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  • Berkeley Global

Foundations of College Admissions Advising

EDUC X369.3

40866
Delivery Options Online

This is the first course of a two-course sequence that introduces the knowledge and skills required to advise students in the transition from high school to college. Emphasis is placed both on acquiring specific knowledge of colleges and the admissions process and on becoming ethical, skilled practitioners in a rapidly changing profession.

Course Outline

Expand or collapse section

Course Objectives

  • Describe the knowledge and skills required to provide college counseling in the high school setting.
  • Identify specified legal and ethical issues in college counseling.
  • Define important terms used in college counseling.
  • Demonstrate how to research a college using public sources, campus visits, and admission officer meetings.
  • Identify the primary factors utilized in admissions decisions for a variety of college types, locations, and selectivity and be able to give a national and local example of each.
  • Describe the roles of various people in the college admissions process.
  • Explain the types of standardized tests used in admissions decisions, provide key differences between them, and describe how you will advise students in terms of testing strategies.
  • Explain the importance of student essays in admissions decisions and the roles counselors and independent counselors can play in essay development.
  • Describe the admissions requirements and process for the state systems in your own state, and selected other colleges and universities that are popular destinations for your students.

What You Learn

  • Teenage brain development and impact on decision making.
  • College reports and campus visit report
  • Working with parents, teachers, school counselors, independent educational consultants and others
  • Student and advisor tasks in the college admissions process
  • Factors utilized in admissions decisions
  • College fit considerations
  • Application platforms and types
  • Advising students regarding admissions testing
  • College admissions essays
  • Management and document delivery software, including Naviance
  • Counselor and teacher recommendation letters
  • Professional associations

How You Learn

  • Lectures
  • Readings
  • College reports
  • Campus visit
  • Internet research
  • Quizzes
  • Assignments
  • Mock admissions panel
  • Video and audio interviews with industry experts
  • Book club
  • Interview with a teen
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Sections

Section 051

Aug 25 to Dec 08

Type: Online, Fixed Date

Instructor:

  • Jolyn Brand

Cost: $1,252.00

See section 051 Details

Type Online, Fixed Date

Dates

Aug 25, 2025 to Dec 08, 2025

Instructional Hours

60.00

Delivery Options

Online

Available for Credit

4 semester units

Reading List / Textbook

Note: NACAC's Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling 6th edition is very different from the 5th edition. Must be purchased through the NACAC website. International students are suggested to reach out to International ACAC if they need help purchasing the book.

 Susan Knoppow has made How to Write an Effective College Application Essay: The Inside Scoop for Counselors available for download for free at: https://wowwritingworkshop.com/free-student-book/ - but please make sure to download the 2022 "for students" version.

Section Notes

Drop deadline: 6 days after start date.

This is a fixed-date class with asynchronous, online instruction. 

Students will receive access to their online section within the Canvas Learning Management System on the scheduled start date, but you can set up your Canvas account in advance by following these instructions. There are weekly deadlines for assignments, and students will complete assignments within the specific dates posted in their online class.

New to online learning? How to login and access online courses.

Canvas Student Guide for online learning.

Extension's enrollment policies.

Section Materials

  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    How to Write an Effective College Application Essay: The Inside Scoop for Counselors by Kim Lifton & Susan Knoppow

    © 2022 ISBN 978-8985981407 (Free Download, Check Notes)
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting Into College by Sally P. Springer, Jon Reider & Joyce Vining Morgan

    © 2023 5th edition ISBN 978-1119885733
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling

    © 2024 6th edition ISBN 098628632X National Association for College Admission Counseling
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    Students will choose one additional book to read and discuss from a list provided in the first module of the course.

  • (Mandatory)

    College Counseling for School Counselors by Patrick O’Connor

    © 2024

Section 050

Sep 08 to Dec 22

Type: Online, Fixed Date

Instructor:

  • Sheila Hallsted-Baumert

Cost: $1,252.00

See section 050 Details

Type Online, Fixed Date

Dates

Sep 08, 2025 to Dec 22, 2025

Instructional Hours

60.00

Delivery Options

Online

Available for Credit

4 semester units

Reading List / Textbook

Note: NACAC's Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling 6th edition is very different from the 5th edition. Must be purchased through the NACAC website. International students are suggested to reach out to International ACAC if they need help purchasing the book.

 Susan Knoppow has made How to Write an Effective College Application Essay: The Inside Scoop for Counselors available for download for free at: https://wowwritingworkshop.com/free-student-book/ - but please make sure to download the 2022 "for students" version.

Section Notes

Drop deadline: 6 days after start date.

This is a fixed-date class with asynchronous, online instruction. 

Students will receive access to their online section within the Canvas Learning Management System on the scheduled start date, but you can set up your Canvas account in advance by following these instructions. There are weekly deadlines for assignments, and students will complete assignments within the specific dates posted in their online class.

New to online learning? How to login and access online courses.

Canvas Student Guide for online learning.

Extension's enrollment policies.

Section Materials

  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    How to Write an Effective College Application Essay: The Inside Scoop for Counselors by Kim Lifton & Susan Knoppow

    © 2022 ISBN 978-8985981407 (Free Download, Check Notes)
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting Into College by Sally P. Springer, Jon Reider & Joyce Vining Morgan

    © 2023 5th edition ISBN 978-1119885733
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling

    © 2024 6th edition ISBN 098628632X National Association for College Admission Counseling
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    Students will choose one additional book to read and discuss from a list provided in the first module of the course.

  • (Mandatory)

    College Counseling for School Counselors by Patrick O’Connor

    © 2024

Fall 2025 enrollment opens on June 16!

This course applies to the following programs:

Professional Program in College Admissions Advising in Schools

Expand or collapse section

Required Courses

  • Foundations of College Admissions Advising
  • Strategies for College Admissions Advising

Learn More About This Program

Professional Program in College Admissions Consulting

Expand or collapse section

Required Courses

  • Foundations of College Admissions Advising
  • Strategies for College Admissions Advising
  • The Business of Independent Educational Consulting
  • Practicum in Independent Educational Consultancy

Learn More About This Program

Notes

Departmental contact: extension-education@berkeley.edu

Instructional Types

Live Online
Live Online courses provide an interactive learning experience with scheduled synchronous online sessions held via Zoom video conferencing (Pacific Time). Learn more about the Live Online format.
Online, Start Anytime
Continuous enrollment course begins when you enroll. You have a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 180 days to complete the course.
Online, Fixed Date
Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.
Classroom
Take classes in-person at one of our buildings or partner locations.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All of our courses are taught in English. If English is not your first language, please use the following test scores as guides in order to be successful:

  • TOEFL: 90
  • IELTS Academic Format: 7
  • DAAD: C1
  • TEM-4 or TEM-8: Level 70
  • Duolingo: 125

Note: You do not need to submit test scores.

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Course Fee

Jolyn Brand

Jolyn Brand, Ed.D., has 22 years of experience in education. She worked as a high school English teacher, adjunct instructor, college coordinator, and school administrator before starting her own college consulting business in 2011. She has owned and directed Brand College Consulting for more than a decade, helping hundreds of families through college admissions. She also volunteers part of her services pro bono to low-income and parenting students. She received a doctorate in higher education from Northeastern University, with a dissertation focusing on academic transition of first-year students. Most recently, she completed a certificate in educational technology from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Online

Course Fee

Sheila Hallsted-Baumert

With close to 30 years as a school counselor, teacher, and IEC, Sheila has championed hundreds of students -- from artists to budding scientists!

Since having completed her own training with UCBX, Sheila has teamed up with colleagues to present at annual conferences and host national webinars.

A member of NACAC and International-ACAC, Sheila also serves in HECA as Regional Coordinator and member of the DEI and Professional Development Committees. Recently, Sheila co-launched Unplugged, a safe platform for members to share and learn from each other in a supportive environment.

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