Beyond d.tech

College & Career Counseling

Ingrid Mao, PPS, MA
imao@dtechhs.org

Beyond d.tech is helping students be prepared for life after high school!
My role as the Beyond d.tech counselor is to help students find out what they want to pursue after high school and give them the resources to be successful.

Stay up to date with Senior communications through:

  • Beyond d.tech Canvas page

  • Emails to the class of 2026 

  • Advisory weekly announcements

  • Monthly Newsletter (sent out through email to students and in the monthly Koi Connection)

d.tech College Counseling Handbook

This handbook outlines the college counseling offered to students at Design Tech High School and provides basic information regarding college admissions and standardized testing.

Download it here ➔

College Admissions Information

d.tech Curriculum & Graduation Requirements
Every student should review the d.tech graduation requirements and their d.tech transcript to ensure that they are on track to graduate. Questions? Please email Ingrid.

University of California
The University of California offers undergraduate admissions to eight of its nine campuses. Beginning in 2020, the University of California will no longer consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process. Admissions requirements include self-reporting UC-approved classes & grades, entering student activities, and completing the UC application with four short essays. Letters of recommendation are NOT accepted at the time the application is submitted. However, sometimes Berkeley may ask a student to submit letters. So, check your application e-mail regularly.

California State University
There are twenty-three California State University campuses across the state. Beginning in 2020, the California State University system will no longer consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions process. Admissions requirements include self-reporting classes & grades only. No essays or letters of recommendation are required.  If the campus or major is impacted, admissions will look for higher GPA/course rigor in the admissions process.

Western University Exchange
The Western University Exchange is an agreement between select public universities in  AZ, AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, ND,OR, SD, UT, WA, WY.  Participating universities offer students from these states 150% in-state tuition.  WUE schools are often less overcrowded than CSU, which means it is easier to graduate in four years.  Please note: not all public universities in these states participate, and some schools restrict eligibility based on GPA, test scores, or limited availability

The Common Application
The Common Application allows students to submit the same application, letters of recommendation and college essays to all 900 participating colleges. In addition, some colleges require supplemental questions or materials, so be sure to review the requirements for each college on your list. Here is a guide for completing the Common Application.

The Coalition/SCOIR Application
Beginning in Fall 2022, the Coalition Application platform will be integrated into SCOIR.  Approximately 110 colleges currently work with the new SCOIR Application. Students begin their application on SCOIR and complete the application on the college's website.

Test-Optional Colleges/Universities
Since the pandemic, most colleges and universities have allowed students to choose whether to submit test scores. Some colleges did this as a temporary response to the pandemic, others made this move an ongoing part of their admissions process. See fairtest.org for a complete list of colleges/universities that are test-optional or test-free in admissions.

Free SAT Test Prep with Khan Academy
Students can link their College Board account to their Khan Academy account to get free customized test prep for the SAT.

College Applications
University of California  •  California State University • Common App (private colleges)

SCOIR

SCOIR is the system we use to keep track of where students apply to colleges, and where their transcripts, school profile, letters of recommendation, and other important documents are kept to be sent out to colleges.

It is also where students can do college and career exploration throughout their 4 years. All students should be able to create a SCOIR account, they will all receive a presentation on how to log in and access resources by 11th grade. SCOIR will be essential in 12th grade as students are applying to colleges. They are responsible for keeping their college lists in SCOIR up to date so that the correct documents get sent to the colleges they are applying to. 

Financial Aid & Scholarships

As the cost of college continues to rise, paying for college is increasingly a concern for many families. We hope the information on this page helps guide you through the process of applying for financial or merit aid.

AB 469 requires all high school seniors to apply for financial aid (either Free Application for Federal Student Aid/FAFSA, or California Dream Act Application/CADAA). Despite this, many students and families may struggle to complete their applications for various reasons. FAFSA applications open up in December and are due usually in early March for priority consideration.

Here are some main takeaways: 

  • Maximize your financial aid opportunities by applying early

  • Billions of dollars are available to help you cover your educational expenses and pursue your career goals

  • Many scholarships require you to apply for financial aid, even if you don’t think you qualify

  • Community college students can qualify for additional financial aid to pay for other fees (aside from tuition) and even books!

  • Opt-out forms will be sent out to senior students if they are not planning on applying for FAFSA. 

How Is Financial Need Determined?

All public universities and many private colleges use the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine a family's eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid and to determine the student's Estimated Family Contribution.

Some private universities also require families to complete the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA to be considered for financial aid.

Estimated Family Contribution (EFC): Based on income, each family is expected to contribute to the student's college costs. Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your school to calculate how much financial aid you are eligible to receive.

Before completing the FAFSA, families can go to https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/ to estimate their EFC.

Total Cost of Admissions: Total annual cost to attend the college, including tuition, room & board, books & fees.

Total Cost of Admissions - Estimated Family Contribution = Demonstrated Financial Need

Colleges are not required to meet a student's demonstrated financial need. When researching colleges, students can find out the % of financial need met to determine how likely the college is to offer financial aid. Please note: colleges use both financial aid grants and student loans to meet demonstrated financial need. Student loans must be repaid.

What is Merit Aid?

In addition to providing aid to families with demonstrated financial need, colleges may also offer students grant aid in recognition of their high school accomplishments. When researching colleges, students can determine if the college offers merit aid and the average grant awarded in order to assess the likelihood of the student receiving merit aid.

Financial & Merit Aid Award Letters

After receiving an acceptance letter, student's will also receive a financial award letter. A student's financial aid letter might include:

Total Cost of Attendance - Grants (Financial Aid Grants & Merit Grants) - Student or Family Loans (must be repaid) = Net Cost Of Attendance (amount the student/family must pay each year).

SMUHSD Scholarship List - please review this list identify scholarships and eligibility

Events & Presentations

2024-2025 School Year

September 2024 - Senior Beyond d.tech Night

February 2025 - Junior Beyond d.tech Night 

March 2025 - 9/10 Family Night 

College Visits

Design Tech High School welcomes colleges and universities to visit and meet with our students in the Fall. Senior and junior students are strongly encouraged to attend as many college visits as possible. College visits will occur during Flex only, and students should sign up to attend the visits through the Flex app. 

Students are encouraged to check SCOIR often for updates to the college visit schedule for this year. 

Resources

School Profile

College Research

SCOIR: Sign in to the student's account and use the advanced college search feature to identify colleges that meet your college fit priorities

College Board BigFuture: A college search engine where you can filter schools based on college fit priorities. This is a comprehensive site that also includes information on financial aid, careers, tips on admission, and visiting colleges.

CollegeData.com: Enter the name of the college and get easy-to-read data about admissions, financials, academics, student life, etc. This is a good site to use when conducting quantitative data research of colleges you are considering.

CollegeExpress.com: A reputable site with lists of colleges for different majors or other factors.


Financial Aid


College Athletics: NCAA Eligibility Center

College Visits: NACAC: What to expect from a college visit  •  Questions to ask College Reps

College Fairs
College fairs are a great way for students to talk with college admissions officers directly and to explore colleges they might not have considered. College fairs also offer useful workshops for parents & students regarding all areas of the college admissions process. If possible, students should register before attending a college fair. Below are local, national, and western area college fairs.