The University of California at San Diego will allow international students to participate in the Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG) program for the Fall 2011 admissions cycle. Click the link below for details:
http://www.ucsd.edu/prospective-students/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/transfer/tag.html
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
AP (Advanced Placement) Exams
Some students have expressed an interest in taking AP exams for U.S. college credit or to fulfill transfer or graduation requirements. Here is a link to the College Board's AP website with information on how to take an AP exam:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/reg.html
If you are interested in taking an AP exam, please contact the College Board for more information.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/reg.html
If you are interested in taking an AP exam, please contact the College Board for more information.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Who do I work for?
Many international students are understandably quite interested in the University of California system, and especially in the UC Berkeley and UCLA campuses. Those are world-renowned institutions with many highly recognized and regarded programs.
However, international students attending or planning to attend DVC need to understand that my primary role at DVC is to help students understand the MINIMUM requirements involved for transferring from DVC to a CSU or UC campus. I often get questions from students about UC statistics and practices that I am simply unable to answer because I do not work for the UC system.
There are, though, websites that students can access to find some of the answers to their questions. Here are a few of the UC-related websites I commonly refer students to:
1. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu is the UC system portal to the world. At this website students can learn about the various UC campuses, their programs, and even apply online.
2. http://statfinder.ucop.edu is a website from the University of California Office of the Chancellor. Here students can run customized tables showing various statistics for the UC campuses, including admissions rates and average GPA's for newly admitted students from the California community colleges.
3. http://www.assist.org is the website that students and counselors use to determine which courses a student should take to transfer into a particular program in a CSU or UC campus. It is also useful for exploring the majors offered in the CSU and UC systems.
4. http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/transfer-center/reps-visit.htm#UC is a link to the DVC Transfer Center's schedule of representatives visiting the DVC campus from various universities, including UC Berkeley. The BEST source of information about a particular UC campus is a person who actually works at that campus. Students currently attending DVC are welcome to meet with these representatives to find out more about transferring to that UC campus.
One final thought to share: Students have the mistaken notion that there is some sort of "secret formula" to follow to get admitted to a selective UC campus. The fact is that the admissions process is a highly subjective process that examines not only quantifiable data, such as GPA and course completion, but also qualitative information such as a student's background, the student's extracurricular experiences (e.g. leadership experience and community service), employment history, and more. There is no counselor anywhere who can accurately predict a student's chances for being admitted to a selective campus or program. The best advice we can give students is to get as high a GPA as possible, get involved in extracurricular activities that are driven by the student's passion and not by whether or not the student believes that is what the selective campus is looking for, and to tell their own story in the application's personal statement. And the final piece of advice? Don't take rejection from a selective UC campus personally. It does not mean that you are not a good student; it simply means that the UC campus was not able to admit you at that particular time. Consider that many famous and successful people in the world did NOT attend UC Berkeley or UCLA, nor any other "famous" or "selective" campus, yet they are leading happy and productive lives. You can, too, because happiness and success are relative terms that are mainly the products of one's personal choices.
However, international students attending or planning to attend DVC need to understand that my primary role at DVC is to help students understand the MINIMUM requirements involved for transferring from DVC to a CSU or UC campus. I often get questions from students about UC statistics and practices that I am simply unable to answer because I do not work for the UC system.
There are, though, websites that students can access to find some of the answers to their questions. Here are a few of the UC-related websites I commonly refer students to:
1. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu is the UC system portal to the world. At this website students can learn about the various UC campuses, their programs, and even apply online.
2. http://statfinder.ucop.edu is a website from the University of California Office of the Chancellor. Here students can run customized tables showing various statistics for the UC campuses, including admissions rates and average GPA's for newly admitted students from the California community colleges.
3. http://www.assist.org is the website that students and counselors use to determine which courses a student should take to transfer into a particular program in a CSU or UC campus. It is also useful for exploring the majors offered in the CSU and UC systems.
4. http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/transfer-center/reps-visit.htm#UC is a link to the DVC Transfer Center's schedule of representatives visiting the DVC campus from various universities, including UC Berkeley. The BEST source of information about a particular UC campus is a person who actually works at that campus. Students currently attending DVC are welcome to meet with these representatives to find out more about transferring to that UC campus.
One final thought to share: Students have the mistaken notion that there is some sort of "secret formula" to follow to get admitted to a selective UC campus. The fact is that the admissions process is a highly subjective process that examines not only quantifiable data, such as GPA and course completion, but also qualitative information such as a student's background, the student's extracurricular experiences (e.g. leadership experience and community service), employment history, and more. There is no counselor anywhere who can accurately predict a student's chances for being admitted to a selective campus or program. The best advice we can give students is to get as high a GPA as possible, get involved in extracurricular activities that are driven by the student's passion and not by whether or not the student believes that is what the selective campus is looking for, and to tell their own story in the application's personal statement. And the final piece of advice? Don't take rejection from a selective UC campus personally. It does not mean that you are not a good student; it simply means that the UC campus was not able to admit you at that particular time. Consider that many famous and successful people in the world did NOT attend UC Berkeley or UCLA, nor any other "famous" or "selective" campus, yet they are leading happy and productive lives. You can, too, because happiness and success are relative terms that are mainly the products of one's personal choices.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Read This Article from the New York Times!!!
Here is an excellent article about some colleges and universities in the U.S. that offer excellent educational opportunities for students despite being "off the beaten path."
http://www.sou.edu/marketing/nyt073006.pdf
Competition to the "brand-name" colleges and universities is getting fiercer and fiercer, so students should consider other alternatives such as the colleges and universities mentioned in this article.
http://www.sou.edu/marketing/nyt073006.pdf
Competition to the "brand-name" colleges and universities is getting fiercer and fiercer, so students should consider other alternatives such as the colleges and universities mentioned in this article.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
An English Usage Lesson
Young people everywhere like to use slang terms that their peers use. However, not all English slang terms are appropriate for all situations. In fact, some terms are insensitive and disparaging. To demonstrate that you are an educated, culturally-sensitive person, avoid using the following terms in your everyday speech:
"That's so lame!" The word "lame" originally referred to a person who was not able to walk. Although the word is not commonly used these days to refer to a person who has a mobility impairment, some who do have such a disability might be hurt or offended by this phrase. Use a more neutral phrase, such as "That's ridiculous!" to describe something that does not meet your approval or standards.
"That's dumb!" Like the word "lame," the word "dumb" used to refer to a person who could not speak. English speakers do not usually use this word anymore to refer to a person with a speech impediment, but a person with a speech impairment might be offended by this phrase. Again, use a more neutral phrase.
"That's so gay!" Unfortunately there are still many people in today's society who are unable to accept gay and lesbian people as equal members of our culture, despite the fact that medical, psychological, and sociological research indicates that sexual orientation is a natural variation of the human condition. Whatever one's opinion on this topic, it is never acceptable to disparage another group of people based on their natural characteristics.
"Cry/Scream/Throw a ball like a little girl." Using this phrase indicates that you think little girls are incapable of controlling their emotions or playing sports effectively. In fact, there are many very capable female athletes, and little boys are just as likely to cry or scream as little girls. While researchers debate the extent of the influence of biology on behavior, choose phrases that are sensitive to the feelings of people who are different from you.
"Man up" or "Grow a Pair of __." In many cases it seems like the pendulum has swung the opposite direction, and now it is common to disparage men in our language. Men can suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental/emotional disorders as much as women, yet we often criticize a man who seems hesitant, fearful, or anxious, making him out to be effeminate or emasculated. This is terribly unfair to the man, as we have no right to judge the internal life of that individual. Instead of extending criticism, why not just ask the man, "Why are you thinking or feeling this way?" His answer will help you understand him, and it might help him work through some of his issues in a healthy way.
Put yourself in the other person's shoes: You wouldn't like it if people went around saying "That's so Korean," or "Don't be an Indonesian" or "You act like a Chinese" would you? The world would be a much better place if we would just treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves. That's a big, big change for the world to make, but change starts with the individual.
"That's so lame!" The word "lame" originally referred to a person who was not able to walk. Although the word is not commonly used these days to refer to a person who has a mobility impairment, some who do have such a disability might be hurt or offended by this phrase. Use a more neutral phrase, such as "That's ridiculous!" to describe something that does not meet your approval or standards.
"That's dumb!" Like the word "lame," the word "dumb" used to refer to a person who could not speak. English speakers do not usually use this word anymore to refer to a person with a speech impediment, but a person with a speech impairment might be offended by this phrase. Again, use a more neutral phrase.
"That's so gay!" Unfortunately there are still many people in today's society who are unable to accept gay and lesbian people as equal members of our culture, despite the fact that medical, psychological, and sociological research indicates that sexual orientation is a natural variation of the human condition. Whatever one's opinion on this topic, it is never acceptable to disparage another group of people based on their natural characteristics.
"Cry/Scream/Throw a ball like a little girl." Using this phrase indicates that you think little girls are incapable of controlling their emotions or playing sports effectively. In fact, there are many very capable female athletes, and little boys are just as likely to cry or scream as little girls. While researchers debate the extent of the influence of biology on behavior, choose phrases that are sensitive to the feelings of people who are different from you.
"Man up" or "Grow a Pair of __." In many cases it seems like the pendulum has swung the opposite direction, and now it is common to disparage men in our language. Men can suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental/emotional disorders as much as women, yet we often criticize a man who seems hesitant, fearful, or anxious, making him out to be effeminate or emasculated. This is terribly unfair to the man, as we have no right to judge the internal life of that individual. Instead of extending criticism, why not just ask the man, "Why are you thinking or feeling this way?" His answer will help you understand him, and it might help him work through some of his issues in a healthy way.
Put yourself in the other person's shoes: You wouldn't like it if people went around saying "That's so Korean," or "Don't be an Indonesian" or "You act like a Chinese" would you? The world would be a much better place if we would just treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves. That's a big, big change for the world to make, but change starts with the individual.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Is college right for you?
Earning a college degree isn't easy. It requires motivation, effective time management, good study habits, social and financial support, and more. Many students begin their college years with struggles. It is common for first-year students to make grades in college that are much lower than the grades they received in high school. This doesn't mean that college isn't the right choice for them, but it might mean that it might not be the right time for them to be attending college.
There is a lot of social pressure from family, peers, and culture to attend college immediately after high school and receive a college degree within four years of study. This is an outdated mode of thinking. Today's college students have to juggle commitments in addition to those required by college, and earning a college degree is simply more complicated than it was in the past. The average age of undergraduate students in the U.S. is around 26, and the average college student in the U.S. takes about 6.5 years to complete a bachelor's degree. If your parents attended college, they probably had a much different experience from the one that most college students today have.
If you are struggling academically in college, ask yourself these difficult questions:
1. Do I really want to be in college right now?
2. If I weren't in college, what would I be doing?
3. What motivated me to attend college in the first place (family, self, etc.)?
4. Am I struggling in just one or two areas academically, or in all sorts of classes?
5. What's going on in my life outside of college that might be affecting my performance in classes?
6. How do I spend my time each day, and why do I spend it that way?
You should talk to a counselor if you feel that now might not be the right time for you to be in college, or if you want to be in college but are struggling academically. A counselor can help you connect with various campus resources to help you be a successful student, such as tutoring or disability services. The counselor can also coach you on how to have a conversation with your family if you feel that you do not want to be in college at this time in your life.
There is a lot of social pressure from family, peers, and culture to attend college immediately after high school and receive a college degree within four years of study. This is an outdated mode of thinking. Today's college students have to juggle commitments in addition to those required by college, and earning a college degree is simply more complicated than it was in the past. The average age of undergraduate students in the U.S. is around 26, and the average college student in the U.S. takes about 6.5 years to complete a bachelor's degree. If your parents attended college, they probably had a much different experience from the one that most college students today have.
If you are struggling academically in college, ask yourself these difficult questions:
1. Do I really want to be in college right now?
2. If I weren't in college, what would I be doing?
3. What motivated me to attend college in the first place (family, self, etc.)?
4. Am I struggling in just one or two areas academically, or in all sorts of classes?
5. What's going on in my life outside of college that might be affecting my performance in classes?
6. How do I spend my time each day, and why do I spend it that way?
You should talk to a counselor if you feel that now might not be the right time for you to be in college, or if you want to be in college but are struggling academically. A counselor can help you connect with various campus resources to help you be a successful student, such as tutoring or disability services. The counselor can also coach you on how to have a conversation with your family if you feel that you do not want to be in college at this time in your life.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Scholarships Website
I recently learned about this website for searching for scholarships and other university-related information: www.zinch.com I don't know much about it, but from a first glance, it looks OK. If you check it out and find something you don't understand, or if you think it's not legitimate, let me know: misham@dvc.edu
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