College admissions, written for California
Ten guides on the parts of the process families get wrong most often. No odds, no predictions, no pretending anybody knows what a given college will do. Just the mechanics, the dates, and the trade-offs — including the ones about the UC system that national guides leave out entirely.
- The UC application is a different gameThe UC application opens 1 August, files 1–30 November, has no early action, reads no recommendation letters, and ignores test scores. A complete guide for California families.
- What a spike actually is, and why twelve clubs hurtSelective colleges read tens of thousands of well-rounded applications. A spike is the one sentence a reader remembers. Here is what depth actually looks like, and what the twelfth club really costs.
- The summer that carries the application is decided in FebruaryCOSMOS closes in February. SSP and SIMR close in February. RSI closes in January. A calendar of the competitive summer programs Bay Area families apply to — and the cheaper options that work better.
- The four-year plan, season by seasonGrade by grade and season by season, from the ninth-grade course sequence to the May reply date. Built around the California calendar, including the UC and Cal State deadlines.
- Four things share the word "early" and they are not variations on a themeED is binding and removes your ability to compare aid offers. REA blocks other early applications. EA does neither. And the UCs have none of them. A plain guide to the four "early" options.
- How many AP courses is the right numberColleges evaluate rigor against what your school offers, using the counselor’s school profile. There is no number — but there is a point where the next AP costs more than it returns.
- A list that will not break your heartApplying to nine schools that each admit seven per cent is not nine independent chances. How to bucket a list honestly, why likelies must be schools you respect, and the calculator to run first.
- The PSAT that counts is the one in October of junior yearOnly the junior-year PSAT/NMSQT qualifies. California’s Semifinalist cutoff sits near the top of the national range, and the Selection Index is not the same as your SAT score.
- The conversation to have before senior yearResearchers studying achievement pressure in affluent communities find the students most at risk are the ones succeeding at something they did not choose. Three questions to ask in July.
- What a college actually costs your familyAid formulas read household income without adjusting much for local cost of living, and home equity is treated differently by FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Run the calculators in junior year.
The app
Trellis puts the four-year plan, the focus score, the Bay Area program calendar and the family report on your phone. See Trellis →