college planning website, which was a trusted resource and one of the most highly trafficked college planning websites available, used by more than six million students and parents each month. "This launch represents a new phase in the College Board's service to students, building on more than 100 years of work aimed at expanding access to higher education," Caperton said.

Assembly Bill 131

AB 131 will become effective on Jan. 1, 2013. It will allow students who meet AB 540 criteria (both documented and undocumented students) to apply for and receive:

• Institutional grants such as the UC Grant, State University Grant, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), and EOP Program and services fee waivers
  
• Board of Governors fee waivers at the California Community Colleges
  
• Financial aid, including Cal Grants and Chafee Foster Youth Grants

Please refer to the following links for further information:

• http://www.ucop.edu/sas/sfs/docs/ca-dream-act-uc.pdf
  
• http://www.ucop.edu/sas/sfs/docs/ca-dream-act-table.pdf

• They might receive waitlist offers from more than one campus. Students may accept as many waitlist offers as they wish. Waitlist offers will be made by the end of April for transfers.
  
  
• Once offered a spot on a waitlist, students must opt in by the stated deadline. Instructions for doing so will be included with the waitlist notification. Transfer waitlist opt-in deadline: May 15.
  
  
• Even if they accept a waitlist offer at a UC campus (or several), students should submit a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) by the stated deadline to a UC campus or other institution to which they have been accepted to ensure they can attend in the fall. If they later accept an offer of admission from a UC campus where they have been waitlisted, they will forfeit their deposit at the first campus and must submit an additional SIR and deposit.
  
  
• Waitlisted transfer applicants will be notified of their status no later than July 1.
  
  
• SIRs of waitlisted students will be considered on time for purposes of housing and orientation, provided they are submitted by the deadline stated in the offer of admission.
  
  
• Campuses will still consider appeals received by the deadlines specified. Applicants who feel they have grounds for an appeal should submit one, but they should keep in mind that the purpose of the appeal process is to deal with errors and compelling new information and hardship. Students cannot appeal for a spot on the waitlist. Transfer appeal deadline: May 15 (May 4 for UC Santa Cruz).

College of Engineering Fall 2012 Freshman Reader Guidelines

These updated evaluation guidelines were put in place because the UCs no longer require SAT Subject test scores: http://coe.berkeley.edu/faculty/faculty-meetings-college-committees/faculty-meeting-fall-2011/Undergraduate%20Admissions%20Committee%20Report%20Fall%202011.pdf, page 2.

If you are thinking about applying for engineering, PLEASE follow these guidelines! Also remember that "preferred" is Berkeley's way of politely stating "you should really have it."

From the UC Davis Aggie Counselor Connect Newsletter - April 2012 received on April 19, 2012:

Transfer Admission Notification and Waitlist

Starting April 20, UC Davis transfer applicants will be notified on a rolling basis of their admission status by email and through MyAdmissions. Please remind your students to set up their MyAdmissions account today if they haven't already done so, and to keep their UC Davis Student ID and password in an accessible and secure location. Admitted students will also receive an admission letter and packet in the mail.

UC Davis will offer spots on an admission waitlist for some fall 2012 transfer applicants. The waitlist is an admission management tool that allows us to offer spaces to the most qualified students if spaces become available during the admission process. Students will be offered waitlist positions on Friday, April 20 and will have until Tuesday, May 15 to accept the waitlist offer through MyAdmissions. If additional spaces become available after June 1, students will be admitted from the waitlist no later than June 30. For more information about the UC Davis transfer waitlist process, please visit our page of Frequently Asked Questions About the UC Davis Waitlist.

UC Davis Freshman Waitlist Update

UC Davis offered more than 6,900 applicants the opportunity to waitlist for fall 2012 admission. Approximately 2600 students accepted a spot on the waitlist. We will notify waitlisted applicants of their admission decisions after the May 1 Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) deadline, but before June 1. For more information about the UC Davis waitlist process, please visit our page of Frequently Asked Questions About the UC Davis Waitlist.

Freshman Housing Guarantee for Fall 2012

Beginning in fall 2012, all incoming freshman students are guaranteed UC Davis housing for their first two years at UC Davis. Students interested in a second year of housing are guaranteed a space in UC Davis Student Housing, provided they are single, under the age of 24, meet all Student Housing and university deadlines, and lived in Student Housing for their freshman year. For more information, visit the Student Housing website.

Transfer Housing Guarantee for Fall 2012

All incoming fall quarter 2012 transfer students who submit their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) by the June 1, 2012 deadline, and who meet Student Housing and university deadlines and requirements are guaranteed housing. Students must be single, meet all Student Housing deadlines, and enter the university for fall quarter 2012. For more information on transfer student housing, visit the Student Housing website.

Updated on the Admission Decision Notification site:

Transfer decisions will be available late in the evening on April 20th.

Thanks to Oakley for the heads up!

From Transfer Admission Guarantee: Fall 2013:

The TAG program is being phased out and the last available term for TAG admission will be Fall 2014. To apply for fall 2014, you must submit your TAG online application – and the UC application for admission – in fall 2013.

From the UCSB Horizons Counselor Newsletter received on March 23, 2012:

Can my student change his major now that he's been admitted?

Most incoming freshmen can change their major quite easily when they submit their SIR. Available majors are listed within the SIR online process.

Changing a major into one offered in the College of Engineering or in the College of Creative Studies requires an additional review. Students may submit a request to switch into Engineering by emailing admissions@sa.ucsb.edu. Every effort will be made to respond to the student's request by May 1. Note that transferring into an engineering major after the student enrolls at UCSB is very unlikely due to space limitations. Students wishing a College of Creative Studies major must submit a supplemental application for review by the college.

Note: Students who are considering a science major but who applied undeclared or in a non-science major are encouraged to request a change in major into any science major prior to Orientation to ensure their priority for enrollment in prerequisite science courses.

Virtual Spring Spotlight April 25

Please join us on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, for Virtual Spring Spotlight 2012, a live, online UCSC Admissions event!

Admissions officers, other staff members, and students from UC Santa Cruz will be available to answer your questions. The event will feature five hours of live video chats, as well as text chats.

For more information and to register, visit http://admissions.ucsc.edu/visit/cwl/vssl-2012.html.

The University of California admitted 43% more out-of-state and international students than last year, significantly boosting its efforts to reach out to those higher-paying freshmen, according to data released Tuesday.

But it remains uncertain how many of these students will actually enroll since non-Californians are less likely to enroll than resident students, officials said.

"We have the capacity to educate many more students at our campuses," Kate Jeffery, UC's interim director of undergraduate admissions, said in a statement Tuesday. "What we don't have is the funding to admit more California students. Nonetheless, we continue to honor the California Master Plan, finding a space at one of our campuses for all students who qualify for guaranteed admission."

UCLA once again was the hardest UC campus to crack for Californians, with only 17.7% of them offered entrance at the Westwood school. Next came UC Berkeley, 22.7%; San Diego, 32.1%; Irvine, 33.6%; Santa Barbara, 41%; Davis, 44.5%; Riverside and Santa Cruz, both 61.6%; and Merced, 76.5%.

When non-Californians are included in the acceptance rate, UC Berkeley had a slight edge for being the most selective UC campus, offering a spot to 21.2% of all applicants compared with 21.3% at UCLA.

• 30 or better on the ACT Combined English/Writing test; or
  
• 680 or better on the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, Writing section; or
  
• 3 or above on either Advanced Placement Examination in English; or
  
• 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate High Level English A exam
  
• 6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A exam

Congratulations, you’re in! Oops, nevermind. That was a mistake.

In an email about financial aid awards, UCLA told 894 high school seniors last weekend that they were admitted to the highly competitive campus. Those students actually remain on the waiting list for the Westwood school.

UCLA is apologizing for the error. Officials, however, are not yet moving anyone into the admitted category.

California State University officials have been mulling their own brand of higher-priced classes. In 2010, officials began exploring whether they could offer more remediation classes and high-demand "bottleneck" classes through Extended Education – a self-supporting program that provides online and face-to-face CSU classes to students without the university admissions process.

Because it operates without state subsidies, Extended Education offers classes that are pricier than the standard CSU fare, and students can't use Cal Grants or CSU State University Grants to help pay for them.

The Santa Monica College Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday to postpone implementation of a controversial two-tier tuition plan.

The action came during a hastily called meeting two days after community colleges system Chancellor Jack Scott voiced reservations about the proposal's legality.

Under the plan, which was scheduled as a pilot program this summer, a nonprofit foundation would have offered high-demand core classes such as English, math and history at the full cost of about $180 per unit. Similar state-funded classes would be offered at $46 per unit.

Dear Admissions Officer:

I am writing to recommend Z for admission consideration to X College. I have known Z for over three years, beginning on his first day of school, when he made a vivid impression on me. He was one of the first students in line outside my door to get his schedule changed. Z knew precisely which classes he wanted and spoke to the appropriate teachers about getting into those classes before showing up to my office. I was surprised by his unusual ability to articulate his needs and, unlike his fellow students, his foresight to get approval from the teachers to be transferred into their classes.

After that first meeting, Z made regular visits to my office to keep me informed of his academic progress, his extracurricular pursuits, and his personal life. I always looked forward to Z dropping by as he often shared stories of his achievements, such as turning a near-disaster group science project around and winning second place at the Y County Fair, as well as what he termed his “epic fails,” like the track and field tryout that went horribly wrong (fortunately no one was injured), all with good humor. In our large public school, I rarely talk with students in-depth other than in a few scheduled mandatory meetings. However, Z made a great effort to establish and maintain a relationship with me, often waiting outside my office while I finished phone calls or meetings, just to spend five minutes to catch up.

Aside from taking the most challenging courses offered at our school, Z pushed himself further academically by enrolling in evening and summer community college courses. I was amazed by Z’s ability to persuade the professors to allow him to add their classes. This was especially impressive in light of the recent state budget cuts and the fact that high school students have the lowest priority for class enrollment. Z once told me that his secret was to continue attending classes until enough students dropped out, thus allowing him to add the classes as late as two-thirds of the way through the term. I thought the strategy demanded too much of his time, but his tenacity seemed to have paid off as he is now enrolled in his sixteenth community college course, the greatest number of community college courses taken by a single student at our high school to date (I verified this with the two other counselors at our high school).

Z is a consummate overachiever, especially given his personal circumstances. Through our conversations, Z told me that he lives only with his mother who had been unemployed for over 4 years. In addition to his impressive grades and extracurricular activities, Z also does freelance work to bring in extra income for his family. I was initially puzzled by Z’s choice of programming language courses at the community college, since he had always expressed an interest in the humanities. However, I later found out that he took what he learned in those classes and applied the knowledge as a freelance programmer in order to earn money to pay the household bills.

Z is a mature, sensible, and articulate young man, and I firmly believe he will succeed in life no matter what he does or where he goes. The strong humanities program at X College is a great fit for Z’s academic interest and in return, Z will bring with him a great work ethic, good common sense, and a wonderful sense of humor to the student body at X College. I wholeheartedly recommend Z for admission to X College. I hope you will see Z as I see him, a great asset to your school community and a good friend.

Sincerely,
Wei-Li Sun