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College Application Tips

COLLEGE APPLICATION TIPS

For CSU/UC (Fall 2020)


Before starting your college applications, log in to your Aeries portal and print your high school transcript.  It is critical that you report all courses and grades exactly as they appear on your transcript.


**Prior to submitting online to a CSU or UC, please have a Placer counselor review your completed application**


CSU - California State University

Submission window: October 1st - December 4th


Under Profile:

If you took any dual enrollment or academic enrichment college courses, select “yes” for “did you earn college Credit?” Do NOT mark “yes” for AP course credit. See below.


SSID # (State Student ID): 10 digit ID number* from Student (Only) Aeries go to 1--Student Info and then 2-- Demographics and click on 3--Student DATA 2 or Email your counselor for it.

    (*Note: this is not your permanent Student ID number you have used before)


Academic History / High Schools Attended section:

  • Click the Add High School button, and enter 050175 in the State, city, zip code, or CEEB code field--select Placer High from the Drop Down Menu.


  • In this section you will add Placer High twice (use the drop down to select):

1: select Term Type - Full Year (each class you take at Placer is equal to one one year)

2: select Term Type - Semester (Gov/Econ are the only semester classes to be listed here)


Academic History / High School Coursework section:

  • Add Grade Level for the coursework you are entering. Click the green checkmark to complete your entry and move forward.


  • Begin typing the course name, a drop down feature will open. Click on course for every A-G subject area course you completed in that grade level (A-G courses are identified by a “P” in the CP column of your Placer transcript. Do not enter non A-G courses such as Tech Essentials, Health or PE.  


  • If any A-G course names do not pop-up automatically, do NOT type them in manually; use exactly as they appear on your transcript (OR email your counselor). It must match what colleges see in their A-G Matching list at end of application.


  • Students taking the English 1A dual credit course will enter this under Sierra College and then match it has a “B” course in A-G--do not add as English 12. 


  • Select Course Type: It will indicate NONE or can choose Advanced Placement OR Honors; most will be None (This step must be completed before you can click the green checkmark to complete entry of a new course and move forward.)

  • If you took Integrated Math 1, Integrated Math 2, or a Language Other Than English (Spanish, for example) in the 7th or 8th grade, open a 7th/8th grade tab & report these courses in that Grade section and enter your two grades earned for each class


  • Repeated Courses: If you repeated a A-G course, enter the highest grades earned for the course. Do not enter this repeated course twice. If the repeated course is In Progress, then enter the original grade earned since a new grade has not yet been earned.


    Important: Properly Adding  Gov/Econ

    In the 2nd Placer High year 2020-2021 List under Semester Term

  • Enter “American Government”  and Economics in the 12th Grade section

  • Enter “In Progress” for the FALL grade if taking this course during the fall term - or enter “Planned” for the SPRING grade if taking this course during the spring term; Leave the opposite FALL/SPRING grade as No Grade.


   

 Dual Enrollment & College Courses

  1. Students who have taken a Dual Enrollment class must enter the course as College ONLY--not high school.  This requires adding Sierra College, Sac State, or another college as a school attended, then reporting the grade earned OR IN PROGRESS or PLANNED at that college.  See below for a list of the dual credit COLLEGE course names.

***If you did NOT mark “yes” to question “did you receive college credit?” then this feature will not open; go back and change your answer in Profile Section.


  1. On both CSU and UC Applications you must list your college as a school attended: i.e. Sierra College.  List self as a freshman.  Follow directions in application for listing of courses, grades or In Progress.  ON CSU college section, make sure you click “Save your Transcript”


  1. Remember: Students will need to have final transcripts sent from both Placer and Sierra College or Sac State to the college they end up attending end of JUNE (after you graduate).


Transcript Entry section (for college courses completed, in progress, or planned):

  • Select Academic Status: Choose Freshman for all college courses taken during high school

  • Select Term, Type the course code and select the class from the drop down menu.  Select from the drop down menu the College Department.

  • The course title and credits should autofill.

  • Enter the grade earned.


      Placer Dual Enrollment Classes:

  Placer Name

Sierra Course Code & College Name

Credits

A-G matching

English 12-P

ENGL 1A  Introduction to Composition

4

B

US History-P

HIST 17B  History of United States since 1865

3

A

Mechatronics-P

MECH 8   Introduction to Electronics 

3

G

Graphic Design-P

AAD 70   Introduction to Digital Design 

3

F

Intro to Kinesiology

KIN 81    Introduction to Kinesiology

3

G

Physiology of Fitness

KIN 83    Physiology of Fitness 

3

G

Woodworking 2

CET 5   Introduction to the Built Environment

3

G

World Studies (DE)

HIST 51   World History Since 1500

3

A

Bio & Sust Ag-P

AGRI 196   Intro to Sustainable Agriculture

3

D

Chem &Agrisci-P

AGRI 221   Introduction to Soil Science

3

D

Environmental Studies

ESS1   The Environment & the Human Impact

3

G

Adv Biology (DE)

BIO 56   Biology: A Human Perspective

3

D

Video Production

AAD 79   Intro to Digital Filmmaking

3

F

Statistics (DE)

MATH13    Elementary Statistics

4

C

Spanish 4

SPAN3      Intermediate Spanish Level 1

4

E


    Additional College Courses taught by Sierra faculty at Placer:

EMR

HSCI 7   Emergency Medical Responder  

3.5

Medical Terminology

HSCI 3    Medical Terminology

3

Career Planning

PDEV 6    Career Planning

3



A-G Matching Section:

  • Click the Update A-G Courses button at the bottom of this page, then click on the Grade Level bar to expand your course entries.

  • Review all classes entered to make sure that every A-G course you completed is matched with the correct A-G Subject Area category letter in that corresponds to the List of A-G Categories.

  • If you are using a college course to fulfill an  A-G subject area requirement, ONLY report a course as a College class and match with the appropriate A-G Subject Area category, i.e. Engl 1A is “B” for English 12, so add a class to the “B” section, there should be 4 total.


Academic History: Standardized Tests not required 

  • CSU suspended the use of SAT/ACT scores for Fall 2021 admission; however, if you took one and want to report your SAT/ACT scores, they will be used for placement into college math and English courses (but not for admission decision purposes).

  • Though not required, it is best to enter your College Board ID for the SAT and/or your ACT Student ID when reporting scores.


                
                DACA, undocumented or AB540 students should enter “None” as their citizenship status. Under “Residency,” they should select “California” as their state of residency if they consider California                 their home.


UC - University of California

Submission window: Nov 1 - Nov 30


You will need your SSID # (State Student ID): 10 digit ID number* from Student (Only) Aeries go to 1--Student Info and then 2-- Demographics and click on 3--Student DATA 2 or Email your counselor for it.

    (*Note: this is not your permanent Student ID number you have used before)


Academic History - Step 2 / High Schools Attended section:

  • What is your school’s term system? Select Full (1 final grade per year) and 

Semester (2 final grades per year) for Placer High. Be sure to choose BOTH boxes.


Academic History - Step 2 / High Schools Courses and Grades section:

  • Click on a subject area to see the list of courses offered at Placer High

  • For each grade level, select the courses you took

  • For most Placer courses, choose Term Type: Full and report a single grade; for a course with two grades, choose Term Type: Semester and report two grades for American Government and Economics

  • For 12th Grade students taking the English 1A or 1B will report this under college, not high school 

  • Important: Gov/Econ 

  • In the 12th Grade History/Social Science section, choose American Government

  • Choose Term Type: Semester

then select IP in the Grade 1 column (if taking Gov in the fall)

or PL in the Grade 2 column (if taking Gov in the spring)

  • In the opposite column (Grade 1 or Grade 2), select no to indicate that you will only be receiving 5 credits for Gov

  • In the 12th Grade College-Prep Electives section, choose Economics 

  • Choose Term Type: Semester 

then select IP in the Grade 1 column (if taking Econ in the fall)

or PL in the Grade 2 column (if taking Econ in the spring)

  • In the opposite column (Grade 1 or Grade 2), select no to indicate that you will only be receiving 5 credits for Economics


Academic History Additional Comments Section--optional:

- You may also use the Additional Comments field to inform UC admissions about important academic information that is not reflected elsewhere in your application (for example, if COVID created a drop in Grades or option for Pass (P) or COVID created a loss of elective choices or ability to access your originally planned academic schedule.  It MUST be a significant point in your Academic History for you to include it.



Test Scores: ACT & SAT 

  • UC will be "test-blind or optional" for fall 2021 and fall 2022. Freshman applicants are not required to submit SAT/ACT test scores. 

  • “Test-optional” means that you choose whether or not to submit SAT/ACT scores with your application. If you are unable or choose not to submit test scores, your application will still receive full consideration.

  • If you have scores, you may self-report them in this section then have your official SAT/ACT scores sent to one UC campus. Test scores sent to any UC campus will be shared with all campuses you apply to.

  • SAT/ACT scores may be used for:

  • Admissions: Some campuses may choose to consider your test scores as part of their application review process. Remember, no admission decision is based on a single factor.

  • Scholarships. Some scholarships may include test scores as a factor in selection.

  • Determining eligibility for the statewide admissions guarantee. 

  • Course placement after you enroll.


Common App

• Almost 900 colleges and universities use Common App 

• 204 public colleges and universities 

• 62 international universities in 18 countries 

• More than 325 without app fee 


Common App Tips and Tools

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