The waiting period is January through April the months of “senioritis.” During this stretch seniors are waiting for an email to determine the rest of their lives, a time when seniors are filled with anticipation and self-reflection. We spend hours on applications, trying to analyze ourselves to find the most unique things to separate us from the thousands of other applicants. As acceptance letters start to trickle in, so does the sadness of people who are still waiting. Small college towns like Santa Barbara (known for its infamous frat parties) have been a top pick for students in the past years but this year there may be a shift to another part of the state.
“Right now there [are] plans to be six of us,” senior Lennon Gieder talks about a large group of his friends planning to migrate down to San Diego where they may attend Mesa Community College or start working. “We’re all gonna go all in on the house and split the rent, split the bills, and all just work,” senior Ronnie Rieke who is part of this group said.
In the survey sent to all seniors asking for their top 5 college choices, most answers indicated a strong interest in San Diego State University and the University of California Los Angeles. SDSU and UCLA both have highly competitive admissions processes. UCLA is one of the best public institutions in the United States. Although it is not part of the Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Princeton it has a powerful academic reputation.
“I think I have a pretty good chance [of getting in]. I think my essays are pretty strong, so long as they like them,” a senior at Arcata High School, Miah Wager said. Wagar fell in love with UCLA after her visit this summer, saying, “Everything was in such close proximity. It just felt like it would be a good fit for me.” She will have to wait until mid-March for her decision, as that’s when most UCs begin sending out acceptance letters.
In the survey results, it was still noticeable that many students were interested in Santa Barbara but compared to years prior it seems people may have been deterred due to the high prices of living in the beautiful beach town.
Students applying to colleges such as UCLA, which has one of the highest application rates in all of the country, are fighting with over 130,000 other applicants from all over the world.
For future seniors, also having to take into account the rising cost of California will be a crucial step in their future. California is 38% above the national average cost of living and that number is only projected to increase in the next decade.
While our 2025 seniors are waiting in angst to hear back about their next steps, this class has a notable drive for them to achieve high excellence when it comes to their future.
