Colleges Still Accepting Applications For Fall '09

Some colleges and universities are still accepting applications for Fall 2009. Colorado State University has on its web site that it is still accepting applications on a space-available basis until July 1, 2009. More info can be found at: http://admissions.colostate.edu/FutureFreshmen/

Understanding Data in College Guidebooks

When you read college guidebooks or look on web sites of colleges and universities, test score data is given and referred to in the 25th and 75th percentile. How do you know where your test scores fit in? Here's an explanation by Allen Grove, About.com: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theact/a/act-score-explanation.htm

Start Saving for College

Article from the Wall Street Journal on what college will cost in 18 years by Stacey L. Bradford...

If there's one thing parents think they should save for, it's their children's college education. In 18 years, a degree from a public school will cost around $200,000 and a private university will run closer to $400,000, according to the College Board, which administers the SAT standardized college admissions test.......http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124492913145812745.html

Juniors: Start Your College Planning Now

If you have just finished your junior year in high school now is the time to put together a list of colleges and/or universities that you would like to apply to. To find the schools that are the best fit for you ask yourself what your preferences are: do you want a large or small school; a city, suburb or rural location; close to home or far away; any religious preferences; specific academic subjects, etc.
College guidebooks are a good place to start to learn about each school, but then the best thing to do is visit, go on a tour of the campus, so you can see it first-hand.
If you spend the summer planning what schools to apply to, when fall rolls around you'll be all ready to start your applications.
A college adviser can help you narrow down the schools that are the best fit for you: http://acollegeforyou.com/

Visiting Colleges

If you are a junior in high school, spring break is a good time to visit colleges. Looking for some advice on how to get the most from campus visits. Check out Princeton Review's book, Visiting College Campuses.

Visiting College Campuses, 7th Edition (College Admissions Guides)

Record High for UC Applications

UC Applications Top 120,000, an All-Time High

The University of California has received 121,005 applications for admission to the fall 2008 term, breaking the record for the fourth year in a row. Overall applications increased by 9 percent over fall 2007, with a 9.2 percent increase at the freshman level and an 8.5 percent increase at the transfer level.
The all-time high number of applications included a 7.7 percent increase in California freshman applications. In-state transfer applications rose by 7.1 percent, reversing last year's dip.
"The growing demand for a UC education coupled with the growing increase in the pool of qualified applicants is welcome," said Susan Wilbur, UC director of undergraduate admissions. "Certainly there's been an increased level of student preparation, with more students fulfilling the 'a–g' requirements, for example."
UC has put effort into a variety of strategies to recruit transfer students from the state's community colleges, Wilbur said, and the increase in transfer applications was a sign these efforts are paying off.
Out-of-state freshman applications increased by 14.4 percent, and international freshman applications by 25.2 percent. Out-of-state and international transfer applications went up by 5.1 percent and 24.9 percent, respectively.
Virtually all prospective students—99.5 percent of freshmen and 99 percent of transfers—applied online. Just 721 paper applications were submitted.
Applicants continued to apply to multiple UC campuses, 3.6 on average for freshmen and 2.9 for transfer students.
UC Davis posted the largest gain in freshman applications, 15.6 percent, followed by Santa Barbara (15 percent), Santa Cruz (13.8 percent), Merced (13.2 percent), Berkeley (9.8 percent), Los Angeles (9.2 percent), Riverside (6.5 percent), Irvine (6.2 percent) and San Diego (5.1 percent).
All nine UC undergraduate campuses saw gains in transfer applications, led by Merced's 37.7 percent jump from 2007 (300 applicants). Other top draws were Santa Barbara (a 12.9 percent increase), Los Angeles (12 percent) and Davis (11.9 percent).
Freshman applications showed increases from every racial and ethnic category. Chicano/Latino applications rose the most, a 17.9 percent increase, and there was a 16.1 percent increase in African American applications.
All campuses saw an increase in African American applicants from California. Applications from this group have increased by 26.4 percent since 2006. Freshman applications from Chicano/Latino students who are California residents went up by at least 16.2 percent on all campuses. Since 2006, applications from California's prospective Chicano/Latino freshmen have risen 30.4 percent.
Transfer applications showed one-year increases of 10.8 percent for Asian Americans, 7.1 percent for white/other and 4.6 percent for Chicano/Latino applicants. The number of African American transfer applicants remained flat.
Applications from California public high school students outpaced the state Department of Finance's projected increase of 3.2 percent more graduates in 2008. The University saw an increase of 6.4 percent from this group.
Transfer applicants from California community colleges increased this year by 8.1 percent, or 1,522 students. All campuses experienced a solid increase, including UC Merced, which had a one-year increase of 231 applicants (32.3 percent). Application growth is noted among the following groups: Asian American (12.3 percent), Chicano/Latino (6.3 percent), white/other (5.5 percent) and Filipino American (2.3 percent).
The academic quality of UC applicants remains high. And slightly more applicants this year reported that they are the first in their families to attend college, have a low family income and are among those who are attending California's lowest-performing public high schools as defined by the school's academic performance index (API) score.
These admissions data are from a preliminary Jan. 4 report. Some UC campuses remained open after the Nov. 30 deadline, so final results may differ.

Want to read more about California colleges? Check out:
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