University of San Francisco

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Jul 272009

USFForgotRenny

Darn It! I forgot Renny…

Flickr Video

University of San Francisco is a small, liberal arts school that has its core values rooted in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. The school is located in the heart of San Francisco, atop one of the many steep hills in San Francisco and has two campuses – Lone Mountain and the Main Campus. There are just under 5,000 undergraduates at the school and has 3,700 or so graduate and professional studies students. In total, there are around 8,700 students at USF. The student:faculty ratio is 14:1 and the average number of students in a core class is 28 (20 in majors).  Students must take courses within a required Core Curriculum – 11 classes in 6 designated areas, a service learning course, cultural diversity and foreign language. Students meets these requirements in addition to satisfying requirements for their major and/or minor. The school has a renowned community service learning program, where students study issues and then work in the community to earn credit (i.e. Perhaps study health care as it homeless population and work in a shelter health clinic)– all USF students must take own of these class to graduate. A typical array of majors is available to students, as well as the opportunity to study abroad. The programs available to undergraduate students are College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the School of Business and Management. There is also 4+3 Law Program and 5 year program in Computer Science and Teacher Preparation. Jesuits are known for their work around the globe and students are encouraged to go off campus and to travel around the world.

The school is explicit about student diversity and has a Diversity and Multicultural Recruitment and Retention Office that works with admissions and the student population. The ethnic makeup of the school is ranked in the top 20 of U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review. Fall 2008 Breakdown – White 39%, Asian-American 20%, Latino/Hispanic 15%, International 7%, African American 4%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 2%, Native American 1%, and Unidentified 11%. The school went so far as to publish its graduation rates for different students groups on the website, something I appreciated!

Admissions requirements are the Common Application. A selective college, the average GPA is 3.5 and the average combined SAT for admitted students is 1120 (ACT 25). Tuition-wise, costs are just under $45,000 and 67% of the student population receives financial aid.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 9:42 am Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, video, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

University of California Santa Cruz

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Jul 272009

University of California Santa Cruz is the place my role model, Angela Y. Davis taught for years the person on FBI WANTED poster in my office!!!). UCSC is another school with a fabulous shoreline locale. I decided not to actually visit UC Santa Cruz’s campus (see the VIDEO) on the traditional tour. Instead, I decided to watch the school’s video to get a feel of  how a school attempts to tell students what they are all about remotely. In a way, the different voices in the video are helpful. As with any tour, information, podcast or video, it the school putting its BEST foot forward. UCSC focuses on interdisciplinary study and students can choose from 60 majors  within the schools of Engineering,  Arts, Humanities, and Biological and Social Sciences. Examples are bioengineering, computer game design, and a Health Sciences program focused on qualifying for medical school that includes Spanish proficiency. NASA has a first-of-its-kind research program at the university as well.

Just over 15,000 undergraduates are enrolled (2% African American, 0.9% Native American, Asian/PI 21.5%, Chicano/Latino 17.7%, White 49.9% and 5.6% Unstated). UCSC has a residential college system similar to UCSD and makes a big school smaller. The admit rate for UCSC is 63.2% and the average high school GPA is 3.76, SAT 591/609/597 out of 2400.  Students with GPAs under 3.0 have an admit rate of 6.8%.

Check out the school’s photo gallery – (http://admissions.ucsc.edu/see/photoGallery/index.cfm)

University of California Santa Cruz (see the VIDEO). I decided not to actually visit UC Santa Cruz’s campus. It is another school with a neat shoreline locale.
Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 9:32 am College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

University of Southern California (USC)

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Jul 272009

Check out the “Tommy Cam” for Tuesday, July 21st. Can you find me?!!!

University of Southern California is located in the heart of Los Angeles and takes up over 230 acres of land. This is a large, private, liberal arts university. There are over 2,700 students entering in the fall of 2009 (7% African American, 14% Latino, 2% Native American/PI, 25% Asian/Asian American, 45% White and 6% International students); there are over 16,500 undergraduates and 15,700 graduate students. It goes without saying that USC is the home of the Trojans, BIG TIME football – “Fight On!” It goes without saying that USC has one of premier marching bands and the scholarships to go with it.

Most students enter the Letters, Arts & Sciences and Business programs (a fair number are undeclared when they enter – some 16%). Being in LA, the school touts access to terrific film, broadcasting and journalism programs – with great internships in the heart of it all.

Admissions-wise, the school has a 22% admit rate. The application process is: Optional Part I 10/15, Part II 12/15 (scholarship), and Part II (application) 1/10.The mean GPA for admitted students is 3.7 and mean SAT 1910-2200. Out-of-State students make up 39% of the 2009 freshman class.

Tuition is over $51,000. USC commits to meeting all of the EFC through merit scholarships (full, half and quarter tuition), university grants, state and federal aid, loans and work-study. About 24% of entering freshmen received merit scholarships and over 60% received FA.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 9:05 am College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

University of California Santa Barbara

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Jul 272009

Somehow I forgot Renny! I think he snuck off to the beach…

University of California Santa Barbara is another in the CA university system. A mid-sized university, the school has 20,000 students. Like many of the California schools the campus has breath taking view of both the nearby mountains and the beaches famous for surfing. I think I’d hae been pretty distracted by all the fun in sun when I was an undergrad, the school has decent retention for freshmen! The campus is literally AT THE BEACH! A biking campus, there seemed to be bike paths to every location on and off campus. I saw one of the largest bike racks I’ve ever seen in my life! Cyclers have the right of way on the bike paths, so look lively as you are walking around. Students apply to the College of Creative Studies, College of Engineering, or College of Letters and Science. The College of Creative Studies allows students to participate in high level research and study in one of eight academic areas of their choosing. There are just over 330 students in the program and classes are taught at the seminar level and students have graduate student privileges. Within The College of Engineering students have five majors (chemical, computer, computer science, electrical and mechanical) to choose from and a 3+2 program that provides a M.S. in engineering. The College of Letters has 90 majors, including Art History, Biochemistry, Ecology and Evolution and Pharmacology. There are also a bunch of minors available.

As with all UC system schools, applicants must meet the criteria for the school. 60% of the criteria is based on “a-g requirements”, GPA and Exams and 40% looks at “academic promise” – extracurriculars, challenges and special circumstances, diversity of intellectual and social experience, and honors and awards. There is more criteria depending on which college a student applies to – Creative Studies, Engineering, or Letters and Science (check the links to learn more). Students must also submit a 1,000 word Personal Statement that answers two prompts – “Describe the world you come from…” and “Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment…”

Note: grades of B and above can be counted to satisfaction of the “a-g requirement”. When students get Cs they must report it to admissions, and Ds & Fs do not assist a student’s application. 49% of students who apply are admitted and the average GPA of admitted students is 3.93 – the average SAT 609/634/620 (out of 2400). The admit rate is 48.3% (1.8% with GPAs of 3.0 and below). Students can begin to apply online in November.

Out of state students make up 4% of the student population. Gender-wise Female 55% and Male 45%. Undergraduate ethnicity is: African American students 3%, Asian/PI 16.7%, Chicano/Latino 20% and White 51%. Students are assured housing their freshman year and most students live in the mile radius town named Isle Vista. 91% of students return their sophomore year.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 8:35 am College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , ,
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