UCs no longer an automatic decision for students

For the first time in school history, more students from the graduating class of 2011 enrolled in private colleges than in the University of California system.

According to assistant principal Brian Safine, 33 percent of last year’s seniors are currently attending private colleges while 26 percent are at the UCs. The graduating class of 2010 chose UC schools over privates by a margin of 33 to 30 percent.

“Our students are still able to gain admission to the UCs,” Safine said. “Admissions-wise it’s fine, they’re just making different choices.”

Even though UCs are becoming increasingly selective, more students are choosing not to enroll at UCs mostly because they are finding that private schools are more tailored to their needs, Safine said.

Alumnus Nandini Ruparel, currently a freshman at the University of Southern California, said she chose USC because she wouldn’t find the same level of attentional at a public school.

“I dislike large classes, and I’m not the kind of person who fights for classes, so [a UC] wouldn’t have worked for me,” Ruparel said.

Another reason for the private school trend is cost. In the past, UCs were a bargain compared to the cost of private schools. But today, tuition runs at $31,200 for California residents living on campus, according to the UC application.

“Students are viewing their acceptances [private and UCs] as a whole, and they base their decisions on what private colleges are willing to give in terms of financial aid or scholarship money,” Safine said.

This was the case for Ruparel, who was offered a half-scholarship at USC, slashing her four-year tuition in half.

“I thought that was a really good deal for me, as I am getting public school prices for a private school education,” she said, regarding the annual tuition of $57,876.

With all the budget problems at public schools in California, more students are applying to public schools out of state.

In this category, the three most popular schools among Saratoga students have been the University of Washington, University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin.
Eleven percent of last year’s seniors chose such institutions to benefit from the lower costs, Safine said. Out of the three, the University of Washington’s tuition for non-residents is the highest at $28,058, still more than $3,000 less than any of the UC’s tuition, according the website.

Another result of more student interest in private schools is that more students are applying early. Ninety-three students chose this option last year, whereas this year, 140 early application packets were turned in, Safine said.

USC, the most popular private school choice among students, is in part the reason for this surge, as it requires students who seek financial aid to apply early no matter their intent. Senior Kristine Johnston applied early to USC to increase her chances of receiving one of the many scholarships that the school offers and to take advantage the smaller application pool.

“I would apply early just to have a better chance of getting in,” Johnston said. “It wouldn’t guarantee that if I were accepted by the early deadline that I would be obligated to go, especially if I don’t receive a scholarship.”

In the end, Safine said students will have to ask themselves what it is they value most in a college, and especially take into consideration cost and class size. He said that current patterns show that more students favor private schools since UCs are no longer considered “safety schools,” but at the same time, admission to regular private schools should not be taken lightly.

Safine said that all schools from the CSUs to Stanford have seen a doubling of applicants in a generation due in part to the ease of online applications. Less prominent private schools once used as back-ups for students may not be as safe as before.

It is an outdated model to think otherwise, Safine warned.

Even though private colleges are generally more expensive options, Johnston continues to set her sights on private schools because of the larger availability of scholarships.

“Even though USC is more expensive, its scholarship opportunities are a lot more generous than those of the public system because public schools don’t have as much money to spend on scholarships,” Johnston said.