Golden Eagle Charter School
College Admission
“Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you’re right.”
~ Henry Ford ~
The first step in college admission is to think you can. Have a positive, can-do attitude. You can do it. There are several ways to get to where you want to go. The first step is to identify what majors, specialties, geographic features, population, cost, housing, climate, activities, etc… are important to you. You need to know what you priorities are to make a meaningful choice.
To help you decide, you could use a college match program like the one at the following link. http://www.californiacolleges.edu/Select/MatchAsst/default.asp
Or you could engage in the more traditional approach – develop some criteria for evaluation, and do the research. In case you want a school in California:
- CSU – California State University System, www.calstate.edu,
- UC – University of California System, www.ucop.edu
- CC – Community College System www.cccco.edu
- CPS – California Private Schools, www.aiccumentor.org
To discover more about how these colleges are different, visit www.californiacolleges. This comprehensive website will help guide you through the process of choosing a college that’s right for you.
College admission can be an arduous process. Many students start planning for college admission when they first enter high school.
A list of internet links that will assist you with college admission..
NOT ALL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA ARE THE SAME! CONTACT THE COLLEGE DIRECTLY!!!
When colleges have more students than they have space for, requirements for admission increase. When they don’t have enough students, the requirements decrease. In addition, Private or Independent colleges may have completely different admissions requirements than state schools. Don’t make assumptions. Contact the schools directly, and contact them early!
Here is a list of suggested activities and courses you should be taking in preparation for admission to a school in the California State University system (a CSU).These links will take you to pages on the “CSU Mentor” website. This is a great website for students planning to attend college in the CSU system, and elsewhere.
Suggested courses and activities by grade level:
Academics
The University of California System requires specific “A-G” courses for admission as a first-time freshman. The UC Colleges are probably the most difficult to get into in California. Each unit is equal to a year of study in a subject area. A grade of C or higher is required for each course you use to meet any subject requirement.
| Required "A-G" Courses |
|---|
| a l History/Social Science – 2 years required Two years of history/social science, including one year of world history, cultures and geography; and one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government. |
| b l English – 4 years required Four years of college-preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing, and reading of classic and modern literature. No more than one year of ESL-type courses can be used to meet this requirement. |
| c l Mathematics – 3 years required, 4 years recommended Three years of college-preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry. Approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that your high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses. |
| d l Laboratory Science – 2 years required, 3 years recommended Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry and physics. Advanced laboratory science classes that have biology, chemistry or physics as prerequisites and offer substantial additional material may be used to fulfill this requirement. The final two years of an approved three-year integrated science program may be used to fulfill this requirement. |
| e l Language Other than English – 2 years required, 3 years recommended Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and culture. Courses in languages other than English taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses. |
| f l Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) – 1 year required A single yearlong approved arts course from a single VPA discipline: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art. |
| g l College Preparatory Electives – 1 year required One year (two semesters), in addition to those required in "a-f" above, chosen from the following areas: visual and performing arts (non-introductory level courses), history, social science, English, advanced mathematics, laboratory science and language other than English (a third year in the language used for the "e" requirement or two years of another language). |
Some colleges do not require the above course work, and even if they do, you are sometimes allowed to make up deficiencies while you take your first year of college classes. If you are a Junior, Sophomore or Freshman, you could take some of these courses at a Junior College, online, or in summer school. Make sure the courses you are taking are approved ‘A-G’ courses. This means the CSU and UC system have approved them as pre-requisites for college entry.
Testing
In addition to specific, required academics, colleges require certain tests as part of their admissions process. Everyone should take the college entrance tests – the SAT and/or ACT. Which one you take depends on the school you want to go to. Please see our webpage about testing.
Don’t panic if you haven’t been getting your ducks in a row for the last four years. You can get into some schools very quickly and painlessly. Probably the easiest college to get into is a community college.
California Community Colleges:
The mission of the community college system in California is to provide education to all members of the community, whether that education is for the purpose of personal enrichment, in pursuit of a vocational certificate, or transfer to another institution to complete a four-year degree. Our local Community College is:
College of the Siskiyous, 800 College Avenue, Weed, CA 96094 (530) 938-4462. http://www.siskiyous.edu
Any member of the community is eligible to take classes at the community college. There are regulations regarding how many classes a minor may take. The college also has a mandatory assessment test to place students at the appropriate reading and math level.
See this link for information regarding eligibility for minors who wish to take community college classes.