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Posted (edited)

Just curious. :tongue_smilie:

 

Is it because of high OOS tuition? Oversized student body? Different application format? I've been scouring the boards for UC-related discussions but don't seem to find as many.

Edited by quark
  • Like 1
Posted

Maybe it is so easy that nobody has any questions about it? (grin)

:laugh: I didn't realize how much different the application is until I tried a sample one myself last November. No transcripts! :hurray: No course descriptions! :hurray: But also not much space to explain the out of the box learner. :huh:

 

High OOS tuition. Alas.

 

But so much cheaper for those in state! It will be a difference of about $45K a year between a UC and an east coast college DS has been thinking seriously about. That's just too much of a difference for us to ignore. That's why I am a little confused I guess. I know there are CA parents here with DCs in UC, but maybe only a few?

  • Like 2
Posted

Quark, maybe Laura in CA will see this, or you could PM her if not. Her son is a sophomore at UC Berkeley, and his education was "custom made" (mix of dual enrollment, online, and home study classes) instead of following the a-g guidelines for CA (or whatever you guys call them...too tired to check)

 

And yes, UCs were automatically off the table here due to high OOS tuition and no chance of good financial aid.

  • Like 4
Posted

Are you on the hs2coll yahoo group? I swear there's a UC discussion every week :lol:

 

:lol: Yes! I've posted there once or twice but feel too intimidated to do it often. Thanks I'll swing by there more often then.

 

Quark, maybe Laura in CA will see this, or you could PM her if not. Her son is a sophomore at UC Berkeley, and his education was "custom made" (mix of dual enrollment, online, and home study classes) instead of following the a-g guidelines for CA (or whatever you guys call them...too tired to check)

 

And yes, UCs were automatically off the table here due to high OOS tuition and no chance of good financial aid.

 

Thanks Kathy!

Posted

Besides OOS tuition, I'll add a vague perception - not sure how accurate or prevalent this might be - that there may be difficulty finishing in 4 years due to courses filling up or otherwise not being available.

  • Like 4
Posted

I'm curious.  Do other state universities have a similar a-g requirement or are we the only lucky ones?  And should I feel miffed that OOS and Out of Country applicants are exempt from a-g?  

 

I have my head in the sand about the fact that my dd took Geometry at home with AoPS.  My current plan is if dd wants to apply to UC, we'll have her take geometry again her senior year.  

  • Like 1
Posted

We lived very briefly in California.  We are no longer there.  

 

There are really good UC schools, but the OOS tuition is extremely high.  (The OOS tuition supplemental cost is over $20k per year.)

My perception was that the competition for the outstanding UC schools was also very high.  My kids were longshots to be admitted places like Berkeley, and probably wouldn't get merit aid or need aid there.

I don't like hoop jumping, and the A-G requirements and the need to work around them as a homeschooler felt like hoop jumping.

While we were there, I read and heard often that the UC schools were impacted, meaning that students struggled to graduate in 4 years.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 5
Posted

I'm curious.  Do other state universities have a similar a-g requirement or are we the only lucky ones?  And should I feel miffed that OOS and Out of Country applicants are exempt from a-g?  

Nope. Texas public high schools have fairly complex graduation requirements with things called endorsements and honors track requirements, but nothing that the colleges enforce through admissions criteria. If a private school (or a home school) has a different course of study that's rigorous, they don't care. Of course, only public school students can opt for automatic admission based on class rank.

 

I think the UCs have to exempt OOS students from the a-g requirements or they just wouldn't be able to apply. Although, there is a testing route, too, isn't there? If it was too complicated they wouldn't get anyone to pay the OOS tuition.

 

As it is, the in state tuition in Texas is a bargain so we'll definitely encourage Trinqueta to stay in state.

  • Like 2
Posted

I'm curious.  Do other state universities have a similar a-g requirement or are we the only lucky ones?  And should I feel miffed that OOS and Out of Country applicants are exempt from a-g?  

 

I have my head in the sand about the fact that my dd took Geometry at home with AoPS.  My current plan is if dd wants to apply to UC, we'll have her take geometry again her senior year.  

 

There might be other ways to show she has had enough geometry. Have you seen this?

 

DS did geometry online with a tutor but with an a-g approved text although the tutor isn't a-g approved himself. However, I think it would be absolutely crazy to expect him to repeat geometry before he applies. He took a semester's worth of advanced geometry with the same tutor and then went on to take several more geometry-integrated courses at the CC so I'm just waiting to see what will happen if we decide to apply to UCs. :001_unsure: 

 

  • Like 1
Posted

 

I have my head in the sand about the fact that my dd took Geometry at home with AoPS.  My current plan is if dd wants to apply to UC, we'll have her take geometry again her senior year.  

 

 

There might be other ways to show she has had enough geometry. Have you seen this?

 

 

The factsheet that quark linked says this so maybe DE geometry would work. 

 

" College Courses

A student can use a non-transferrable college/university course in Geometry to satisfy the requirement."

 

People probably got scare off UC by the low acceptance rate on the most popular campuses as well as all the threads here complaining about a-g requirements.

  • Like 1
Posted

There might be other ways to show she has had enough geometry. Have you seen this?

 

 

 

Thank you for this.  So this means that I don't need to show any proof of geometry if my kids took it in middle school?  

 

I'm curious now about the "challenge exam!"  

  • Like 1
Posted

Thank you for this.  So this means that I don't need to show any proof of geometry if my kids took it in middle school?  

 

I'm curious now about the "challenge exam!"  

 

I think so. I think the key might be the "one year of geometry" but if AoPS covers one year in an accelerated format I don't understand why that should be a problem. You guys used the book I think right? Might be easier to make the case for it being a year's worth then? The whole thing confuses me, this whole huge pickiness about geometry but we are also not going to bend over backwards to make it purely a-g friendly just for the sake of it.

 

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I appreciate hearing the reasons behind fewer discussions/ perceived interest in UCs on these boards.

Posted

UC's make it more difficult for non-traditional students to apply since you have to meet the a-g requirements or test out of them. Only one UC allows admission via portfolio rather than meeting a-g requirements or having a really, really high SAT score (admission by exam). Even regular high school students are often pushed toward taking undergrad requirements at community college and then transferring to the UC of their choice. Most of the UCs are very full, as are many of the CSU system as well. It's hard to finish in 4 years at any state school.

  • Like 3
Posted

Oh well, today's news

 

"UC Berkeley is projecting a deficit of $150 million this fiscal year — about 6 percent of its operating budget of $2.5 billion. The campus overspent by $109 million last year and by $12 million in the 2013-14 fiscal year, according to campus officials."

 

"In a news conference later, however, Dirks added that “we’re not laying off faculty.†The campus employs roughly 1,600 tenured professors."

 

http://m.sfgate.com/education/article/UC-Berkeley-looking-at-sports-cuts-layoffs-to-6819196.php

  • Like 1
Posted

Well, my oldest will be applying OOS NEXT year to the UC's.  However she's not homeschooled, and while we are out of state, we will be using the GI bill.  Nonetheless, come next fall I will have more information about the process. :-)  We have been following the A-G track since she went to ninth grade in CA and we just figured they were required in or out of state (and it wouldn't have changed her courses much any way).  

 

She is definitely concerned about getting in since her GPA isn't perfect, though her SAT helps a tremendous amount.  But you really have to be almost perfect it seems to get in from OOS.  And how do you say "well, I lived in CA for 6 years and my parents are retiring there NEXT year, so really, I am at heart a Californian?"  It doesn't really fit into the Common App, methinks. :-) 

 

Another bummer is that the GPA is only 10th and 11th grade.  She had a bad first semester (we had just moved cross country!), recovered it second semester, but the damage is done.  

 

Regardless, there are a lot of great schools out there, as I remind her as much as possible.  Some even outside of CA. :-)

  • Like 2
Posted

There was a young woman who graduated from ds's charter school a year after he did who was accepted to UC-Berkeley (OOS). She chose to attend Harvey Mudd because it was less expensive because she got financial aid at Mudd. Nada at Berkeley.

  • Like 2
Posted

Thank you for the new replies. Quick question...when we say college sticker price, we refer to the price advertised on the college's website under the admissions/ tuition links right? Can a family be billed over that sticker price?

 

Right now, I am assuming that since we are in state, we pay the $13K+ or whatever (I think it goes up in 2017/18 though) if DS doesn't live on campus. Does anyone know if a college, not just UC, can bill for higher tuition than what they advertise? I know it's a very basic question. :tongue_smilie: I didn't go to school in the US and this thought suddenly struck me tonight reading some of your replies.

Posted

Well, my oldest will be applying OOS NEXT year to the UC's.  However she's not homeschooled, and while we are out of state, we will be using the GI bill.  Nonetheless, come next fall I will have more information about the process. :-)  We have been following the A-G track since she went to ninth grade in CA and we just figured they were required in or out of state (and it wouldn't have changed her courses much any way).  

 

She is definitely concerned about getting in since her GPA isn't perfect, though her SAT helps a tremendous amount.  But you really have to be almost perfect it seems to get in from OOS.  And how do you say "well, I lived in CA for 6 years and my parents are retiring there NEXT year, so really, I am at heart a Californian?"  It doesn't really fit into the Common App, methinks. :-) 

 

Another bummer is that the GPA is only 10th and 11th grade.  She had a bad first semester (we had just moved cross country!), recovered it second semester, but the damage is done.  

 

Regardless, there are a lot of great schools out there, as I remind her as much as possible.  Some even outside of CA. :-)

 

You probably know this but UC doesn't use the Common App (which is actually a bummer in my book because I have a very beautifully crafted transcript and course descriptions no one will see if we only apply to UCs :glare: ).  And there is very little space in the UC application to explain things BUT bolded might be the perfect experience for her to explain in the personal statement.

 

I think they also count the summer after 9th and 11th. I am quite sure I read that somewhere. Oh yes...here you go (see page 15).

 

Good luck to her!! I hope she gets in to a school she really wants to go to.

 

Posted

Ds just received an acceptance to UC Berkeley, with an invitation to interview for the Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship. I am pretty surprised, because he had some but not all the a-g validated coursework. Also, the UC admissions has seemed unpredictable for the past few years. He did have other factors going for him: high scores on the SAT and 3 SAT Subject tests, rigorous STEM coursework, some AP, some community college, leadership and community service, national level academic awards, robotics competition at international level. Maybe the other things made up for the missing a-g validation. He completed the same required subjects, but not with a-g approved curriculum. We stated clearly on his UC application that he will graduate from our private homeschool, and that we file an annual Private School Affidavit with the CA State Department of Education. (One of the paths to homeschool legally in CA.)

  • Like 13
Posted

Oh well, today's news

 

"UC Berkeley is projecting a deficit of $150 million this fiscal year — about 6 percent of its operating budget of $2.5 billion. The campus overspent by $109 million last year and by $12 million in the 2013-14 fiscal year, according to campus officials."

 

wow 2,5 billion for one campus/college !!

  • Like 1
Posted

You probably know this but UC doesn't use the Common App (which is actually a bummer in my book because I have a very beautifully crafted transcript and course descriptions no one will see if we only apply to UCs :glare: ).  And there is very little space in the UC application to explain things BUT bolded might be the perfect experience for her to explain in the personal statement.

 

I think they also count the summer after 9th and 11th. I am quite sure I read that somewhere. Oh yes...here you go (see page 15).

 

Good luck to her!! I hope she gets in to a school she really wants to go to.

 

You're right - I forgot! Thanks! I guess I lumped them together since they are both seemingly streamlined compared to the individual application process that I went through when applying to colleges.  I definitely need to sit down with her and start investigating the different applications.  

 

And I didn't know about the summers either! She is planning on an internship but maybe we will look into a couple of online classes as well:-) That also was a little surprise at my daughter's school -- an online class is apparently needed to graduate.  Every little bit helps. 

  • Like 1
Posted

Does anyone know if a college, not just UC, can bill for higher tuition than what they advertise?

 

I've never heard of such a thing, at least for tuition.

 

It's possible there could be random fees that weren't mentioned and some of the other costs (e.g. books, food) may be estimates.  But, AFAIK, tuition should be sticker price.  Any financial aid or scholarships, etc. would subtract off the sticker price but that price is where you start.

  • Like 1
Posted

Maybe the other things made up for the missing a-g validation. 

 

I'm beginning to wonder if the only people who actually read the a-g requirements are homeschoolers, and everyone, including admissions committees, ignore them? 

 

And congratulations to your son!  

  • Like 4
Posted
Why so few UC discussions?

 

Idk, my friend in Cal gave me the “ho-hum†when I mentioned UC a few years ago.

Also, since CC is my go-to place for anything college related, I noticed people use the word “impact†a lot when talking about UC. E.g.


Then, there is the grandmother concern about earthquakes and tsunami. 

Personally, Berkeley went into our pile of “selective but $$$ colleges†like Columbia, Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, etc.

 

  • Like 1
Posted

I think the UCs have to exempt OOS students from the a-g requirements or they just wouldn't be able to apply. Although, there is a testing route, too, isn't there? If it was too complicated they wouldn't get anyone to pay the OOS tuition.

 

 

Are OOS applicants really exempt from the a-g requirements?  I'm not really sure what they entail (or what a-g stands for...), other than what I've gleaned here (as, yes, the OOS tuition is really high, not to mention CA being really far away from here ;) ) but dd's ps sent out a list of what I think were a-g requirements for anyone in her high school interested in attending a CA state school, and letting them know so they could make sure they did everything on the list.  I know dd would not have been able to apply based on that list, as she has not taken an arts course in school.  She's had piano lessons since she was 5, and sang in a school chorus, but those I think wouldn't count because they are extracurricular.

 

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Thank you for the new replies. Quick question...when we say college sticker price, we refer to the price advertised on the college's website under the admissions/ tuition links right? Can a family be billed over that sticker price?

 

Right now, I am assuming that since we are in state, we pay the $13K+ or whatever (I think it goes up in 2017/18 though) if DS doesn't live on campus. Does anyone know if a college, not just UC, can bill for higher tuition than what they advertise? I know it's a very basic question. :tongue_smilie: I didn't go to school in the US and this thought suddenly struck me tonight reading some of your replies.

My older ds graduated from UC Berkeley in 2013. He commuted from home for one year. There were other expenses outside of tuition: parking permit, printing fees, studio fees, materials fees, workshop fees, necessary software programs, etc. Estimates for those other fees are stated under books and materials. And in my ds's case for architecture majors, the architecture website stated estimates for the additional studio and materials fees. So you need to look at the total cost of attendance under "student living at home" because it adds up tuition and other expenses. And then look up the website for the major for additional fees. In contrast, my dd attends a private LAC where everything is covered with tuition: books, materials, and printing.

Edited by 3XBlessed
  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Maybe the other things made up for the missing a-g validation. He completed the same required subjects, but not with a-g approved curriculum. We stated clearly on his UC application that he will graduate from our private homeschool, and that we file an annual Private School Affidavit with the CA State Department of Education. (One of the paths to homeschool legally in CA.)

 

Congrats!! And just read that your other DS is alum. May I PM you one of these days (once all my mental fog has cleared up a bit?)? Berkeley is in his sights but not sure if we are shooting for the moon (his SAT scores indicate he is within range...maybe?).

 

ETA: regarding the missing a-g validation...I'm hearing from more and more homeschoolers who were accepted that they are not overly nit-picky about the a-g as long as as a whole, things add up. I think we are actually quite okay where a-g/ rigor etc is concerned. It's the ECs that I worry about.

Edited by quark
  • Like 2
Posted

Yes, quark, feel free to PM me anytime. I'll check my profile to see if I need to set it up to receive PM's. We took a chance with the UC's and had no idea how it would turn out. Still waiting on decisions from other UC campuses. My gamble and hope was that ds's application looked unusual enough that maybe the bureaucratic first reader might pass it on to a higher up for closer review and decision. But I have no idea if that is what happened. And I heard UCB likes students who serve their community in some way.

 

If you live in the SF Bay Area, it's possible we may have crossed paths at some homeschool event or class sometime.

  • Like 1
Posted

 

Also, since CC is my go-to place for anything college related, I noticed people use the word “impact†a lot when talking about UC. E.g.
Then, there is the grandmother concern about earthquakes and tsunami. 
Personally, Berkeley went into our pile of “selective but $$$ colleges†like Columbia, Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, etc.

 

 

Thank you for linking that JoanHomeEd! I should seriously be reading CC and hs2coll more often...they are just such a time suck and hs2coll especially kind of overwhelming. :tongue_smilie: I just feel so much more at home asking here.

 

We are in state and living close to where the San Andreas fault runs so I guess earthquakes are just a reality of living here for us.

 

As a general response, not just to JoanHomeEd...

 

UCs make the most sense financially for our in-state family and it also has a history of accepting younger students so unlike what I have heard will happen at some other unis, I don't have to worry too much about DS being rejected based on age alone.

 

I am honestly curious about the following...

  1. I am wondering if he is accepted, if they will count his transferable CC credits and if they do, then does that give him a leg up a bit and I don't know if he will be affected as much as the majority of students re impacted classes, especially since he would have completed lower div requirements in his major before he starts.
  2. He is currently DE-ing an honors math section at a UC. It is supposed to have space for 35 students but only 16-17 are enrolled. So wouldn't that mean there is still space in the courses? But I think not all the required courses for his major have honors sections so that's something to think about too.
  3. If courses are terribly impacted I suppose it would affect research opportunities too? If so, does it just make more sense for him to apply as a transfer student? It is only a matter of switching out a couple of courses in his senior year course plan for him to apply as a transfer instead.
Posted

Congrats!! And just read that your other DS is alum. May I PM you one of these days (once all my mental fog has cleared up a bit?)? Berkeley is in his sights but not sure if we are shooting for the moon (his SAT scores indicate he is within range...maybe?).

 

ETA: regarding the missing a-g validation...I'm hearing from more and more homeschoolers who were accepted that they are not overly nit-picky about the a-g as long as as a whole, things add up. I think we are actually quite okay where a-g/ rigor etc is concerned. It's the ECs that I worry about.

I wonder how many homeschool candidates satisfied the eligibility by examination requirements, perhaps even unwittingly. That route requires high test scores, but such scores aren't unusual for successful UC applicants.

  • Like 1
Posted

I wonder how many homeschool candidates satisfied the eligibility by examination requirements, perhaps even unwittingly. That route requires high test scores, but such scores aren't unusual for successful UC applicants.

 

I think DS would qualify that way too. Boy do I wish for that crystal ball!

 

Posted

I wonder how many homeschool candidates satisfied the eligibility by examination requirements, perhaps even unwittingly. That route requires high test scores, but such scores aren't unusual for successful UC applicants.

 

I thought about that. I also suspect that a student who applies with those minimum required SAT scores and DE C's in transferable courses has about 0 chance of getting accepted to most of the campuses.

  • Like 1
Posted

I thought about that. I also suspect that a student who applies with those minimum required SAT scores and DE C's in transferable courses has about 0 chance of getting accepted to most of the campuses.

 

I agree about the required SAT scores. I think those are the very, very minimum and probably not really what they want to see, or at least at the more selective UCs. Just another data point. DS and I attended a UC admissions talk one time (very easy to schedule, the one near us has at least a couple of these scheduled per week and you can just book online or go to their admissions to reserve a spot). They mentioned to never underestimate the power of a very well written personal statement. Makes me think they really do want to assess a student holistically. But still, they are inundated with applications every year so scores are probably still that first round of gate-keeping, unless there is something else that really stands out in some way?

 

Posted

But still, they are inundated with applications every year so scores are probably still that first round of gate-keeping, unless there is something else that really stands out in some way?

 

For any online app whether for college or job, the filters for minimum are easily set.

 

My ex-boss filtered by awards and extra curricular activities once the minimum academic qualifications that the vacant position requires are met. Leaving both awards and extra curricular activities blank would be a direct elimination the way he pick shortlisted candidates.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

I think these changes help homeschoolers because it looks more flexible than the rigid a-g coursework.

 

http://academic-senate.berkeley.edu/committees/AEPE

Won't this make it just as rigid? I didn't see any mention of a-g requirements being drop. Maybe we interpret differently.

 

"4. The admissions process will select only those students whose academic preparation suggests a strong likelihood that they will graduate."

 

"Consideration will be given to completion of courses beyond the University of California’s minimum coursework requirement"

 

ETA:

I am confused whether "University of California’s minimum coursework requirement" means a-g would still have to be satisfied by in state applicants.

Edited by Arcadia
  • Like 1
Posted

I think they used to have a numerical point system formula for admissions. It looks like they have moved away from that to a more holistic review. They have not dropped a-g requirements, but my interpretation is other factors will be considered. I think they have been doing this already in recent years but it is nice to know it is now a published policy, and not just an admission by exception.

  • Like 1
Posted

When our oldest was applying to college in 2008 I read a lot of news stories relating the financial troubles of the UC system.  Those, combined with the extra hoop-jumping required, high oos tuition, the distance (we're East coasters), and the top notch colleges in our state left us feeling that the UCs were skippable.

  • Like 2
Posted

I've never heard of such a thing, at least for tuition.

 

It's possible there could be random fees that weren't mentioned and some of the other costs (e.g. books, food) may be estimates. But, AFAIK, tuition should be sticker price. Any financial aid or scholarships, etc. would subtract off the sticker price but that price is where you start.

Just realized I forgot to thank you for this! Thanks wapiti!

Posted (edited)

For those of you with students planning to apply to UC in the future, I just remembered that the UC Freshman Admissions website had instructions specific to Home-schooled students. See the link.

 

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/homeschool/index.html

 

I remember that we did follow those instructions. I forgot until now because the whole application process was really burning me out the last few months. It was one deadline after another at the time.

 

UC applications do not accept homeschool profiles, counselor letters, or course descriptions. Ds added under the optional additional comments, a brief essay explaining how he homeschooled and the benefits he received from his out-of-the-box education.

Edit: We did not choose to do GED or CHESPE exams.

Edited by 3XBlessed
  • Like 1
Posted

UC applications do not accept homeschool profiles, counselor letters, or course descriptions. Ds added under the optional additional comments, a brief essay explaining how he homeschooled and the benefits he received from his out-of-the-box education.

 

Thank you for sharing! Is it too repetitive to write about homeschooling in the personal statement as well?

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