Counseling FAQs

FAQs ... and Answers

• Getting Started
• Academic Policies
• Majoring and Transferring
• Financial Aid
• Career Counseling
• Attending on an F-1 Visa

Getting Started

• I’m a new student, how do I get started?

  You'll find the easy steps to apply and get priority registration on our Apply and Register webpage. 

• Do I have to take Counseling 5: Introduction to College? 

  All colleges have some form of introduction to help prepare students for college. The Counseling 5 Introduction to College class will give you a better understanding of what you need to do to perform better in college, transfer to a 4-year university, and earn an Associate Degree, how to choose a career and major. An important part of this newly revised course is your creation of an education plan to get you priority enrollment. COUN 5 is not required, but we highly recommend it. 

• How can I make an appointment with a counselor? 

  Many academic programs and Learning Communities have their own counselors. To find a counselor, visit Our Counselors page. Students who aren't in a specific program should visit the General Counseling Center.

• Do I need to take placement tests? How can I do this? 

  De Anza College has a new process for assessing students’ English and math skills, which means that most students who attended high school in the United States won't need to take placement tests. (If English is not your primary language, you may still need to take an assessment for English as a Second Language.) Visit our Assessment Center webpage.

• Will De Anza accept placement test results from other colleges?  

  Visit Assessment Center website for more information.

• How can I create an Educational (Ed) Plan? 

  There are two types of educational (ed) plans, for new and continuing students. Visit our Education Plan webpage to find out which ed plan you need.

  • Option 1: Make an appointment to see one of Our Counselors. 
  • Option 2: Create your plan using DegreeWorks, an online planning tool that you will find in MyPortal.

• Where can I check my registration date, or get priority registration? 

  To find YOUR registration date for the current quarter you can check your status on MyPortal using the Student Registration App. Or you can visit the Academic Calendar page and look for your enrollment category.

  Our Academic Calendar lists all important dates and deadlines for standard 12-week classes including priority registration dates.
  

• I am not a student at De Anza, can I use your service? 

  Services are reserved for De Anza students only.  However, if you apply to De Anza College, you can make a counseling appointment using your student id. There is no cost to complete an application.

Academic Policies 

• How can I request to exceed the unit limit of 21.5 units per quarter?

  Use the online Petition for Exceeding Unit Limit form on MyPortal: Open the Apps section and click on the tile for Adobe Sign Student Forms and look under Student Workflows. After filling out the Petition for Exceeding Unit Limit form, you need to see a counselor for approval. 

• How can I clear an academic or progress probation hold?

  It depends on the level of probation. Check for an email from De Anza, explaining the steps you need to take. Certain levels of a probation hold require students to make an appointment with a counselor.

• How can I clear a prerequisite?

  Criteria for Clearance

  Download and complete the Prerequisite Clearance form, then submit the form by email to daclearprereq@fhda.edu

• I want to know if the class I took at a previous college will transfer to De Anza. What do I do?

  Evaluation specialists review official transcripts from previously attended institutions to determine which credits can be transferred to De Anza College.​​ Please note that only lower division coursework from undergraduate programs can be evaluated for credit.

• How many units do I need to earn a degree at De Anza?

  90 or more degree applicable units, depending on the degree. See the list of degrees and the details for specific degrees.

Majors and Transferring 

• I’m unsure of my major. Who can I see? What can I do? 

  An option is to enroll in a CLP 5 or CLP 7 class, where you learn to analyze your likes, values, personality, and skills you want to use in work. This process can help you identify a major. Lastly, you can schedule a 30-minute counseling appointment to discuss your options with a counselor

• How do I know what courses counts towards my major and or transfer? 

  Our list of programs and majors can be found on this link. The list of major classes can be found by clicking on your major. Also visit assist.org for transfer information. You can also log onto DegreeWorks to see how much more you have to do for your major.

• What majors does De Anza offer? 

  Our list of programs and majors can be found here.

• Where do I find more information about De Anza’s Nursing major? 

   All our Nursing information is online. We strongly recommend you read the website and application thoroughly. You can find all program information on Nursing Program Information. If you need clarification on anything we have online, you can always make an appointment with a counselor. In addition, we recommend going to the information sessions that the Nursing program offers. That information will be on their website.

• Who can advise me about transferring? 

  Schedule an appointment with a counselor who can explain how to use assist.org and the requirements to transfer. In addition, visit the Transfer Center’s events  page to learn about upcoming workshops and a schedule of university representative’s visits.

Financial Aid

You'll find a wealth of useful information on the Financial Aid Office website which is organized into three main areas:

• Types of financial aid
• How to get financial aid
• Things to know

Career Information

• Where do I find internship and employment information? 

  De Anza College has partnered with Handshake as a job and internship platform for students and employers.

  You can log in to Handshake through MyPortal (look for the icon in the Student Apps section) or through the De Anza Handshake website to view available jobs and internships.

  If you need help writing a resume or preparing a cover letter, attend a workshop or make an appointment with a career counselor.

• Where do I find employment on campus?

  Most student work on campus is through the Federal Work Study Program offered through Financial Aid. You need to complete the FAFSA  to apply for Federal Aid. Visit our Financial Aid website for more information on Student Jobs. 

• Can I take career assessments through De Anza? 

  You need to enroll in the four-unit CLP 7 class to take the Myers-Briggs and or Strong Interest Inventory career assessments. You can take the True Colors and Skill Scan assessment in our two unit CLP 5 class.

International Students

• How do I apply to De Anza College as an F-1 visa student?  

  Students planning to attend De Anza on an F-1 visa must use the special application for international students – which is NOT the same as the application used by U.S. students.  Please go to the International Student Admission webpage to apply.