Impact of Teachers on Agriculture Research Paper

Impact of Teachers on Agriculture - Research Paper Example The research will highlight effects of teachers on this discipline (Agbaje, Martin & Williams, 2001). Statement of the Problem It is imperative to have an effective education system, which will ensure improved students’ performance. The effectiveness of an education system derives from the ability of teachers’ to give knowledge to the students. The teachers will have key implications onto agricultural education. Consequently, it is vital to make a research on the implications of teachers in this discipline, which is an integral constituent of the entire education system. Understanding the implications of teachers on agricultural education is fundamental, since it will provide findings which can enable the appropriate authorities improve the education system. Teachers may have huge impact on agricultural education. Therefore, it is critical to understand them so that the authorities can adopt appropriate policy measures, which will ensure improvement in teaching of this discipline (Byrne, 1998). The current performance in this discipline is poor. Hence, it is vital that tutors embrace appropriate teaching strategies, which, in turn, will improve students’ performance. Purpose of the Study   Teachers have the core duty of passing on knowledge to students. Therefore, they are central factor in the students’ learning process. The teaching methods will influence the learning process significantly. Therefore, it would be crucial to understand what teaching strategies can improve students’ performance in agricultural education. Additionally, the research will evaluate not only the teaching strategies, but also their application in inculcating agricultural knowledge. This research will evaluate several aspects on the implications of teachers in this discipline. Therefore, this research will circumnavigate the core roles of the teacher in inculcating agricultural knowledge in students (Croom, 2003). Objectives of the Study This resea rch seeks to accomplish certain objectives, which include; I. Determine the strategies that teachers use in agricultural education II. Determine the impact of such strategies on the students III. Determine whether teachers’ strategies are relevant in agricultural education. IV. Determine whether the teachers have adequate agricultural knowledge to satisfy the students’ knowledge requirements. Research Questions I. What strategies do teachers use in agricultural education? II. What is the impact of teachers’ strategies on students? III. Are teachers’ teaching strategies relevant to agricultural education? IV. Do teachers have adequate agricultural knowledge to satisfy the students’ requirements? Definition of Terms Teaching strategies-The teaching measures that agricultural teachers have embraced in passing knowledge to students. Curriculum - an outline of what students should learn in a certain discipline over a given period. Each subject will norm ally have a curriculum that a teacher should follow. Quality assurance - this term refers to a set of measures that seek to ensure goods or services meet a certain quality threshold. Limitation of the Study The domain of this research will be large since the impacts of teachers on agricultural education will be multifaceted. This means the implications may be educational, psychological, and discipline concerns. Therefore, this

Load Shedding Essay Example for Free

Load Shedding Essay As far as people are concerned, everyone in Karachi and outside Karachi is just fed up of the catastrophic conditions of load shedding. It leaves a very drastic impact over the minds of the people suffering from load shedding but on contrary this load shedding, very quietly and nicely played its role in bringing people closer and increasing the socialization, without the use of any telecommunication medium. Load shedding has much more benefits which cannot be presented on the fore and can not be considered as a benefit because on whole the load shedding is considered to be the worst process people had to pass through. Some other benefits of load shedding includes the rest in this hustling bustling world .people living in such world do not have time for themselves they live their life only for the sake of money. They just work like a machine, early rising 9 to 5 job then part time business, dinner with family, early to bed to rise up again early. In such routine life men forget him and lost him somewhere in this life .He had no time for himself, load shedding provides that leisure time to him to think for himself. A 19 years old teenager rise up at 7 o clock after breakfast leaves for the high school then after the routine timing he goes to tuition or any sort of part time job to earn his living or to get for his semester fees. Then he came back to his home by almost 9p.m just eat the dinner and get ready for chatting but as soon as he reaches the pc the light went off and he eventually decided to visit any of his friend near his house .then that one hour or more than an hour is the only time which aware him of the happening near to him. Although he was aware of what is happening in America or in Islamabad court but unaware of his neighbor conditions .hence the load shedding provides a Muslim the time to perform his duties for his neighbor as prescribed by Islam.

Essay --

SET EDITION: U.S. INTERNATIONAL MÉXICO ARABIC TV: CNN CNNi CNN en Espaà ±ol HLN Sign up Log in Home TV & Video CNN Trends U.S. World Politics Justice Entertainment Tech Health Living Travel Opinion iReport Money Sports SHARE THIS Print Email More sharing Colin Powell Fast Facts By CNN Library updated 3:35 PM EDT, Tue August 20, 2013 (CNN) -- Here's a look at the life of Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Personal: Birth date: April 5, 1937 Birthplace: Harlem, New York Birth name: Colin Luther Powell Parents: Luther Powell, a shipping clerk Mother: Maud Ariel (McKoy) Powell, a seamstress Marriage: Alma Vivian (Johnson) Powell (August 25, 1962-present) Children: Annemarie Powell (May 1970); Linda Powell (April 1965); Michael Powell (March 1963) Education: City College of New York, B.S. in geology,1958; George Washington University, M.B.A.,1971; National War College, 1976 Military service: U.S. Army, 1958-1993, General Other Facts: Powell grew up in the South Bronx, the son of Jamaican immigrants. Powell participated in ROTC in college, leading the precision drill team and attaining the top rank offered by the corps, cadet colonel. Military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Soldier's Medal and two Purple Hearts. Civilian awards include the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal as well as receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice. Powell was the youngest man and first African-American to be Chairman of t... ...ital firm of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers as a "strategic limited partner." March 2006 - The National War College Foundation establishes the Colin Powell Chair for National Security, Leadership, Character and Ethics. Summer 2007 - Begins to speak out against the Bush administration's decision to go war against Iraq, the increase in troop strength in Iraq and the treatment of prisons at Guantanamo Bay. January 20, 2009 - Is one of the honorary co-chairs of President Barack Obama's inauguration. Powell had endorsed Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. February 3, 2010 - Powell reverses his stance on gays and lesbians in the military; his opposition to homosexuals in the military helped lead to the original "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the 1990s. 2012 - Publishes a second memoir, "It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership," with Tony Koltz.

Specific Heat

Introduction Specific heat is defined as the measure of the ability of a substance to change temperature. Specific heat of a substance is the heat needed to change the temperature of 1 gram of a substance once degree Celsius. The more Joules (unit of heat) needed, the higher the specific heat will be. The goal is to determine specific heat of a soil sample as compared to water. This difference has many ramifications regarding our climate, with local and global. HypothesisI predict that after 10 minutes of being placed under the same heat lamp, the soil will absorb heat faster, therefore ending with a higher temperature than the water. Materials †¢2 petri dishes †¢Soil †¢Water †¢2 thermometers †¢Heat lamp Procedure 1. Design lab tables. 2. Record mass of petri dish and then add enough soil to fill it to the brim. Record mass again. The difference is the mass of the soil sample. 3. Record the mass of another petri dish and fill it with water. Record the mass ag ain. The difference is the mass of the water. . Place the thermometers so that the bulb of one is beneath the surface of the soil and the bulb of the other is under the water. 5. Place both samples under a heat lamp, making sure the thermometers stay under the samples. Bring the lamp close to the petri dishes so that they are heated equally. 6. Record the temperature of each thermometer every 30 seconds, for 10 minutes. 7. Graph your temperature data on the same set of coordinates. Data Tables Mass and Temperature Data SoilWater Mass of Petri Dish and Material223. 1g171. g Mass of Petri Dish Empty16g16g Mass of Material207. 1g155. 4g Initial Temperature23 °C24 °C Final Temperature25. 5 °C25 °C Temperature Readings #SoilWater#SoilWater 123 °C24 °C1124 °C25 °C 223 °C24 °C1224 °C25 °C 323 °C24 °C1324 °C25 °C 423 °C24 °C1424. 25 °C25 °C 523 °C24 °C1524. 5 °C25 °C 623. 5 °C24. 5 °C1624. 75 °C25 °C 723. 5 °C24. 5 °C1725 °C25 °C 823. 5 °C24. 75 °C1825 °C25 °C 923. 75 °C25 °C1925. 25 °C25 °C 1024 °C25 °C2025. 5 °C25 °C Graphs Results Over the course of 10 minutes, the sample of soil increased from 23 degrees Celsius to 25. 5 degrees Celsius.On the other hand, the water sample increased only 1 degree over the course of 4 minutes. The remaining 6 minutes, the soil leveled out at a temperature of 25 degrees. While the soil continued to heat up at a relatively fast rate, the water made very small increments of progress and eventually made no advancement heating. Conclusion The hypothesis predicting that soil will absorb more heat than the water has been proven correct by the recorded data. My results showed that the temperature of the soil sample increased 2. 5 degrees Celsius, while the water only raised one degree.

Mining group gold: How to cash in on the collaborative brain power of a team for innovation and results Essay

Mining Group Gold Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be a collaborative leader, there are crucial behaviors that one needs to understand. It requires one to be good at building collaborative partnerships. Additionally, this demands facilitation of team work within individual group and across work groups, committees, problem solving teams and in task forces. Studying group gold mining enables one to learn to be more accomplished in the field of facilitative leadership, whereby one leads from the center of the team rather than from the top of individual pyramid (kayser, 2011). This assists in acquiring important facilitation strategies and skills necessary in carrying an individual team to new heights in the pursuit of innovative thinking. This essay will discuss the five basic steps for mining group gold for the team meeting management while outlining the steps for dealing with emotions. In addition, the paper will explain and describe how mining group gold process will improve teamwork em powerment and effective communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The group session foundation is a clear understanding of its purpose, and the desired outcome. The purpose of the session is the reason why the group has been called and it should be clearly written. On the other hand, desired outcomes which may also be called goals are specific statement identifying what is to be in the time of the session during the time spent in the session. Therefore, when people leave a session, they will know specifically what was completed, and what wasn’t .The desired outcome gives a description of the session being conducted, provide focus during the session and create common expectations for all the participants. In addition, they provide a benchmark against which the outcomes can be compared to gain a sense of the session’s productivity. A team without a desired outcome will definitely fail. Confused and frustrated group members may be tangled in endless arguments over every purpose of the meeting. Furthermore, a group’s purpose and the desired outcome helps a group gets back on track when necessary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A facilitator helps a group free from internal obstacles or difficulties so that it may effectively pursue the achievement of the desired outcomes of the group. Facilitation occurs any time a group member behaves in a manner that makes the group advance towards developing or refining a structure, making certain information and data are shared and getting rid of any internal blockages hindering the accomplishment of the desired outcome of the session. Although only one person is appointed to be the facilitator, all the other team members are designated to be secondary facilitators. The scribe and the time keeper also act as support for the facilitator as well. The time keeper does this by accurately taking into account the time taken for each agenda and alerting the facilitator when the group is using more or less that he allotted time the scriber helps the group, not only by making precise notes of the group session, but also by listing wh atever action items may have been identified.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the manager or the team leader, acting as the primary facilitator, being able to deal with feelings is the single most critical facilitation skill to be honed. Feeling is information that need to be processed and a primary facilitator should guide that process using the following sequence: feelings, facts and emotions. (Kayser, 2011) To begin with, when a group is in the feelings stage, it is pointless to ignore them.to handle this stage, feelings must be acknowledged as real and accepted. At any time in this stage, the primary facilitator encourages individuals to express their emotions in an organized way. Secondly, the primary facilitator is in a position to help the group generate and use fact and to identify and analyze the problem. The group should the facts in a less emotional way. Once the facts have been identified, the group is now ready to generate the potential solutions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mining gold group will help improve teamwork by inviting everyone to participate in the meeting and during regular work assignments. For instance anyone can facilitate the meeting and everyone has their own responsibilities. The process can help empower members since the leader addresses the group in a circle rather than in a pyramid where it is hard to reach him. The scribe and the time keeper are also empowered in a group. Employees work together hence it strengthens their relationship with each other and with the leader.in a gold mine group, anyone can voice their opinion and what they feel about a situation like new hires, layoff and deadlines. This helps improve communication.in addition, they have a policy where member are to each communicating to each other and not at each other talking to each other and not at each other. This enables people to listen to each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To sum up, groups are the life blood of organizations. Sitting down with group of people is often the right way to process the information and achieve goals. Groups are better because they can think in more verity and they can process more knowledge. Unfortunately sometimes the objectives are not realized (kayser, 2011). On the other hand, the group may realize its full potential and produce a superior output which encourages people to be committed to it and they feel satisfied with it. Therefore mining group gold is a very powerful technique. References Kayser, T. A. (2011). Building team power: How to unleash the collaborative genius of teams for increased engagement, productivity, and results. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kayser, T. A. (2011). Mining group gold: How to cash in on the collaborative brain power of a team for innovation and results. New York: McGraw-Hill Source document

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENTERING CONTESTS

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENTERING CONTESTS Entering contests is an important component of any working writer’s outreach and promotions plan. Although it may seem that winning a contest is a long shot, that’s not necessarily true. Most contests (but not all) charge an entry fee, so the cost of entering should be weighed. Pick and choose carefully and be sure to match your entry to the focus and intent of the contest. I have entered my work in contests for years and have rarely won. Rarely is not the same as never. One of the few contests I won was a big one. My novel Memories from Cherry Harvest won the Frances Fabri Literary Prize. The award was a standard publishing contract with Counterpoint Press, a generous advance, and a dedicated marketing budget. There was no entry fee for this contest. The Fabri Prize Selection Committee is comprised of Matt McKay at New Harbinger Books, his wife Jude, and Tom Southern at Boaz Publishing. (More information about the Fabri Prize is available at the Boaz website.) Memories from Cherry Harvest appeared in print in June 2012. I spent about 20 years working on this book and I could wallpaper my living room with the rejection notices I have received for it. I have been submitting the manuscript to agents and publishers for 10 years and have been entering it in contests steadily since 2006. My eventual success at getting it into print is a lesson in perseveranc e and it demonstrates the importance of entering contests. There are many types of writing contests. Entering contests with short essays, short fiction, and poetry is an important way to build your credentials, to get your name out into the world, and to contribute to your platform as a recognized working writer. Remember that even if you don’t win, someone read your work, and you never know when that connection might evolve into a larger success for you in a different way than you expected. Also, consider the fact that reading tastes are subjective Memories from Cherry Harvest is not my first book in print. In 2007 I self-pubbed my children’s fantasy adventure The Call to Shakabaz under my own Woza Books imprint. I mention this because I want to point out that entering contests with Shakabaz was part of my marketing plan for the book. Whenever the book won an award, I used it as an occasion to send out press releases and email blasts and to bring the book back into the spotlight. Additionally, many contests have their own promotional mechanisms and that translates into free publicity for the winners. There’s an old Jewish joke that goes something like this:    There was once a good and pious man named Morty who was very poor. His life was difficult. One day he turned his eyes heavenward and pleaded with God, â€Å"I’m a good man, I obey all your laws, so why don’t you help me out here, maybe send some money my way; why don’t you let me win the lottery?† Thunder and lightening pierced the heavens and a booming voice replied, â€Å"Morty, I feel for you, but you gotta meet me halfway- buy a ticket.† Here’s my advice:   You have to work really, really hard to be a successful writer; but remember to buy a ticket.  

The 5 UC Application Tips You Need to Get Into University of California

The 5 UC Application Tips You Need to Get Into University of California SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re applying to one or more of the UC schools, you want to make sure you get the application right.This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the UC application, from the time you decide to apply to a UC school to when you submit the final piece of the application. Keep reading to learn when the most important UC application deadline is, which documents you need to submit to complete your application, if you need a separate application for each UC school, and how you can make sure every part of your application sets you apart from the crowd. Important Info About the University of California Application It’s key to know important information about the UC application early on so that you have enough time to gather and submit all the materials you need before the deadlines. Where to Find the UC Application: You can find the UC application here. This is the application for all University of California schools, so regardless if you’re looking for a UC Berkeley application, UC Davis application, etc., they all use this same application. How to Submit the Application: When you’ve completed the application, you can submit it by hitting the â€Å"Submit† button at the end of the application. SAT and/or ACT scores must be sent directly to the UC school(s) you’re applying to. When to Submit Your Application: It’s extremely important to know when the UC application deadlines are because missing one could mean your application won’t be looked at. Below are the key University of California application dates. Date Action August 1 UC application opens November 1-30 Period application can be submitted online December Self-report December test scores January-February Submit official December test score results February-March Admissions decisions are sent out March 2 Financial aid applications due May 1 Reply date for all accepted first year students July 1 Admitted students must have submitted their final high school transcript Looking at the above chart, it’s clear that the most important date is November 30th. This is the last day you can submit your UC application. UC states right on the website that they almost never accept late applications, so don’t miss this deadline! However, as long as you have your application submitted by November 30th, you can still take the ACT/SAT in December. If you choose to do this, you’ll self-report your scores in December and then send your official scores once you get them in January or February. We don’t recommend waiting until December to take the ACT or SAT because if you’re unhappy with your score you won’t have any other chances to retake it, but if you’ve taken the exam several times and want one more shot, a December test date is an option. You’ll learn if you’ve been accepted in March (occasionally as early as February), and you’ll have until May 1st to decide which school to attend out of all those you applied to. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. How to Apply to the UC Schools There are five main steps to applying to UC schools. The earlier you begin your application (as early as August 1st) the more time you’ll have to complete all the steps and the less pressure you’ll be under to meet the deadline. The steps are the same regardless of which UC school(s) you’re applying to since all UC schools use the same application (and you only need to submit one application, even if you apply to multiple UC schools). Step 1: Create an Account Your step to applying to UC schools is to create an applicant account. This step will only take about a few minutes since you just need to fill out basic information like your email, name, birthday, and if you’re applying as a freshman or as a transfer student. Step 2: Complete the UC Application After creating your account, you’ll be immediately sent to the beginning of the application.The University of California application contains eight sections: Start You’ll answer some brief questions, such as if you qualify as a resident of California and if you have a parent who works for UC. Campuses Majors You choose which school(s) you want to apply to. There are nine UC schools, listed below, and you can choose to apply to as many as you want, including all nine. Be aware though that each UC school you apply to requires its own $70 application fee. Here are the UC schools: UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Irvine UC Los Angeles UC Merced UC Riverside UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz UC San Diego You’ll next select your major. If you’re applying to multiple UC schools, you’ll need to do this separately for each school since they all have slightly different majors.Some schools will also require additional steps in this section. For example, if you’re applying to UC San Diego, you’ll need to rank the six colleges they have so the admissions committee can place you in the one that’s the best fit for you. Scholarships In this section you’ll select your eligibility for different scholarship categories, such as ethnicity, career plans, and work experience. There are ten categories, each with multiple characteristics you can select. You can select up to 16 characteristics.You’ll only select these characteristics once, regardless of how many UC schools you’re applying to. About You Here you’ll enter additional demographic information such as information about your parents’ careers and education, what your family’s income is, and how many people there are in your family. Academic History This is a somewhat lengthy section where you’ll need to enter in information about the high school(s) you attended, all the classes you took in high school, if they were honors or AP, and the grade you got. It’s basically like entering all the information on your transcript. (You don’t need to submit your official transcript until the summer, after you’ve been accepted and have decided to attend a UC school.) Activities Awards In this section you’ll discuss all the activities you participated in outside of the classroom. There are six categories: Coursework other than A-G Educational preparation programs Volunteer and community service Work experience Awards and honors Extracurricular activities The application explains which activities fall into which category, and there’s no need to feel like you need to have activities to put in all the categories, or even most of them.For each category, you can add up to five separate classes/activities/jobs/awards/etc. Test Scores Here is where you’ll enter in information about the standardized test(s) you’ve taken. NOTE: Even though you’re self-reporting your scores in your application, you still need to submit official exam scores to each UC school you’re applying to or your application won’t be considered complete. UC schools accept both ACT and SAT scores, but for both exams you also need to take the optional essay section. Taking either of these exams without the essay won’t meet this requirement.You’ll enter in your scores for each section of the exam.If you haven’t taken a standardized test yet or plan to retake it in December, you’ll also indicate that in this section. Here you’ll also report your SAT Subject Test, AP, and IB scores, if you took any of those tests and want UC schools to see your scores.If you’re an international student, you can also report your TOEFL or IELTS scores as well as the scores of any international exams you took. Personal Insight This is the section where you’ll answer the personal statement questions. There are eight personal statement questions, and you’ll need to answer four of them. Each response needs to be 350 words or less.We recommend that you write your essays in a word document first to make it easier to review them, then paste each essay into the application once you’re done editing it. Below are the eight essay prompts. They’re also listed on the UC admissions website. 1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. 2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? 6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? If you want tips on writing your personal statements, we have a guide on how to write a perfect UC essay for every prompt. Step 3: Pay Admission Fees and Submit Your Application Once you’ve finished each section your application, you can submit it, as long as it’s between November 1-30.When you submit your application, first you’ll enter in some final demographic information as well as your state of legal residence. Then you’ll review all the information you entered to make sure it’s correct. Once everything is set, you’ll pay the necessary fees. The application fee is $70 ($80 if you’re an international student) for each UC school you apply to.Then you’ll click submit, and your application will officially be sent to the UC schools you’re applying to! Step 4: Submit Your Standardized Test Scores You’ll self submit your test scores when you fill out your University of California application, but you also need to send official score reports to each of the UC schools you’re applying to.You’ll need to take either the ACT with Writing or the SAT with Essay. You aren’t required to take AP exams or SAT Subject Tests, but you can submit those scores as well if you did take those tests. As we mentioned above, it’s possible to take the ACT or SAT as late as December of the year you’re applying, but we recommend taking the tests earlier since you’ll be busy applying to colleges at that time and, if you’re unhappy with your December exam score, there will be no opportunities to make it up. We have guides specifically on sending ACT scores and SAT scores to colleges if you need more information. Step 5: (Optional) Complete Additional Materials Most students applying to UC schools won’t need to submit additional materials, but some will. This will depend on both which schools you’re applying to and what you plan on majoring in. For example, some students planning to major in a fine arts discipline are requested to submit a portfolio. UC San Diego also recommends that biological science, engineering, and physical science majors take two math/science SAT Subject Tests.These additional materials are typically only recommended, not required, but doing these extra steps can help give your application a boost. If you do need to complete additional materials, you will either get a notification in the application or receive an email outlining what you need to do, but it’s also a good idea to research your intended major at each UC school you’re applying to in order to make sure you’re not missing any important recommendations. University of California Application Checklist To recap, below is everything you need to submit when you apply to a UC school. Your application won’t be considered until the schools receive all the pieces below. UC Application Application Fee of $70 for each school you apply to SAT/ACT scores (must include Writing/Essay section) (Optional) Supplemental Materials 5 Things UC Schools Look at in Applications and How to Impress Them The UC schools are pretty open about what they look for in applicants and what an applicant needs to have to be accepted. They list the 14 qualities they judge applications on so there’s no mystery about what they’re looking for. In this section, we’ve organized those 14 qualities into five categories UC admissions looks at and explain what you need to do to excel in each one and create a standout UC application. #1: Classes You Took When UC admissions officers look at the classes you took, they’re looking at two things: the actual courses you took and how difficult they were. For the first category, UC schools want to make sure you’ve taken the classes you need to succeed as a college student at one of their schools. Their minimum requirements are: History: 2 years English: 4 years Mathematics: 3 years Laboratory science: 2 years Language other than English: 2 years Visual and performing arts: 1 year College-preparatory elective: 1 year (These courses are sometimes referred to as the â€Å"A-G subjects†). Note that this is the minimum UC schools require; most applicants will have gone well beyond these requirements. Some majors, especially those in math or science fields, require additional classes, so make sure to research the major you plan to take to make sure you’re on track. In general, it’s best to take more classes in the fields you plan on majoring in. For example, if you want to major in biology, you should take four years of science and four years of math. If you want to be a history major, you should take four years of history. Doing this shows UC schools that you’re committed to the subject and can handle higher-level classes on it. UC also looks at the difficulty of the classes you took. They’re specifically looking for honors, AP, or IB courses since these are more difficult than regular-level classes. If your school offers these classes, you should take as many as you can without overloading yourself and still maintaining a high GPA.Taking difficult classes shows UC schools that you’re focused on your studies and can handle the challenge and workload of college classes. Also, UC specifically mentions the â€Å"quality of your senior-year program† as one of the qualifications it looks at, so don’t be tempted to slack off senior year with a bunch of easy classes! #2: Grades It’s not enough just to take the classes UC schools want; you also need to do well in them. Your grades and overall GPA are another critical component of your UC application.For all UC schools, you need to have at least a 3.0 GPA in your A-G classes if you’re a California resident, or a 3.4 GPA if you’re a non-resident. Additionally, you can’t have gotten below a â€Å"C† in any of those classes. There is no requirement for classes outside the A-G subjects, but you should still aim to do well in all your classes. UC states that â€Å"the strength of your high school record is the most important component in our review† so you want your transcript to be as strong as it can be with a high GPA and record of challenging classes. Below is a table showing the middle 50% of weighted GPAs for each of the UC schools: School Middle 50% Weighted GPA UC Berkeley 4.16 - 4.30 UC Davis 3.97 - 4.25 UC Irvine 4.00 - 4.26 UCLA 4.16 - 4.31 UC Merced 3.46 - 3.96 UC Riverside 3.66 - 4.09 UC Santa Barbara 4.00 - 4.26 UC Santa Cruz 3.76 - 4.16 UC San Diego 4.02 - 4.28 To give yourself the best chance of getting in, you’ll want to aim for the higher end of the GPA range for whichever school(s) you’re applying to. For example, if you’re applying to UC Davis, your goal should be to have a weighted GPA of 4.25. You can definitely still get in with a lower GPA (since that’s the 75% marker,  ¾ of students are getting in with a GPA lower than that), but if you reach that goal you’ll have a great shot at being accepted. #3: Standardized Test Scores There is no minimum SAT or ACT score you need to get into UC schools, but again, you’ll want to aim high to give yourself the best chance of getting accepted.Below is the middle 50% range for both the SAT and ACT. Again, you’ll want to aim for the higher end of the range to maximize your chances of getting in. School Middle 50% SAT Score Middle 50% ACT Score UC Berkeley 1340-1530 30-35 UC Davis 1220-1480 26-33 UC Irvine 1230-1490 26-33 UCLA 1360-1540 31-35 UC Merced 1020-1280 19-27 UC Riverside 1130-1380 22-30 UC Santa Barbara 1270-1500 28-34 UC Santa Cruz 1210-1450 26-32 UC San Diego 1300-1520 28-34 #4: Extracurriculars Your extracurriculars are another important part of your UC application. The key to strong extracurriculars is to emphasize your passion and leadership skills. You can do this by pursuing extracurriculars in a field related to your future major, sticking with them, and achieving leadership roles in them. Some things UC states that are looking for in extracurriculars include: Special talents, awards, or achievements Leadership experience Significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus. They list the following examples of â€Å"strong† extracurriculars: Special talent in visual and performing arts, communication or sports Intensive study and exploration of other cultures Significant community service Significant participation in student government Don’t feel like you need to have all or even any of these experiences; they’re just given so you can get an idea of what UC schools are looking for. Basically, any extracurricular that you’re passionate about, skilled in, and have shown some leadership potential for is a great extracurricular to include on your UC application. #5: Personal Statements Your UC essays should show three main things: Who you are Why you want to attend a UC school What’s important to you Maybe you’re a lifelong nature lover who wants to attend UC San Diego to take advantage of all the different ecosystems nearby that biology students can study. Perhaps you’ve always been obsessed with space and want to attend UC Berkeley and major in aeronautical engineering. Whatever your story is, this is the place for UC to hear it, and it’s the best place in your application to show them who you really are as a person.For a more in-depth look, read our guide on how to write outstanding UC essays. Automatic Admission for California Residents If you’re a California resident, who meets at least one of the following two requirements, you will have a guaranteed spot at a UC school. You rank in the top 9% of California high school students, according to the UC admissions index. You rank in the top 9% of your graduating class at a participating high school. This is known as "Eligible in the Local Context" (ELC). Be aware that this doesn’t mean you’ll get into every UC school; it just means you’ll get into at least one, as long as space is available (which there typically is).If you're a California resident who has met the above requirements and aren't admitted to any of the UC schools you applied to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus as long as space is available. Summary: UC Schools Application If you’re applying to a UC school, you want to make sure you know every application step you need to complete.The most important UC application deadline to be aware of is November 30th. This is the last day you can submit your application. In addition to completing the application, you also need to submit your standardized test scores, transcript, and any additional materials your specific school and major require. You only need to submit one application regardless of how many UC schools you’re applying to, but you’ll need to pay a $70 application fee for every school. Regardless of whether you’re working on a UC Davis application, UC San Diego application, UC Berkeley application, etc. all UC schools look for similar qualities in students.You’ll need to complete the A-G courses, take difficult classes, have good grades, participate in extracurriculars, do well on the ACT or SAT, and have strong personal statements. Work to make your application as strong as you can across each of these areas to give yourself the best shot of getting into your dream UC school. What's Next? Want to learn more about the University of California schools?We have an in-depth guide to the UC schools to make it easy for you to compare the schools and see which is best for you. Working on your UC essays?Check out our guide on how to answer every UC essay prompt to get great writing ideas. Want to know how to make your extracurriculars stand out even more? Check out this guide to four amazing extracurricular activities and learn why they're so impressive to colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: