Crib to College 2019 - An Education and Activities Guide Geared for Your Child’s Success

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WELCOME to CRIB to COLLEGE From infancy to undergrad and beyond, parenting is a job that seldom offers breaks. We hope this year’s “Crib to College” offers fresh perspectives and guidance for navigating your own family life. If you ever find yourself asking how old should your child be before letting them have smart tablet time, or how to pack in healthy ingredients to your kids’ diets, or how to keep track of all of the standardized tests students will have to take, keep reading!

Learn more about how school leaders and mentors are taking additional steps to promote healthy sleep habits, mental health education, healthy use of technology and partnerships with parents.

For students preparing to leave the nest, this edition of Crib to College includes instruction on how to get a jumpstart on the college search. The California State University and the University of California systems are now accepting early applications through Nov. 30. To help students make a decision on where to apply, we’ve compiled a list of several California universities, as well as information on the campus tours they offer.

South Orange County offers a myriad of resources to nurture and uplift your children. This year’s Crib to College aims to serve as a guide for those resources and equip you and your family with the best tools for a happy and healthy family.

Logging On HOW PARENTS CAN BEST MONITOR THEIR KIDS’ SCREEN TIME

BY LILLIAN BOYD

Now that children are being exposed to smartphones and tablets at a younger age, it’s important to keep in mind how much time young kids spend staring at a screen.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), preschool-age kids should not have more than one hour of screen time in a day. Although some pediatricians argue that even an hour can negatively impact children younger than age 5 with developmental issues.

For children older than 5, AAP says it is crucial to be consistent about limits. There’s no set recommendation other than ensuring screen time does not replace physical activity, sleep or “other behaviors essential to health,” according to a 2016 study.

The AAP offers a set of health and safety tips on media consumption, which includes

treating media as you would any other environment in your child’s life.

“Set limits; kids need and expect them,” the AAP says. “Know your children’s friends, both online and off. Know what platforms, software, apps your children are using, what sites they are visiting on the web, and what they are doing online.”

The organization also encourages “unplugged playtime” to give children a break. Screen time should not always be alone time, either. Co-view, co-play and co-engage with your children while they use screens.

“Very young children learn best through two-way communication. Engaging in backand-forth “talk time” is critical for language development,” AAP says. “Teach and model kindness and good manners online. Because children are great mimics, limit your own media use.”

To learn more about what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about media use and parenting, visit aap.org.

After the School Bell HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN SOUTH COUNTY

BY LILLIAN BOYD eeping your kids busy outside of school could be key in a child’s development.

Fortunately, there are a multitude of options for children in the tri-city area, no matter their interests.

Sherry Murphy is the recreation manager for the Dana Point Community Center, which offers programs for youth including dance classes, martial arts, youth sports and music lessons—as well as CPR and AED training for babysitters.

“These kinds of opportunities really serve to help kids figure out who they are,” Murphy said. “These programs teach kids about themselves . . . what they like, what they don’t like.

It helps them figure out their identity.”

For Fall 2019, Dana Point Community Center offers a class that teaches the seven basic elements of art. The course provides building blocks in learning how to use paint, oil, pastel, watercolor and more. Dance classes include ballet, jazz, hip hop and acro dance, which is a technique of dance with acrobatic elements. “(This form is) a seamless blend of athletic tricks and creative choreography designed to improve flexibility and strength,” the course description says.

The various levels of karate classes touch on traditional Japanese styles of martial arts, with an emphasis on self-discipline, manners and respect for others.

“Our babysitter training class is a great opportunity for older kids wanting to get CPR-certified,” Murphy said. “The course offers instruction on babysitting guidelines and training for CPR, AED (automated external defibrillator) and First Aid.” Those who register for the class must be at least 11 years old. There is also a separate

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course that offers CPR and AED training for adults, children and infants experiencing emergencies.

The “Amazing Athletes” program teaches fundamentals of 10 different sports, focusing on development, agility and speed. Students learn about their muscles, good eating habits, hand/eye coordination, muscle tone and more. There are courses offered to 2 ½-4-yearolds and for 4-6-year-olds.

For more information, visit the recreation programs webpage at danapoint.org.

In San Clemente, Goal Zone focuses on skill development and healthy living. Each week, students learn new skills through drill training and practice games. On the sixth week, participants partake in a tournament between schools. The program includes a light snack and T-shirt. Las Palmas, Marblehead, Concordia and Lobo elementary schools participate in the Goal Zone program.

For information on more than 100 youth programs offered in San Clemente, visit sanclemente.org/recreation.

The After-School Experience is offered through Saddleback Community College Education and teaches art, science, cooking, sports and academic classes. All classes are held on CUSD school sites and follow school dismissal times. For more information and to register, visit saddleback.edu/ce or call 949.582.4646.

YMCA Orange County offers before- and after-school care opportunities in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The program offers physical and educational activities such as sports and recreation, homework support, club curriculum and technology. For more information, visit ymcaoc.org.

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STEM3 Academy Provides Specialized Learning in OC

BY ZACH CAVANAGH tudents with social and learning differences in Orange County have a new way into STEM programs.

The Help Group, the largest nonprofit in the nited States serving children and young adults with special needs, has opened a third campus for its STEM Academy in Irvine.

According to its mission statement, STEM Academy (pronounced STEM Cubed Academy) “provides a robust Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based curriculum to students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and other social and learning differences.”

According to the academy, there has been a 28 increase in the number of students with neuro-developmental differences enrolled in undergraduate STEM fields, and the STEM Academy is doing its part to add to those numbers and help with the increased need for STEM workers across the country.

The STEM Academy has four areas of focus content, method, pathway to careers and 21st century skills. Content is the specialized curriculum; the method is student-centered and pro ect-based learning with real-world applications; the pathway to careers exposes students to professional environments and partnerships to

New Programs at CUSD

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

The 2019-2020 school year has marked the start of a few significant programs meant to enhance students’ education at their schools within the Capistrano nified School District.

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showcase careers in STEM; and the 21st century skills focus on how students approach the world and engage with it.

The academy provides small class sizes with a maximum of 14 students and experimental learning approaches with assignments based on real-world problems. The academy also goes through an individualized education program process that gives each student a specific set of goals geared to them and their learning style.

The STEM Academy in Irvine provides tours every Thursday at 11 a.m. To reserve a spot, contact Tamika DeCambra via email at tdecambra stem academy.org or call 818.62 .6 86. For more information on the academy, contact Dr. Ellis Crasnow via email at oc stem academy.org or call 888.94 .1816.

The STEM Academy is located at 1 861 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA, 92614.

Stealth Health

RECIPE:

HOW TO SNEAK HEALTHY FOODS INTO YO R CHILD S DIET

BY GINA COUSINEAU Today, the odds of feeding our families healthily are stacked against us, due to the influx of highly processed convenience foods that are actually chemically formulated to prevent you from eating “ ust one Lay s potato chip.” That being said, how in the world do parents in ect nutritious food in their children at home, let alone on the go?

Step one starts with providing wholesome food choices for the family. Even if you are forced to get “takeout,” try to stick with foods as close to their natural package as possible. One rarely sees pinto beans in their pods unless we are growing them ourselves, but rather, we buy them dried or canned (low sodium, please). In both cases, they have been minimally processed and one cup provides more than half of our recommended daily fiber, 15 grams of protein, and a fat dose of folate. On the other hand, your favorite fish-shaped cracker could not be further from what nature intended. For the same calories, we see half the protein, zero fiber, and a whopping 480 mg of sodium.

For seriously picky eaters, soups and smoothies can be lifesavers.

Take my Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe. While the instructions suggest pureeing some of the soup to make it thick and creamy, go ahead and puree the entire batch, and even crunch some of those “crackers” on top for fun. The smell of the soup will entice everyone into the kitchen, and when the devices get put down, a beautiful family meal can be had by all. Smoothies are loved by most, so keep an assortment of fruit in the freezer and blend with milk or soymilk, nut butter, toss in some spinach or kale, a tablespoon of chia or flax seed, even a s uirt of chocolate syrup for some fun, and the entire family can en oy a uick and easy nutrient-dense meal or snack.

Gina Cousineau, a culinary nutritionist, is the co-owner of the San Clemente-based Mama G’s Lifestyle with Samantha Blankenburg, offering inperson and virtual nutrition, fitness and lifestyle consulting. She welcomes your questions and comments at www.MamaGsLifestyle.com. She also co-hosts the podcast “Calling Their Bull” available on most platforms.

INGREDIENTS: 1 1 2 tbsp olive oil 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs 1 2 tbsp olive oil 10 oz onion, diced 10 oz carrot, diced 8 oz zucchini, diced 16 oz Yukon Gold Potato, diced 10 oz cauliflower florets, finely chopped or riced

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme) 2 cups unsweetened nut milk (or sub any milk for added protein and creaminess) cups chicken broth 1 cup frozen green peas 4 Servings 85 calories each

DIRECTIONS: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in diced chicken breast and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. Remove chicken from pot and transfer to a large bowl; set aside for later.

In the same pot, add in 1 2 tablespoon olive oil, onion, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and thyme. Saut for a few minutes until onion begins to soften, then add in almond milk, and chicken broth. Allow mixture to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Remove 2 1 2 cups of the mixture from the pot and blend until completely smooth (be careful while you do this; vent lid and start slowly ), then transfer pur e back to the pot. Stir in cooked chicken and frozen peas. Allow mixture to simmer for 5-10 more minutes to thicken up a bit. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Recipe adapted from ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-chicken-pot-pie-soup.

Across all C SD s elementary schools, kindergarteners and their parents were able to en oy full-day sessions in classrooms and on campus as the district decided to implement the full-day program throughout the district following a successful 2018-2019 school year in which a dozen schools had tried it out first.

According to C SD, kindergarten enrollment increased by 8 students this year, as compared to last.

This year also saw the rollout of R.H. Dana Elementary School s Spanish Dual Immersion program in which students were taught in English 50 percent of the day and in Spanish during the other half.

To introduce the program this year, R.H. Dana s kindergarten class was the first to experience the 50 50-style education at the school, and they will carry it through each subse uent grade level until the 5th grade, when those students transition into a middle school bilingual program.

The school also saw a significant surge in kindergarten enrollment this year, as nearly 56 students were welcomed in August, up from the 29 students who were enrolled last school year, according to C SD. The district also boasted that R.H. Dana has seen enrollment numbers go up in its 1-5 grade levels as well, in large part due to “the positive changes at the school and enrichment Spanish program offered at those grade levels.”

And, with an increased interest in improving the mental health and stability of all citizens, but especially students, C SD has partnered with Hoag Hospital to conduct a series of speaking events called “Helping Teens and Families Navigate Mental Health and Wellness.”

During such events, a panel of sub ect matter experts on teen mental health from After School Programs for Interventions and Resiliency Education (ASPIRE) at Hoag will discuss a variety of topics that relate to today s youth while also answering audience uestions.

ASPIRE at Hoag is designed to help kids and teens who are experiencing emotional and neurobehavioral problems, including anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and other mental-health related symptoms.

The second event in the series, which is free to attend, is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Aliso Niguel High School from 6-8 p.m. The topic will be centered on identifying substance abuse disorders and the danger of vaping.

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Extending Help & Providing Hope Q&A WITH SUSAN PARMALEE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WELLNESS & PREVENTION CENTER

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he Wellness & Prevention Center was founded in 2014 in response to increasing substance use and suicide rates among area teens. With the mission of helping teens lead healthy lives, the center started by providing mental health interventions and prevention education in San Clemente High School. The Wellness & Prevention Center now provides school-based services in two high schools and five middle schools, as well as extensive community-wide prevention education. We caught up with Executive Director Susan Parmalee to learn more about their program and what steps parents can take to help their children and teens.

health therapies that help to rewire areas that might be misfiring or may be chemically imbalanced due to trauma, genetics, closed brain injuries, transitions, substance use, and more. If we can help youth with mental health challenges when they first emerge, we can ensure a healthier adulthood.

What are some of your concerns about the youth in South Orange County?

Susan Parmalee

What is new at the Wellness & Prevention Center this school year?

Susan: Besides expanding service to the middle schools in Aliso Viejo (and in the next few months, Aliso Niguel High School), I am very excited about a contract we just signed with the County of Orange Health Care Agency that funds community education. This grant will allow us to implement extensive prevention education designed to increase the mental health literacy of adults and teens in South Orange County. Research supports the goal

of increasing a community’s mental health literacy in order to lower the stigma surrounding the diseases of mental health and addiction, increasing the chance that youth receive early interventions when warning signs first appear.

Why is early intervention so important?

Susan: The teen brain is amazing. After the newborn through toddlerhood stages, adolescence is the most active time for brain development and a crucial time for mental

Susan: Jean Twenge, PhD, from San Diego State University, has been following the advent of the smartphone as it correlates to rapidly increasing rates of clinical levels of anxiety and depression among US teenagers.

This amazing technology appears to correlate to a rise in poor mental health. While there is no causation link, in the schools we serve, we are observing the rapid rise of youth missing school due to symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is very important for parents to follow guidelines for introducing smartphones into a teen’s life. A good resource is cybersafetycop.com. Also, it is important for adults to be aware of the warning signs for anxiety, depression and other diseases of mental health. To learn more, go to wpc-oc.org; info@ wpc-oc.org; or call 949.680.0516.

FIVE WARNING SIGNS THAT SUGGEST YOU MAY WANT TO DISCUSS WITH A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL: 1 / Changes in sleeping patterns—both trouble sleeping and sleeping more—and changes in self-care, such as loss of interest in appearance 2 / Extreme mood swings, particularly anger and irritability—these can be signs of depression, nicotine use and some medical conditions 3 / Isolation from peers and family 4 / Participation in risky behaviors—this is often how teens unwittingly ask for help 5 / Drop in grades

Susan Parmelee, LCSW, is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Wellness & Prevention Center. She is passionate about supporting youth and their families.

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Great

Opportunities SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Academic Excellence | Culture of Innovation | Transformative Tartan Experience We believe in our students—their natural curiosity, talents, interests and intellectual vitality. St. Margaret’s surrounds students with a vibrant and engaging learning environment that guides their individual development, character, well-being and intellectual pursuits. St. Margaret’s is active and alive with students who are motivated and excited to be here, learning and growing together. From Early Childhood to Upper School, our everyday leaves a lifetime impact on our students.

A vigorous liberal arts academic program and expert faculty challenge and inspire students to discover, learn, grow and excel to their fullest potential. Opportunities abound in arts, athletics, STEAM, experiential and service learning, and leadership.

We advance our academic program with a student-centered innovation process.

We invest in new curriculum and teaching strategies, modern technologies, world-class learning environments, community partnerships and collaborations that pave exciting and rewarding paths for students.

St. Margaret’s students are known for their

character, poise, thoughtfulness and integrity. An inclusive, loving community rooted in shared values and our Episcopal identity is the foundation for a transformative student life program that fosters belonging, life skills, purpose and well-being, instills a strong moral compass and inspires responsibility, leadership and service to the world.

St. Margaret’s is a premier, independent school educating 1,245 students, preschool through grade 12. The school’s reputation for the depth and quality of its education brings more than 150 colleges and universities to campus annually to recruit its graduates.

31641 La Novia San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, 949.661.0108, www.smes.org, communications@smes.org.

Santa Margarita Catholic High School With academic tracks tailored to meet the needs of varied learners; more than 85 clubs and activities; competitive, character-building athletics and an award-winning arts program — all in a nurturing, Christ-centered environment — Santa Margarita students are empowered to grow spiritually, intellectually, socially and morally. Santa Margarita has the distinction of being the county’s only Catholic International Baccalaureate high school and is ranked as the No. 1 co-ed Catholic high school in Southern California by Niche.com. Recognized as a Microsoft Showcase School, the school’s globally-recognized educational technology program provides an immersive learning experience preparing students for college and beyond. With a 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio, students receive individualized attention allowing them to reach their full potential. The Class of 2019 earned 41.9 million in college scholarship offers with 99 percent of the class attending college. One in four students receive tuition assistance, and bus transportation and an active parent carpool group provide an easy commute to campus. The school’s beautiful 42-acre campus is located at 22062 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita. Visit www.smhs.org/visitcampus to schedule a personalized tour or shadow day.

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The Power of Purpose

BY RYAN DAHLEM, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, ST. MARGARET’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL sychologists and educators are researching and uncovering the reasons behind rising rates of mental and emotional health issues in our nation’s young people. Leading schools are paying attention and addressing these issues through later start times to promote healthy sleep habits, increased mental health education and resources, promoting healthy use of technology, and parent partnerships focused on appropriate expectations and priorities for children.

While important, these interventions leave unanswered a fundamental question underlying the experience of today’s busy students: Why? Bill Damon, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, sums it up this way: “The biggest problem growing up today is not actually stress; it’s meaninglessness.”

The antidote to meaninglessness is a sense of purpose, and educators are now exploring the pursuit of purpose as a vital component in the development of young people. The Stanford Center for Adolescence cites a growing body of evidence indicating that purpose is associated with academic achievement, vocational success, energy, resilience, and psychological and physical health throughout the lifespan.

But what is purpose, and how do we encourage young people to pursue it? Damon

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defines purpose as “a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at the same time meaningful to the self and consequential for the world beyond the self.”

In short, find something that matters to you, connect it to a need in the world, take action and stick with it.

Damon’s team of researchers surveyed and interviewed more than 1,200 young people between the ages of 12 and 26, finding that only about 20% had found something meaningful to dedicate themselves to—a sense of purpose.

The remainder fell roughly equally into three distinct groups: the “dreamers,” those who have a variety of idealistic aspirations but have not yet taken action to put their ideas in motion; the “dabblers,” those who have taken many actions across a variety of topics, but without a deeper sense of meaning or sustained commitment; and the disengaged, those with no aspirations for purposeful engagement or any action taken.

What does the pursuit of purpose actually look like for a young person in the 20% identified by Damon Three recent high school graduates I know come to mind.

The first, Natalie, loved her math and science classes and joyfully pursued both subjects at the highest level. She also noticed there were fewer females in her advanced courses, so she started an annual math competition for girls that provided inspiration for younger students from throughout Orange County. Another stu-

dent, Jake, cherished his time in the outdoors during extended summer camps growing up.

He formed an outdoors club in high school and led his peers, many of whom were new to the outdoors, on local hikes. Years later, he is an instructor for a leading outdoor education outfitter, inspiring leadership, self-reliance and a love of nature in children. Finally, Jordan was fascinated by the political process and was active in a variety of congressional and international simulation organizations. Motivated by a national lack of teen voter turnout, she tirelessly organized local voter registration drives as a compelling peer advocate for civic engagement. She continues this work at her college in Washington, DC. In each case, the students were intrinsically motivated and experienced joy and meaning in their pursuits. Importantly, they found the intersection of what they love to do, their skills and a need in the world. This duality of purpose—something personally meaningful that has a positive impact on others—compels people to stick with it through ups and downs, developing resilience, optimism, their identity and a sense of belonging. These are the underpinnings of the positive effect of purpose on health and wellness.

So what role can adults play in the formation of purpose in children? Quite an important one, according to Damon’s book, The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life. While adults, especially parents, can’t determine a young person’s

purpose, there are a variety of ways they can help support it: 1. Model and explain your own sense of purpose. Children may misunderstand the work of parents and caregivers to be about meetings, deadlines and deliverables, while never hearing about the deeper meaning and impact of those tasks. Articulating how your work is personally meaningful and contributes to the world models a sense of purpose and even gratitude for children. This includes parents whose primary work is in the home raising children—something that will resonate with the primary beneficiaries of this purpose.

2. Have conversations with young people about purpose—without mentioning the word “purpose.” Young people have a lot on their plates, and the notion of discovering purpose can feel like a heavy burden. Start with finding opportunities to ask children what really matters to them. Follow up with “why?” questions to better understand the significance of their interests and how they might connect to a need in the world that leads to opportunities for action and meaning. As Damon puts it, “Listen closely for the spark, then fan the flames.” This dialogue helps personalize the underlying direction of purpose formation and can help “dabblers” prioritize. Dave Evans, who co-authored the book Designing Your Life and teaches a wildly popular course of the same title to Stanford undergraduates, calls this reflective process “compass building.”

3. Introduce children to potential mentors. The power of an inspiring adult who can guide a young person to seek their own purpose cannot be overestimated. In fact, of the hundreds of purposeful youth studied in Damon’s research, nearly all had mentors outside their homes. These adults serve as what Evans calls “brokers to the world,” with an ability to help young people connect their interests to needs and unseen opportunities in the world. The key to fostering agency and ownership in these mentoring relationships is to provide options, not answers.

4. Encourage an entrepreneurial attitude and optimistic outlook. Entrepreneurs are known for their ability to set goals, take risks, rebound from failure and find creative solutions. Approaching all of these with an optimistic, can-do attitude creates the momentum necessary to actually bring ideas into reality. This set of attributes also applies to purpose development and helps compel action, moving the “dreamers” toward purpose. The notion of prototyping is another tool entrepreneurs share with those pursuing purpose. Evans highly encourages prototyping experiences that range from imagining several different versions of purposeful action to interviewing those pursuing related forms of purpose to taking action at small-scale to gather feedback for reflection.

Ryan Dahlem is Assistant Head of School at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. He is leading the school’s work on purpose development and partners with the Parent Teacher Fellowship on the Parent Up Speaker Series. This year’s theme, “Living a Life of Purpose,” recently featured Bill Damon and will continue with Dave Evans on Friday morning, November 1 and Mallika Chopra on Friday morning, January 24. If interested in attending, please contact Mr. Dahlem for more information at ryan.dahlem@smes.org.

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Getting a Jump on the

College Search

College Test Breakdown B

C C G est time can be the most important and stressful time for high school students as they prepare for college, and parents will do all they can do to prepare their young scholars—including risking jail time, as evidenced by recent scandals. Most know of the SAT and ACT, standardized tests that measure a student’s ability and readiness for college-level courses, but here is a quick breakdown of the common tests for college undergraduate programs:

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Stanford University. Photo: iStockPhoto.com/ HaizhanZheng

The window is now open to apply to any one of the schools within the California State niversity and the niversity of California systems, as such institutions are currently accepting freshman applications for the 2020 school year through Nov. 0. To help students make a decision on where to apply, we ve compiled a list of several California universities nearby and some farther away as well as information on the campus tours they offer.

California State University, Long Beach B

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• Family and individual walking tours with up to four guests are offered at Cal State Long Beach to provide a general overview of academic programs, student support services and campus life.

• The tours are one hour long and don’t include a tour of the housing facilities.

Those looking to attend Cal State Long Beach next fall can also tour the campus on their own using the school s Self-Guided Tour Brochure, which features a detailed campus map, as well as pictures to help you find your way around the campus.

California State University, Fullerton B

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Cal State Fullerton offers prospective students a variety of walking tours at its campus.

Daily Tours are offered Monday through Friday and are led by CS F students referred to as Titan Ambassadors. This tour is 90 minutes long and geared toward high school and community college students.

Self-guided walking tours are also available to those wishing to explore the campus but unable to attend one of the daily tours.

A Self-Guided Walking Tour rochure is available at the school’s Visitor Information Center in Gordon Hall 1 8.

University of California, Los Angeles B

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• Prospective undergraduate students and transfer students are welcome to sign up for tours of the CLA campus, housing and other facilities.

• For the individual tours, which can accommodate between one and six people, you’ll be led around the campus by current CLA students who will highlight academic programs, resources and student life. This tour lasts approximately two hours, including a 30-minute admissions presentation and 90-minute walking tour.

There s also an option for an On Campus Housing Walking Tour, which lasts about 45 minutes, and includes a visit to at least one of the school s four different on-campus room types, excluding the off-campus niversity Apartments site. These tours occur Monday through Friday starting at 1 p.m.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona B

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Cal Poly Pomona s Prospective Student Tour is offered Mondays through Fridays, with both morning and afternoon options available.

• During the 90-minute walk through the campus and freshman residence halls, a professional staff representative will lead the tour, discussing admissions requirements, deadlines for tuition, majors and next steps.

San Diego State University B

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• Prospective undergraduate tours with an admissions presentation, or a campus walking tour only, are currently being offered at the school through Dec. 11.

The Prospective ndergraduate Tour lasts two hours, including a 45-minute interactive presentation and a 5-minute walking tour of the campus and residential halls.

• If you’ve already attended an admissions presentation, there s also the 5-minute Campus Walking Tour, featuring the walk through the campus and tour of residential halls.

Stanford University B

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Stanford s Campus Walking Tour covers the central part of the campus, including the Main uad, Memorial Church and the Engineering uad.

The 0-minute tour is offered seven days a week at 11 0 a.m. and 0 a.m.

University of California, Berkeley B

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C erkeley offers a free 90-minute walking tour of the campus with a student ambassador seven days a week at 10 a.m.

• The tours are designed to accommodate individuals, families and parties of up to nine people.

S T The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, tests the student’s test-taking ability more than actual knowledge.

The SAT is broken down into four sections: reading, writing and language, math without a calculator allowed and math with a calculator allowed. The SAT is three hours, with a 50-minute optional essay. Some schools may ask for an SAT Sub ect Test, which comes in five general categories English, math, history, science and languages.

CT / The other most common test, the ACT originally an abbreviation for American College Testing tests the student s actual knowledge. The ACT has four multiple-choice sections in English, reading, math and science, with scores from 1- 6 in each sub ect.

The total time is just under three hours, with a 40-minute optional essay.

S T The Preliminary SAT is a good practice method for the regular SAT and one that students normally take in their junior year of high school. The PSAT is also used as a ualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. ams / Advanced Placement exams are taken after taking an AP course in a specific sub ect in high school. A high mark on the AP exam can qualify for college credit or advanced placement in the subject in college.

CL The College-Level Examination Program can help students earn college credit at some colleges. Not all colleges accept this, and some offer different amounts of credit.