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College Night

If you missed our College Night presentation you can now view the entire presentation HERE or you can see a breakdown of the information below.

UC & CSU Requirements: Must Earn C’s or Better
A: History (World History & US History) 2 Years
B: English 4 Years
C: Math (Minimum Integrated Math 3) 3 Years
D: Science (Biology AND either Chemistry or Physics) 2 Years
E: Language other than English 2 Years
F: Visual & Performing Arts 1 Year
G: College Prep Electives (any additional class in A-F) 1 Year
Most other universities have similar admission requirements.
Check each university’s website for specific details.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA REQUIREMENTS
• 3.0 GPA minimum (10th & 11th grade A-G courses)
• No SAT/ACT scores will be used in admission decisions
• Extra-Curricular Activities will be listed
• Personal Insight Questions REQUIRED
• Answer 4 out of 8 questions
• 350 words maximum per question
• UC will calculate your GPA in the application
• NO LETTER of RECOMMENDATION or PERSONAL STATEMENT

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS
• 2.5 GPA minimum (10th & 11th grade A-G courses)
• 2.0-2.49 will be considered at non-impacted schools
• No SAT/ACT scores will be used in admission decisions
• Will ask about extracurricular and special programs
• CSU will calculate your GPA in the application
NO LETTER of RECOMMENDATION or PERSONAL STATEMENT

2023 UC Acceptance Rates
UC Los Angeles 8.8%
UC Berkeley 11.6%
UC Irvine 25.8%
UC San Diego 24.7%
UC Santa Barbara 27.9%
UC Davis 41.9%
UC Santa Cruz 62.7%
UC Riverside 70.9%
UC Merced 93.3%

Military/Armed Forces

Community College Options

Transfer to 4 year College

  • Talk to college counselor once per semester
  • Complete required coursework
  • Earn a certain college GPA
  • 60 units of college level transferable courses
  • There are 116 community colleges in just California

Career Programs & Certificates

  • Length and kind of programs vary
  • Less expensive than private vocational programs

Examples of programs:

  • Automotive Collision, Culinary, Fire Tech, Speech/Language Assistant, Music, Biotechnology, Paralegal, Real Estate, and MANY more!

Community College Requirements:

Must be 18 or have High School Diploma

If you have SAT/ACT Scores they may be used for:

  • Placement in freshman math & English
  • If you are planning on playing a sport

You can transfer to a 4-year university

  • Check out UC’s TAG agreements, and Associate Degree for Transfer to a CSU

Visit different community colleges to find the best fit for you

Start registering for community college in January/February.

Complete your registration early for priority registration

CA State Promise Program: First-time student (enrolled in 12 or more units) and a California resident are eligible for 2 year tuition free at community college. FILL OUT THE FAFSA starting December 2024 to be eligible.

California Scholarship Federation (CSF)

“The California Scholarship Federation (known as CSF) is a state-wide academic honors
organization whose purpose is to recognize students who have demonstrated outstanding
academic achievement”
● Filing Periods:
○ October 1st – 30th
○ March 1st – 31st
● Criteria:
○ 3.4 GPA or above in specific classes (see application)
○ $3.00 application fee
● The application is located in the counseling office.
● Pay $3 fee at the finance office next to the library.
● Form is due Oct 30. You must have received C’s in all courses the previous semester to qualify.
● Seniors who are admitted 4 semesters will receive a cord at graduation.

How do I calculate my GPA
A = 4 points (5 points for Honors/AP)
B = 3 points (4 points for Honors/AP)
C = 2 points (3 points for Honors/AP)
D = 1 point (does not count for college)
F = 0 points (does not count for high school or college)
Add up the total points and divide by the number of classes taken. Using honors
or AP extra points will give you your WEIGHTED GPA, omitting honors or AP extra
points will give you your UNWEIGHTED GPA.
The UC/CSU system use a WEIGHTED CAPPED GPA. You can use no more than 8
extra AP/honors points.

Application Platforms

SEE OUR COLLEGE APPLICATION PAGE

  • Common App and the Coalition App give students a way to track, fill, and submit applications to multiple schools. The platforms are free to use, though applicants may still need to pay application fees for the colleges they apply to.
  • Both platforms ask applicants to write an essay in response to a predetermined prompt for schools that require it.
  • Individual universities may require additional essays or short answers that students must complete alongside the main Coalition App essay and Common App essay.
  • Common App has more participating schools, so it may be easier to use this application.
  • Coalition App was created to make it easier for students from underrepresented groups to apply for college. Specifically, the platform only partners with schools that offer generous financial aid or low-cost tuition and graduate students with little to no debt.
  • Not all private and out of state schools use Common App or Coalition, some may still require you to apply directly through their website.
  • Do your research before picking the right platform for you

Which classes are weighted for UC/CSU A-G GPA?
▪ AP English Language, AP English Literature
▪ AP US History ▪ AP World History ▪ AP European History
▪ AP Bio, AP Physics, AP Chem, AP Environ. Sci.
▪ AP Foreign Languages
▪ AP Calculus AB and BC
▪ AP Econ, AP Psych, AP Govt
▪ Hon. French 3
▪ AP Studio Art
▪ Honors English 2 ▪ AP Computer Science

College courses not offered at Rio are weighted
(MAXIMUM 8 SEMESTERS FOR WEIGHTED CREDIT)
Non-Weighted Class for UC/CSU:
▪ Honors English 1 ▪ Integrated Math 2+ and 3+ ▪ CIVITAS courses

Which classes are not A-G?
• Student Government
• Health
• PE
• TA, Tutor
Check your transcript: a course is A-G if the course has an * in front
of the course code.

Target, Reach, Safety
Beginning your college list

Target School: Target schools are schools where students have the best chance to get in based on their GPA & test scores.

Reach School: A school may be a reach if the student's grades and test scores are below the averages of admitted students. <15% chance of being accepted

Safety School: Student may have a higher GPA & test score than the average student admitted.  >70% chance of being admitted.


****Schools with lower acceptance rates are reach schools for all students****
● GPA (Google the Profile of the most recent admitted Freshmen Class)
● Use College SuperMatch in Naviance
● Calculate the Cost
● Utilize College Rep visits and visit campuses (virtual tours can be helpful)
● Focus on Target schools
● All students should have a Safety school- Community College and/or CSUS (check for impacted programs)

College Application Filing Deadlines
● California State University (CSU): October 1st - November 30th
● University of California (UC): Site opens Aug 1st to begin working on
application. October 1st – November 30th you can submit application
● Private & Out-of-State Schools: Dates Vary, Check with each individual
school, be sure to check Scholarship/Financial Aid deadlines too, can
have rolling admissions
● Community Colleges (ARC, Sac City, Folsom Lake College, Sierra). March
1 for Priority Registration. Apply early!

NCAA
If you plan to play a sport in college, please register through NCAA and make
an appointment with your counselor to make sure requirements are met.

College application mistakes
• Typos, not using spell/grammar check
• Listing classes incorrectly
• Not reading prompts carefully
• Listing extracurriculars inaccurately
• Using an email address that is offensive to colleges
• Not checking your email and college portals regularly
• Having your parent fill out the application for you