High Life : A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Getting a Leg Up on Higher Education

By now you’ve probably heard about how difficult it has become to get accepted into a good college or university.

And how the University of California and California State University systems are experiencing severe budget crunches, limiting not only the number of classes offered but also the number of students who may enroll.

And how high school students have to work above and beyond the minimum requirements just to ensure being accepted by the college of their choice.

Well, it’s all true.

Here are some tips and information from various counselors and administrators to assist students who are planning on pursuing higher education.

During their freshman and sophomore years, students should put the focus on developing good study habits, paying especially close attention to classes in their weaker subject areas.

Sophomores and juniors can get familiar with college entrance exams by taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, which is given once a year in October.

They should also take Achievement tests offered in subjects they complete during the school year. These tests are given in June in such areas as foreign languages, biology and U.S. history. Though the CSU system doesn’t require them of its applicants, the UC system requires three--math, English composition and one of the applicant’s choice.

As far as academic performance is concerned, many believe the junior year is the most important. It should end with the taking of the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the American College Test, though either may be taken as early as the sophomore year.

The SAT is scheduled seven times a year, and students may take it as often as they wish to pay the $17 fee in an effort to improve their scores. It’s 50% math and 50% verbal.

The ACT is given five times a year, and it, too, may be repeated at $14 a shot. It’s 25% math, 25% English, 25% reading and 25% science reasoning.

Both the UC and CSU systems accept either SAT or ACT scores.

Come the senior year, it’s imperative that students stay enrolled in five solid classes, even if they have already been accepted by the college of their choice.

“Seniors can do a great harm by changing a course or dropping out,” said James Durning, director of admissions at UC Irvine. “Even though a college accepts them, they are still obligated to stick to the courses they put on their application and maintain the level of excellence that got them accepted in the first place.”

Application and test deadlines come with more frequency during the senior year and must be met on time. These deadlines include:

* Filing for UC or CSU admission between Nov. 1 and 30.

* Completing all college admission testing by early December.

* Completing applications for private and out-of-state colleges by January.

* Being aware of scholarship deadlines from January through March.

* Looking for the first wave of UC acceptance notices, which are mailed Feb. 1.

* Waiting for the second wave of notices, which are mailed March 1.

* Notifying--by May 1--the school that accepts you that you intend to attend.

* Looking for acceptances from private and out-of-state colleges during May.

Financial aid for students comes in three forms: scholarships, grants and loans.

Scholarships and grants (which don’t have to be repaid) are the most popular forms of aid, but loans (which do have to be repaid) are the most prevalent, according to Otto Ryer, director of financial aid at UC Irvine.

Each college has its own financial aid program, and Ryer says the best way to discover what each offers is “to apply for financial aid (at the desired college). The campus office will then let students know what is available and what is appropriate for them.”

Students should also check into scholarships offered through their high schools, community clubs and even parents’ employers. There are plenty out there to be had.

California has nine UC campuses and 20 state universities.

“By state regulation, the UC system provides education to students in the top eighth of their class,” said Jim Blackburn, director of admissions and records at Cal State Fullerton. “CSU provides education to the top third and also provides more access numerically to many more junior college transfer students.”

Applicants to the UC system are evaluated on the basis of their SAT, ACT and Achievement tests scores, grade-point average and the number of honors or advanced-placement courses.

Admissions officials establish the cutoff number for the first wave of applicants, given the above-mentioned criteria, and accept the students who come out on the top.

After that, depending on the number of spaces left, a second wave of students is admitted. Among the items stressed for these applicants are extracurricular activities, personal history, family background, ethnicity, college essays and long-range goals.

The only criteria beyond the admissions test for the CSU system is at least a 2.25 GPA and appropriate grades in appropriate classes, according to Blackburn.

The state’s community colleges are also facing a budget crisis. Bruce Kerry, director of the Transfer Center at Orange Coast College, warns prospective students to decide what they want to do early enough to ensure they “get their classes and education under way.”

At most community colleges, Kerry said, classes are getting more crowded, and often there is no room to accommodate the walk-in student.