Post-workshop Q&A, August 6, 2013

          Thanks to all of the students who stayed for today’s academic workshop after the immigration check-in session. There were only a few questions submitted today.

Q. Is 15 units too much for an international student to take in one semester?

A. Think of it this way: If you’re taking 15 units, you will be spending about 15 hours per week in class. Factor in two hours of study time for each hour spent in class each week, and now you’re spending 45 hours per week on your classes. Some of your classes might require more study time. Also, if you are new to DVC and the USA, you will be adjusting to the English language, US culture, life in Pleasant Hill, and so on. Ultimately it is your personal decision you know yourself and your capabilities best.

Q. How can I get my textbooks for my classes?

A. The easiest way is to visit the DVC Book Center, next to the Student Services Center and behind the cafeteria. Show an employee your class schedule, and he or she can help you get your books. You can also use their website to look up your textbook information: http://www.bookcenter.dvc.edu/. You can take your books back to the Book Center at the end of the semester and see if you can sell them back for a partial refund.

          If you know which books you need, and if you have time, you can order your books online through a website such as www.amazon.com or www.textbooks.com. Be careful, though, to order the correct edition of the textbook.

Q. I want to transfer to UC Berkeley. How can I know which DVC classes to take for the major I want to study there, and how do I know if that major will accept IGETC or not?

A. You can find all that information on www.assist.org. If you already know what major you want to study, then follow these steps:

1. Select “Diablo Valley College” from the drop-down menu on the first page.

2. On the next page, select “University of California Berkeley” from the second drop-down menu.

3. On the third drop-down menu, select the major you want to study.

4. Read the resulting report very carefully. It will explain whether or not that major accepts IGETC in fulfillment of general education requirements. It will also tell you which DVC classes to take to prepare for that major. The DVC courses will be the ones on the right side of the page; the equivalent UCB courses will be on the left.

          If you need help learning how to use the Assist website, see this page: http://web1.assist.org/web-assist/help/help-using_assist.html.

          You can access an IGETC handout from the DVC Counseling website. See yesterday’s post for more details.

Post-workshop Q&A, August 5, 2013

          Thanks to all of the great students who attended today’s academic workshop following the immigration check-in session. Here are some questions and answers that some of you had. I’ve consolidated some of the questions because a few of them were similar.

Q. Is English assessment mandatory? How many times can I take the English assessment?

A. You do not have to have an English assessment score in order to enroll in ENGL-116 or ENGL-118 or lower-numbered English or ESL courses. However, if you enroll in ENGL-116 and/or ENGL-118 and you are not qualified to be at that level, the instructor might ask you to drop the class and give up your seat to a student who is qualified for that level. So, it’s best to take the English assessment and abide by its recommendations for course placement. You can take the English assessment only twice during your studies at DVC. If you qualify for ENGL-122 in one area (e.g. Reading) but not the other area (i.e. Writing), you may take only the Writing portion of the assessment again.

When you are registering for a course, be sure to read its course description very carefully. For example, some English courses are part of certain programs (such as Umoja or Puente) and are open only to students participating in those programs, thus you will not be able to enroll in those courses.

Q. What subjects does IGETC cover?

A. I’m assuming you mean, what subjects count for IGETC? That can be easily known from the IGETC handout, available on the Counseling Center’s website: http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/counseling/12-13%20IGETC%2010-3-2012.pdf.

The IGETC FAQs handout is very useful in helping you understand IGETC requirements and issues: http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/counseling/FAQ%20for%20IGETC.pdf.

If you mean, which majors will use IGETC, you can find that information when you look up your UC or CSU campus and major in www.assist.org. In general, any major except Engineering, Computer Science, and Natural Sciences (e.g. Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, etc.) at any CSU or UC campus, and Business Administration at UCB, will accept IGETC.

          Remember, the Assist website also indicates which DVC classes are CSU- and UC-transferable. If a class is not on the Assist website, it is not transferable.

Q. What is the minimum number of units I must take at DVC each semester? And if I took a DVC class this summer, is Summer or Fall my first semester at DVC?

A. You must enroll in at least 12 units each Fall or Spring semester per Department of Homeland Security rules. At least 6 of those units must be at DVC (Pleasant Hill and/or San Ramon campus; it doesn’t matter). The other 6 or more can be at Los Medanos College or Contra Costa College. You do not need to get permission from the International Office (ISAS) because your enrollment will show in Web Advisor. You can take units at a college outside of the Contra Costa Community College District, but you must get permission from ISAS first. Their office is on the second floor of the Student Services Building.

          NOTE: If you do  not have your own car or access to a car and driver, I strongly discourage you from taking classes at more than one campus. It can take a VERY long time to travel from DVC to another campus via bus and BART.

          Your first semester at DVC is the first time you took a DVC class; that’s what your transcript will indicate. However, you might have a different start term on your I-20, which is separate from your academic history (transcript). It doesn’t matter, but if you have any concerns, see Gloria or Renee in the ISAS office.

Q. I got a diploma from a foreign university. Can I transfer the credits to DVC and use them here? Also, some of my grades in my university in my country were bad. How can I deal with that?

A. If you have units from a foreign university and your goal is to earn a DVC certificate or associate’s degree, and if you want to use some of those foreign units at DVC, you must get an official evaluation from a private agency. Visit www.naces.org and search the providers there. Ask for a detailed, course-by-course evaluation, and ask the provider to send it directly to DVC.

          If you plan on transferring to a university from DVC to earn another bachelor’s degree, you need to confirm whether or not the university you plan on transferring to accepts students seeking a second bachelor’s degree. For example, at this time the UC system does not accept applications from students seeking a second bachelor’s degree.

          In any case, understand that a university might make a different decision about your foreign coursework than DVC does, so you need to speak with a representative of that university to discuss how they accept and apply foreign units toward their programs.

          If you have bad marks on your transcript, no matter where you earned those marks (either in the US or in another country), you CANNOT erase bad grades. You MUST submit your records and show ALL of your grades from ALL colleges and universities you have attended in the US and abroad. If the university denies your application, you do have the right to submit an appeal to that decision. See the university’s website for details on appealing a denied application.

Important message about emails during the summer months

This post concerns emails received from May 24 through August 16, 2013. Please read it carefully:

If you are a new international student submitting an orientation assignment, you will receive a response. Please be patient and allow a minimum of seven working days for me to respond to your orientation assignment. To insure that you do receive a response, you must follow the directions for submitting your assignment exactly as indicated on the orientation assignment PDF document.

I will not be able to respond to other student emails received between the dates named above. If you have academic planning questions, please see our FAQs page: http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/counseling/counselingfaq.htm;  my presentations http://www.authorstream.com/tag/misham; or contact the DVC Counseling Center to see if counselors are available to see you: http://www.dvc.edu/org/departments/counseling/ Also, refer to previous emails you have received from me or from International Student Admissions and Services that contain valuable information.

You may contact the International Student Admissions and Services office if you have questions about international admissions, your I-20, student fees (including health insurance), housing, technology issues with the DVC InSite Portal or Web Advisor, or other topics that do not concern your academic planning. Their email is isas@dvc.edu.

If you are a DVC colleague, I will respond to your email as soon as I am able.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding. Have a fantastic summer!

Mark Isham, Faculty

Counseling/International Student Services

UC Berkeley Admissions Website

UC Berkeley has recently published a useful and interactive website for prospective students:

http://admissions.berkeley.edu/

Fall 2013 UC Application Integrity

The Fall 2013 UC application for transfer admissions is now available. The submission period is November 1 through 30. As you begin to work on your application, I would like to remind you that ALL information you provide in the application MUST be complete, true, and your own work. Here is the statement provided on the UC application website:

Application Integrity Statement:


The UC application now includes additional language for students to acknowledge the integrity of their application prior to submission. UC would like to remind applicants that all information must be complete, accurate and their own work. Failure to submit accurate information will jeopardize consideration for admission to UC for the current or any future terms. Students found to have falsified application information will be subject to penalties. To see the full statement, please visit our website: https://admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu/docs/StatementOfIntegrity.pdf

Some students have asked me, "But how will they know?" The question is not whether they know or not. The fact is, YOU will know if you provide false or incomplete information, and you will know that you have lied on your application. No future employer will want to hire a liar. Whatever your personal belief system is, know that wrong actions WILL come back to haunt you in some form or fashion. So be completely honest on your application; provide ALL of your academic history, and write your OWN personal statement. Don't "inflate" your awards, honors, accomplishments, or community service/work experience. Just be your best self.

Cal Summer Experience 2012

The Cal Summer Experience-June 24-26, 2012 is a college prep program scheduled for three days and two nights stay on the Berkeley campus.

The Cal Summer Experience hosts (40) prospective transfer applicant and provides admissions sessions, lectures, Personal Statement writing workshops, application filing assistance, transcript evaluations, and a campus tour!

Selected participants will have current Berkeley students as resident advisors and will be able to interact and socialize with other students from all over the country.

Please visit the link below to complete the application and supporting documents which are due by April 16, 2012. If you have any questions or need more information please feel free to contact ouareservations@berkeley.edu.

http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/general.asp?id=5535

Important Update from CSU about Spring 2013 Admissions

If you were planning on transferring to a CSU campus for Spring 2013, please read this important announcement from the CSU Chancellor's office:

http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_20207586/csu-closes-admission-spring-2013#.T2eprHqYVkk.email

You may need to make a counseling appointment to revise your academic plan if this affects your transfer date. Contact the Counseling Center to make an appointment: 925-685-1230, ext. 2276 or 2278.