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which seems to help in getting into top privates--the top high schools will have plenty of competition for top privates.
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What? can you reword that? I'm very tired and it's all over the place.</p>
<p>The really good high schools are more competitive in admission for top privates--simply because there are more qualified applicants. However, you're not competing against lots of super-qualified applicants if you're one of few applying from your "mediocre" high school. :)</p>
<p>Well... the top UCs are good in that we have a fallback plan that would provide a quality education at moderate prices should we get rejected from the Ivies that are providing unprecedented financial aid incentives.</p>
<p>Other than that, I want to get out of California. I've lived here my whole life and want to see the rest of the country east of the Grand Canyon.</p>
<p>I'll admit Californians are lucky and my parents decided to move to California when I was little mainly because of the UC system.</p>
<p>Stanford applicants dont really get too much of an advantage being in-state, only a slight bump the way it occurs at other top schools for in-state residents (yield), the 56% composition being californian is miselading since there are so many more californians applying to stanford than there are OOSers...east-coast bias.</p>
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[quote]
only a slight bump the way it occurs at other top schools for in-state residents (yield)
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</p>
<p>I don't think that Stanford gives even a slight bump to in-state students for yield purposes. In fact, according to its CDS, state residency is "not considered."</p>
<p>Stanford</a> University: Common Data Set 2007-2008</p>
<p>In addition, yields tend to be higher in the region of the college, not just the state. So Harvard is going to have a stronger yield in the Northeast, Stanford in the West, etc.</p>
<p>
[quote]
the 56% composition being californian is miselading since there are so many more californians applying to stanford than there are OOSers
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Stanford is 44% Californian.</p>
<p>Virginia residents have it pretty good. William & Mary is an Ivy experience at a public price . If you want big time athletics, then you have UVirginia. Va Tech for the engineers. All with lower prop taxes.</p>
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[quote]
Stanford is 44% Californian.
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</p>
<p>right...so then the 56% was OOS.</p>
<p>GRAY FOX</p>
<p>Two disadvantages to being in California:
1) highest gasoline prices in the country
2) PSAT/NMF qualifying score is very high</p>
<p>yeah I guess california students are lucky, but there are a lot of other good schools around america where because people are from california, it'll be harder for them to get in. I'm from oregon and I'm going to USC, which people seem to forget how good it is. I don't know why people hate on SC so much. It's better than all the UC's except for Berkley, and UCLA, which it is only 1 behind. Considering USC has a crazy big endowment, public school fundings are going down and UCLA is losing diversity, I'm pretty sure the california best school list will go like this. Stanford, CAL Tech, Berkley, and then my alma matter dear, or in 4 years it will be, USC</p>
<p>After UCB and UCLA quality of UCs seems to drop steeply looking at their published stats.</p>
<hr>
<p>I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. I will admit that the stats are on the "lower" side in comparision to the elite privates on these boards. However, I went to orientation at UC Irvine and there were many very bright kids. Stats are BUT the whole story. I realized that even though there was a large asian presence there each of us had a distinct story and personality. We "seem" to be the same on paper but in person we are not. </p>
<p>If you mentioned that statement many years ago I would agree, but for the Class of 2012-overall there has been many very good applicants.</p>
<p>BrandoIsCool -- I also disagree that the quality of UCs drops quickly after Berkeley and UCLA. Now, it is important that we are referring to undergraduate. At the graduate level, Berkeley is #1 in the world, with UCSD #6 and UCLA #12. Then a drop to Davis/Irvine/Santa Barbara in the 30s and 40s.</p>
<p>Oh, guess what, undergrad the pattern is pretty similar. But the term "big drop" implies more to me than the difference between USNWR #21 (UCB), #25 (UCLA) and #42/#44/#44 Davis/SD/SB.</p>
<p>I'd even argue that UC Santa Cruz is an awesome environment in which to learn. UCR too, for the right major, and I don't know anything about Merced other than it is too young.</p>
<p>Remember, only top 12.5% of graduates in the state of CA qualify for the UC system, so going to ANY UC means you're top 12.5%. Even a couple of the California State Universities -- first the Polytechnic (top 10% required de facto) and San Diego (to 15% easily) are top notch in comparison to 90% of the colleges and universities in the U.S.</p>
<p>How jaded we quickly become about top 30</p>