The University Center, a Specialized Program at Elsie Allen High School, is designed to provide an intensive preparatory and college education to motivated high school students. The program will offer a rigorous and innovative curriculum and enrollment in university courses while still in high school.

University Center (UC) is a joint endeavor of Santa Rosa City Schools and Sonoma State University. This talent development program supports students through the college preparation process with a series of seminars that provide
participants with the skills they will need to be successful at the university level. Topics include academic and personal success skills, essay and composition writing, researching colleges for the best fit, and writing successful college and scholarship applications.

This is not a dual enrollment program. Students in the UC program will accelerate the completion of core requirements in their freshman and sophomore years by taking six college preparatory courses each year. This will permit time in the junior and senior years to take courses at Sonoma State University and receive
transferable college credits.

UC students will not be charged regular tuition for SSU but will enroll in courses for a minimal fee. This represents a value of over $4,000, the cost of tuition for a full time student.

In addition to university courses, students may choose to take a full complement of honors and Advanced Placement courses in core subjects at Elsie Allen High School. Students scoring a 3 or above on the Advanced Placement tests may receive college credit for those courses as well.

Entrance Requirements -

Entrance to the program is by competitive application. Participants are selected based on the following criteria:

● Academic performance.
● Motivation to succeed at the college level.
● Teacher recommendations.
● Parent/Guardian questionnaire responses.
● Interview with parent/guardian and students.
● Successful completion of first year Algebra.

Once enrolled in University Center, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in academic courses and a minimum grade of “C” in honors and Advanced
Placement courses. This is necessary as students must show the ability to adequately complete college level coursework before entering Sonoma State University.