Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.
UC Berkeley announced that it will begin accepting two recommendation letters from its freshmen applicants beginning this fall.
UC Berkeley undergraduate admissions has not welcomed recommendations since it opened its doors in 1868, yet admission criteria to the UCs (and Berkeley) have been in the throes of change over the last years.
On November 1st, the University of California began accepting applications for fall 2014. This column contains a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the application timeline and details, selecting majors, submitting test scores and the UC Personal Statements. Although many of the answers can be found on the UC Admissions site, most applicants have little time to scour a 45 page PDF to unearth them. I, on the other hand, run into many of these every day.
Portions of the college admissions process should be performed each year in high school. Steady, cumulative completion of set tasks is vastly more effective than cramming everything into the waning moments of senior year. Take control of your admissions process and it will entice you to take control of your future—that is a skill rarely learned in any institution and will serve you well throughout your life.
Many consider the SAT Subject test one test too many. Most applicants to the very selective schools are already taking AP or IB exams, the ACT and/or SAT, and the CAHSEE (in California) to determine English and math competency. Why add the SAT Subject Tests to the burden? The UC Regents concur; they’re ending the SAT Subject Test requirement beginning the fall of 2012.
If you take the ACT, you have control over which scores are submitted to which colleges. It’s a practice the ACT has had since its inception. Now the College Board, following the ACT lead, is introducing Score Choice. If you want to get more information on Score Choice, go to the following link: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/policy to get a copy of the fact sheet, and a PowerPoint presentation. Score Choice launches this March and will be available through the College Board’s website or customer service department.
The NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) led by William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard, issued, during the latter part of September, its annual commission report questioning the value of standardized tests in the admissions process. The report mentions that admissions offices that begin analyzing standardized tests soon question their value.
