In this presentation Shellee Howard of College Ready explains the California A‑G course requirements that students must meet to be eligible for admission to University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) schools. She outlines that students need to complete 15 specific courses with a grade of C or better, warns that many high schools do not require these courses for graduation, and stresses that a D does not count toward the A‑G eligibility. Howard emphasizes that the A‑G list is only a minimum; competitive applicants should pursue more rigorous coursework such as honors, AP, IB, dual‑enrollment, an extra year of math (ideally calculus), advanced science, and foreign language. She cautions against relying on the community‑college‑to‑four‑year transfer route, citing a 6 % completion rate and the challenges of remedial classes and overcrowded campuses. The talk provides concrete actions for parents and students: verify that the high school requires A‑G courses, develop a four‑year academic plan early (using templates or a consultant), ensure enrollment in challenging classes, and have a remediation plan if a required course is failed. Howard also mentions additional eligibility metrics like the top‑9 % Admissions Index and the Eligible Index of Local Contexts. Throughout, she offers a free strategy session and directs viewers to college‑ready‑plan.com for further assistance.
Chapters
Hello and thank you for joining Shellee Howard and College Ready. Today we have a very timely and important topic: the California A-G list requirements and why they matter. I just got finished with a PowerPoint presentation about the UC PIQ questions and, and the mistakes that can be made. And it made me realize some students don't even know that you have to have requirements to get in, to be accepted. So some students may be applying without even understanding if they have made it or not. Have they made their requirements? So today I want to share what are those requirements and why does it matter. I put together a parent guide, "What are the A-G requirements and why does it matter?" Because so many people, especially those not in California, don't have a clue that those are a necessity to acceptance. So many California high schools don't require, um, all students to take and pass A-G courses in order to graduate with a high school diploma. That means your child may be passing all their classes but could be taking the wrong classes and turn out not to be eligible for a UC school. This could be devastating for a student who has a dream to attend UCLA or UC Berkeley or UC Santa Barbara. The list is long.. And so I wanted to share briefly some information to help you help your students. And so oftentimes schools don't even tell families that there is an A through G requirement. And unless you have an independent consultant like myself, you may not know that information until it's way too late. So what you need to know: high school students must take and pass all A-G courses to be eligible to even apply to a California state school or a University of California school. Students must take 15 specific classes and pass them with a grade of C or better, and there's— that's just the beginning. The A-G requirements are, are just the minimum. To get into these schools. Students should go beyond the A through G to truly be ready and be competitive for college. It is really important to keep in mind that these are just minimum standards. To get into more competitive schools, students will want to go way beyond what I'm about to share. So first, take more academic classes than are required. University admissions departments generally recommend an additional year of math, ideally to the highest level of math, calculus, laboratory science, and foreign language. Take the most challenging classes available. Students often ask me, is it better to get all A's in easy classes or some A's and B's in rigorous classes? It's better to take rigorous classes and get A's. But rigor is important. Students should be placed in honors and AP classes. AP classes are considered college-level work, and if a student passes the AP exam, he or she will receive college credit for that class. So UC schools, they recognize APs are what colleges are looking for because it's college-level work. So aim high and challenge yourself. It's harder to catch up later. Sometimes students either start slow or just don't know that strong, strong grades are so important, so they may take easier classes and think about going to community college and then transferring to a 4-year school. That may sound easier now, but it is not easier in the long run. It is actually much harder. 6% of students that go this route complete a 4-year degree. 6%. That is really low. When they go to community college, they aren't prepared for the work and instead have to take remedial math or basic English classes. Costing them extra time and making it more difficult and more expensive. Most community colleges, unfortunately, in California are overcrowded, and students just can't get the classes that they need. Students will rise to the challenge if you encourage them to take challenging classes. They always rise to the challenge, some sooner, some later. Recent studies have shown that when students with weaker grades go directly into a 4-year university, they are a lot more likely to graduate than students with similar academics who go to a community college. Even if you plan to go to a community college, you should still be taking A through G subject required classes. So what classes does your child need to be eligible for a California university? Students must pass all 15 A through G classes. So they need a minimum of 1 year of world history. And they need so much more than this. I hate to even share the basics. You know what? If you are interested, please text or email me or go to college-ready-plan.com and send me a message. I don't want to go through these lists of, of individual A through G's when I could simply send you the list, and really it's the most minimum. Students really need to do much more than that. The one thing I will say about the list is beware, students must earn a C or better in all A through G classes in order for the course to count. Towards meeting the requirement. A barrier is the Grade D, for which a student gets credit towards high school graduation but not towards the A through G requirement. Be very careful. If you are a California student, if you are a state resident who has met the minimum requirements and are not admitted to any UC campus to which you apply, you will be offered a spot at another campus if space is available. If you rank in the top 9% of California high school students according to the Admissions Index and/or you rank in the top 9% of your graduating class at a particular high school, and you can refer to the Eligible Index of Local Contexts I can help you with all of that if that sounds like a whole nother language. So, what should I do to support my child to graduate ready and eligible for college? Or be college ready? What you want to do is ask your school if all students are required to take A through G classes. And what are the specific plans to make sure your child is eligible for a 4-year university? When your child is about to start high school, not finish high school, start high school, work with the school or an independent college consultant so they can help you to build a 4-year academic plan. We have a template I'm happy to share with you. Ask for your child to take the most challenging classes available. Honors, CP, IB, and AP courses are desirable. Dual enrollment are also very impressive. And if your child falls behind because they didn't pass a class, ask the school what their plans are to make sure your child has finished all the A through G requirements by the time they graduate. Next, sign up for a free strategy session with me, and I'm happy to help you advocate for your student. Because without you they feel alone, they feel overwhelmed, and they feel, how will I ever get to college? And how will I ever do it without debt? I'm here to help you. Please reach out. Let me know how I can help. Remember, go to our website, college-ready-plan.com, and we're sure to help. Thank you.
