Visalia Unified Partners with Fresno State on Guaranteed Admissions
Visalia Unified School District is partnering with California State University, Fresno on a new guaranteed admissions program “Bulldog Bound” for high school students. This is the third partnership of its kind for Visalia Unified in less than six months.
Visalia Unified has been on a journey throughout the year, creating access to the widest array of postsecondary options for students. Last year, over 92% of students were graduating from high school within the 4-year cohort, and nearly half meeting A-G requirements upon graduation, only 15% of those students eligible for a 4-year university were accessing these institutions.
At the press conference, VUSD Superintendent Kirk Shrum stated, “We have many first-generation graduates who need support in learning about these opportunities and applying to schools. Through these partnerships, we want our community to know that we see you, we hear you, and we are doing everything possible to get your student into a post-secondary education.”
“When a student earns a college degree, they really change the trajectory of their entire family, because younger [and older] siblings see them…everybody starts to see that education is equitable and accessible…, said Kent Willis, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
The district has established similar partnerships with University of Merced, California in October 2022 and Fresno Pacific University in March 2023. Like Fresno State University, these MOUs provide guaranteed admissions for students who meet requirements as well as additional opportunities for students.
By participating in Bulldog Bound, students receive:
- Guaranteed admissions as early as ninth grade
- Pre-admission for 11th graders
- On-the-spot admissions for 12th graders
- Fresno State ID card, which will give students email and library access
- Help with career and academic major exploration
- Assistance with applications
- Early financial aid estimates
- Scholarship opportunities
- Campus life experience
- Summer student leadership opportunities
- Resources for parents/guardians
Source: Cristina Gutierrez, Public Information Officer, cgutierrez04@vusd.org
Let the Transitions Begin!
The University of Texas and Stanford did research on what makes students more successful
during those big transition years. They found that reminding students about a growth mindset and pairing it with hearing from other students about their very normal struggles with school provided students with the resiliency they needed to succeed despite adversity.
So, as you step into the next phase of your life, we offer the following videos: Freshman Transition and College Transition.
We wish you the very best on your adventures ahead.
How to Apply to College
In order to make sure counselors and learning directors can best help you with your application process, we ask that all seniors launch their applications from CaliforniaColleges.edu. By launching from CaliforniaColleges.edu, all of your A-G courses will automatically populate your college applications, saving you time and frustration. Remember to use your VUSD email to log in to CaliforniaColleges.edu.
If you are still perplexed about Career-Major-College choices, we suggest that you watch the following videos and complete the CaliforniaColleges.edu lessons this summer. This will make for a much smoother college application season come fall.
How to Complete College Applications
