Palo Alto High School

College and Career Center

Phone Contact – C&CC Reception desk (650) 329-3818

Paly Link – Primary Resource for C&CC new announcements and updates

Paly Family Connection – Web-based college exploration and planning tool (from Naviance). If users have misplaced logon information distributed during Advisory, please contact Ms. Cernobori, College Advisor.

Events – New Resource for C&CC new announcements and updates. To access the Paly announcements, you can either logon using your Naviance/Paly Family Connection account password or click the 'Enter as Guest' button.

2009 PAUSD college fair – held Monday evening 6:30-9:00 pm on 12 October in the Paly gyms

Palo Alto High School

• School profile – overview of Paly: academics, activities, student population, and contact information; used by college admissions to compare high schools
• Grading key – explanations for notation on Paly grade transcripts
• Graduation requirements – list of courses, subjects and semester credits required for graduation from Paly
• UC approved Paly courses list – list of Paly course titles that meet University of California admission requirements

C&C Center

• Overview of the center – what is here and what goes on
• Staff contact list – Paly directory
• About our staff members – in brief: who does what
• Events and announcements – updates and supplemental information as needed
• Reference materials – available for students and parents to check out from the C&CC
• Viking College and Career Planning Guide – a primary resource; revised in April

College Planning

• Paly catalog of courses – list of all classes offered at Paly; revised in March
• Paly teacher advisors list – list revised in April
• Standardized tests for college entrance – overview about preparing for and taking standardized tests
• How to calculate GPA for CSU/UC – grade point average calculation for students planning to apply to Cal State U and University of California college campuses
• Paly Family Connection – online college and career planning (from Naviance) pilot program for the class of 2009; logon information distributed during Advisory; for misplaced login please contact Ms. Cernobori, College Advisor; you can either Sign In using your login or Enter As Guest, then click the hyperlink topics under About College in the navigation list at left.

For Sophomores

• Sophomore parent night presentation – to prepare parents for the sophomore year ahead

For Juniors

• Junior to do calendar – monthly student tasks for junior year
• Junior parent night presentation – to prepare parents for the junior year ahead
• Junior TA parent night presentation – teacher advisor presentation for parents of juniors
• Post high school planning forms – required prior to making an appointment in the C&CC
• UC ELC program – early consideration by University of California for high achieving juniors; updated in April
• UC ELC authorization – form required prior to sending transcript to UC ELC program

For Seniors

• Senior to do calendar – monthly student tasks for senior year
• Senior parent night presentation – to prepare parents for the senior year ahead
• Senior profile forms – to be completed by students, peers, parents and teacher advisors
• Paly deadlines for college applications – Paly deadlines are earlier to make sure student records get to colleges before their deadlines; updated late September

Choosing a College or University

• About Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) – information to help you decide whether one of these options would be right for you
• College admission process - rights and responsibilities – what to ask, what to expect, and what to do
• College search tools – web sites to help with choosing a college
• California community colleges
• California universities and colleges
• U.S. public and private universities, colleges, and community colleges
• Military academies, colleges, and universities
• Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program – out-of-state 2- and 4-year colleges offering reduced tuition
• Information and strategies for college-bound athletes – information from presentations at NACAC conferences and Naviance member networks
• NCAA resources for ollege-bound athletes – links to NCAA Clearinghouse resources, initial eligibility at NCAA Division I and II colleges and universities
• Learning disabilities resources – for college bound students
• Visiting a college campus – tips about what to do before, during, and after visiting a college or university campus

College Visits to Paly

• College visits, fairs, and events schedule – on Paly Family Connection (Naviance) updated weekly beginning in September; use your login or visit as guest
• Admit to class form – requires teacher signature giving permission for student to attend during class time

College Fair

• About the PAUSD college fair – held annually on an October evening at Paly or Gunn
• About the financial aid workshop – presented on-site during the college fair
• Colleges attending the fair – updated late September
• Making the most of a college fair – how to prepare and what to do while there

College Application

• College applications summary – for U.S. and CA public and private universities and colleges, and CA community colleges; updated late September
• Paly deadlines for college applications – Paly deadlines are earlier to make sure student records get to colleges before their deadlines; updated late September
• Common application – a standard form accepted by many four year colleges: check college web sites
• Unified application for music and performing arts schools – an online form accepted by unified member schools listed on the site
• Black college common application – an online application delivered by EDU, Inc. to all 33 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) member institutions
• Transcript request – form required for obtaining official Paly grade records

University of California

• Entrance requirements for University of California (UC) – list of high school subjects and number of units required by UC; good resource for preparing for most colleges and universities
• UC changes to freshman eligibility – entrance requirements that take effect for the high school graduating class of 2012
• UC campus policies and procedures – how different UC campuses evaluate applicants based on ELC status, declared, undeclared, or alternate major
• UC StatFinder – a new interactive website providing public access to detailed data on undergraduate admissions and enrollment at UC
• UC approved Paly courses list – list of Paly course titles that meet UC admission requirements
• GPA calculation for UC – instructions for high school grade point average calculation for UC application
• Tips for completing the UC application online – guidance for filling out the UC online application
• Tutorial information – the UC personal statement – guidance for preparing a well written essay
• Personal essay worksheet – planning the UC personal statement
• UC online application – the online form to fill out and submit over the web to UC
• UC online topics and resources – information about UC campuses for parents, high school students, and college applicants
• UC ELC program – early consideration for high achieving juniors; updated in April
• UC ELC authorization – form required prior to sending transcript to UC ELC program
• EOP – Educational Opportunity Program for first-generation college students applying to a UC campus

Cal State University

• Course requirements for California State University (CSU) – list of high school subjects and number of units required by CSU
• CSU Early Assessment Program (EAP) – college math and English readiness based on 11th grade Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results
• Tips for completing the CSU application online – guidance for filling out the CSU online application
• CSU online application – the online form to fill out and submit over the web to CSU
• CSU online topics and resources – information about CSU campuses for parents, high school students, and college applicants
• CSU mentor tutorials – slide presentations to download covering assessment, planning, preparation, and online application to CSU
• GPA calculation for CSU – instructions for high school grade point average calculation for CSU application
• EOP – Educational Opportunity Program for first-generation college students applying to a CSU campus

California Community Colleges

• Community college benefits – six benefits of this college path
• Career guide – find degree programs offered by the 26 San Francisco Bay Area community colleges
• Community college online application – a standard form accepted by all community colleges in California
• EOP – Educational Opportunity Program for first-generation college students applying to a CCC campus

College Essay

• College application and essays presentation – overview and information about preparing a personal essay
• Personal essay tips – find answers to 22 frequently asked questions about college application essays
• Tutorial information – the UC personal statement – guidance for preparing a well written essay
• Personal essay worksheet - planning the UC personal statement

College Interview

• College inerview basics – reasons to interview, types of interviews, interview lengths, how to be your own advocate, and what not to do
• Practice interviews – what to expect, the importance of being prepared and relaxed, staying cool when dealing with the unexpected
• Interview checklist – getting prepared by checking for items on your list before, during, and after the interview

Scholarships and Financial Aid

• Scholarship opportunities list – on Paly Family Connection (Naviance) updated weekly beginning in September; use your login or visit as guest
• Scholarship resources – where to look for scholarships
• Scholarship and financial aid presentation – presented to Advisory classes in December
• Financial aid – a brief overview
• Basics of Borrowing Money for College – National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) online webinar presentation
• EOP – Educational Opportunity Program for first-generation college students
• FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid, information and form
• CalGrants – application form for college funding offered by the state of California; for 2010, students must submit the form to Paly Guidance Department by February 22)
• CSS Profile – College Scolarship Search (CSS)/Financial Aid Profile, a secure online service of CollegeBoard.com for students to provide financial data reports to schools
• Community scholarship application (doc) – revised in December; (pdf is also available)
• Community scholarship FAFSA SAR – Student Aid Report examples of acceptable Expected Family Contribution (EFC) documentation; revised in December
• Community scholarship letter to parents – revised in December
• NCAA scholarship eligibility – information about initial eligibility at NCAA Division I and II colleges and universities

Career Planning

• Career exploration – online tool for assessing areas of interest, college courses, and colleges offering degrees toward your chosen career
• Career guide – find degree programs offered by the 26 San Francisco Bay Area community colleges

Work Experience

• Exploratory experience class – class description
• Work experience class – outline of class topics
• Work permit applications – all employers of high school students are required by law to have on file a copy of your permit
• Jobs and Internships – current local opportunities for high school students
• Summer Work Permits – even during summertime all employers of high school students are required by law to have on file a copy of your permit
• Regional Occupational Program (ROP) – skill training and employment for disabled students and out-of-school youth and adults in Santa Clara County

Community Service

• Community service opportunities – find listings and information about volunteer positions and projects
• Volunteering during summer – local volunteer opportunities available during June, July, and August
• Community service instructions – how to keep track of community service hours
• Community service verification form – to record time spent doing community service
• Presidential Service Award application – to apply for recognition of 100 hours of annual community service

Summer and Other Post-High School Choices

• Alternatives after high school graduation – for options other than going directly to a four year college
• Summer enrichment programs – check for enrichment programs offered overseas, at U.S. high schools and colleges, and by special interest organizations on Paly Family Connection (Naviance) using your login or visit as guest
• Gap year overview – information and recommendations when considering a Gap Year
• Gap year opportunities – non-academic and academic enrichment programs
• Gap year panel discussion – panel presentation by representatives from organizations offering programs for high school graduates; held each year during second semester
• Military options – local recruiting centers