College and Career Newsletter
VUSD/November 2022
Seniors: Resources on How to Complete College Applications
Don't forget to launch all of your applications from CaliforniaColleges.edu.
UC Merced Automatic Admission Program (MAAP)
The University of California, Merced, and Visalia Unified have joined together to create an academic pathway for VUSD students that, when satisfied, the student is guaranteed admission to UC Merced for those who:
- Submit the Guarantee Admissions Application starting May of a student's junior year. This allows UC Merced to plan for that population in its enrollment modeling.
- Complete the minimum of 15 yearlong A-G courses required for Freshman UC admissions with a weighted GPA of 3.5, with no grade lower than a "C."
- By the end of a student's junior spring term, complete the following: Three of the four years of Area B (English) and Complete Area C (3 years of Math)
What Majors Are Available?
Your students can elect any major of their choice when applying to UC Merced on the Fall 2023 University of California Undergraduate Application for Admission & Scholarships during the October 1- November 30 priority filing period. There are currently no selective majors at the first-year (freshmen) level. MAAP applicants are guaranteed undergraduate admission to UC Merced as long as they continue to meet the MAAP criteria.
The guarantee doesn't apply to nor will it affect an applicant's chances for scholarships or selective student support programs (i.e., Fiat Lux or B.S. to M.D. Program/Prime+).
UC Merced Admissions will notify VUSD at least one year in advance of a major becoming selective.
Also, students can still be eligible for the guarantee by applying for an alternate non-selective major and meeting the departments' requirements for changing into that major in the future.
When do students apply?
High school junior students will submit their application to participate in the guaranteed admissions program by August 31 during their senior year. Students will be notified to submit their UC application by November 30. Program participants will be prioritized in the application review process and notified of their admissions in early March.
Next Steps and Maintaining Your MAAP Guaranteed Admission Eligibility
To fulfill the requirements for Fall 2023 admission, you must:
- Complete and submit the University of California Undergraduate Application for Admission & Scholarships during the priority filing period of October 1 - November 30, 2022. You can access the application at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply.
- Complete all required UC-approved A-G courses during your senior year with a weighted GPA of 3.5, with no grade lower than a "C."
Maintain Your Good Grades to Ensure MAAP Eligibility:
You must maintain your current level of academic performance throughout your senior year, or your admission to UC Merced could be jeopardized. If you have difficulty in your senior year, we encourage you to contact the Office of Admissions at (209) 228-7178 or email admissions@ucmerced.edu to receive advising to maintain your eligibility.
CaliforniaColleges.edu
- Discover their interests and values.
- Find careers, colleges, or training to reach goals.
- Learn how to find money to pay for college.
- Launch college and financial aid applications.
- Monitor all progress in one place.
Parents and students can view the College and Career lessons for grades 9-12. The emphasis is on Career-Major-College. It is also a wealth of information on financial aid.
VUSD’s After-hours Academic Assistance (AAA)
VUSD's "After-hours Academic Assistance" (AAA) program provides no-cost, after-hours academic support, through Zoom, in the following classes: 4th-6th grade and High School math. AAA is led by certificated VUSD teachers who are available Monday-Thursday. The AAA academic assistance program will help students when they have questions about ANY academic issue.
Schedules will be posted on Monday morning of each week.
CLICK HERE FOR THE 3RD-GRADE SCHEDULE
CLICK HERE FOR THE 4TH-GRADE SCHEDULE
CLICK HERE FOR THE 5TH-GRADE SCHEDULE
CLICK HERE FOR THE 6TH-GRADE SCHEDULE
CLICK HERE FOR MATH PRINCIPLES, MATH 1, AND MATH 2 SCHEDULE
CLICK HERE FOR MATH 3, PRE-CALCULUS, CALCULUS, AND STATISTICS SCHEDULE
Four Ways UC is Helping Families Pay for College
With rising inflation and economic uncertainty, families are taking an especially hard look at the cost of higher education. For many, cost is the deciding factor in where to pursue a degree — or even whether to go to college at all.
But prospective UC students can take heart. Already more than half of California undergraduates get enough grants or scholarships — money that doesn’t need to be paid back — to cover all their system-wide tuition and fees. And UC has just adopted new measures that make paying for college even more manageable.
That includes expanding financial aid to cover more families, keeping tuition stable over the course of a student’s education, and opening new paths for students to graduate debt-free.
Today, 55 percent of California undergraduates have their tuition and fees fully covered through federal, state, and UC-funded financial aid programs and 70 percent get grants and scholarships that cover some portion of the cost.
Now, increases in federal and state funding, as well as contributions from UC’s own coffers, are expanding that support even further.
Read about the four ways in this September 8 article.
Source: UCNOTES@UCOP.edu
Growth Mindset = Knowing that Failing Helps Us Reach Our Goals
Are You Interested in Early Child Development as a Career?
For Our Elementary Set and Their Adults
How about take the family for a virtual tour of your favorite UC?
Virtual tours for all your favorite Univerisity of California Campuses are available for free! Even if you have younger students, this is an excellent opportunity to introduce them to the UC system. Just click on your favorite campus to take a peek.
Taking a Look at the Trades/CTE Pathways
COS Foundation Scholarships
Are you planning to enroll full-time at COS next fall? Then you are going to want to complete the COS Foundation Scholarship Application. The application opens on October 4 and closes on November 21.
All incoming (high school students) without a COS Banner ID will create an account and login on subsequent site visits via Scholarship Manager.
Incoming students who have a COS Banner ID will login via MyGiant.
For more information, contact the Foundation Office at (559) 730-3878 or peightonsi@cos.edu.
UC Application Center
The UC Application provides help and support throughout each of its sections. Applicants can view answers to their commonly asked questions on each page of the application by clicking ‘Help’ on the top navigation bar. Additionally, applicants will see blue ‘i’ icons throughout the application. By clicking on the blue ‘i’ icon, applicants will see a definition, explanation or more context for a question. Lastly, students needing further assistance can contact the UC Application Center via phone or email. The UC Application Center is available, Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. (Pacific Time). Source: UCNOTES@UCOP.edu
It is Officially FAFSA and Dream Act Season!
Starting this fall, the State requires all high school seniors to complete a FAFSA or Dream Act application. These applications help determine grant money, middle-class scholarships, and student loans.
Also, for those who complete the FAFSA/Dream Act but do not qualify for grant money, COS will award the Sequoias Promise. This will cover tuition for those taking 12 or more units.
The high schools will work with seniors to ensure they have access to FAFSA/Dream Act Application Workshops. All FAFSA/Dream Act applications should be launched through your student's CaliforniaColleges.edu account.
The FAFSA/Dream Act is due on March 2nd of the senior year, and the application must be renewed each year while the student attends college. In rare cases, if completing the application proves to be a family hardship, you will be asked to complete an opt-out form.
Stay in Touch
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Past VUSD College & Career Newsletter
Office Phone Number: 559-730-7510