I agree that it’s important to apply only to universities the student would actually attend, including all presumed “safeties.” I think people forget that. But as we have a fairly strict budget (having college 4 kids), we limited options to UC, Cal State, WUE schools, or their equivalents in OOS tuition (after any potential merit aid). As a result, and since UCs are so highly ranked and my DD likes that “prestige” (I keep reminding her that word means “illusion”), she applied to 7 of the 9 UCs and would happily attend any of those 7. (And likely will attend one of them unless she falls in love with Cal Poly SLO on her tour there in April.)
4 Likes
It doesn’t make sense that your kiddo was not accepted. Her stats and EC sound great. Hope she got other good options.
It’s all relative as well though. Americans think in-state college costs are reasonable. Anyone with experience of colleges outside of the US - particularly countries such as Germany and Scotland where college education is free regardless of income (free to Scottish residents in Scotland and free to everyone in Germany), can see that perhaps it isn’t as good a deal as we think.
My eldest daughter considered going to college in the UK, and even as an international student it would have been equal if not slightly cheaper than going to UC Davis. Crazy!
I talked to a guy I met in Japan about 5 years ago. University of Tokyo tuition is $6,000 a year.
3 Likes
Cost of living?
1 Like
Yes, my DS1 graduated from a uni in the UK in 2017, and I can verify his degree cost the same (or a bit less) than a UC degree as an in-state CA student.
It’s for these reasons: the UK program was only 3 years, not 4 or 5, the tuition was the equivalent of something like $20K/year (and for only 3 years!) as the pound-dollar conversion was good then (as it is now), he didn’t live in London so his housing in northeast England was reasonable (and again, he only needed room and board for 3 years), and he got a small scholarship his freshman year.
Travel to and from the US/UK of course was an expense but his grandparents paid for him to return during winter break as their Christmas present, and so we only paid for him to return to the US for the two summer breaks–not bad.
1 Like
with a 3 year degree what happens if one applies to graduate school? is there additional cost then?
Yes. Cost varies depending on which institution you do your graduate studies at, but again, similar or slightly cheaper than in-state costs.
Bachelor’s degrees in the UK are only three years because they are more focused on the subject and don’t require GE’s to be completed. The school year is longer and the A levels studied in UK high school are more in-depth than AP classes. (Even though international students will use their AP exam and/or SAT results for admission to a UK university).
1 Like
Actually comparable to California, but salary is cheaper there.
One more waitlist today…
1 Like
Tests are one student, one test, one room, and limited time. PIQs are one student +paid writer +paid tutor +paid PIQ coach +???, 4 PIQs, and 6 months time. The PIQs can clearly be manipulated much more than standardized tests. Neither is truly fair, which includes GPA. I don’t know to what extent, but the college admission system is filled with so much fraud (i.e. student applying as low income, but family lives in multi-million dollar house because on paper no income, talking about Questbridge for admission). There is no answer for the admission process, if the focus is only on how prestigious a college you can attend. Generally, the four years of college are important, but do not make the rest of your life.
2 Likes
We were happy to get a reject, helps to move on.
I agree with much of what you write (especially since standardized tests such as the SAT are a very good predictor of 1st year college success, I agree they shouldn’t have been tossed, because they ARE standardized), but as an optimist I choose to believe that most hardworking, studious students with all these uw 3.9 GPAs we see here on these threads are NOT also lying, fraudulent, sneaky human beings. I’d posit that that kind of work ethic and smarts and caring for their communities–as UC wants a description of in the PIQs–doesn’t go hand in hand with fraud (exceptions obviously such as Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos).
Hopefully UC applicants are aware that a certain % of UC apps are chosen for in depth auditing (those applicants are notified in Dec) and the applicant has to turn over evidence of awards, jobs, ECs, etc.
Maybe I’m naive, but I watched my DD study for 4 years, miss a lot of sleep, work very hard, and then write her PIQs and put together her 20 ECs from her own brain. No test prep, tutoring, admissions coaching, paid writers. I choose to think (hope?) most UC applicants are more like her than the fraudsters of Varsity Blues. Anyway, there’s not much the honest applicants can really do about the dishonest (or super test-prepped) ones anyway.
But since this is the venting thread, I’ll agree (as Woody Allen says) that the wicked DO prosper. Often they do indeed get away with their crimes and there is no justice. I’m so glad this is my 4th and final high school senior.
7 Likes
I would like to believe everyone is conscientious but have seen too many who aren’t. Bunch of fictitious activities or activities blown out of proportion.
It’s tough as a parent to continue to tell our children to do the “right” thing while they see liars flourish and prosper in the short term. But life catches up, atleast I hope.
5 Likes
Why do people say 20, there was only space for 10?
1 Like
There is space for 20 on the UC app.
2 Likes
UC application allows 20 activities, common app has space for only 10
(terrible system that results in more people not getting spots, push 1 campus 1 person for UCs)
yeah its a false myth but honestly would be better not being one
I don’t buy this. No matter how many admits - a student can only enroll in 1 school eventually. Schools understand their yield and melt very well, so they already build those assumptions into their initial round of admits. The reality is that for popular majors like CS, there are not enough UCs in the state to support every qualified and interested student.
There is a need for multi-pronged solution - more UCs, increased enrollment, higher preference for IS applicants, greater investment in UCR and UCM etc. Limiting students to 1 UC application wont solve anything and will create many new problems.
5 Likes
I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some yield surprises this year. With the rapid increase in applications, it may get hard to calculate based on historical norms. My son applied to 14 schools, which is a normal number imo. Many of his classmates are well over 20 because of the strange results and uncertainty of the last two admissions cycles.
3 Likes