The University of California is continuing to expand its innovative online tool to help students better track their progress toward college eligibility. Hundreds of Morse High School students are among the latest to have access to UC’s Transcript Evaluation Service (TES), UC President Janet Napolitano announced today (April 18) during a rally at the school.
Currently used by 338 high schools in nearly 50 school districts across California, TES generates personalized roadmaps that help students track their respective eligibility for UC and California State University (CSU). The platform compiles data on completed required courses to determine how close students are to meeting eligibility for college admission.
“This tool can make a tremendous difference in shaping a student’s academic future,” said Napolitano. “We want to encourage hardworking students from all backgrounds to attend a UC school, while equipping them with the support and resources to apply.”
Counselors at high schools now using TES say they have noticed a significant increase in the number of students taking proactive steps to prepare for college. More students are taking the SAT and ACT, applying to a four-year college or enrolling in a community college in hopes of transferring to a UC campus. After more than four years of using the service, participating schools helped increase their students’ eligibility for UC by 21 percent and for CSU by 32 percent.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with UC to bring the Transcript Evaluation Service to Morse,” said Cynthia Larkin, Ed.D., Morse High School's principal. “This tool will be instrumental in helping Morse's students, teachers and counselors monitor all students' UC and CSU eligibility as we work together to ensure that our students are on track for graduation and prepared for college.”
During UC’s visit to Morse, staff and students from UC San Diego hosted a resource fair and breakout sessions to answer questions about applying to UC.
UC’s visit to Morse is part of Achieve UC, a multiyear initiative to encourage students who live in communities with low college-going rates to aspire to a high-quality college education. Eighty-five percent of Morse’s students comprise a minority ethnic or racial group, and 78 percent come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. A significant portion will be the first in their family to attend college.
More than 57 percent of all UC California resident undergraduates pay no tuition based on their family’s income, and more than 40 percent are first-generation college students.