UC and CSU overview

For this assignment, I decide to research UC Berkeley and San Jose State University. Both colleges offer my major, Biological Sciences.

I think my choice between the two schools is San Jose State University due to lower attendance cost. The higher acceptance rate (66% versus 21%) sounds more realistic to me considering my GPA as well as my volunteering record at the moment. I strive to be the best that I can and UC Berkeley is the great school to challenge myself academically. But for now, San Jose State makes much more economical sense to me and I’ll focus on getting into SJSU.

I’m surprised to find out UC Berkeley has the higher number of students enrolled (35396 versus 31280). I always think a CSU should have more students. Both schools have similar student demographics, this maybe due to both being in California and not too far from each other geographically. Both offer similar types of aids. Cost of attendance is much lower at SJSU. Application deadlines for both school is on Nov 30.

Below is the overview of each colleges, including: the degree offered, the number of students enrolled, ethnicity of the students enrolled, financial aid options, cost of tuition, transfer admission requirements, and application deadlines.

University of California: Berkeley

110 Sproul Hall
Berkeley,   California 94720
1 (510) 642-3175
ouars@uclink.berkely.edu

General Info

Degrees Offered	Bachelor's Master's Doctoral
Type of School	Public
Region	West
Setting	City
Men	47%
Women	53%
Religious Affiliation	none
Calendar System	Semester

2010-2011 Tuition

In State Tuition	$10940
Out of State Tuition	$33819
Room & Board	$15317

Enrollment Statistics

Total Enrollment	35396
Undergraduate Enrollment	25151
Undergraduate Applicants	48473
Applicants Admitted (%)	21%
% Admitted Enrolled Full Time	41%
% Admitted Enrolled Part Time	unknown
White non-Hispanic Students	31%
Black non-Hispanic Students	4%
Hispanic Students	12%
Asian/Pacific Islander Students	42%
American Indian/Alaska Native	0%
Race/Ethnicity Unknown	8%
Non-Resident Alien	4%

Admission Requirements

Regular Decision Deadline	11/30
Notification Starting	unknown
School has Rolling Admission	Yes
Application Fee	$60
School has Early Decision	No
School has Early Action	No
Secondary School Transcripts	Required
Recommendations	Neither required nor recommended
Admissions Test Scores	Required
TOEFL Required for Non-Residents	Recommended

TYPES OF AID AVAILABLE

Types of loans available:

Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans Direct PLUS Loans Federal Perkins Loans

Parent loans packaged to meet need: yes First-year loan package range: $3,826 - $8,286 Undergraduate loan package range: $4,686 - $9,876 Percent of undergraduates who have borrowed through all loan programs: 47% Average student debt upon graduation: $13,171 Types of payment plans:

school's own payment plan(s)

Need-based scholarships/grants available:

need-based (general) Federal Pell Grants SEOG state scholarships/grants college/university scholarships/grants (institutional funds) private scholarships/grants

Non-need-based scholarships/grants available:

non-need-based (general) academic merit scholarships/grants special achievements/activities special characteristics

First-year scholarship/grant award range: $11,816 - $14,243 Undergraduate scholarship/grant award range: $10,750 - $13,735 Percent of scholarship aid awarded to out-of-state students: 28%

 --------------------------

San Jose State University

1 Washington Sq
San Jose,   California 95192-0001
1 (408) 283-7500
contact@sjsu.edu

General Info

Degrees Offered	Bachelor's Master's
Type of School	Public
Region	West
Setting	Large city
Men	48%
Women	52%
Religious Affiliation	None
Calendar System	Semester

2010-2011 Tuition

In State Tuition	$5370
Out of State Tuition	$16530
Room & Board	$10438

Enrollment Statistics

Total Enrollment	31280
Undergraduate Enrollment	24273
Undergraduate Applicants	24092
Applicants Admitted (%)	66%
% Admitted Enrolled Full Time	23%
% Admitted Enrolled Part Time	unknown
White non-Hispanic Students	27%
Black non-Hispanic Students	5%
Hispanic Students	19%
Asian/Pacific Islander Students	34%
American Indian/Alaska Native	0%
Race/Ethnicity Unknown	10%
Non-Resident Alien	4%

Admission Requirements

Regular Decision Deadline	November 30
Notification Starting	October 1
School has Rolling Admission	unknown
Application Fee	$55
School has Early Decision	unknown
School has Early Action	unknown
Secondary School Transcripts	Required
Recommendations	Not Required
Admissions Test Scores	Required
TOEFL Required for Non-Residents	Required

TYPES OF AID AVAILABLE

Types of loans available:

Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans Direct PLUS Loans Federal Perkins Loans College/University Loans

Parent loans packaged to meet need: yes First-year loan package range: $200 - $5,800 Undergraduate loan package range: $200 - $12,500 Percent of undergraduates who have borrowed through all loan programs: 49% Average student debt upon graduation: $12,313 Types of payment plans:

deferred payment plan school's own payment plan(s)

Need-based scholarships/grants available:

need-based (general) Federal Pell Grants SEOG state scholarships/grants college/university scholarships/grants (institutional funds) private scholarships/grants ACG, SMART, TEACH

Non-need-based scholarships/grants available:

non-need-based (general) academic merit scholarships/grants special characteristics athletic scholarships ROTC scholarships

First-year scholarship/grant award range: $8 - $25,114 Undergraduate scholarship/grant award range: $8 - $25,114 Percent of scholarship aid awarded to out-of-state students:

Youtube Blog

This youtube video is great because if offers the advice of an actual student who is successful in getting into his pharmacy school. I’m interested in this clip because I also aim for a career in pharmacy.

His advice is to map out all the required classes to manage time efficiently. This helps to avoid taking unnecessary classes as well as fit in classes that are only offered once a year. He also emphasizes on volunteering to show interest and commitment in the field. He stresses on the importance of experience in pharmacy by stating that you can fail the interview if you don’t show interest in the field, despite having a 4.0 GPA. A relationship with a pharmacist is crucial since a letter of recommendation is required for the application into pharmacy school. The same goes for a strong letter of recommendation from a professor.

He also offers ideas to make an applicant stand out such as oversea health trips, community health fair, and even computer or other skills that have applicable benefits to pharmacy. His way of standing out was posting youtube videos to advocate health issues and well as setting up his non-profit organization.

All in all, this is a short but very informative and useful clip for students pursuing a career in pharmacy.

This second clip reveals a day in the life of Haag, is a clinical pharmacist in kidney transplantation at Hennepin County Medical Center and a Graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. Professional Program.

Her story sends a positive message and makes me feel hopeful about being a pharmacist. Her personal anecdote is about a kidney transplant patient who is allergic to blue M&M. After a while, the same patient came back with symptoms which cause could not be determined. As her pharmacist, Haag suspect it has something to do with blue dye, and she was right.

This story enlightens me greatly because such a small knowledge of the patient allergy could help Haag make the link and save her patient’s life. It just feels great to be able to help someone feels well again.

This assignment opens me to a new resource that I rarely thought of when researching about pharmacy. I usually peruse the Internet or the library when I want to find out more information about pharmacy. Youtube has opened the door to really current info and offered so many personal stories about pharmacy.

Road Trip Nation Interview - Karry Mullis

For the Roadtrip Nation assignment, I choose to watch the interview by Karry Mullis, a chemist who won the Nobel Prize winner. His interview can be seen here:

http://roadtripnation.com/KaryMullis

Kary Mullis didn't need any encouragement to love chemistry; he'd always felt pulled toward it. After years of study and research, he received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993 for his invention of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process, which Kary conceptualized in 1983, is hailed as one of the monumental scientific techniques of the twentieth century. He is a Distinguished Researcher at Children's Hospital and Research Institute at Oakland. Kary serves on the board of scientific advisors of several companies, provides expert advice in legal matters involving DNA, and is a frequent lecturer at college campuses, corporations and academic meetings.

His interview is inspiring. What strikes me as the most surprising is that he does not really have a plan for himself, he doesn’t consciously make a choice about what he wants to do. He just takes things as they go along. His advice is to possess a sense of confidence that something good will come and you should be able to identify it when it does. He thinks life should not be a narrow path and it’s good to stand back and take on other opportunities as they appear.

The ending of his interview is great. “I am not everything. I’m me. I’m the total of the things I’m interested in. And I’m interested in a lot.” It shows a humble approach to life, and the thirst for knowledge.

Strengths Quest Assessment

The Strengths Quest Assessment results are pretty accurate. It tells me my top five themes are:

1. Ideation
2. Intellection
3. Deliberative
4. Empathy
5. Responsibility

The assessment is great because it is always affirmative to me to see my strengths and my personalities analyzed and spelled out in such reports. It helps me to understand myself better, know my strengths and weaknesses; as well as providing me with a guide to capitalize on my strengths and avoid pitfalls related to my weaknesses.

 The deliberative theme is particularly interesting to me because I’ve always known for being stingy with my praises. Being deliberate has both its pros and cons in different social situations. The evaluations of this report are helpful because they help me to understand why I am deliberate how it would affect me.

The report also views me as a responsible person. I agree with most of the assessments. However, I am not someone who does not procrastinate. I sometimes leave work to the last minute, which I frantically finish it up. These last minute works usually turn out good but the process of finishing them is arduous and stressful. I usually wonder if I don’t have the rush of last minute work, could I still finish the same assignment with good results. I am trying to better myself and try to start work early so I can manage my time better.

All in all, the Strengths Quest Assessment is really useful and it will help me a lot in my study, social skills and work. 

Below is my Strengths Quest Assessment Report:

Your Top 5 Themes

Ideation
Intellection
Deliberative
Empathy
Responsibility

Ideation

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Driven by your talents, you have a keen awareness of how others see you. Usually you are delighted to be in the company of your admirers. By nature, you may be the person to whom group members turn for original thoughts. Perhaps ideas pop into your consciousness as soon as someone describes a problem or an opportunity. Instinctively, you sometimes decide to move at an even or carefully measured tempo. You may methodically take apart mechanisms, ideas, plans, processes, problems, or data. Perhaps you resist being pressured to draw conclusions before you have systematically studied the basic components. Maybe you have concluded it is foolhardy to rush your thinking. Because of your strengths, you may like to take apart, then study processes, ideas, problems, solutions, mechanisms, or plans. Perhaps examining the pieces and parts of things appeals to your logic. It’s very likely that you may dream up new tasks to do. Perhaps you realize the inventive process cannot be rushed. Sometimes you are frustrated by individuals who appreciate your originality but fail to give you enough time to generate novel ideas.

Intellection

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Chances are good that you derive much satisfaction from reading books, magazines, newspapers, Internet sites, pamphlets, memos, or documents. Acquiring knowledge is as much a pastime for you as it is a necessity of life. Often writers stimulate your thinking about the people, situations, or things you need to make better. Instinctively, you are fascinated with the printed word. Books, magazines, newspapers, correspondence, or Internet sites intrigue you. Whether you choose fiction or nonfiction, you feast on facts and insights into human behavior. Ordinary and extraordinary experiences, philosophies of life, or research findings captivate you as well. Guided by your unique interests, you regularly add to your storehouse of knowledge whenever you read. Driven by your talents, you frequently challenge your own thinking. You enjoy having time to yourself to process ideas and identify areas where you can make things better. Often you consider upgrading your environment and the people with whom you associate. You are just as likely to consider things you need to perfect. These may include, but not be limited to, your talents, personal characteristics, studies, career, productivity, progress, or projects. Because of your strengths, you put yourself in the middle of mentally stimulating conversations. You want to gather new ideas, discover new approaches, hear about new theories, consider new concepts, or apply new technologies. Often you are one of the early discoverers of innovations. Others can lag behind if they wish, but you consistently acquire knowledge. You exhibit little need to know precisely where all this information ultimately will lead you. It’s very likely that you are the ideal example of a person with an open and agile mind. Thinking consumes a great portion of your time. You like to exchange ideas with individuals who are as well-read as you are. Your passion for the written word fuels your thought processes and lays the groundwork for sophisticated conversations. When you are alone, you probably reflect upon the thoughts of brilliant writers or the findings of notable researchers.

Deliberative

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Because of your strengths, you might present yourself as a no-nonsense person to certain people. Sometimes this perception is amplified when you acquire additional knowledge or skills in your area of specialization. Perhaps this proficiency enhances your ability to perform

your job, progress in your studies, pursue your hobbies, or plan your travel. Instinctively, you are very choosy about the company you keep and the people you call “friends.” Many individuals recognize that you are keenly aware of what they are thinking and feeling at a particular moment. It’s very likely that you are choosy about the people you call “friend.” You make sure you know what makes an individual singular, distinct, or special. You regularly detect subtle differences and nuances — that is, slight or delicate variations — in the personality of each individual you meet. By nature, you recognize someone’s accomplishments, strengths, or progress only when you believe the person truly deserves recognition. You are more likely to applaud those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Simply meeting expectations is not enough to deserve a compliment, in your estimation. Driven by your talents, you are very earnest and businesslike about the things you choose to perfect, do better, or upgrade. You give careful and thorough consideration to the changes you want to make. You are seldom inclined to act in haste or be superficial in your handling of important matters.

Empathy

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Because of your strengths, you hear the emotions in another’s voice. Usually you know without conscious reasoning what someone is feeling. Many people are comfortable talking at length with you. Why? You refrain from interrupting them. You can interpret the unspoken messages hidden in their words and deeds. It’s very likely that you are attuned to the present. Studying and reflecting on days gone by is less interesting to you. You concentrate on examining what is currently happening to you and what is going on in the world today. Instinctively, you have quick and ready insights into who is and is not fond of you. Being held in high regard by devoted coworkers, teammates, classmates, friends, or family members makes you feel very good about yourself. Chances are good that you frequently amuse people with stories, examples, or playful capers. Your style of delivery often distracts individuals from the mundane and numbing routines of their lives. Typically you know what to say and how to say it. Why? You are keenly aware of the full range of human emotions. Driven by your talents, you routinely tune in to individuals’ subtle and not-so-subtle yearnings to be cheered up, supported, and motivated. You have a knack for inspiring people. They sense that you are aware of their feelings, thoughts, and needs. They probably feel better about themselves when you are with them.

Responsibility

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

By nature, you are impelled to deliver on all of your commitments. You are determined to meet all of your obligations. Doing so is your badge of honor. It is one reason why people describe you as trustworthy and dependable. Driven by your talents, you are motivated by your sense of obligation to finish what you start. You fight the impulse to delegate and procrastinate. You remind yourself that you are the one who is personally accountable. Because of your strengths, you might do everything possible to fulfill obligations. Maybe you are thorough and devoted to doing what you promise. This partially explains why people describe you as reliable. To some extent, you have established a reputation for honoring your commitments. Perhaps this causes individuals to trust you more than they trust others. It’s very likely that you are a person upon whom others can depend. When you make a promise, you keep it. You feel obligated to honor your commitments. You do things correctly, accurately, and properly. Instinctively, you are naturally open and honest about who you are, what you have done, what you can do, and what you cannot do. Your straightforward explanations and stories help listeners see you as you see yourself. You reveal your strengths and limitations. You are forthright and plainspoken. People generally seek your company and want to work with you. Many are impelled to move into action by your words and examples.