College & Career Presentation & Workshop Recaps, Resource & Recordings Links

Meeting Summary: In this meeting, I presented what juniors and families need to know at the start of junior year: using Scoir, the importance of their grades and extracurriculars, understanding standardized testing, building a balanced college list, and the difference between Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision.

• Meeting recording link and Passcode: tl=9FdgB

• UC & Common App Activities List worksheet (be sure to "make a copy")

• Credo's Family Guide to College Admissions

• Free test practice for the October 18th PSAT at Credo

List of Books & Articles About College Admissions 

& Mental Health

• Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be - Frank Bruni

• The Overachievers – Alexandra Robbins

• Never Enough – Jennifer Breheny Wallace

• “Manage Stress in High School & Through the College Search Process”

• “6 Simple Self-Care Tips to Make College Applications Less Stressful”

Thanks to those of you who attended this meeting, during which I focused on ways students interested in applying to highly competitive colleges (under 30% admit rate) can start now to strengthen their college applications. 

• Recording Link (passcode: 66B$KU%+)

• Meeting Slides

Resources I shared in the meeting:

• • SRJC dual enrollment classes at Credo or off-campus (these are free)

  • UC Scout: (three tiers of pricing)

  • UC Summer Sessions (a few examples below. Search online for more): 

    • UC Berkeley 

    • UC Santa Cruz

    • UC San Diego

In this session, I presented college and career information and support tools to the junior class. 

Below are my presentation slides, which include links to helpful and important resources for high school juniors as they navigate their college and/or career research. 

Students who are unable to log in to CaliforniaColleges.Edu must email me so we can resolve the issue. 

• Link to my slideshow 

• Link to the video overview of the CaliforniaColleges.Edu resource and how to use it.

I met with the junior cohorts to give them important reminders and introduce them to Scoir (pronounced SCORE), one of two tools they are required to use over the next year to research colleges, careers, and financial aid information. Scoir is also the tool I use to send official documents to the schools students apply to - including community colleges. So, it's not just an excellent tool; it's a required piece of this process. 

Resources for Parents/Guardians & Students:

• Meeting slides

• Federal Financial Aid Estimator (This is not the FAFSA form. It is a tool you can use to estimate how much federal aid you MAY be eligible for in 2026-2027. Students and parents will fill out FAFSA next fall after October 1st)

• Inside the Financial Aid Process: A Guide for Students & Parents (BLOG)

• This History of College Rankings (interview with former admissions dean)

• Why You Should Take College Rankings with a Dose of Synicism (article)

• Four Questions to Help You Choose the Right College for YOU

• How to Create the Best College List for You

In this session, I introduced 11th-graders to the “Researching Postsecondary Options” lesson through CaliforniaColleges.edu (CCGI). This lesson helps students explore different college, career, and training pathways so they can start thinking about their goals after high school. 

Through this activity, students:

1. Learned about various postsecondary options, including community colleges, universities, and career training programs.

2. Researched specific schools or programs that match their interests.

3. Began considering the requirements associated with each path.

4. Learned what a balanced college list is and how to create one (and many of them saved schools to their budding college list!).

Here are the lesson instructions so parents can review the information together with your students. I encourage you to ask them questions and have open conversations about their interests, goals, and plans for life after high school. 

Parental support helps me help your student, and your engagement in the process plays a huge role in helping them make informed decisions about their future.

On Monday, I hosted the first College Monday workshop for juniors. It was the first in a series of workshops that will run every Monday through May 18th. Turnout was disappointingly low (4 students at the afternoon in-person workshop, and 2 in the evening Zoom - one was a parent). I hope to see many more students at the workshop this Monday!

What students and parents/guardians must understand:

• These workshops are the main opportunities for juniors to get information and support from me as they prepare to apply to colleges in the fall. 

• Every Monday, juniors have TWO opportunities to attend my workshops:  1) In the afternoon from 2:30 - 3:30 in Room 7; 2) In the evening from 6:30 - 7:30 on Zoom (Meeting ID: 766 524 4369, Passcode: 5VJcZG). Each week, I will send the recording from the evening meeting, links to my slides (when applicable), and links to resources.

• These workshops are for students: They are working sessions where I will give students information, then time to work on activities - required pieces they will use to apply to colleges next year.

• This information has been presented to students: In their cohort meetings, for several weeks in the Credo Compass, on the Credo Calendar (with the topic of the week listed)

With nearly 100 students and only one of me, it is essential that students take advantage of these workshops to prepare for next fall's college applications. I cannot individually repeat critical information to half or more of the class.

As you approach senior year, you must take ownership of this process and utilize the resources I curate for you. Ignoring these workshops will only cause you to fall behind and create unnecessary stress.

The workshops will guide you step-by-step through building a 'good fit' college list, researching majors, documenting extracurricular activities, and selecting and drafting your essay topics. Every week, the workshop topic will be in the Credo Calendar in the event description.

• Meeting Recording Link

• Link to Slides (with live links to resources)

During this meeting, I explained several important things to juniors: 

• The importance of attending my weekly workshops on Monday afternoons (or evenings)

• Standardized testing (SAT or ACT) for college admissions

• Tips for college visits

I also gave them an activity to work on in CCGI (aka CaliforniaColleges.Edu), the state of California's free college and career research and organizational platform. 

As I explained in my post last week, CCGI is the second of two resources students are required to use over the next year to research colleges, careers, and financial aid information. Scoir is the method I use to send official documents to the schools students apply to, and CCGI is the method students will use to apply to public colleges in California and federal financial aid (FAFSA).  Both platforms also provide excellent resources for career, major, and college research. 

Here are the slides from our meeting today. The slides include live resource links.

Below are resources for parents/guardians and students to check out as they begin this process:

• Federal Financial Aid Estimator (This is not the FAFSA form. It is a tool you can use to estimate how much federal aid you MAY be eligible for in 2026-2027. Students and parents will fill out FAFSA next fall after October 1st)

• Inside the Financial Aid Process: A Guide for Students & Parents (BLOG)

• The History of College Rankings (interview with former admissions dean)

• Why You Should Take College Rankings with a Dose of Synicism (article)

• Four Questions to Help You Choose the Right College for YOU

• How to Create the Best College List for You

The announcement below was sent via ParentSquare. If you did not see this announcement, please confirm that you are signed up to receive important messages!

As we head into the winter break, I want to let you know that this is a great time to start compiling a list of summer programs you may want to apply to. Some summer program applications are already open, and others will open in January and February, so planning now will help you stay ahead. (I recommend a spreadsheet. I LOVE spreadsheets!)

In this linked document, students can:

1. Explore programs by subject or career interest using the guide on the left

2. Check eligibility requirements - grade, age, income, etc.

3. See what programs cost, if anything, and whether programs offer scholarships or financial aid

4. Browse the full list if you’re still exploring your interests

This list is not exhaustive, so you should continue looking for additional programs on your own as well. And let me know if you find a program I should add!

Focus on building a short list of programs that fit your interests and goals, so you’re ready when deadlines approach. Or if an application is open now, take advantage of this extra time to get those cool summer program applicaitons submitted!

In our second workshop, we dug deeper into researching colleges and what students should look for. Students were given time to find specific information about one of their colleges and record that information in their research spreadsheet.

• Here is the link to the meeting recording

• Here are my slides, with live resource links

• College Research spreadsheet (must Make a Copy)

• Link to the meeting recording

• Slides, with live resource links

Key Topics:

1. Support Systems and Resources

   • Workshops: Weekly “College Mondays” with in-person and Zoom sessions covering research, applications, and essays.

   • One-on-One Meetings: 40-minute sessions for juniors and parents to discuss goals and questions.

   • SRJC Outreach: Biweekly drop-in office hours for community college guidance.

   • Credo Compass: Weekly newsletter with jobs, internships, and college-related updates.

2. Tools for College Planning

   • SCOIR: Used for college research, tracking applications, requesting recommendations, and storing documents. Parents can access accounts to view progress and use the Net Price Calculator.

   • CCGI (CaliforniaColleges.edu): Required for UC, CSU, and community college applications; integrates academic data and FAFSA submission.

3. Application Systems Overview

   • Common Application: Used for most private and out-of-state public universities; includes one main essay, activity list (10 entries, 150 characters each), and optional supplemental essays.

   • UC Application: Uses four of eight Personal Insight Questions (PIQs), 350 words each; no test scores or recommendation letters.

   • Cal State Apply: No essays, recommendations, or test scores; focuses on coursework and grades.

4. Testing Guidance

   • SAT/ACT recommended unless applying only to UC/CSU/community colleges. Final on-campus test opportunity in October.

5. Timeline Highlights

   • Spring–Summer: Build college list, start thinking about college essays, continue research.

   • August 1: Applications open for UC, CSU, and Common App.

   • October 1: FAFSA and CSS Profile open.

   • Nov 1–30: UC/CSU submission window.

   • Jan–Mar: Regular decision deadlines and results.

   • May 1: Decision/Deposit Day.

6. Early Admission Options

   • Early Action (EA): Non-binding; apply early to multiple schools.

   • Early Decision (ED1/ED2): Binding; requires counselor and parent signatures.

   • Restrictive Early Action (REA): Non-binding, but limits other early applications.

7. Financial Aid and Scholarships

   • FAFSA: Opens Oct 1; all families encouraged to apply.

   • CSS Profile: Required by some private schools for institutional aid.

   • Workshops: FAFSA help sessions planned with SRJC.

   • Scholarship Resources: SmartTrack, Scholarships.com, FastWeb, and college financial aid offices and websites.

8. Demonstrated Interest

   • Many colleges track student engagement (email opens, visits, rep meetings).

   • UCs, CSUs, and most public schools do not consider this factor.

In this workshop, I demonstrated how to research majors and special programs on college campuses. 

Using their Application Information Tracker spreadsheets, students searched for specific information at a college of their choice. 

Follow along with the recording to get your hour of college research in for the week!

• Meeting recording link (Passcode: 5H*!elkN)

• Link to Slides

In this workshop, I explained "fit" when building college lists. Using data directly from colleges, the Common Data Set, students did a deep dive into what colleges consider important when reviewing applications. Here is the recording of last night's meeting.

• I will be giving juniors periodic assignments in Scoir. This week's assignment is called Task: CDS Navigator: Where to Find the "Real" Info. Check Scoir now to see what you may have missed. You should see assignments on your dashboard when you first log in.

• If you keep up with these tasks, you will be building your college list, drafting your college essays, and writing your activities lists. These assignments will ensure you are ready to apply to a balanced list of colleges when you return to Credo in the fall.

In this workshop, I reviewed UC application data for fall 2025, explained what UCs are looking for when they review applications, and then turned to the details of the UC PIQs (Personal Insight Questions). 

The UC PIQs are NOT like other college essays, so we spent the first part of the workshop talking about what's different about them. 

• The recording from the workshop is here (password: g+Eh1Eud)

• My slides are here. The last slide includes links to several UC and UC PIQ resources. I strongly encourage students to review those. 

• All students should have the PIQ Brainstorming worksheet in their Scoir drives, but here it is again. Students must make a copy to fill out their own details.

Next Monday's workshop will also be about the UC PIQs. I asked students to take time to brainstorm ideas for some of the PIQs so I can review them and give students feedback during the workshop. The topic for the workshop on Monday, April 27th, is the college application activities list. 

If you are applying to UCs or 4-year private schools next year, you should attend these workshops or watch the workshop recordings. 

For students who are preparing for the SAT and are comfortable using AI, you can now access free, full-length practice SATs in Gemini.

In this workshop, I provided more resources to support students as they begin to draft their PIQ responses. (Again, the UC PIQs are NOT like other college essays.) 

We quickly reviewed what UCs are looking for in these responses, reviewed the resources I provided, and then students had a chance to start writing during the rest of the time.

• The recording from the workshop is here (password: GQ^5FjG%)

• All students should have the PIQ Drafts worksheet in their Scoir drives, but here it is again. Students must make a copy in order to fill out their own details. This worksheet includes links to several resources to help students write their PIQ responses. 

There were no slides because this was a writing workshop, so most of the time was spent drafting a PIQ response. 

Next Monday's workshop, we'll go over the UC Activities List. Students should take time before next week to complete the Activities and Achievements section in their "profile" section in Scoir to get the most out of this workshop. 

Juniors, if you are applying to UCs next year, you should attend these workshops or watch the workshop recordings. 

In this workshop, I explained the significance and importance of the UC activities list, an essential piece of the UC application. Students received an overview of how to use this section to highlight their experiences and strengths, a worksheet to help them start writing their descriptions, and more resources to help them successfully tackle this section. 

Watch the workshop recording, linked below, and start working on your UC Activities List!

• UC Activities List Slides

• Presentation Recording (Passcode: U2xMnd!C)

• Bullet Point Activities List

• Activities Worksheet

• Epic List of Activities Verbs

In this workshop, we discussed the Common Application essay, also known as the "personal essay." As I explain in the video, this is one essay students send to all the colleges they apply to using the Common Application. It is not specific to any school. 

Please watch the video and complete at least one of the brainstorming exercises that I reviewed in the recording.

There are only two more College Monday Workshops this year. I hope you're watching the recordings, doing the exercises, and completing the assignments in Scoir. If you are, you will be in a great place when you get back to campus in the fall!

• Workshop recording (password: iwvf8J?%)

• Slides

The exercises below are explained in the video. The idea is for you to pick one of them to get started on your brainstorming, but feel free to try them all!

• The I Come From brainstorming exercise

• The Values exercise

• The “Ten+ Things I Want Colleges to Know About Me” exercise

• The Roles and Identities exercise

• The Essence Object exercise

In this workshop, I recapped last week's brainstorming exercises, reviewed what college admissions reps are looking for when they read essays, introduced the montage vs narrative essay approaches, and shared strong essay examples. 

Please watch the video, take the time to do some brainstorming (this is important work!), read some excellent examples, and start drafting!

Workshop recording (Passcode: F3Mb.1uS).

The brainstorming exercises and other resources I shared in the workshop are below. Remember to go to File, then Make a Copy, and save these to your College Google folder you're using to save your research and essay drafts. 

• I Come From exercise

• Values Exercise

• The “Ten+ Things I Want Colleges to Know About Me” List

• Roles and Identities Exercise

• Essence Objects Exercises

• Essay Tips

• Strong Common App essay examples

• The 2026-2027 Common App essay prompts