Ms. Sun's Admission Blog for Highly Selective California Public Universities

Remember the deadline for the UC application is 11:59 p.m. PST on November 30 (translation: tomorrow night before midnight).

The UC application system will remain open after midnight; however, applications submitted past midnight would have missed the priority filing deadline and only be considered on a space-available basis.

I am digging my way out of an email tsunami. I have already replied back to everyone who has emailed me before Monday, November 23, 2009. I should be able to reply back to everyone else sometime tonight. Please keep an eye on your spam/junk folder in case my email ends up in there.

Good luck everyone! We are almost there!

By the way, if you already submitted your application and has follow-up questions, hold off until next week to email me. If you already emailed me, I will get back to you after Tuesday.

Personal Statement Trick #2: Formatted text is your enemy! The UC application is in plain text and text formatting will not show up. So get rid of your bold, italics, indentation, and double spacing. You may use ALL CAPS for emphasis, but use it sparingly. Set up your personal statement in block paragraph format (single space, no indentation, double space between paragraphs) for best readability. Do NOT manually double space your entire personal statement as it will get all screwed up when the UC campuses print it for review.

Personal Statement Trick #1: contraction is your friend! Use contraction to help shorten your personal statement by combining words. When you copy/paste the personal statement into the UC application, make sure the apostrophe is straight (') and not slanted (’). The slanted apostrophe counts as a single quotation mark and splits the word into two, thereby increasing your word count. Simple fix - just delete the slanted apostrophe mark and type it in again (in the UC application, it will default to the straight apostrophe mark).

I am no longer offering Personal Statement Free Service for the Fall 2010 application cycle. However, you may contact Danny Eusebio at ninjauniversity (at) gmail . com for assistance. Danny is a 5th year Aerospace Engineering Major at UCI and he runs the website How to Ace Your UC Personal Statement at http://sites.google.com/site/ucpersonalstatement/. He has been working with K-12 outreach programs for 4 years and receives annual training from the UCI EAOP program on how to review the UC Personal Statements. Please note, I do not approve or endorse information provided by Danny Eusebio.

You should have all the UC application sections completed at this point. If not, sit down and complete them today. You should have your first draft of personal statement done and had it reviewed by a college educated adult who does not know you very well (friends or collegues of your parents). If not, sit down and complete a draft today.

Plan to submit the completed UC application before Thanksgiving weekend (before November 25, 2009). While everyone has the good intention of working during Thanksgiving weekend, few manage to accomplish that. The application server becomes extremely busy during the last three days of November and you may experience difficulties logging into the UC application leading up to the deadline.

The UC Transfer Application Process section of my website is now fully updated: http://www.askmssun.com/cc-app.htm. You can find a month-by-month guide on everything you need to know about the UC application process, from application filing to your first day at the UC.

I'm not sure if this is turning into a saga or a soap opera that desperately needs to be canceled.

Yahoo! Answers has banned the link to my website to be used as a source. The content of my website is also considered spam and cannot be used as answers.

I guess Yahoo! Answers doesn't consider me to be a contributing member to the community. I am sending a letter to Yahoo! headquarters as an official protest for how I am treated, but I'm sure that will be immediately filed under "T" for trash.

If you want to make a complaint on my behalf, try the Yahoo! Answers Feedback at http://feedback.help.yahoo.com/feedback.php?.src=ANSWERS&.done=http://answers.yahoo.com. My original Yahoo! Answers handle was "weilisun".

Quite frankly, I'm tired of this nonsense. I'm open to suggestions on what you think I should do.

My second account is suspended. This happened right after I answered a question about UCLA. So my suspicion is somewhat confirmed. I really thought they would have better things to do with their time, with the budget crisis and all, but apparently not. I'm setting up another account ... I guess I will stay away from UCLA questions from this point forward. This is just kind of sad.

I got a flier for this UCLA Senior Saturday College Workshop through a contact but I haven't been able to get information on who's presenting. I will post an update if I hear back from anyone.

I am responding in kind to Yahoo! Answers' attempt to censor the information I provide. You will see answers popping up here and there with my signature. Let's hope I can answer faster than they can delete them!

Show your support by voting for best answer or thumbs up at: http://answers.yahoo.com/my/qa/;_ylt=Ar3ETZA9QSwXDUI3fGSv_rPsy6IX;_ylv=3?show=HaUUlNFgaa&preview=true

Happy Halloween!

My Yahoo! Answer account is suspended with no notice and no explanation.

UC Admissions Directors Updates to Community College Counselors is available as a one-hour video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGHu-FUZGS8

Berkeley is being very noncommittal about everything. Enrollment reduction is expected but no hard number was given.

Davis will continue to accept most, if not all, students with GPA of 2.80 or better (except in Engineering). No enrollment reduction is expected.

Irvine has created an online TAG Checklist to help expedite the TAG evaluation process: http://www.admissions.uci.edu/admissions_info/transfer_admission/tag.html. No enrollment reduction is expected. The Winter 2011 application cycle will be closed.

UCLA is not expecting any enrollment reduction.

Merced expects to accept all eligible transfer applicants.

Riverside will continue to accept most, if not all, students with GPA of 2.40 or better to noncompetitive majors. No enrollment reduction is expected. The Winter 2011 application cycle will be closed.

San Diego is not expecting any enrollment reduction. The Winter 2011 application cycle may close; the decision is not yet final.

Santa Barbara is expecting minor enrollment reduction.

Santa Cruz will continue to accept most, if not all, students who meet transfer eligibility criteria. No enrollment reduction is expected and Santa Cruz is hoping to increase enrollment a bit.

UC Admissions Directors Updates to High School Counselors is available as a one-hour video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwhVSAMkmsw

ELC Guaranteed Acceptance

The following campuses will guarantee acceptance to ELC students:

• Davis
  
• Irvine
  
• Merced
  
• Riverside
  
• Santa Barbara

ELC is value added for Berkeley, but UCLA does not consider ELC.

Expected Enrollment Reduction

Berkeley is being very noncommittal about everything. Enrollment reduction is expected but no hard number was given. There was a passing mention of the rumor about accepting more out-of-state and/or international applicants but it was neither confirmed or denied.

Davis thinks enrollment reduction is inevitable but that will depend largely on whether the number of applicants will increase significantly.

Irvine was able to admitted all students who remained on the waiting list last year and there will probably be a waiting list this year. No enrollment reduction is expected and Irvine is hoping to increase enrollment a bit.

UCLA is expecting to reduce enrollment by 300 CA residents (hello out-of-state and international applicants!).

Merced expects to accept all UC-eligible applicants applying directly to the campus and probably most of the applicants referred to the campus (students who are UC-eligible but didn't apply to Merced directly).

Riverside expects to accept all or most UC-eligible applicants applying directly to the campus but is warning against applicants taking chances on being referred (meaning you should apply directly if you want to attend Riverside; there is a possibility you may not get accepted if you were referred).

San Diego is expecting enrollment reduction, not sure how much yet.

Santa Barbara is expecting enrollment reduction, not sure how much yet.

Santa Cruz is expecting enrollment reduction, not sure how much yet.

I added more seats to the workshops I am doing this Saturday in San Marino. For details, see http://askmssun.eventbrite.com/.

Getting Expert Financial Aid/Scholarship Help

Navigating the financial aid process can be a daunting task. Sometimes it may be better to get the experts involved. Campus Strategy, a leading provider of college financing solutions, specializes in 1) strategic financial reorganization to help maximize your eligibility for financial aid, 2) financial planning to help you cash flow college expenses, 3) strategic college placement to maximize scholarship opportunities, and 4) complete and accurate filing of FAFSA and Profile (for private colleges) forms. Campus Strategy offers special pricing if you sign up through me. For details and pricing, send me an email at finaid (at) askmssun . com.

Scholarship Deadline

Don't forget, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program application is due at the end of October. Scholarship awards are up to $20,000 for high school seniors planning to attend an accredited U.S. college and up to $2,000 for current community college students.

Coca-Cola Scholars Program (high school seniors): https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/page.jsp?navigation=15

All-State Community College Academic Team: https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/page.jsp?navigation=16

Don't forget I am conducting workshops in the San Gabriel Valley (Southern California) this Sunday and next Saturday. There are still spaces available for next Saturday if you are interested. For details about the workshops and to RSVP, see http://askmssun.eventbrite.com/

Someone has asked whether I would post the workshops on YouTube and I simply don't have the time or the equipment to do so. But if one of you want to video tape the workshop and post it online, I am ok with that.

The UC Office of the President has launched a web portal specifically for veterans and military personnel interested in applying to the UCs: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/veterans/.

Remember that veterans and military personnel are encouraged to use the personal statement section of the application to describe how their military service has been instrumental in developing their educational plans; for more information, see http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html#PS.

Mention your veteran/military personnel status to get a 20% discount on my fee-based service!

For those of you who are already in college, or can pass this along to someone who is, Walgreens offers comprehensive internship opportunities at every level of its corporate operations. You can apply for internships in retail management, technology, corporate, and distribution center.

There are also a variety of opportunities available for pharmacy students (PharmD programs): pharmacy, pharmacy corporate, and managed care corporate.

For Fall 2010, the following UC campuses are accepting lower-division transfer applicants (sophomore transfer - you must be UC-eligible when you graduated HS, see http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/transfer/tr_adm_reqs.html for details):

Davis - all majors in College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Irvine - most majors, see exceptions here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/apply_majors_uci.html

UCLA - all majors in School of the Arts and Architecture EXCEPT Architectural Studies

Merced - most majors, see exceptions here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/apply_majors_ucm.html

Riverside - most majors, see exceptions here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/apply_majors_ucr.html

Santa Cruz - most majors, see exceptions here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/apply_majors_ucsc.html

The Fall 2010 UC application is now available online at https://admissions.ucop.edu/pathwaysF2010/Pathways. Start the application as soon as possible; this will give you ample time to look through the application and gather the information you need to complete the application.

You may submit the completed application starting November 1 and the last day to submit the online application is November 30. I strongly recommend for you to submit the completed application before the Thanksgiving weekend to avoid server time outs and crashes that occur near the end of November.

I know school just started and you are busy with homework and extracurricular activities, but a lot of the large scholarships have early deadlines in October and November (for example, the $20,000 Coca-Cola scholarship, deadline is at the end of October). Start your scholarship search now and calendar the deadlines so you give yourself enough time to work on each application. There is no reason to wait until you apply for college or receive your acceptance before applying for scholarships; you KNOW you are going to college, it's just a matter of WHERE you will be going. Plan ahead so you have a way to pay for the college you will be attending.

Financial aid and scholarship information for HS students: http://www.askmssun.com/hs-finaid.htm

Financial aid and scholarship information for CC students: http://www.askmssun.com/cc-finaid.htm

College Prowler is making their single-school guides available for FREE online at http://collegeprowler.com/. I like these guides because they look at all different aspects of the campus (academics, safety, dining, athletics, nightlife, social scene, drug scene, housing, parking, weather, and lots more). Each category is assigned a grade based on student feedback and the grades are backed up by several representative quotes.

My facebook page has reached 100 fans and now has its own Page Username!

http://www.facebook.com/AskMsSun

CollegeWeekLive sent me some info about their virtual college fairs. September 17 is Test Prep Day where 20 Free Hours of Test Prep will be provided by expert tutors live via online video for:

SAT Math, Sat Verbal, SAT Writing, ACT English, ACT Science, ACT Math, ACT Essay, TOEFL Reading, TOEFL Writing, TOEFL Speaking, and TOEFL Listening

October 1 is University of California Day. No information is available yet about the virtual fair.

To register for the events, visit: http://www.collegeweeklive.com/; watch out for the blast of music from the video that starts automatically on the entry page.

If you attend any events at CollegeWeekLive, let me know how it went and whether you would recommend the events to other students.

To encourage students as they prepare for college, Ivy West, California’s premier provider of one-on-one, in–classroom, online and in-home test preparation for the SAT®, PSAT®, SAT Subject Tests™, ACT® and high school admissions tests, is offering the "2 Minutes to College" Video Scholarship contest, with the chance to win $2,000 scholarships. The challenge is open to high school juniors and seniors residing in California, and submissions end on October 10, 2009. For more information, visit http://test-prep.ivywest.com/.

I saw a disgruntled post or two on here and I just want to let you know that I am alive and well, furiously digging my way out of paperwork hell. I read every email that came in and answered the urgent ones right away. Those of you who are requesting help are on my to-do list this weekend. Please be patient, I only have one brain and two hands!

Yes, you can now find all the admission information nicely organized in an actual website! I am still working on the sections for Community College students so please pardon the dust. Meanwhile, please let me know what you think.

http://www.askmssun.com/

SunTrust Off To College Scholarship Sweepstakes gives high school seniors the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship for their first year expenses at an accredited college or private career school. One winner will be chosen every two weeks. It's FREE to enter and eligibility is not based on GPA or financial need. Each $1,000 will be payable to the winner's school of attendance. Only one entry per person for each drawing; you can register after each drawing for the next one! Drawings are held every other week between October 30, 2009 and May 14, 2010.

There is a reason why the UCs tell you not to stress about your GPA. Apparently every UC calculates the GPA a little differently! As if things are not confusing enough already. The general guidelines are the same: you calculate the GPA using grades fom a-g courses taken from the summer after freshman year to the summer after junior year. Things get really interesting when you take CC courses while in HS.

As you may remember from my post UC Update!, the way you calculate CC courses into your GPA is by pretending they are HS AP courses (because the grades are weighted); so one 3-unit or above UC-transferable course is the equivalent of one 2-semester HS AP course. Turns out only Berkeley calculates the GPA that way. UCLA will look at the CC courses as satisfying one-year of the subject requirement; however, the grade will only calculate into the GPA as one semester, NOT one year (two semesters).

I'm guessing the rest of the UCs will use one of these two methods. But obviously it would be almost impossible to compare your GPA (any version of your GPAs) to the stats published by the UCs and make an educated guess of your chance of acceptance.

So what does this mean? Well, stop stressing about your GPA! Trust in yourself and trust that the right UC will find you to be the kind of students it wants and admit you. Going to a good college is very important; but going to the right college is even more important!

I was in a 4-car collision on Tuesday. I'm fine, I think. The car seems ok, altho the shop that inspected the car didn't think so. This occurred almost 7 months to the date of my last accident, also a 4-car collision. I was sandwiched both times. I thought maybe that was a sign and bought a lottery ticket; the state of California just graciously accepted my $1 donation. I guess the sign is really for me to stop traveling on Robertson, where both collisions occurred within a mile of each other (once north-bound during evening traffic, then south-bound during morning traffic).

Just had to do a little ranting, sorry. What this means is that there will be a delay in my response to your emails and posts; I'm hoping to catch up over the long weekend but we'll see. This does not impact anyone who has signed up for the Premium Service.

More to come when I get the handout. For now, sign up at http://pictureyourself.berkeley.edu/ so you get invited to Berkeley admission functions (for freshman and transfer students).

I will be hosting a series of workshops in October at San Marino Crowell Public Library (in West San Gabriel Valley, just east of Downtown Los Angeles). For schedule and registration, please visit http://askmssun.eventbrite.com/.

I am available to conduct workshops in Los Angeles County for nonprofits, youth groups, or high schools. My speaker fee is $176 for each workshop. A minimum attendance of 10 students is required.

During the first week of November, I will also be offering small classes (8 students maximum) at the San Marino Crowell Public Library. The classes will focus on personal statement development and application packaging. At the end of the class you will have a polished personal statement and a perfected application to match. Class schedule is below and the cost is $288 per student.

Class A Meeting Schedule
Monday, November 2, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, November 8, 2009, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Class B Meeting Schedule
Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday, November 5, 2009, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, November 8, 2009, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

It only took two years, but now I'm close to having something that vaguely resembles a real website! I have the color scheme and navigation working and the beta site is up at http://www.askmssun.com/testfolder/Current/index.htm. I'm working on filling in the content the rest of this week. Meanwhile, let me know what you think about the overall appearance of the site and the navigation structure.

The people who brought us the college ranking system have now compiled an archive of admissions articles at http://www.usnews.com/features/education/best-colleges/guide-to-admissions.html. While I'm not a huge fan of the ranking, the articles do provide fairly good guidance on a variety of admission related topics like college essays, financial aid, test prep, and more. Keep in mind the articles are very generalized and do not apply to all colleges. Take everything with a grain of salt and when in doubt, check directly with the college admissions office.

My good friends at Ivy West have generously offered free practice tests (SAT and/or ACT) and an additional 10% discount for their already discounted (20% off Summer Promotion) test prep programs to you! If you are interested in getting the free practice tests or signing up for the test prep programs, just send me an e-mail at testprep (at) askmssun dot com.

Ivy West is a leading provider of one-on-one, in-home, in-person test preparation. You get higher quality preparation, but with a bigger price tag. For cost conscious folks (and who isn't these days), Ivy West will provide small group tutoring if you can gather up a few friends. This can lower the price significantly while retaining good one-on-one interaction.

Here are some undergraduate "health science" programs at the UCs.

UCs with undergraduate nursing programs:

UCLA - Nursing - Generic/Prelicensure. Frosh admit rate is approximately 7% and transfer admit rate is approximately 28%. There is a waitlist for the nursing applicants. Alternate major is NOT considered.

Irvine - Nursing Science. Frosh admit rate is approximately 3.5% and transfer admit rate is approximately 10%. There is NO waitlist for the nursing applicants. Alternate major is considered if the student qualified for UCI admission but was not accepted for nursing.

Davis just started a nursing program but it will be a while before the undergraduate major is launched.

UCs with undergraduate pharmacology programs:

Irvine - Pharmaceutical Sciences

San Diego - not quite an undergraduate program: Seven-Year B.S. Chemistry/Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Santa Barbara - Pharmacology

I suppose a few bad independent counselors ruin everything for the rest of us. Check out the article Before College, Costly Advice Just on Getting In on the New York Times from yesterday. The article does confirm what I always say: "no outsider can truly predict how a particular applicant might fare." But I'm dismayed that the article propagated the stereotype of evil independent counselors preying on nervous parents/students.

UC campus admissions data sliced and diced in every way imaginable, all available online to the public!

You can generate your own queries of freshman or transfer admission data using the standard data set from all 9 campuses at StatFinder.

Individual campuses provide some variety in how much data is available and how the data is presented. Some are more detailed than others. You can usually find data in the same place about the undergraduate student body, which can offer a snapshot of what the campus is like, statistically speaking. So if you are interested in applying to a particular campus, it may be worthwhile to check out the campus provided data.

All campuses offer the Common Data Set, which outlines admission criteria and basic statistics. Each UC campus evaluates the freshman admission criteria differently and how each criterion is measured is spelled out in the Basis for Selection section (Section C7). Transfer Admission in section D simply lists the requirements, but doesn't spell out how the campus evaluates the criteria.

Berkeley - The Office of Student Research, which publishes the entire Berkeley admission data set online with SQL querying capabilities (much like StatFinder), blew their server in June and as of now there is no telling when it will be up and running (I called the campus in July). Meanwhile, check out the Common Data Set; that should keep you busy for a while.

Davis - I guess Davis really likes to write reports, there are ridiculous amount of them from the Student Affairs Research and Information office; some are related to admissions, most are not. Links to the Common Data Set are available on the left navigation bar.

Irvine - Office of Institutional Research has it all: Common Data Set (a surprise for the freshman applicants about class rank - altho this may be referring to ELC), Applications and admissions, and a myriad of other stats. If you are a transfer applicant, be sure to check out the Admissions selectivity and yield by major report under Applications and admissions.

Los Angeles - You can already find most of the admission stats on UCLA's admission website (Profile of Admitted Freshmen/Profile of Admitted Transfer Students), so you may not be so interested in what Office of Analysis and Information Management has to say. But out-of-state freshman applicants should check out Section C7 of the Common Data Set and feast your eyes on State residency - not considered; this is backed up by the freshmen stats from the admission website.

Merced - The Institutional Planning & Analysis office really has it together for a relatively new campus. Admission stats are under Applicants and scroll toward the bottom of the page to see the Common Data Set (there are couple surprises inside for freshman applicants, namely the class rank, but this could be referring to ELC, and recommendations).

Riverside - The Strategic Academic Research and Analysis office doesn't have a whole lot to say about admissions (some basic info is available under College Portrait). Check out Section C7 of the Common Data Set for a fascinating read.

San Diego - The Student Research & Information office has very little to say about admissions (barebone information is available under Admissions Data). There are no surprises in the Common Data Set.

Santa Barbara - The Institutional Research & Planning office has some pretty standard data set, nothing too informative. The Common Data Set has a surprise for the freshman applicants about class rank - but it could be referring to ELC.

Santa Cruz - I'm kind of surprised by how much data is available and it's pretty clear that the Institutional Research and Policy Studies office has put a lot of thought into organizing the information. The Undergraduate Admission Statistics page offers the Fall Frosh and Transfer Application Summaries, which present well organized data with some good historical comparison. The Common Data Set bears a surprise for the freshman applicants about class rank - possibly referring to ELC.

Summer school got canceled? Check out the 50 Fantastic Summer Activities for High School Students from the folks at CollegeWise: http://www.wiselikeus.com/collegewise/2009/05/national-young-leaders-conference.html

All-purpose guideline on how to write good college essays - An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/tip-sheet-essay/

Not that you need more nerve-wracking news about budget cuts, but it's better to be prepared for what's coming! UC president outlines revised budget-cutting proposal: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/uc-president-outlines-budget-cutting-proposal.html

Don't freak out - The Declining Value Of Your College Degree: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121623686919059307.html. Take what you read with a grain of salt. From my own experience and those around me (family and friends), I can tell you that people who do what they love tend to get ahead and make more money; those who work in jobs or careers they have no passion about tend to get "stuck."

Like I always say, it's never too early to think about how to pay for college - Weighing Price and Value When Picking a College: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203739404574288301760990542.html. The only bone I have to pick with this article is how it reinforces the misconception that public colleges are more affordable. Keep in mind that almost all students attending private colleges receive some form of financial aid or scholarships. Many private colleges have programs in place to waive fees and tuition for low income students. Never exclude private colleges from your "college list" because of sticker price; you may be surprised by the deal you get.

Yup, I have finally joined the 21st century. Please be patient as I fumble my way around these new platforms.

My Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ask-Ms-Sun/96548487621
Once I have enough fans, I will be able to update the link with a shorter user name.

My Twitter tweet: http://twitter.com/askmssun

Please send suggestions on how I can better use these platforms to help you!

When you don't know what's going on in your Algebra class, you get a math tutor. So what if you haven't got a clue about the college admission process? Well, now you can get a college planning tutor!

Below is my new service for motivated HS freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, and CA CC students who are interested in gaining a competitive edge for the college admission process.

College Planning Service Package

I will meet with you regularly in-person (within Los Angeles County), by phone, or by instant message to review and plan the following:

Academic Achievement

• Monitor academic progress
  
• Suggest curriculum add-on or academic improvement
  
• Offer solutions to make up for academic deficiencies
  
• Monitor standardized testing preparation/schedule
  
• Offer resources for test preparation
  
• Produce an action plan to improve academic achievement

Extracurricular Achievement

• Evaluate extracurricular participation
  
• Suggest potential opportunities for leadership development
  
• Recommend competition/scholarship opportunities
  
• Offer resources to make up for extracurricular deficiencies
  
• Produce an action plan to improve extracurricular achievement

This plan is suitable for any students preparing for the college admission process, not just the UCs. I suggest meeting once per month during the school year. The package is billed on an hourly basis: $88 per hour for in-person consultation, $68 per hour for phone consultation, and $58 per hour for instant message consultation. The package includes free e-mail consultation. There is no contract and you may cancel at any time.

If you are interested in the College Planning Service Package, please send your request to billing (at) askmssun dot com. As always, let me know if paying the fee is a problem and we can work something out.

A parent I know invited me to her home for a college admission party. Think of it as a Tupperware party without the Tupperware and lots of college admission information being swapped. I will be doing a brief presentation covering the basics of college planning to the parents and addressing concerns and questions the parents have afterward.

I am open to present to groups in the Los Angeles area. In the past I have presented at high school faculty in-service, PTA meetings, nonprofit groups, and high school college nights. Altho I am not always able to convince principals/counselors to let me present at the schools because some view independent counselors as preying on nervous parents/students. But I can always present to parent groups or student groups if I am invited. Just contact me and we can work something out.

I am planning a series of presentations in the San Gabriel Valley in the fall. The first round of free seminars will cover the application process for the UCs. The second round of fee-based workshops will cover the personal statement writing process. I will also be scheduling small group personal statement classes during the first part of November. I'm working out the details so stay tuned!

Fall 2009 average acceptance rate for freshman was 26.6% at Berkeley and 21.7% at UCLA; average acceptance rate for transfer was 29% at Berkeley and 32% at UCLA.

Application/Personal Statement: I worked with 14 freshman applicants and 9 transfer applicants on putting together their application and personal statement. Of those, 5 freshman applicants were accepted at either Cal or UCLA or both, and 7 transfer applicants were accepted at either Cal or UCLA or both.

Supplemental Questionnaire: I worked with 3 freshman applicants on putting together their Supplemental Questionnaire response and all 3 were accepted at the UC where the Supplemental Questionnaire was issued.

Appeal: I worked with 3 freshman applicants and 3 transfer applicants on putting together their appeal. Of those, 1 freshman applicant was accepted on appeal and 2 transfer applicants were accepted on appeal.

I have been working on getting my web site set up for a while now and it looks like I may actually get it launched before fall. There are a few things I'm trying to work out in my head as I get my act together. I would really love to hear what you have to say since you will be using the site.

Bulk of the informational postings currently on LJ will be moved and categorized to allow better search (I will set up Google Search on the new site) and access for students seeking admission information. I will keep LJ as a companion blog for the web site to post news and time-sensitive information.

I am contemplating whether I should put Google Ads on my site when it launches. I'm hoping the ads will generate some income to help me maintain the site, but I'm also worried that having ads (not a lot, just a banner toward the top and a banner on the side) will drive users away. What are your thoughts?

Please help me figure out how to make the site easy for you to use! Any thoughts or suggestions are much appreciated!

For in-depth discussion of financial aid and scholarship opportunities, see my post Show Me the Money!

FAFSA - FAFSA4caster

Federal Student Aid (the people who brought you the ever confusing FAFSA form) has launched FAFSA4caster to help students and parents get an early start on the financial aid process:

FAFSA4caster will help you get an early start on the financial aid process by providing you with an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.

In addition, FAFSA4caster will increase your knowledge of the financial aid process and provide information about other sources of aid.

To get an early start yourself, check out the FAFSA4caster at http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/

UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan

The The UC system has implemented the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan starting this year. Under this plan, students whose family income is below $60,000 will receive enough scholarships and grants to fully cover their UC fees for the first 4 years of college (2 years for transfers). Of course, the expensive part of an UC education is not the fees but the housing and everything else.

For a more detailed explanation of the plan, see: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/19471/

Student portal for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/blueandgold/

Financial Aid Pledges to Reduce Student Debt

The Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the Institute for College Access and Success, has compiled a list of colleges that have "developed financial aid policies that limit or eliminate student loans from financial aid packages, reducing costs for students and families." Take a look at all your options (over 50 colleges listed), but be cautious of other potential shortfalls.

Financial Aid Pledges to Reduce Student Debt: http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php

How Pledges Can Fail: http://projectonstudentdebt.org/initiative_page_view.php?initiative_idx=&initiative_page_idx=15

A special shout out to Graeme Brown at Ivy West and Karyn Holtzman, a wonderful educational consultant located in Irvine (she can be reached at CollEdgeCoach (at) aol dot com), thank you both for your kind words and encouragement!

I am attending the WACAC Conference this week and today I was in a session called Class of 2012: University of California New Eligibility Requirements presented by Michele Larkrith, Assistant Director of Marketing and Recruitment at UC Berkeley. Of course, after the presentation of the eligibility changes, all the attendees bombarded her with UC admissions questions (mostly NOT related to the eligibility changes). Below are some new information and clarifications regarding UC admissions. Information provided in this post supersedes some of my previous advice!

Personal Statement Prompts Will Stay the Same This Year

Pretty self-explanatory, I think.

Changes to UC Eligibility

This only applies to those of you who are graduating CA HS in 2012 or later. So skip ahead of you are graduating before 2012.

Good news is you don't have to take the SAT Subject Tests any more (Math Level 2 and a science are still highly recommended for engineering majors). Bad news is competition is going to be horrendous (increased number of eligible applicants combined with likely budget cuts in the next few years).

UCs are still working out the details. But what they do know is spelled out here: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/eligibilitychanges/

Some finer, between-the-lines details:

• You can still use SAT Subject Tests to clear a-g subjects (see how that works here: Options for Satisfying the Subject Requirement).
  
  
• Your personal statement will become even more important because that is the only component of the application that will distinguish you from other applicants.
  
  
• The top 9% of seniors graduating from CA HS (regardless of whether the HS participates in ELC) will be guaranteed acceptance to one UC (likely Riverside or maybe Merced).
  
  
• The top 9% of participating ELC HS will be guaranteed acceptance to some UCs, altho fewer UCs are expected to make the guarantee because of the expected increase in number of ELC students (the campus cannot accommodate all the students).
  
  
• UCs are expecting a 14% to 19% increase in applications while the number of students admitted will likely stay the same or decrease due to budget cuts.

In conclusion, it's going to suck ... but don't despair and keep reading; I do have some good news to share (I think).

Things I Mentioned Before That Are Confirmed (Again)

These are more like reminders of things I have already told you (over and over and over and over):

• Your personal statement is very important because that is the only component of the application that will distinguish you from other applicants.
  
  
• The 8-semester GPA cap is for calculating UC eligibility only (and will likely remain so for 2012 and after). For application evaluation, most UCs use uncapped or slightly capped GPA (if GPA is capped, it is usually capped around 4.5).
  
  
• All AP courses are created equal, there is no such thing as "this AP is better than that one."
  
  
• AP/IB exams are optional but good scores are brownie points.
  
  
• Do NOT use Score Choice on the SAT Reasoning or SAT Subject Tests. It's better to just report everything and let the UCs sort out the scores. Bad scores will not impact your application in any way whatsoever.
  
  
• UCs will not defer your acceptance. Take it or leave it (unless you have a really good reason, then you can appeal; appeals are reviewed on the case-by-case basis).

Things I May Have Mentioned Before But Here Are Concrete Details

These are some of the things I have discussed in general terms that were explained in more detail during the session:

• The rigor of your senior year schedule is very important. NEW DETAIL: you should take at least 5 year-long a-g courses in your senior year (including whatever appropriate number of AP courses that is common for seniors at your HS).
  
  
• When you have a bad semester or bad year in terms of grades (or extracurriculars), you need to clarify somewhere on your application about what happened (personal statement or Additional Comments). NEW DETAIL: you also need to explain what actions you have taken to correct the situation.
  
  
• You can take online courses offered by CC. NEW DETAIL: you can also take online courses from UC-approved online schools at UCCP, Cyber High School, National University Virtual HS, Stanford EPGY Online High School, and Laurel Springs Online.
  
  
• Your application is compared to your peers. NEW DETAIL: your peers include those who have graduated from your HS in the last 3 years. So you need to consider your achievement in context of not only others who are in your class, but those who have graduated before you.
  
  
• Higher level math course "validates" lower level math courses. NEW DETAIL: Algebra II validates Algebra I and Trigonometry validates Geometry, but Algebra II does not validate Geometry.
  
  
• You should discuss what you did during your gap year (if you took one) in your personal statement. NEW DETAIL: you are strongly encouraged to discuss both the reason you took a gap year and what you did during the gap year.

Things I Have Mentioned That Turned Out To Be Incorrect!!!

My apologies!

• Currently the top 12% of seniors graduating from CA HS (regardless of whether the HS participates in ELC) will be guaranteed acceptance to one UC (likely Riverside or maybe Merced). I had previously stated, incorrectly, that only students from HS participating in ELC are eligible for the guarantee.
  
  
• UC GPA Calculation - after many years of speculation, here is the official answer to how you calculate UC GPA when you have CC courses: you count them as if they were HS AP courses (because the grades are weighted). So one 3-unit or above UC-transferable course is the equivalent of one 2-semester HS AP course. I had previously stated, incorrectly, that CC courses were calculated into the UC GPA either by units or as single semesters; I was way off!

Things I Totally Didn't Know About

Some of these things came as a surprise, others were less of a surprise but still new information.

• Irvine started to waitlist students this year. It is the only UC campus doing that right now but the rest of the UCs will be pondering this issue during the summer.
  
  
• When evaluating applications, all UCs (all of them, really!) will look at the different factors in terms of them being neutral or adding value to the application. Students are never "dinged" for anything on the application. There is never anything "bad" about the application. So stop asking whether something will look "bad" on your application and start asking whether something will "add value" to your application.
  
  
• If you are not able to take summer school at your HS or local CC (due to budget cuts) and that prevented you from achieving academically (for example, you were unable to repeat a course in which you received a D or your fall schedule was scrambled because you were not able to take a prerequisite course during summer), you need to say that on your application (in the Additional Comments). You must also include actions you have taken to correct the situation (for example, you tried to enroll at 2 other CCs when the first CC you tried canceled the class you need).
  
  
• Good News for International Students - Berkeley is looking to increase international admits. Bad News for Out-of-State Students - Berkeley is likely to decrease out-of-state admits if the increase for international students goes thru. Berkeley has found that majority of the accepted international students do commit to attend Berkeley while majority of the out-of-state admits end up going somewhere else. Of course there is also the added incentive of an enormous fee that international students have to pay and that will play a role as the budget cuts start to kick in. The shift in international vs. out-of-state admits also prevents any CA students from being displaced.

Sorry for the incredibly long post, but at least now all the information is in one place!

Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing massive cut backs that include phasing out the Cal Grants program completely. The phase out will start with the cancellation of Cal Grants awarded to students starting college this Fall. UCs are expected to respond by redistributing the UC grants already awarded to students in order to make up for the shortfall. Because of this, the proposed cuts will impact ALL students regardless of whether you receive Cal Grants.

See details of the proposed cut to Cal Grants in the LA Times article, California could be the first state to cut student aid while hiking fees (May 29, 2009).

Writing to your state senator or assembly member about this issue is only a click away! The National Association for College Admission Counseling (an organization for college admission professionals) has a template letter available online here: http://capwiz.com/nacac/issues/alert/?alertid=13464096. Just fill in your information, make any changes you want to the text and click "send." The message will be delivered via e-mail to your state senator and assembly member based on the address you provide.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has extended its deadline for applications for the HACU Scholarship Program for the 2009-2010 academic year. More than $400,000 will be awarded to eligible students attending HACU-member colleges and universities.

Specific guidelines exist for each scholarship. Students must meet the following criteria for all scholarships:

• Demonstrate financial need and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  
  
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  
  
• Attend a HACU-member institution at the time scholarship awards are made. HACU-member institutions include public and private 2- and 4-year colleges across the U.S. It looks like majority of the CCCs, CSUs, and UCs are HACU members.

Deadline to apply and submit supporting documents has been extended until June 5, 2009. Scholarships will be awarded in the fall. For details of the program and instructions on how to apply, see: http://www.hacu.net/hacu/Scholarships_EN.asp.

Admission stats for every UC campus presented in nice pie charts and bar graphs: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/resources/materials/ITU.pdf starting on page 39.

Looks like the admit rate for Berkeley actually went up quite a bit from last year (less competitive). Admit rate for UCLA stayed about the same as last year. Admit rates for the rest of the UC campuses went down across the board, dropping somewhere between 5% to 20% (accepting 5%-20% fewer students compared to last year).

Again, this year is anomalous because of the economic downturn. Almost all UCs took some measures to curb possible over enrollment.