As thousands of eager high school seniors tour college campuses
this month, administrators are looking for ways to make their
schools seem more appealing.
In an attempt to attract Southern California students who might
otherwise attend UCLA, UC Berkeley flew 500 admitted students to
campus for a weekend of immersion in student life.
The Fly to Berkeley program, which is run by the admissions
office and the vice chancellor for undergraduate affairs, targets
low-income students from schools with lower test scores, said Janet
Gilmore, a senior public information representative at Cal.
Most students who participate in the program are housed by
student groups. Hosts provide the visiting students with detailed
information about student life, as well as a place to sleep.
Residential halls also offer some overflow housing for students
who lack a student group to stay with.
Members of the program also participate in Cal Day, the
university’s annual open house held in the middle of April
where prospective students have the opportunity to attend a
lecture, see the campus and participate in student events.
Gilmore said that Cal invests about $200 in these students in
the hopes that they will “gain a greater appreciation for the
education experience here.”
She explained that the program targets Southern California
students because of the large growth in the number of college-age
students ““ underrepresented minorities as well as
non-minorities ““ in the area.
Though the program targets many would-be Bruins, UCLA Director
of Admissions Vu Tran is not concerned about the threat, calling
the program a “normal, standard thing.”
He explained that with any program such as Berkeley’s,
there will be an effect on nearby schools; Berkeley’s
program, however, has been going on for several years and has not
had a negative effect on UCLA.
Tran said he has confidence that UCLA will not be robbed of
exceptional students.
“I think we will get a very good class of freshmen this
year,” Tran said.
Mariaelena Ochoa, a counselor at Sweetwater High School in San
Diego said she doesn’t anticipate the Cal program having a
huge effect on where her students decided to enroll.
“Most of these kids will stay (in Southern California) for
distance reasons and for family reasons,” Ochoa said.
She added that Berkeley has a very different feel that some
Southern California students don’t like.
“A Southern California student is very different from a
Northern California student,” she said.
Ochoa also said she found that a lot more of her students are
actually planning to attend UCLA this year than in the past.
Budget concerns, however, may have an effect on the survival of
programs like Fly to Berkeley.
Last year, UCLA ran a similar program for 40 Northern California
students, though the program could not continue this year due to
budgetary constraints, Tran said.
Since allocations for next school year have not yet been made,
Gilmore said it is too soon to tell whether Cal’s program
will be able to continue in its current form either.