The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will be hosting college fairs across the county during the spring months,  In Southern California, there will be fairs in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Ventura Tri-County area.  College fairs are a great way to see the variety of college options and meet representatives from colleges.  Students can sign up in advance and receive a bar code that will be scanned at each college table.  Don't forget to introduce yourself and pick up a business card from the admissions representatives!  Check out this link for the fair closest to you.
​www.nacacfairs.org/attend/national-college-fairs/

A tough admissions cycle isn't just happening in California.  Here is an article from the Boston Globe.
​www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/27/spring-air-and-rejection-for-high-schools-seniors/RbgFkGRjJvr36zLYVJJccM/story.html

This article from Inside Higher Ed seems to reinforce what I, along with many of my colleagues, have seen this year in admissions to UC and CSU.
​www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/03/26/reports-circulate-even-more-difficult-year-be-admitted-leading#.WrmyoC43Wzc.facebook

Here is some great news from the ACT!  They have just created the ACT Academy designed to offer free ACT prep along with other services.  Students have already had access to free SAT prep through the Khan Academy.  Now, students will have free ACT prep services as well.
​leadershipblog.act.org/2018/03/welcome-to-act-academy_22.html

Our Cal State University system consists of 23 campus across California.  The CSU's have been in the news lately as the CSU Board of Trustees struggle with budget deficits and lack of space for all eligible students.  Here is the latest article from the Los Angeles Times. 
​www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-cal-state-enrollment-20180320-story.html

Since tomorrow is the SAT for many, many students, this is a very timely article about the importance of the SAT and the ACT.
​www.wsj.com/articles/the-truth-about-the-sat-and-act-1520521861?emailToken=08b106c4551238beb2150ee66158e9cdvBgWwdO1Bhi%2BdeklsuQB9OvSGumxm9gi5x9zuRHl%2Fdr6auuB%2BP%2FRUx%2FGtKdLdyCFVk0BBae46nXBhBQLA3U3Mw%3D%3D

If you are a high school sophomore or junior and looking for something interesting to do this summer, check out the summer programs offered at UCLA.  You can take an academic course, one of the regular classes offered in their summer session, or attend an institute offering insights into possible majors and careers.  If you take an actual course, you will commute to and from campus.  Many of the Summer Institutes include housing in a UCLA dorm.  Check out the possibilities here:  summer.ucla.edu/ushsstudent