Greetings from South Central Scholars!

In this Section you will find information about ?no-loan? schools and a recommendation to apply to ivy league and smaller, private liberal arts colleges.

NO-LOAN SCHOOLS

On behalf of South Central Scholars, I would like to remind you all to apply to ?no-loan? schools (see attachment #1). Attending ?no-loan schools? means that these colleges have eliminated loans, replacing them with grants (free money) if your family income is below a predetermined amount. For example, a no-loan school, such as Columbia University, eliminates loans if your parents make $50,000 or less in annual income.

Financial Aid Letters will include: student loans, grants and work study (you work in college for money to pay your expenses). But applying to a no-loan school means you will not have the burden of any loans when you graduate from college. Currently, California has 4 no-loan schools: Pomona College, Claremont College, Stanford and Cal Tech.

Applying to Liberal Arts And Ivy League Colleges

South Central Scholars urges you to apply to the Ivy League and smaller Liberal Arts schools, which are the following:

Amherst

Barnard

Bates

Bowdoin

Brown

Bryn Mawr

Brown*

Bucknell

Carleton

Claremont

Colby

Colgate

Columbia*

Cornell*

Connecticut College

Dartmouth*

Davidson

Dickinson

Emory

Franklin Marshall

Gettysburg

Grinnell

Hamilton College

Harvard*

Haverford

Lehigh

Lewis and Clark

Middlebury

Mills

Mount Holyoke

Oberlin

Pomona

Princeton*

Radcliffe

Reed

Scripps

Smith

Swarthmore

Tufts

Trinity

University of Pennsylvania*

Vassar

Wellesley

Wesleyan

Williams

Yale*

(Note: * Starred schools are Ivy League Schools)

We are asking you to apply to at least some of these colleges. South Central Scholars Foundation is supremely confident in the high qualities of these campuses ? of their diversity and potential to allow students to thrive.

Points of Interest:

I. These smaller liberal arts colleges are nationally recognized, they are some of the finest colleges in the

     world and rank higher than state colleges. (See attachment # 2).

II. These prominent liberal arts colleges are ranked among the top 30 colleges in the nation. (Wellesley

     and Williams Colleges received a ranking of 2nd top college; Amherst and Pomona Colleges received

     6th place; and Middlebury College came in 14th place in the top 30 colleges in the nation).

III. Even though some of these smaller liberal arts Colleges are not as well-known, they are top schools

       and the competition to attend these schools is not as high.

IV. These schools are looking for ethnically diverse students, who are the first to attend college in their

       family and are from inner-cities. They are looking for YOU!

V. Many of these colleges belong to the 40 no-loan colleges across the country. If they are not a no-

      loan school, their financial aid packages are still generally better than packages given to UCLA and UC

      Berkeley students.

VI. Research shows that a student is 20% more likely to graduate college if they attend

       smaller, private liberal arts colleges or ivy league schools compared to attending large state

       universities.

VII. Currently, we have about 100 South Central Scholars attending these smaller private colleges. If

         you attended these colleges, you would have a large support network to count on. Our students

         tell us that these campuses offer a warm, up close and personal atmosphere. These students felt

         at home within an hour of arriving to campus. If you would like to personally speak to current

         students about these schools, please contact us and we will connect you with them.

VIII. When considering potential scholars to admit to SCS in April 2011, we will strongly favor students

          admitted to these colleges. If you are accepted by any of the aforementioned small liberal

          colleges, SCS Foundation can arrange trips for you to visit the campus.

IX. Please do not delay any further if you have not applied to some of these schools. Send in your

        applications today!

How to get involved with SCS

The South Central Scholars Foundation holds events throughout the year for junior and senior high school students that live and go to school in or around South Central Los Angeles.

Events include, but are not limited to:

- college fairs

- financial aid workshops

- application workshops

- campus visits

- leadership conference

If you are interested in learning more about these events and being notified by email, click here to join our mailing list. In addition, check this website regularly for updates regarding events, scholarships, and announcements for high school juniors and seniors.

The South Central Scholars - Scholarship Application

The application is made available in April and is open to senior high school students that live and go to school in or around South Central Los Angeles. The scholarship application requests the following information:

- High School GPA (as of fall semester of 12th grade)

- AP courses (taken and scheduled)

- AP course test results (if taken and results received)

- SAT/ACT test scores (if taken)

- extracurricular activities (sports, student organizations, religious organizations, pre-college programs, etc.)

- scholarship awards received (if applicable)

- personal statement (the question will be available here in March)

Documents that you will need to submit are:

- updated resume (should reflect all work, volunteer, and other experiences up to fall semester of 12th grade)

- high school transcript (up to fall semester of 12th grade, ONLY OFFICIAL will be accepted)

- financial aid award (from college that you will attend/accept)

- student aid report (SAR) from fafsa.ed.gov

The application will open in April and will remain open for 30 days, after which applications will no longer be accepted. To prepare for this, make sure that you talk to your counselors ahead of time regarding the documents that you will need to submit, the timeline and costs attached to getting those documents, and assistance with documents that you will need to prepare/update (resume, personal statement).

Applicants are notified of the results of their application in June. ALL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS for 2010-2011 will be REQUIRED to attend a 2-day leadership conference in Los Angeles in July/August of 2010 (this is waived for students attending summer programs at their colleges ONLY).

Tips to getting ready for the application:

- make sure you apply for the FAFSA before the March 2nd deadline! (www.fafsa.ed.gov)

- make sure to review the checklist above

- get to know SCS by visiting your college counselor, going to an SCS event, or talking to an SCS staff member

Summer Programs

Cornell University's Summer Programs for high school sophomores and juniors will be held from June to August. Applications are now being accepted!

For more information, go to http://www.sce.cornell.edu/sc/apply/dates_and_deadlines.php.

Program dates

Three-week, Session 1 June 25-July 16, 2011

Three-week, Session 2 July 17-August 6, 2011

Six-week programs June 25-August 9, 2011

Architecture, RABS June 25-August 6, 2011

Admissions application deadlines

Research Apprenticeship in Biological Sciences (RABS) March 18, 2011

All other programs May 6, 2011

Application materials must be submitted online or received in our office by the deadlines above. You will need to allow for adequate mailing time to meet these deadlines.

Financial aid deadlines

Research Apprenticeship in Biological Sciences (RABS) March 18, 2011

All other programs April 1, 2011

Pomona's PAYS Program for high school sophomores and juniors will be held from June to July. Applications are due THIS FRIDAY, February 25th.

For more information, go to http://www.pomona.edu/administration/draper-center/files/pays-application.pdf.

Selection Process

Evaluation of applicants is based upon academic achievement, two letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Enrollment is limited to 90 participants and returning applicants who continue to perform well are given priority.

Cost

There is no cost for participation in PAYS. Pomona College will pay all costs for program materials, housing, food, activities, and transportation. The program has been supported through a grant from the State of California Educational Facilities Authority and for the first 3 years, by The James P. Irvine.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 25th (the application can be postmarked by this day)

APPLICATION REVIEW: February 26th - April 25th

INTERVIEWS (due to the # of applicants not all applicants are interviewed): March 28th - April 8th

NOTIFICATION OF DECISION: May 2nd

PROGRAM DATES: Sunday, June 26th - Friday, July 22nd

KnowHow2Go Campaign

South Central Scholars, in collaboration with the Southern California College Access Network (SoCal CAN) is proud to be the California regional partner for KnowHow2GO. Visit KnowHow2GO to learn more about the campaign in California!

Young people in all socio-economic groups have college aspirations. In fact, eight out of 10 expect to attain a bachelor?s degree or higher, according to the U.S. Department of Education. But despite their aspirations, low-income students and those who are the first in their families to pursue higher education are severely underrepresented on college campuses. Studies show these students often lack the guidance they need to prepare for postsecondary education.

In order to turn these students' college dreams into action-oriented goals, the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council launched the KnowHow2GO campaign in January 2007. This multiyear, multimedia effort includes television, radio and outdoor public service advertisements (PSAs) that encourage 8th through 10th graders to prepare for college using four simple steps.

The Four Steps to College

   1. Be a pain ? Let everyone know that you?re going to college and need their help.

   2. Push yourself ? Working a little harder today will make getting into college even easier.

   3. Find the right fit ? Find out what kind of school is the best match for you and your career goals.

   4. Put your hands on some cash - If you think you can't afford college, think again. There's lots of aid out there.

To ensure that students and adult mentors who connect with the powerful messages of the PSA campaign can easily find real-time, on-the-ground assistance, we have built and continue to support a strong grassroots network of partners. To date, more than 14 state and regional coalitions and 30 national partners have signed onto the campaign.

For more information on SoCal CAN and their partner agencies, go to:

www.socalcollegeaccess.com

For more information on the KnowHow2GoCampaign, go to:

http://knowhow2gocalifornia.org/

High School Scholarships

For a listing of scholarships available to high school students, go to:

http://www.highscholarships.com/

Asian Pacific Community Fund Scholarship  Application DUE June 30th!!

The Asian Pacific Community Fund partners with Verizon to financially assist students in their pursuit of higher education as they face the challenge of significantly rising costs of obtaining a college degree. These awards will support those who excel academically, are leaders amongst their peers and are making a positive impact in their communities.

Eligibility:

Be a citizen, national, legal permanent resident of the U.S., or citizen of the Freely Associated States.

Be a resident of California, Oregon or Washington or will be attending college in one of these states.

Be a High school senior who will be enrolled in a U.S. accredited 4-year college or university as a full-time, degree-seeking, student majoring in math, science, engineering or related field in the Fall of 2011.

Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The scholarship awards will only be used to cover the cost of attending an accredited 4 year college/university. This may include tuition, fees, books, supplies, living expenses and meals. What is included in the cost of attendance varies by institution.

Selection Criteria:

Awardees will be selected based on the following criteria:

1. Essay questions (2)

2. Grade Point Average (GPA)

3. Community Involvement

4. Leadership

For details on how to apply, go to http://www.apcf.org/index.php/what-we-do/scholarship-fund.

Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) Scholarship  Application DUE June 1st!

Criteria

Eligible applicants must be high school seniors continuing their education in a degree program, to help them attain their education goals.

A total of $2000 in scholarships will be awarded annually. This is a one-time award and is not renewable.

Restrictions

The winning video entry will become the property of the Flag Manufacturers Association of America.

The winning video entry will be made available on YouTube and the FMAA web site.

Application Procedure

*Entries will be disqualified if they do not meet the below requirements*

Entries should be videos explaining what the United States flag means to the applicant.

Videos should be no longer than 5 minutes.

Videos will be judged on content, original thought, visual imagery, and patriotic expression.

Entries must be submitted by June 1, 2011.

A decision will be made by July 4, 2011, and the winner will initially be notified via email.

Go to http://www.fmaa-usa.com/about/scholarship.php for more details!

Beat the Odds Scholarship  Application DUE January 28th! (for High School juniors ONLY)

The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for 37 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. Since 1990, CDF has awarded Beat the Odds scholarships to high school students across the country that are working hard to overcome tremendous obstacles in their personal lives, demonstrate academic excellence, and give back to their communities.

High school juniors must be nominated for the Los Angeles Beat the Odds Scholarship Program by a teacher, counselor, caseworker, coach, or other adult in a student?s life who can speak to his/her character, academic success, community service, and the tremendous odds he/she beats every day. Ten students will be selected from the nomination pool for interviews scheduled during March 2011. Based on the interviews, the Beat the Odds selection committee will determine the five finalists and five semi-finalists who will receive the following:

? Five finalists will each receive a $10,000 scholarship, intensive SAT preparation, case management services, career and college counseling assistance, service, internship and job opportunities, leadership and public speaking training courses, college tours, and other goods and services that will provide the finalists academic and personal support through the college or post-secondary education matriculation process.

? Five semi-finalists will each receive a $1,000 scholarship, limited SAT preparation, a college counseling session, and access to CDF?s network of opportunities.

*Please note that all services are offered in the city of Los Angeles.

You can find videos of the 2010 Beat the Odds Honorees on www.cdfca.org. The following nomination packet must be completed by both the nominator and the scholarship applicant and sent with the required signatures (scanned) and emailed to dfisher@childrensdefense.org by 5:00pm on Friday, January 28. The link to the application is also on www.cdfca.org. You have to scroll down to ?Beat the Odds.?

Zocalo Public Square High School Essay Contest  Application DUE January 31st!  (for LUSD seniors ONLY)

Current high school seniors under the age of 19 and enrolled in LAUSD are welcome to enter the essay contest. Essays must answer the question, "What is the most powerful way to make your community stronger?" Essays must be no longer than 1,000 words and have only one author. Submit essays to essays @ zocalopublicsquare.org. Essays must include the telephone number, email address, mailing address, and school affiliation. Awards range from $500 to $1,000! For more information about the contest, click here to download the flyer!

Port of Long Beach Scholarship  Application DUE in March 18th!  (for Long Beach Unified seniors ONLY)

The Port of Long Beach is helping prepare the next generation of leaders in the goods movement industry. Each year, the Port awards $60,000 in scholarships to Long Beach-area college students and high school seniors who are pursuing studies in related fields. The Port of Long Beach scholarship is an annual award for Long Beach high school seniors who plan to pursue careers in international trade, goods movement or other port-related industries. Scholarship awards range from $1,000 to $8,000.

For more information, go to www.polb.com/community/education/scholarships/default.asp.

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation  Application DUE October 31st!!

The non-profit, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation announced that it has begun accepting college scholarship applications for its Class of 2011.The scholarship is open to any high school senior in the United States, the foundation announced. According to a press release, 250, four-year college scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors, based on their achievements. There will be 200 regional scholarships, worth $10,000 each, and 50 national scholarships, worth $20,000 a piece. Applicants will be evaluated based on their demonstration of leadership in academics, school, community and civic activities, and personal character, and motivation to serve and succeed, according to the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation?s statement.

 The applications are available online at www.coca-colascholars.org and they must also be submitted online.

Ron Brown Scholarship Application DUE January 9st!!

Offered to high school seniors for full-time college pursuits. Awards of $40,000 over 4 years. To apply, visit http://www.ronbrown.org/.

Jackie Robinson Scholarship Application DUE April 1st!!

For minority high school seniors accepted to a 4-year college or university. Based on academic record, financial need and leadership potential. Amount: $28,000 over 4 years. To apply, visit http://www.jackierobinson.org.

ACS Scholars Program Application DUE November 1st!

ACS awards renewable scholarships to underrepresented minority students who want to enter the fields of chemistry or chemistry-related fields. Awards of up to $5,000* are given to qualified students. African American, Hispanic, or American Indian high school seniors or college freshman, sophomores, or juniors pursuing a college degree in the chemical sciences or chemical technology are eligible to apply. For more information, go to http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_TRANSITIONMAIN&node_id=1234&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=4b3f169b-ad06-4fb2-bcc4-047ea9b52659.

ACS Project SEED Program Application DUE January 29st!

The ACS Project SEED summer research program opens new doors for economically disadvantaged students to experience what it?s like to be a chemist. Students entering their junior or senior year in high school are given a rare chance to work alongside scientist-mentors on research projects in industrial, academic, and federal laboratories, discovering new career paths as they approach critical turning points in their lives. For more information, go to http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_TRANSITIONMAIN&node_id=1588&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=12a58f55-9339-4ff1-9857-3fcb42394021

Center for Student Opportunity Scholarship  Application DUE May 28th!!

The CSO Opportunity Scholarship is a $1,000 four-year renewable scholarship awarded to first-generation, low-income, and/or minority high school seniors (class of 2010; entering the college class of 2014) enrolling at a CSO College Partner.

Scholarship winners are also given the opportunity to serve as bloggers on Center for Student Opportunity's blog to shair their college journeys and offer advice to younger students like them on how to make it to college. Download the application here or go to http://www.csopportunity.org/ for more information!

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes  Application DUE April 30th!!

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Their leadership and courage make them true heroes-and inspirations to us all. Each year, the Barron Prize honors twenty-five winners nationwide. Half of the winners have focused on helping their communities and fellow beings; half have focused on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment. To learn more, visit http://www.barronprize.org/.

Bank of America Student Leader Program  Application DUE February 17th!!

adfad Bank of America is looking for tomorrow?s community leaders today. Since the program?s inception in 2004, Bank of America has recognized more than 1,500 Student Leaders as exemplary high school students with a passion for helping their communities. Selected Student Leaders participate in a paid summer internship with a designated local nonprofit organization where they experience first-hand how they can help shape their communities-now and in the future. To enhance their leadership experience, awardees also participate in a six-day, all-expense paid Student Leadership Summit in Washington, DC provided by Bank of America. The nonprofit internship and Student Leadership Summit exposes students to leadership aspects in civic, nonprofit and business arenas. Our goal is to nurture and develop our country?s next generation of community leaders ? for our neighborhoods, our cities, and beyond. To learn more about the program, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.

To apply to be a student leader, click here!

For a program flyer, click here!

Pre-College Opportunities

Hispanic National Bar Foundation (HNBF) Future Latino Leaders Law Camp

http://www.hnbf.org/FLLLCGeneral.aspx

The Future Latino Leaders Law Camp is a nine-day program in Washington, DC. Students live in college dorms and have a college experience while learning about the legal profession and legal procedure from practicing attorneys, law professors, and judges. Leadership skills will be developed in persuasion and negotiation, communication, and public speaking. Students work in teams with a law student camp counselor to prepare for a moot court competition. In addition, behind-the-scenes tours will be provided at select federal institutions such as, U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, Departments of State and Justice, and much more.

The HNBF's goal is to encourage and inspire high school graduation, attainment of a 4-year college degree, and pursuit of an advanced degree in law. Their vision is a more diverse legal field. If you know a Latino high school Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession encourage them to apply online. Additional information is also provided on their website.

African American Youth Leadership Program

http://www.calresearch.org/aaylp-application

The African-American Youth Leadership Program (AAYLP), a division of the Research and Policy Institute of California, is seeking applicants for its 2010 African-American Youth Leadership Conference. California high school students eligible to graduate in 2011 or 2012 are invited to apply. The conference will be held: July 24 ? July 31, 2010 at CSU Sacramento. Housing, meals, program materials and transportation to, from and during the conference site provided at NO COST* to the participants! Conference participants will stay in campus housing and be supervised at all times. This conference offers students training in the following:

-Enhanced leadership skills;

-Strengthened understanding of state and local government;

-Financial responsibility

-Living a balanced life; and

-Career exploration and development.

-Activities Students attending the conference will:

-Attend thought provoking presentations on critical leadership skills;

-Participate in interactive workshops promoting good mental, physical and fiscal health;

-Gain firsthand legislative experience through mock hearings at the State Capitol.

-Eligibility Students are selected based on the following:

Visit the link below for more details: http://www.calresearch.org/aaylp-application. Deadline to apply: April 1, 2011.

The Academy of Business Leadership

www.goabl.org

One of our hallmark programs for future leaders is our Summer Business Institute held on six college campuses of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); Loyola Marymount University (LMU); University of Southern California (USC); California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA); California State University, Fullerton (CSUF); and California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). The application for the 2010 Summer Business Institute can be found above or by clicking here. During SBI, participants are taught by talented MBAs from top universities. They also create business plans, invest a $100,000 fictitious stock portfolio, go on field trips to fortune 500 companies, create a personalized action plan, learn leadership skills and core values, and more. Students learn about life on a college campus from our college aged site staff and from university administration. After SBI, students have the opportunity to apply for the year-long Building Outstanding Leaders Today (BOLT) advanced leadership program and the ABL Leadership Institute.

For the 2010-2011 application, go to http://www.goabl.org/SBI%202011%20Application.pdf. Applications are DUE on April 8, 2011.

Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LABioMed) Summer Fellowship Program for Graduating High School Seniors

The purpose of the LA BioMed Summer Fellowship Program is to improve the science education of high school students and encourage them towards careers in the health sciences and research. This program benefits outstanding high school seniors by providing them with the opportunity to work in a scientific and medical research environment so that they can gain firsthand experience in biomedical research. Students who participate in this program are selected by a committee consisting of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center faculty members. In the past few years, LABioMed has been able to accept 18 students each summer. Students who are selected for the LABioMED Summer Fellowship Program spend eight weeks assisting assigned mentors, who are accomplished medical scientists, in the study of such topics as the nature or progression of diseases, the efficacy of medications, and many other vital areas of scientific research. Students are exposed to ongoing research projects and participate in a well-defined protocol that can be completed during the summer program. Students also attend clinical conferences, medical Grand Rounds, and research seminars.

For application instructions, go to http://www.labiomed.org/users/trained/student/summer/Application-Instructions-2010.pdf. Applications are DUE on March 12, 2010!!

Haverford College's Multicultural Scholars Weekend

This opportunity is now closed, but try again in September/October of next year!!

Come see the Haverford campus and meet students, admission staff, and professors!

All you need to bring is a sleeping bag, toiletries, change of clothes, and yourself! They provide housing, food and fun! Events include a brunch at one of our cultural centers, campus tours, meet and greet pizza dinner with other Haverford students, learning about multicultural programs at Haverford with professors, auditing classes, and lots of free time for you to discover what Haverford has to offer! Interested? fill out their webform at: www.haverford.edu/admission/msw.php. Once you do that, they'll get back to you with a confirmatioin as SPACE IS LIMITED. More questions about the program? Email Julia Esquivel at jesquivel @ haverford.edu.

Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) Open to Juniors and Seniors

Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) is a national organization committed to identifying and developing the academic and leadership potential of exceptional public high school students of modest means. LEDA's goal is to diversify leadership in America by providing low-income students who are currently under-represented in this country's leadership structure access to the nation's top colleges and universities. LEDA guides these students through the college application process, prepares them for the college experience, supports them while in college, and positions them for leadership in the private and public sectors. The LEDA admissions process is a highly competitive but rewarding experience for those students seeking opportunities to develop and improve their leadership skills. Guidance counselors provide the LEDA Scholars Program with exceptional nominees each year.

ARAMARK Career Training (ACT) Program

The ARAMARK Career Training (ACT) Program provides high school students with summer internship opportunities at ARAMARK locations across the country. The goal of the program is for students to gain valuable, real-life work experience while exploring future career options. The program also serves as a way for ARAMARK to support the communities where we live and work. The program started in 2002 with 31 students working in Philadelphia and Detroit, and continues to grow today.

In order to be eligible to participate in the ACT Program, students must meet the following requirements:

Have just completed 10th, 11th or 12th grade

Be at least 16 years of age

Have an interest in the managed services business

Be highly recommended by their school or youth program

Be able to pass a background check and drug screen, if required

Internship opportunities vary by location. If you are interested in learning about the ACT program, or have students that are interested in applying for an internship, please contact a program manager at: ARAMARKCareerTraining-at-ARAMARK.com.

In the News...

CSU Raises Fees 15.5%

By Associated Press, The Sacramento Bee

Published Thursday, November 11,2010

SAN FRANCISCO -- California State University students are bracing for higher tuition bills after the 23-campus system's governing board approved a plan Wednesday to raise fees 15.5 percent by next fall.

The CSU Board of Trustees voted to increase fees for undergraduate, graduate and credential programs by 5 percent for the 2011 winter and spring terms, and by another 10 percent for the fall 2011 term.

Next fall, in-state undergrads will pay $4,884 in annual tuition, which doesn't include individual campus fees or room and board.

Credential program students will pay $5,670 for an academic year, and graduate students will pay $6,018 annually.

University officials said they need to raise student fees again to offset deep cuts in state funding that have led to staff furloughs, fewer course offerings and enrollment reductions over the past year.

The CSU system, which currently has about 430,000 students, receives the same amount of money from the state as it did five years ago even though it has 25,000 more students, said Executive Vice Chancellor Benjamin Quillian.

The full board's vote came a day after the finance committee approved the increases in tuition, which have already risen by more than 30 percent over the past year.

Dozens of CSU students protested outside university headquarters in Long Beach, where the board meeting was held. At the meeting, many spoke out against the fee hikes.

"It just places a bigger burden on us students who are trying to pay for school and trying to graduate," said Ruben Vazquez, 21, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering at Cal Poly Pomona.

The CSU board also adopted a budget for the 2011-2012 school year that asks the cash-strapped state to provide an additional $121.5 million to "buy out" the 10-percent tuition increase. If approved, the university would rescind the fall 2011 fee hike the board just approved.

Q&A: Inside the College Admissions Process

By Gilbert Cruz, Time Magazine

Published Friday, August 21, 2009

The business of getting into college has increasingly become just that ? a business ? and the highest payers get the best results. For years, wealthy families have paid private companies thousands of dollars to give their children a double leg-up in the college admissions process. But what about everyone else? In his new book, Acceptance, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David L. Marcus follows Gwyeth "Smitty" Smith, a public school guidance counselor in a New York City suburb who has a unique touch. Through Smitty's story, Marcus shows us the uniquely American madness that high-school juniors and seniors must endure before making the leap to university. Marcus spoke to TIME about what makes a great guidance counselor, Ivy League obsessions and how the recession is affecting college admissions.

What makes Smitty ? the guidance counselor your book revolves around ? so unique?

He's really unusual because he lives his job. He would visit kids in the hospital. He went to the funeral of the grandmother of one of the kids he worked with. He would come in very early in the morning when working parents needed to see him before school started. He made it clear to them that if they had family problems, he was available at night.

He made it his mission to get to know as many kids at his school as well as possible. He likes to find out who kids are and then he tries to help them find out who they want to be. Since my book came out I've gotten emails from kids who got counseling from him years and years ago, in different schools around the New York. They just wanted to tell me about how he changed their lives.

So what makes a bad guidance counselor, then?

I don't think that there are so many "bad" guidance counselors, but I do think that there are a fair number who are just punching the clock, simply helping kids decide if they need to take physics or chemistry before applying. They don't get to know the whole kid, or the whole family, which takes a lot of time. It's like a pediatrician. Some pediatricians just look at the throat of the kid and say, "You better take some pain reliever," and there are others who will say, "I notice you're tired, I notice that you seem stressed." It's looking at the kid as a whole that makes a great counselor different from a run-of-the-mill counselor.

It seems that whether it's a guidance counselor or a plain old teacher, the amount of time they put in with kids is really what makes the difference.

I have no doubt that the best teachers are the ones who don't turn it off at 2:55 p.m., who are constantly thinking of ways to inspire their students just like Smitty does. He's a teacher; he just doesn't have a regular classroom. And frankly, many kids learn better by hanging out with the guidance counselor or going to a job or doing an internship than they do in a 42-minute class.

You write several times in your book that "2008 was the toughest admissions year ever." What made it so, and do you have any sense of how this upcoming year looks in comparison?

For the next couple of years, we have huge graduating high-school classes across the country. More than that, in a lot of middle-class and upper-middle-class neighborhoods, there's a fixation on 40 or 50 so-called "top colleges." So you have extraordinary numbers of students jockeying for the same places in certain schools. I think the tough economy makes a lot of parents more eager to latch onto a brand.

Do you believe that there is too much of an emphasis on getting into those Ivy or Ivy-like schools in this nation, then?

It's absurd that Americans have this idea that there's a small number of schools that are the "best places" for engineers or doctors or architects or teachers. The fact is, a lot of students change their major during college. The name on the gate is not the important thing. It's what the student puts into it and whether he or she finds challenging professors.

We've become a very brand-conscious society, and we have decided that in education ? more than almost anything else ? a big name tells us everything about quality. Guess what? At a lot of top research universities, professors are doing research, and often their focus is not on teaching. I'm a big skeptic about the allure of Ivy League schools. And I went to Brown as an undergrad, did a fellowship at Harvard, and taught writing at Dartmouth's business school. So I love those places, but I don't think you need to go to schools like that to be a success.

How is the recession going to affect this upcoming class of students' applications?

It's a terrible, terrible time to be a student or a parent looking at four years of tuition and fees and late-night snacks. Not only are families' budgets hammered, but a lot of college endowments have shrunk. Frankly, colleges should be insisting that students take a gap year after high school, for three reasons. One, students can spend the year earning money toward college. Two, they grow up during that time. And three, we taxpayers have been footing the bill for their education through high school, and it's time for them to maybe give back to the community through public service. Other countries have a "thirteenth year" of [{schooling}]. Why can't we?

Smitty believes that the college-application process is about "discovering who you are," and you actually make the direct analogy between the class he teaches and a therapy session. His philosophy seems a bit different from that of your average guidance counselor.

Smitty thinks that the college process should be about self-discovery and growing up ? not board scores and grade-point averages. So he urges students to talk with classmates about their essays, and really to pour their souls into their writing ? what I call essay therapy. Too many students just see the college application as one more task during senior year. But it should be one of the best learning experiences of high school.

If you had to channel one or two of Smitty's maxims to parents and students who are entering the college-application process, what would you like them to know?

It's about the fit, not the brand. Find a campus where you can challenge yourself. College-admissions offices value real intellectual curiosity. There are so many students who have extraordinary grades, and yet they have no clue how to find Iraq or Afghanistan on a map. What happened to the thirst for knowledge for knowledge's sake? [{I think}] we're beating it out of kids in this race to look good for admissions committees.

Web site helps students choose college

By Nanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published Monday, September 21, 2009

Seventeen-year-old Tatiana Castro visited a college fair near her small Southern California town and had a chance to talk with representatives of Yale, New York University and a half dozen other East Coast colleges she's interested in.

The senior learned about the fair not from her Riverside County high school - which has one counselor for every 462 students - but during a live Web chat on CollegeWeekLive.com, which allowed her to correspond with college counselors about everything from her SATs to college sports.

In a year when many public school counselors are being laid off because California lawmakers repealed a $200 million mandated counseling program, and when deep cuts to university budgets make it harder for them to reach out to prospective students, students are finding these services online - and for free.

"It was a really good experience," said Tatiana, who also chatted over the Web with freshmen from Yale in Connecticut and American University in Washington, D.C., and took a test prep course. "You can ask (admissions representatives) about personal statements, financial aid, SATs - anything. It allowed me to cut down on the whole looking-for-college process.

"And they said there was a college fair near my home - something I didn't even know was happening."

Sites are catching on

CollegeWeekLive.com has exploded in popularity since it premiered in 2007. For students like Tatiana, whose family can't afford to take her on an East Coast college tour, the online site - billed as "the world's biggest virtual college fair" - is one alternative.

It's run by PlatformQ, a company that produces online events, and relies on advertising and fees from colleges.

Students log on to the site and see a virtual trade show, with booths for about 200 colleges. More than 100 additional colleges are due to join in the next few weeks, said spokeswoman Martha Collins.

Last school year, the site scheduled just two live events - a college fair in the fall and spring, which brought in 28,000 students each, Collins said. Now live conversations about all things collegiate are scheduled far more frequently, she said.

For example, Oct. 1 will be University of California Day, in which representatives from UC's nine undergraduate campuses will be available for live chats from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Oct. 8 will be Guidance Counselor Day. Oct. 20 is strictly for UC Riverside. And Nov. 4 will be an open chat with representatives from every college.

Also scheduled are interactive seminars on numerous topics, including writing college essays and interviews with experts on student aid and admissions strategies. Last week there was a daylong test-prep class.

If you miss a session, everything is archived and available on the site.

"CollegeWeekLive is wonderful, but it should not replace the credentialed professionals that students ought to have access to," said Pam Bachilla of the California Association of School Counselors.

Even before lawmakers repealed California's mandated counseling program earlier this year, the state had only 1 counselor for every 650 middle and high school students - the worst ratio in the country, Bachilla said.

Yet maybe because of all that pressure, "counselors are very happy with CollegeWeekLive," she said.

Universities like it, too. Bob Patterson knew about it when he worked in admissions at the University of North Carolina. So when he became deputy director of admissions at UC Berkeley six months ago, he invited the undergraduate UC campuses to join - and they did.

Strapped by budget

"We're not able to recruit as much as we used to because of budget restrictions," Patterson said. "CollegeWeekLive serves any student interested in coming to a virtual environment."

Apart from that site, UC Berkeley and other schools are finding value in conducting more business electronically. For example, Berkeley admissions representatives are available for live chats with prospective students from 4 to 5 p.m. every Wednesday from now through Nov. 18.

Meanwhile, Tatiana, whose family arrived in the Southern California town of Temecula five years ago from Colombia, is intent on studying international relations back East. She said she doesn't blame her high school counselor for not helping her through that process last year.

"She did not know much about East Coast colleges. She was more focused on California. So these people online really helped."

College counseling and more on Internet

To participate in one of CollegeWeekLive's free events, including the Oct. 1

UC Day, go to www.collegeweeklive.com.

UC Berkeley will also offer its own live admissions chats through Nov. 18 at links.sfgate.com/ZIEU, which also has a link to register for UC Day.