College Planning
Your resource center for college planning and access to The Center’s College Advisor.
Make a College Planning Appointment
Center Students, use this form to make a college planning appointment with The Center’s College Advisor, Lisa Chow.
College Planning Resources
College & Career Center
Find current information about opportunities through the TOHS College and Career Center (scholarships, internships, job shadows, volunteer opportunities).
AP Central
Learn more about additional testing dates, digital testing, and how to get ready for your exams.
The SAT
Access the College Board’s SAT online registration, SAT Question of the Day, and Profile form (many private universities require the Profile for their financial aid form).
SAT Math Strategies
An amazing site created by a math and physics tutor. He has excellent PDF's that you should print and review for SAT Math Strategies.
UC College Search
View the University of California website with all the UC school catalogs, admission requirements and applications.
CSU College Search
The California State University website with all the CSU schools, admission requirements and applications.
More Resources
A private university search engine that helps you select colleges that are right for you.
National Career Development Association has many resources, services, and tools which assist users in exploring careers, planning for the future, searching for employment, and finding the additional training necessary to pursue a dream. Most of these resources are free.
Getting Started with College Essays
Let's get personal... What do you want colleges to know about you?
That you’re industrious? A leader? Compassionate? Innovative? Funny?
You see, from your Common App, colleges know your GPA, your course load, your extracurricular activities, and even somethings about your family. But they don’t know who you really are… what you’re like under pressure, what moves you to make decisions, how you come to choose your passions, or why. SO, how do you let the colleges know who you are? What makes you tick? What makes you stand out from the crowd? What do you want the colleges to know about you?
We each have characteristics that make us who we are. Many times, these characteristics make us unique and special. Colleges want to know what makes you unique and special. They get to see you in the personal essay(s) and they want to know who you are! That is the adventure and the challenge. It’s not easy to write a 500 word essay to tell someone we’ve never met who we are and that we are special and deserving of a special place at their university. Most adults have a hard time doing that. The truth is that writing a good personal reflection essay takes time… even practice. It takes reflecting. Be kind to yourselves and know that you are special. You each have so much to offer and to be discovered. Here is an exercise in personal refection to help you get started.
Let me know which reflection questions you chose and if you'd like, what your answers are. No judgements, no hassles, and no criticisms. Just tell me about yourself and your strengths.
Then, go look at the essay prompts in the Common App. See if one of the prompts jumps out at you or “fits” your reflection replies. Type out the prompt and make an outline before your write the first draft. And remember, you’ll be writing drafts… it takes time before you will complete your essay. And it will come together.
Common Application
Here’s a search tool for all colleges and universities that accept the Common Application.
Reflection Questions…
What three words would your closest friends use to describe your strengths?
What makes you happy? What brings you joy?
What do your parents say about you?
What would your teachers, coaches, or mentors say about what your strengths are? What makes you unique?
What strengths do you have that shines through in any circumstances? In tough situations? In a tight spot?