Many students are unsure about their college major when they apply, but fear that applying as an “undecided” major will have a negative effect on their chances of admission.

To get to the bottom of this, we asked current UCLA Undergraduate Admissions Director Susan Wilbur. Susan is also the former Director of Undergraduate Admissions for the entire UC System, so she is a great resource for admissions information.

 “All students are assessed based on the merits of their application without consideration to a major…. If you are truly undecided, you should feel assured that your application will receive full attention and you will not be penalized in any way in the application process.”

Have an admissions question you’d like us to address? Send it to us via Facebook or Twitter!

We’re proud to unveil the new internet home of CSF & CJSF, and we’re looking forward to engaging our students, advisers, parents, and alumni through this new website.

We have big plans for this website — stay tuned.

If you have any requests for content or features you’d like to see on this site, please let us know via Facebook or Twitter!

If your chapter is looking for some fresh ideas for service projects to undertake or partner organizations to work with, check out the list below. If you have any ideas to add, please reach out to us via Facebook or Twitter!

Project Ideas:

• Assist at track meet
• Blanket drive
• Blood drive
• Canned Food Drive
• Christmas toy drive
• Clean Up dirty lots
• Clean Up the School
• Donate goods
• Food banks
• Graffiti clean up
• Helping with School Events
• Pick up trash in neighborhood
• Plant a Tree
• Pumpkins for Kindergartners
• Recycling
• Teacher appreciation week
• Tutoring
• Volunteer at elementary school
• Volunteer at retirement home

Statewide Organizations with Volunteer Opportunities

• American heart association
• ASPCA
• Heritage Foundation
• Local Chamber of Commerce
• Make a Wish
• Pennies for Patients
• Red Cross
• Relay for Life
• UNICEF

We recently sat down with Dr. David Wineland, 2012 Nobel Prize winner for physics and a CSF alum, to discuss his achievements and elicit advice for current CSF students interested in careers in scientific research.

We’ll be featuring clips from this interview over the course of the next month, but we want to start things off by sharing a comment Dr. Wineland made about how he achieved such immense success in his chosen field. As he says, this advice “is true for anything, not just science.”

For more information on Dr Wineland and his research, see his bio on the Nobel Prize website.

Do you know of a CSF alum who would offer some great advice to our current students? Please contact us via Facebook or Twitter.

Rachel Dobrin

This is first in a series of posts by our 2013-14 DIP interns. In this post, Rachel Dobrin, a Senior at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, offers suggestions for how to deal with the dreaded “Waiting Game” of the college application season.

It is mid-November, you have put the finishing touches on your personal statement that took five drafts to perfect, and before you know it you have clicked submit and have officially completed your college applications.  Now what?

Senior year and the application process can be one of the most stressful times in a teenager’s young life, and when the submission process is over, most are able to breathe a sigh of relief.  However, this is the time when the real “fun” begins.  All of your hard work and effort seems to be put on hold in the time period of several months between application submission and a notification of acceptance, deferment or rejection from colleges.  This can often cause even more stress and a large amount of impatience, and now you have to wait?  But instead of letting nerves and anxiety creep up on you, take on a different perspective and try to make the most out of your time.  Below are five tips that will help to fill this waiting period without letting your impatience get the best of you.

Most of my applications were submitted in October and I have to wait until the end of March to find out my fate, so here are some useful ideas for filling this five-month (or hopefully less!) time span.

1. Do your best in your first semester of senior year
   Many students believe that 12th grade is the year to relax, or claim that they have contracted a case of “senioritis,” but it is important to ignore these stereotypes.  Colleges look at the classes you plan to take for your senior year and some even ask for your mid-year grades, so it is important to stay on top of your studies, exhibit time management, and set academic priorities and goals.  So before you slack off in AP Physics and realize you have a C minus going into the final, remember how hard you have worked thus far and strive to promote the best version of yourself for colleges to see.
2. Apply for scholarships
   There are thousands of scholarships out there eager to give students some financial help, so make the most of these opportunities.  Apply for both national and local scholarships to earn as much money as you can.  And I know, the last thing someone wants to do is write yet another essay, but many times one can slightly alter their personal statement to fit the criteria of a prompt.  And for those who cannot hear the word “essay” without cringing, there are plenty of “no-essay scholarships” that one can find through the Internet.  This is free money ready for the taking, so try to devote some time every week or two to find scholarships that match your criteria.  You never know, you could end up having a year of tuition paid for if all goes well.
3. Keep up with extracurricular activities but also seek new opportunities
   Extracurricular are a major part of the application process, and for the most part, people choose these activities because they spark some type of passion or interest.  Try to stay with these organizations and continue to actively participate.  It is also important to seek out new activities to get involved in.  Sometimes, students are asked after the application deadline to provide some additional information, so by having a new activity or achievement, students might give themselves that extra push into the “accepted” pile. Joining the drama club and becoming the lead in the spring musical will make you a much more competitive applicant than someone who dropped out of their activities the minute after they clicked “submit application.”
4. Do some research and visit the schools you’re waiting to hear from
   After submitting applications, do your due-diligence and research all that you can on the schools to which you just applied.  The deadline to commit is May 1st, and some colleges do not release their decisions until the last weeks of March, which leaves a narrow window of time to make such a major decision.  By doing research beforehand, you will save time for your future when making an informed decision.  Another way to do research is by visiting, and this is often the best way to find out whether the school is the right fit for you.  Some colleges often look like a perfect fit on paper, but after visiting, it is difficult to see yourself there.  As a Southern California resident, I am used to moderate weather all of the time, but visiting out-of-state schools where the weather is not as ideal became a wake up call when considering some schools.  Try to visit the campuses during their normal weather conditions to see what it is like, and decide if you are the type of person willing to trade in your flip-flops for snow boots.
5. Most importantly, have some fun!
   The college process can often take a toll on the lives of teens, but it is important to relax and have fun!  Celebrate all of your hard work thus far and make the most of the time you still have left in high school.  Taking life too seriously will only leave you upset and nervous, so take that study break and go to the mall with your friends or spontaneously go on that hike you’ve been longing to trek.  The days left at home will fly, so make sure to spend your time enjoying yourself rather than worrying.

These are just a few tips to help you pass the time during this critical period of your senior year.  Though the anticipation is seemingly endless, March will arrive before you know it, and the big packet addressed to you on the kitchen table will be a sign that the wait was most definitely worth it.

The Seymour Award is widely regarded as one of the highest scholastic honors for California high school students. We are excited to honor the following students as our 2014 Seymour Award Finalists:

CENTRAL COAST REGION

Katie Faye Berlin

Carondelet High School, Concord

Joanne Missaggia, adviser

Anamaria Galindo Falcone

Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose

Janie Falcone, adviser

Akasha Alexandra Greff

Templeton High School, Templeton

Amber Wickersham, adviser

Juliana Lenore McCormick

Las Lomas High School, Walnut Creek

Ellen Smith, adviser

Anna Her

Lynbrook High School, San Jose

Jon Penner, adviser

Hannah Jane Lau

Mountain View High School, Mountain View

David Campbell, adviser

Victoria Daisy Loo

Piedmont Hills High School, San Jose

Nancy Kennett, adviser

Nicholas Vance Matthews

Monte Vista Christian High School, Watsonville

Shari Waldinger, adviser

Hillary Brenda Nguyen

Piedmont Hills High School, San Jose

Nancy Kennett, adviser

Rohini Paul

Presentation High School, San Jose

MaryLynne Rodriguez, adviser

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Jennifer Lynn Be

Canyon High School, Canyon Country

Lori Hermelin, adviser

Chelsea Janelle Best

West Ranch High School, Stevenson Ranch

Laura Solarez, adviser

Serena Lee

Santa Susana High School, Simi Valley

Karen Hazelwood, adviser

Christine May Liu

Palos Verdes High School, Palos Verdes Estates

Jeff Mirosavich, adviser

Sheyda Mesgarzadeh

Adolfo Camarillo High School, Camarillo

Terrie Romines, adviser

Alejandra Mariah MacDougall

Warren High School, Downey

Glenn Yamasaki, adviser

Alisa Ohara

North Torrance High School, Torrance

Lynnette Wallters, adviser

Aashal Patel

Simi Valley High School, Simi Valley

Elizabeth Peterson, adviser

Michelle Tulean

Warren High School, Downey

Glenn Yamasaki, adviser

Karina PJ Wang

Adolfo Camarillo High School, Camarillo

Terrie Romines, adviser

NORTH REGION

Fiona Nicole Baiker-Mcmahon

Downieville Junior/Senior High School, Downieville

Lynn Fillo, adviser

Ramiro Castellon

Los Molinas High School, Los Molinas

Rebekah Coon, adviser

Megan Elizabeth Foy

St. Francis High School, Sacramento

Hayley Figeroid, adviser

Vincent Michael Gallegos

Loyalton High School, Loyalton

Janet McHenry, adviser

Andrew Deane Hanson

Del Campo High School, Fair Oaks

Karen Greenberg, adviser

Anstonia NgoYee Ma

John F. Kennedy High School, Sacramento

James Lam, adviser

Jacob Troy Needels

Pleasant Valley High School, Chico

Connie Chrysler, adviser

Cory Douglas Peterman

Loyalton High School, Loyalton

Janet McHenry, adviser

Franklin Davis Tarke

Sutter Union High School, Sutter

Janet Finitzer, adviser

Yuliy Tsymbal

El Camino Fundamental High School, Sacramento

Janice Wong, adviser

CENTRAL REGION

Rose-Marie Eter

Millennium High School, Tracy

Tawn Schaffran, adviser

Tynin Fries

Fresno Christian High School, Fresno

Michelle Warkentin, adviser

Kailyn Nicole Glass

Redwood High School, Visalia

Georgette Cheatwood, adviser

Anthony Michael Hall

Liberty High School, Madera

Renee Harris, adviser

Crystal Victoria Ipong

John C. Kimball High School, Tracy

Corinne Berendt, adviser

Brandon Alan Rowe

Corcoran High School, Corcoran

Barbara Gomez & Evelyn Albert, advisers

Jose Enrique Sanchez

Riverdale High School, Riverdale

Stasha Tiller, adviser

Ismaeel Ahmed Siddiqui

Millennium High School, Tracy

Tawn Schaffran, adviser

Sharanya Meenal Thiagarajan

Harmony Magnet Academy, Porterville

Vicky Edwards, adviser

Lauren E. Watanabe

Linden High School, Linden

Leslie Bloudoff, adviser

SOUTH REGION

Natalie Ricasa Bagaporo

Bonita Vista High School, Chula Vista

Reynila Calderon-Magbuhat, adviser

Ricky Chae

Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore

Lerrise Harris, adviser

Jillian Rachel Frankel

Escondido High School, Escondido

Susan Tuttle, adviser

Elizabeth Kim

Great Oak High School, Temecula

Diana Arban, adviser

Morgan Charlotte Muat

Escondido Charter High School, Escondido

Erin Welch, adviser

Priyanka Nanayakkara

La Jolla High School, La Jolla

Carol Shamrock, adviser

Loren James Newton

La Sierra High School, Riverside

Briony Campbell, adviser

Jolene N. Nguyen

Buena Park High School, Buena Park

Denise Kirk, adviser

Arpan Hemant Shah

Esperanza High School, Anaheim

Rosalind Kanter, adviser

Anjali Verma

Westview High School, San Diego

Diana Loo, adviser

Ricky Chae

This is a post by our one of our 2013-14 DIP interns. In this post, Ricky Chae, a Senior at Temescal Canyon High School in Elsinore Valley, offers suggestions for putting together your letters of recommendation for upcoming college applications.

For all of the high school juniors out there, it is important that you begin to think about which teachers you want to ask for letters of recommendation. Although you are free to ask any teachers of your choice, colleges recommend that you choose teachers from your core classes (english, mathematics, social studies, science) in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. Keep in mind that there are many other students in your class who will ask the same teachers, so take the initiative and request the letters as soon as possible. If you are considering applying early to college, you can even ask your teachers before summer break begins! However, whatever you choose to do, make sure you have a ‘brag sheet’ prepared (a list of all your academic information, honors, awards, work experience, extra-curricular activities, future plans/goals, etc.) and give your teachers at least three weeks to write the letters. Most importantly, thank your teachers for all the time and effort that they put into writing your letter!!

Letters of recommendation allow college admissions officers to learn more about your personality and contributions to the classroom environment. In other words, the letters of recommendation give the admissions officers another perspective on the applicant aside from what the applicant has written on paper. Some colleges may ask you for one letter of recommendation, while other colleges may ask you for two or more. Teachers will write about your academic achievements and extra-curricular activities to give the admissions officers a sense of how you will be as a college student.

Here are the main points from this blog post:

1. Ask your teachers for letters of recommendation ASAP (at least 3 weeks)!
2. Choose teachers who you believe know you best (preferably those who teach the aforementioned core classes) and can write you a thoughtful letter.
3. Include as many details as you can in your brag sheet! (Senior class load, Cumulative GPA, Class rank, AP test scores,  Most important work done in that specific class, Community service hours, Awards, Interests, etc.)
4. Be kind and very grateful toward your teachers because they are taking their own time at home to write you a letter!!
5. Plan ahead and check on progress! Remind your teacher once a week or so about the deadline just in case they forget!

The Seymour Award is widely regarded as one of the highest scholastic honors for California high school students. We are excited to honor the following students as our 2015 Seymour Finalists, and recognize the students in bold as our Seymour Regional Award Recipients:

CENTRAL COAST REGION

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

NORTH REGION

CENTRAL REGION

SOUTH REGION

The Michelson Award is awarded each year to a CSF senior based on essays submitted in response to an official prompt. This year, we received many excellent submissions. After a difficult judging process, our panel chose Marisa Estipona of Folsom High School as the recipient. We asked Marisa several questions about her CSF experience.

Marisa

Why did you join CSF?

In middle school, CJSF was one of the few clubs offered to the students. CJSF is built upon community service and promoting education worldwide and I wanted to get involved in it. When I reached high school, I discovered CSF, a continuation of CJSF. Due to my middle school background with CJSF, I wanted to continue serving my community and make an impact on not only my local community, but also the world as a whole. I knew I could do this through CSF.

How have you been involved in your chapter’s activities?

I have been active in CSF throughout all of my high school career. The CSF service activities that I have participated in include Pennies for Patients (collecting money to help hospitalized children), Fall Food Drive for local families (collecting canned food and non-perishable items to give to local families in need), making Dog/Cat Blankets and Toys for a local animal hospital, making Christmas cards for the troops, making letters to breast cancer patients, Eggstravaganza (community event in which we assisted in stuffing eggs with toys, candies, and prizes for the annual Easter Egg Hunt), and Folsom High School Service Week, in which various service clubs joined together to provide the school body with a opportunities to participate in a service project each day of the week.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I will be attending UC Davis, and plan on studying Biological Sciences in the hopes of becoming either a medical doctor or dentist.

Congratulations to Marisa!

The Seymour Award is widely regarded as one of the highest scholastic honors for California high school students. We are excited to honor the following students as our 2016 Seymour Finalists, and recognize the students in bold as our Seymour Regional Award Recipients:

NORTH REGION

Claire Pavelka
Montgomery HS
Adviser: Susan Farkas

Brandon Stubbs
Ghidotti Early College
Adviser: Karla Aaron

Reilly Gallagher
Del Oro HS
Adviser: Anna Luci

Reeta Asmai.
Folsom HS
Adviser: Melinda Malaspino & Geri Villero

Brandon Ho
Napa HS
Adviser: Ana Andrilla

Rebeca Kinslow
Chico HS
Adviser: Gina Snider

Blake Kaiser Lack
John F. Kennedy HS
Adviser: James Lam

Luke Campbell
Loyalton HS
Adviser: Janet McHenry

Dillon Shannon
Del Oro HS
Adviser: Anna Luci

Joanne Newens
John F. Kennedy HS
Adviser: James Lam

CENTRAL COAST REGION

Chloe May Brown
Aptos HS
Adviser: Jessica Shillings-Barrera

Vedika Chaudhri
Dublin HS
Adviser: Kim Kalket

Maya Varma
Presentation HS
Adviser: MaryLynne Rodriguez

Sarah Jing Liao
Monte Vista HS
Adviser: Wilson Pang

Vivian Vo
Carondelet HS
Adviser: Joanne Missaggia

Jingyi Deng
Arroyo HS
Adviser: Mary Conway

Lana Nader Dahu
Carlmont HS
Adviser: Kelly Redmon

Delaney King
Carmel HS
Adviser: Barbara Steinberg

Valerie Kau
St. Ignatius College Preparatory
Adviser: Carol Quattrin

Kimberly Sabsay
Monte Vista Christian School
Adviser: Shari Dizon

CENTRAL REGION

Emily Renee Salazar
Taft Union HS
Adviser: Tammy Sutherland

Simrandeep Kaur Shergill
Chowchilla Union HS
Adviser: Sandra Torrence

Erica Jasmine Diaz-Rodriguez
Woodlake HS
Adviser: Blanca Lucatero

Kayla Lynn Carlisle
Redwood HS
Adviser: Georgette Cheatwood

Jose Andres Rosa
Firebaugh HS
Adviser: Lindsay Robinson

Jenny Yap Sayaseng
Sunnyside HS
Adviser: Cindy Duzi

Joseph Ramos Sales
Millennium HS
Adviser: Lauren Moore

Sharmila Ramu Thiagarajan
Harmony Magnet Academy
Adviser: Vicky Edwards

Lily Anne Bennett
Harmony Magnet Academy
Adviser: Vicky Edwards

Stephanie Guadalupe Ovalle Elisco
Mira Monte HS
Adviser: Emilee Gonsalves

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Danielle Kaiser
West Ranch High School Chapter 1299
Adviser: Laura Solarez

Brittney Lizarraga
Warren High School Chapter 599
Adviser: Shirley Stewart

Sarah Tran
Santa Susana High School Chapter 1182
Adviser: Karen Hazelwood

Tyler Schatz
Paraclete High School Chapter 842 SC
Adviser: Albert Landa

Danielle Chen
Adolfo Camarillo High School Chapter 542
Adviser: Colleen Colborn

Flor Quinones
Channel Islands High School Chapter 796 SC
Adviser: Terrie Romines

Darlene Lie
Schurr High School Chapter 927
Adviser: Michael Kim

Lauren Otera
Palos Verdes High School Chapter 664
Adviser: Gailene Lancey

Kayla Kotake
Adolfo Camarillo High School Chapter 542
Adviser: Colleen Colborn

Runrong Kuang
Abraham Lincoln High School Chapter 29
Adviser: Sam Luu

SOUTH REGION

Vinit Raj Parekh
Canyon HS
Adviser: Georgina Otero

Michelle NguyenDieu Nguyen
Buena Park HS
Adviser: Denise Kirk

Julianne Elizabeth Nussbaum
Chaparral HS
Adviser: Amie Charney

Sharon Wang
Buena Park HS
Adviser: Denise Kirk

Taranjit Kaur
Estancia HS
Adviser: Jennifer Fox

Manvita Mareboina
Rancho Bernardo HS
Adviser: Diana Loiewski

Serena Heng Ly
Foothill HS
Adviser: Cynthia Rangel

Abigail Rose Chernila
Los Alamitos HS
Adviser: Tamara Lundblad

Amrik Singh Kang
Murrieta Valley HS
Adviser: Debbora Santelices

Maria F. Pineda Gomez
Escondido HS
Adviser: Susan Tuttle

The Seymour Award is widely regarded as one of the highest scholastic honors for California high school students. We are excited to honor the following students as our 2017 Seymour Finalists:

NORTH REGION

CENTRAL COAST REGION

CENTRAL REGION

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

SOUTH REGION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We want to take a moment to honor all of the Seymour Memorial Award recipients from years past.  Join us on this walk down memory lane…

Seymour Memorial Award Class of 2017

Maria Ortiz

Derek Sportsman

Joshua Beal

Anna Moreno-Takegami

Leslie Ontiveros

Seymour Memorial Award Class of 2016

Valerie Kau

Simrandeep Shergill

Joanne Newens

Serena Ly

Danielle Kaiser

Seymour Memorial Award Class of 2015

Natalie Dybeck

April Tsuei

Nathan Glovinsky

Jordan Thayer

Seymour Memorial Award Class of 2014

Sheyda Mesgarzadeh

Seymour Memorial Award Class of 2013

Marly Carlisle

Seymour Memorial Award Class of 2012

Zachary Bell

I graduated from CSULB with a Mechanical Engineering degree. My husband and I run our own product development and manufacturing business (Tera Engineering). We have been in business for over 4 years, helping clients develop products and bring them to market. In the picture, I am in the middle and my husband on the right. We have been happily married for three years.

David George is an entrepreneur living in Brea, California.

Lily is an alumnus of CJSF and CSF. Graduated from UC San Diego with BAs in International Studies- Political Science and Psychology. Currently an HR Coordinator with the Union of Pan-Asian Communities in San Diego and I previously worked as an HR coordinator at Ballast Point Brewing Company.

From Buchanan High School CSF member Luke Sula “I play sports baseball and football I hope to become a CSF member for life when I graduate.”

I am a 19 year veteran teacher and CSF Advisor at Sierra High School in Tollhouse, Ca–Central Region. I teach AP Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. I graduated San Joaquin Memorial as a Life Sealbearer in 1986.