Californians must try harder!

With the latest round of applications completed, the University of California undergraduate admissions results are not surprising.  In an era of budget shortfalls, the UC system strongly turned to out of state residents to help balance the books.

At the system's top 3 schools, the numbers tell the story.  At Berkeley, the Freshman class will include a whopping 29.8% non-Californians.  UCLA came in #2 with 18.3% with UCSD right on it's heals with 18.2% of the class coming from outside the Golden State.

From a financial point of view, this move makes perfect sense.  As UCSD Professor Wayne Cornelius put it, "We need every bit of funding we can get to maintain the quality of education for all of our students."  The Board of Regents meeting last March signaled that such a change was in the works.  With the incredibly deep budget cuts they faced, they were forced to compromise somewhere - on academic quality, access to local students, or affordability.  The numbers aren't out yet from the financial aid offices but there will certainly be a reduction in the percentage of need met and scholarship dollars given.  The money just isn't there.

What does this mean?  The answer to that question depends on where you live and which UC campus you are considering.  The top three schools will be harder than ever to gain acceptance.  Overall, the percentage of non-Californians in the freshman class shifted from 8 to 12.3% despite the regent's decision to cap it at 10%.  For UCSD, for example, the increase was from 9.2% to 18.2%.  Jumps like that leave far fewer seats for California residents.  At Berkeley, only 70% of the seats were available to Californians.  Competition for these schools was already fierce.  It just got even more so.  For those living outside California, it is an opportunity to attend one of these excellent schools - just be ready to pay handsomely for the privilege.

What does that mean for you?  Planning for college needs to start now.  Preparing a student to be a desirable candidate at the school of his or her dreams takes time and planning.  Starting Freshman year is best.  Additionally, savvy funding planning is a must.  Don't wait - call this summer, before others fill all our open spots in your graduating class!  Serving families all across the USA with personal attention since 2004.

kob@CelticCollegeConsultants.com (858)-705-0043