Cal-SOAP SWAG (Students with Academic Goals) Program Online Application

JUNE 21 - JUNE 30, 2023

About This Application

SWAG (Students With Academic Goals) is a free, 8-day College Readiness Academy. While SWAG was offered online during the pandemic, we will return to an IN-PERSON model in 2023. Students will be able to hear from experts in college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, careers, athletics, test preparation, etc. They will have a chance to interact with current college students and find out about majors, classes, and college life. Sessions will take place on the campus of San Diego City College and there will be an option for field trips to UCSD (June 22) and SDSU (June 28.) Lunch will be provided on field trips. On other dates, participants can leave at 12pm or must bring their own lunch if they wish to stay for afternoon mentoring 1pm-3pm. Participants/families must provide their own transportation to/from City College. City College is also on a trolley stop. SDMTS has Youth Passes available.

Instructor: Karla Whitaker.

Program Details

SWAG Dates, 2023:	June 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Deadline to apply:	April 25, 2023. Students applying by April 25 will receive priority consideration, but the application will remain open online and applications submitted after the priority deadline will still be considered if capacity allows.
Location:	San Diego City College. 1313 Park Blvd, SD CA 92101. Building TBD.

FREE: There is no cost to participate in the program. The program is free to selected participants.

Requirements & Eligibility

GPA minimums: 2.8 for current freshmen, 3.0 for current sophomores and 3.3 for current juniors
Submission of unofficial high school transcript
Priority consideration given to students who are low-income, first-generation college-goers, and/or underrepresented/under-served on college campuses
Mandatory attendance on all 8 dates: June 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
Required attendance 9:00 AM-12:00 PM. Participants must sign up to attend at least one afternoon sessions on a date(s) of their choice during a window between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. This is for mentoring from a College Readiness Coach. Appointments offered in 30-minute increments. If students want to stay every afternoon to work on homework, they are welcome to do so.
Written response to application prompts
Student/parent must participate in an online Orientation on Wednesday May 24 6pm-7pm.
Students must live/attend school in San Diego County
Students and parents grant SWAG access to any future test scores (SAT/ACT), grades and transcripts.
Student will commit to report to SWAG which college you ultimately attend.
SWAG has the right to publish photographs of students for publicity purposes.

Selection

A committee will review your application. In May, we will notify students and parents via e-mail to inform you whether you have been accepted and next steps.

Contact

For questions, contact Karla Whitaker at kkwhitaker@ucsd.edu

Personal Information

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Name in Use (optional)

Only answer if you have a nickname or middle name you prefer to be called rather than your first name.

Email Address*

Date of Birth*

Gender*

Pronoun Preference

Such as she/he/they.

Phone Number

Can We Text You?

Yes

Mailing Address

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Current School*

Current Grade Level*

Grade 9 (Class of 2026)

Grade 10 (Class of 2025)

Grade 11 (Class of 2024)

I Plan to Apply to College/University as a*

First-Year

Transfer

Expected Entry Year*

Cumulative Weighted GPA*

You can find your cumulative weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) on your transcript. It might be described as "9-12 Total WGPA" or something similar.

10-digit California State ID*

If you don't know this number, get it from your transcript, your counselor, or a website like Naviance. Do NOT confuse this with your school or district ID, which is probably shorter than 10 digits. Ask your counselor for your CA SSID if you don't know it. If you attend a private school, it's possible you don't have a CA State ID. If that is the case, enter 10 zeros.

Optional: Are you currently participating in these outreach programs? Check any that apply

Other: Outreach Programs

What Are Your Areas of Interest

You Can Select Multiple By Ctrl+clicking for Windows, Cmd+clicking for Mac.

Parent Information

Add the name of the parent/guardian who will be our main point of contact.

Parent/Guardian First Name*

Parent/Guardian Last Name*

Parent/Guardian Email Address*

Additional Email Address (optional)

Parent/Guardian Phone Number

Parent/Guardian Alternate Phone Number

Number of People Who Reside In Your Household*

Include all parent(s)/guardian(s), all children, and any other dependents who reside in your household (e.g. grandparents)

Annual Household Income*

Does Your Student Qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch at School*

Parent/Guardian 1: Highest Level of Education Completed*

A. No High School

B. Some High School

C. Completed High School/High School Graduate

D. Some College or University

E. Two-Year College/University Degree (Associate's)

F. Four-Year College/University Degree (Bachelor's)

G. Post-Graduate Degree or Certificate

Question does not apply

Parent/Guardian 1: Other Education

Parent/Guardian 2: Highest Level of Education Completed*

A. No High School

B. Some High School

C. Completed High School/High School Graduate

D. Some College or University

E. Two-Year College/University Degree (Associate's)

F. Four-Year College/University Degree (Bachelor's)

G. Post-Graduate Degree or Certificate

Question does not apply

If Your Parents Do NOT Speak English, What Other Language(s) Do They Speak?

This question is optional. Only answer it if your parents/guardians do NOT speak English.

Student Short Responses

Your Last Day of School*

Don't guess. Go online or to your school handbook and find out when your last day is.

School in Session After June 20 Acknowledgment

SWAG begins on Wednesday, June 21. If your school is still in session when SWAG begins, you must resolve this issue. (Example: High Tech High, etc.) You must arrange with teachers and administrators to finish your work and finals early so that you can begin SWAG on June 21. If your school is still in session after June 20, acknowledge below that you understand and will make the necessary arrangements.

School in Session After June 20 Acknowledgment

SWAG begins on Wednesday, June 21. If your school is still in session when SWAG begins, you must resolve this issue. (Example: High Tech High, etc.) You must arrange with teachers and administrators to finish your work and finals early so that you can begin SWAG on June 21. If your school is still in session after June 20, acknowledge below that you understand and will make the necessary arrangements.

My parents and I understand and will arrange with school staff to complete all assignments and finals prior to June 21.

Absence Policy Acknowledgment*

The SWAG SAT Prep Academy allows a maximum of ONE absence. If you miss two or more days for any reason, you can be dropped from the program. You must be certain you have no schedule conflicts on the following 8 dates: June 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. You must be committed to attend every day with a maximum of one absence. Check here to acknowledge that you and your parent/guardian understand the absence policy.

Absence Policy Acknowledgment*

The SWAG SAT Prep Academy allows a maximum of ONE absence. If you miss two or more days for any reason, you can be dropped from the program. You must be certain you have no schedule conflicts on the following 8 dates: June 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. You must be committed to attend every day with a maximum of one absence. Check here to acknowledge that you and your parent/guardian understand the absence policy.

Yes, we understand the absence policy and have checked our calendars.

SWAG Orientation Acknowledgment*

My parents and I understand that we must attend a mandatory SWAG Orientation online Wednesday, May 24 6pm-7pm (with make-up available.)

SWAG Orientation Acknowledgment*

My parents and I understand that we must attend a mandatory SWAG Orientation online Wednesday, May 24 6pm-7pm (with make-up available.)

Yes, we understand we must attend an online Orientation.

Field Trip Acknowledgment*

One-day field trips to UC San Diego and San Diego State University are planned. Field trips would be at NO COST to SWAG participants. We will tentatively visit UCSD on Thursday 6/22 and SDSU on Wednesday 6/28. Field trips are required. If a student needs to opt out, they must do so by June 15. Transportation is TBD; SWAG might provide bussing on field trip dates. Bus pick-up/drop-off location is TBD. Both UCSD and SDSU have trolley stops with trolleys running throughout the day.

Field Trip Acknowledgment*

One-day field trips to UC San Diego and San Diego State University are planned. Field trips would be at NO COST to SWAG participants. We will tentatively visit UCSD on Thursday 6/22 and SDSU on Wednesday 6/28. Field trips are required. If a student needs to opt out, they must do so by June 15. Transportation is TBD; SWAG might provide bussing on field trip dates. Bus pick-up/drop-off location is TBD. Both UCSD and SDSU have trolley stops with trolleys running throughout the day.

We understand that in-person college campus field trips are required unless a student opts out by June 15.

Other Programs That Might Conflict With SWAG

Are there any summer programs or summer school you might participate in that conflict with the SWAG dates of June 21-30? (Example: WAHUPA, TRiO/Upward Bound, ETS, Price Scholars, EAOP, EOP, Leadership, Camps, Sports Camp, College Tour, etc.) You can miss a maximum of one day of SWAG. You might not be able to participate in both programs. If you are accepted to SWAG, but decide to participate in a different program instead, you must notify SWAG staff as soon as possible and definitely before June 21. Otherwise, you are taking away the SWAG spot of another qualified student. Please list any possible conflicting programs below and the date(s) of those programs.

Motivation for Applying*

Explain why you have a strong desire to attend SWAG. What are you hoping to get out of it? Why would you like to participate? Are you ready to engage in the daily morning lessons and attend afternoon mentoring as needed? (No minimum/maximum number of words)

About College*

Tell us what you might study in college, why earning a college degree is important to you, and which career paths you might be interested in. (Response should be 300-350 words.)

GPA/Academic Record

Do you feel your current GPA/Academic Record accurately reflects your true ability and commitment to academics? Is there anything you wish to share about your GPA or class schedule?

This question is optional. If you respond, response should be 100 words maximum.

Anything You'd Like to Share

Is there anything else we should know about you or that you would like to share with the SWAG selection committee?

This question is optional. If you respond, response should be 100 words maximum.

Upload Your Current Transcript

If transcript cannot be attached now, it can be emailed to kkwhitaker@ucsd.edu at a later time.

It does NOT need to be an official transcript. If you can't access your transcript online, ask your school counselor or registrar for a copy. If you can't scan it, use a phone app like Genius Scan or Cam Scan. This should include all your classes and grades for every semester since the beginning of high school.

Once you click SUBMIT, the application will be submitted and the student will receive an automated confirmation e-mail. That is your verification and proof that you applied so do not delete it. A committee will review your application. In May, we will notify students and parents regarding the status of the application. All SWAG communication will come via e-mail. We will NOT send hard copy letters in the US mail.

Prospect Data Source = Website Inquiry Form