Preparing to Apply to the University of California?

Author: Miriam Schaffer

If you are planning to apply to a University of California (UC) school, visit the UC Admissions website and learn what you need to do to apply. Here are some things you need to be aware of:

Make sure you will have met all the admission requirements by the time you graduate from high school.

You will need to register for the ACT Plus Writing, or SAT Reasoning test. UC requires that if you are applying for Fall 2014, then you need to take either one of these tests by December 2013.

SAT Subject tests are not required, but are recommended for some majors. Find out more here.

The UC application can be accessed on October 1, 2013. The application can be submitted between November 1-to-30, 2013.

The application fee is $70 ($80 for international applicants) for each UC that you apply to.

You can apply for an application fee waiver when you complete the UC application online. You’ll need information regarding your family income.

You will need to submit a personal statement. There are two prompts, which together can use a maximum of 1,000 words. You can allocate the word count however you want. Many students write one essay of about 250 words and a second of approximately 700 words. The personal statement should give the admissions committee a picture of yourself that they cannot get by reading the rest of your application, which contains information about your grades, test scores and extracurricular activities.

Seniors in high school are busy with classes, extracurricular activities, jobs, and social activities. Often adding the task of applying to college is overwhelming. A college advisor can help students navigate the college application process and ease the stress of applying to college.

• Written By: Miriam Schaffer
• September 13, 2013

Read College Guidebooks When Choosing Colleges to Apply To

Author: Miriam Schaffer

Overwhelmed by deciding what colleges to apply to? There are books that list hundreds of colleges and universities with descriptions about academics, campus life and average GPA and test scores of those who have been admitted.

Here are three helpful books that can help you narrow down where to apply. All of these are available at amazon.com

Fiske Guide to Colleges
This book is updated every year and has been published for the past 20 years. It lists each school's strongest majors and programs and information on how to apply and application deadlines.

The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2014: Students on Campus Tell You What you Really Want to Know
This is the 40th edition of this book published by Yale Daily News staff. The editors describe the "personality" of each college and try to describe the type of student that each college appears to be the best fit for.

The Princeton Review's The Best 378 Colleges
This guide claims to survey over 126,000 students every year to update its college listings. Students rank thier dorms, professiors, food, athletic facilities and financial aid. The Princeton Review publishes other college search books.

It's useful to read more than one book to get various opinions. However, the best way to learn about the atmosphere of a college is to visit the campus, go on a tour, talk to students, and if possible attend a class.

• Written By: Miriam Schaffer
• September 13, 2013