The California Community Colleges is the largest public higher education system in the United States, with 116 colleges.  Some even provide dorms! They serve millions of students each year and offer a variety of programs, including certificate and degree programs, workforce training, and basic courses. Many students in the Tam District who attend a Community College eventually transfer to a four-year college/university. Learn more about College of Marin's Transfer Center here.

• If your path is to go to a community college following your high school graduation, attend a College of Marin information session on our campus. These events are listed under college visits on Naviance and on the College & Career Center Events page.

• College of Marin offers Summer Career Academies each year. Applications open each year on April 1 and close on May 1.Expect to pay required fees ranging from $24 to $50, depending on the number of academies taken and college credits earned. 

• College of Marin Session from Junior Night, Fall 2024: drive.google.com/file/d/1meaq52PZ-2t_Ln59q-JjWMAcO5Pfux9m/view?usp=sharing 

• Here is the recording from the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) district-wide session held on 10/4/23: marin-edu.zoom.us/rec/share/Q9kxpnTpf6ZbG538ERxP1oXL-m9XaG4biccEWyBQOIHWX6pmfeB6g9wzvopVt-Wy.3UBfYXl6HVOR365a?startTime=1696467830000%20Passcode:%20907730  - Passcode: 907730

• Here is the recording from the Community College Transfer Pathways with COM session from Thurs. 4/27/23: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17wnNFQel8oevbIBVBibPGHR8GlcxbAqD/view?usp=share_link 

University of California schools, also known as UCs, are public 4-year institutions that are located across the state of California. There are nine undergraduate campuses.

If you're interested in entering the University of California as a first-year student, you'll have to satisfy these requirements:

1. Complete 15 A-G courses (11 of them by end of junior year) 

You need to complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (A-G courses) with a letter grade of C or better. You must complete at least 11 of these courses prior to the beginning of your last year of high school.

The 15 courses are:

a. History

2 years

b. English

4 years

c. Mathematics

3 years (4 years recommended)

d. Science

2 years (3 years recommended)

e. Language other than English
*or equivalent to the 2nd level of high school instruction

2 years* (3 years recommended)

f. Visual and performing arts

1 year

g. College-preparatory elective
(chosen from the subjects listed above or another course approved by the university)

1 year

2. Earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 if you're a nonresident) in these courses with no grade lower than a C.

Freshman Selection: Campus Policies & Procedures for Reviewing Freshman Applicant

• Use this link to find out if applying undeclared improves or detracts from your chances of admission (page 27), learn more about choosing an alternate major (page 28), most selective colleges/schools (page 29), etc. 

• Interested in how applications are reviewed? Use this link!

• Here is more information on the UC personal insight questions and a link to the UC PIQ Workshop offered by a UC Davis representative on 10/9/25.

• Dec. 2023: New website! Lograr Universidad de California

UC is proud to introduce Lograr Universidad de California — a comprehensive new Spanish-language website to help Spanish-speaking students and their families navigate the process of attaining a University of California education. The website provides students with a high-level roadmap to UC, helping them prepare for a competitive application and sharing important information on admission rates and financial aid. 

• CSU is a public university system with 22 campuses. CSU is the largest, most diverse and one of the most affordable university systems in the country.   CSU produces 50 percent more business graduates, computer scientists and engineers than all other California universities and colleges combined. CSU also prepares two-thirds of the state's public school teachers educated in California.

• Applications may be submitted between October 1 -November 30 unless otherwise noted at www.calstate.edu/apply. All CSU applications require a fee or fee waiver and your social security number or California student ID number, which is on your official transcript.

Private Colleges & Universities

There are over 1,300 private colleges and universities in the United States, offering a wide range of programs and choices.

California alone has 76 independent colleges and universities.  Independent colleges/universities come in a variety of shapes and sizes: major research universities, comprehensive universities, small liberal arts colleges, church-affiliated universities, and specialized schools and colleges for the arts or technology.

Application procedures vary at different colleges. Some private colleges/universities will have their own application and others are part of the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Check college websites for specific application procedures and deadlines.

More than 900 colleges accept the Common Application. It simplifies the college admission process by saving time and eliminating duplication of effort. Once completed online, copies of the Application for Undergraduate Admission and associated  secondary school forms may be sent to any of the participating colleges and universities.  Although the majority of the colleges on the Common Application are private, some public institutions are also using it.

The Common Application opens each spring, so students can create an account and profile early. The full application becomes available August 1st. Students are then able to see if their colleges require supplemental essays.

Click here for help getting started.

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2022-2023. Common App will also retain the optional COVID-19 question within the Additional Information section.

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Students choose one of these prompts to write on and have between 250-650 words for the Common Application essay.

Supplemental Essays

Many colleges will ask for one or more supplemental essay in addition to the main essay. One of the most common topics is "Why This College?" or a more specific question about how a student plans to contribute to the campus. Colleges are looking for detailed and well-researched responses. When evaluating these responses, colleges want to know that a student has done his or her homework on the institution and has really thought about how he or she will fit into the campus community.

When answering this essay question, use specific details. Mention courses and professors of interest. Elaborate on campus organizations or programs that fit certain goals, and specific aspects of the campus community that make it a good social and academic fit. Be as detailed as possible, but be sure to relate these details to specific goals and interests. Don't just rattle off some course names and expect to wow the admissions committee.

Research and preparation is key to writing stand-out supplements, so don’t wait until the last minute! 

The Coalition Application

The Coalition was founded by a group of dedicated college administrators in 2015 with the goal to improve the college application process for all students, particularly those from historically under-represented groups. Members are united in their mission to support lower-income, under-resourced, and/or first-generation students; provide responsible financial aid; and bolster students’ success in college—and beyond.

Students have private, unlimited space where they can upload important items such as papers, videos, and photos, as a record of their high school experience; this cloud-based "Locker" becomes the foundation of their application to Coalition schools.

Using MyCoalition, students can begin exploring colleges and digitally compiling personal and school-related achievements as early as ninth grade. So by the time senior year rolls around, they are already on track for college success.