The College Advisory Newsletter 5

March 2016 Helping Hand College Guidance Presents the College Advisory Newsletter

Pam Ohriner – Private College Consultant – Phone: (310) 733-8433
Email – Pamela@helpinghandcollegeguidance.com

Congratulations to our fabulous graduating seniors and transfer students that we worked with this year! They were fortunate in being offered admission to a wide array of colleges, leaving them with the difficult decision of where to enroll.

A Partial List of Acceptances for Fall 2016

University of Southern California (multiple) (including a full merit scholarship)
UC Santa Barbara (multiple)
UC Davis (multiple)
UC Riverside (multiple)
UC Berkeley
UC Irvine (multiple)
UC San Diego (multiple)
San Diego State University
Cal Polytechnic State University
San Jose State
Many more of the Cal State Universities
Cornell University
Washington University in St. Louis (multiple)
Chapman University (multiple)
Loyola Marymount University (multiple)
Pepperdine University (multiple)
School of Visual Arts in New York
The New School in New York
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Ohio State University
University of Indiana
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Colorado – Boulder
Willamette
University of Denver
Northeastern University
Fordham University
Brandeis University
Lewis and Clark
George Washington University
University of Oregon
Purdue University

 

Current Seniors

The wait is almost over! Seniors should now have admission decisions from almost all colleges on their application list. If you have been offered a college waitlist position that you wish to pursue or are considering filing an admission appeal, these blog posts can offer some insight into this part of the college admissions process.
https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/about-wait-lists/
https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/filing-an-appeal/
Contact us if you need help comparing offers of admission, financial aid decisions, or need help writing a letter of appeal for admission or financial aid.

 

These campuses should be releasing admission decisions this week:

Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth University, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Georgetown University, NYU, Tufts University, Emory University, and Lehigh University.

 

UC News

With the exception of Merced, all other UC campuses will use waitlists for freshman applicants. If you are on a waitlist, you can check the individual campus’s website for specific information on how their waitlist works. There is an opt-in deadline of April and final notification of your waitlist status will take place over the summer. The UC requests that you do not send in any supplemental materials unless it is specifically requested by a UC campus.

 

In regard to filing a UC appeal:

UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, and UCSD – No appeals accepted for waitlist candidates
UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz – Appeals are accepted only as long as the waitlisted candidate opts-in to the list.
UC Santa Barbara – All appeals are read and reviewed whether or not they are waitlisted.

 

Submission of transcripts to the UC:

Final official transcripts for admitted students, both freshman and transfer, must have a postmark date of July 1, 2016.  July 15, 2016 is the due date for AP or IB exam scores.

 

Change in UC Essay Prompts coming with the fall 2017 application

The UC has announced that it is changing its current writing section on its freshman and transfer application from two personal statement essays of 1,000 words total (maximum) to a choice of four out of eight short answer essays with a maximum word count of 350 words each. Transfer students will have one mandatory essay and an additional three out of seven essays to complete. My blog contains detailed information. https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/changes-university-california-essay-prompts-coming-fall-2017-college-application/

 

New Blog Posts

https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/changes-university-california-essay-prompts-coming-fall-2017-college-application/
https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/personal-reflections-on-the-new-uc-personal-insight-questions/
https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/can-higher-sat-act-scores-benefit/
https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/ideas-high-school-students-spend-summer-productively/
https://helpinghandcollegeguidance.com/looking-international-college-learning-experience/

 

Attention 10^th and 11^th Grade Students and Parents

Now is the perfect time to start your college journey. The summer is the ideal time to tour and research colleges, form your college list, complete your brag sheets, write your college resume, and begin writing your college essays. The Common Application at www.commonapp.org goes live on August 1, 2016 and many of the supplemental essays will be uploaded at that time. We are working with current sophomores and juniors now to guide and support them through this very important process. Helping Hand College Guidance of Los Angeles offers comprehensive college counseling packages (includes up to 37 hours of college application and college essay assistance), 5 and 10 hour packages, and single hour options. Pam Ohriner, private college consultant, is available to take on a limited number of new students and offers one-on-one personalized services. We will also be offering College Essay Writing Workshops and UC/CSU Application Boot Camps. Please contact us today for more information.

 

Upcoming Calendar Events

April 9, 2016 (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) – St. Monica Catholic Church, 725 California Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
Presenting a college workshop for current sophomores and juniors titled “Get a Jump Start on the College Admissions Process!” This seminar will also feature Maria Cecilia Garcia, an expert academic educator. There is a nominal $25 fee to cover costs. Please contact Pam Ohriner for further information and to register for this event. Light refreshments will be served.

June 1, 2016 – June 3, 2016 – WACAC Annual Conference at LMU

June 25, 2016 – Manhattan Beach Library, 1320 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA  90266
I will be presenting a free college workshop on the topic of “Understanding the College Application Process”.   This is a seminar you will not want to miss! Please contact Pam directly to reserve your spot. Light refreshments will be served.

 

SAT and ACT Upcoming Dates

April 8, 2016 – Regular registration deadline for 5/7/16 SAT test
 April 9, 2016   – ACT test date
April 2-13, 2016 – AP testing
May 5, 2016 – Registration deadline for 6/4/16 SAT test
May 7, 2016 – SAT test date
 June 4, 2016 – SAT test date
 June 11, 2016 – ACT test date

 

Initial Consultations

Helping Hand College Guidance offers a free 45 minute initial consultation by phone or Skype. Contact us today for more information about our Los Angeles College Counseling services.