Counseling
College Board
College Board Link: https://www.collegeboard.org/
PSAT Information
The PSAT will not count toward the student's college admissions applications but is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. Some of the highest-scoring students may win scholarship money, so while students should not stress out about the PSAT, they should not ignore it. Students should use the PSAT as practice for the SAT and ACT and as an important guidepost on their college admissions journey.
SAT Information
The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. A student who takes the SAT can expect a test of reading, writing, and math comprehension.
First, visit the College Board website and click on the white "Register Now" button or go to “SAT” in the navigation menu and click on “Registration.” If you haven’t created a College Board account, this is a good time to do so.
In the middle of the top part of the page is a yellow button that says "Register for the SAT" (or "Register for another SAT" if you've already taken it at least once). Click this button.
You should now be on the page below. According to the College Board, the registration process will take around 30-40 minutes (yikes—why should it take this long to register for the SAT? You’ll find out soon!) Click the yellow “Get Started” button to continue.
Your College Board account is your one-stop to register for the SAT, view your scores, and send your score reports. When you register for the SAT, you can add four score recipients for free. You can edit these up to 9 days after your registration. After that, additional colleges cost $11.25 unless you qualify for an SAT fee waiver.
If you've taken the SAT more than once, then you can use Score Choice to decide which score reports go to which colleges.
Click here to see the SAT Test Dates.
Financial Aid/Scholarships
https://studentscholarships.org/
Free Scholarship Site: http://www.fastweb.com
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Information & Application): http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Access to the Personal ID Number for the FAFSA: http://www.pin.ed.gov
Caregiver Scholarships: The Caring Project
CA Dream Application: The Federal application for financial aid for AB-540 or undocumented students.
Cal Grant: Information on Cal Grants, or financial awards that student recipients do not have to repay.
WebGrants4Students: After you’ve submitted your FAFSA or CA Dream Act, create an account to check the status of your Cal Grant Application.
Federal Student Aid: An overview of the various Federal student aid programs.
FinAid: Detailed information on all you need to know about paying for colleges, such as scholarships, loans, financial aid application information, and more.
Fastweb: A database of information on over 1 million scholarships, internships, and job opportunities for students.
ScholarShare: California’s 529 college savings plan is designed to help families save for higher education expenses.
Blue + Gold Opportunity Program: Information on the opportunities for California residents whose family earns less than $80,000 and qualifies for financial aid.
Scholarship List from Hancock College: A helpful list of a number of non-institutional scholarships available to students.
California State Directory of Schools with Scholarships: Resource designed just for high school students in CA.
Imagine American Foundation: Scholarships for Trade School Students
Financial Aid Checklist: https://www.csac.ca.gov/pod/financial-aid-checklist
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: Provides scholarships to the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen attending post-high school, undergraduate, and career technical education programs.
Misc. Links
Homepage to the University of California System: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu
A-G Course List – Check your high school’s A-G-approved course list.
Academic Planner– A helpful tool for students to keep track of their A-G requirements to make sure they stay on track to attend a four-year university upon graduating high school.
College Board: SAT registration and preparation, school search, and helpful college planning information.
ACT: ACT registration and preparation, helpful college planning tools.
Apprentice Program San Diego: 2017 apprenticeship class.
College Lists Wiki – College Search Engine
NICHE – The Best Colleges ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni.
Apply Now!
California Colleges: Provides a detailed breakdown of the admission requirements to California public colleges as well as an online tool to help match students with potentials schools.
Cal State Apply: Provides students and families with information about the California State University system, as well as how to finance and apply to one of the many CSU campuses.
UC Applications: Link to the application for the UC System for both freshman and transfer applicants.
Pathway to UC: Information on the process of applying to the University of California System. (Spanish Version)
CCCApply: The go-to online resource for the California Community College System. Here you can apply for most California Community Colleges.
The Common Application: The Common Application can be submitted to 488 Independent colleges and universities for both freshman and transfer applicants.