The month of November can be a stressful time for seniors, as it marks the approach of the application deadline for Cal States and UCs.
The college counselors know that the application process can be overwhelming for some and have made themselves readily available for those who may need some extra help.
According to college counselor Mr. Arnulfo Castaneda, who is in charge of the graduating class of 2025, has kept them busy, as students have been coming by the college office frequently.
“This year, we don’t have to push as much for students to come, as they are coming into the office on their own,” Mr. Castaneda said. “Last year, we had to do a lot more outreach to the students.”
College counselor Ms. Jo Duke says she and her fellow counselors have helped about three-fifths of this year’s graduating class with their applications through workshops and one-on-one appointments.
“I am comfortable saying that we have met with about 300 students,” Ms. Duke said. “This year’s graduating class is about 500 students.”
While Ms. Duke acknowledged that a significant amount of students from this year’s graduating class have come seeking application help, it is not as many as she had hoped for.
“This is not enough students because we want everyone with a 2.2 GPA or higher to apply,” Ms. Duke said.
There is still time for students to get support before the deadline for these applications on Nov. 30.
“We imagine that the week before the deadline there are going to be a lot of students,” Ms Duke said.
Of the many students that the college office has assisted so far, the majority of them are from the magnet programs.
“Of the 33 people that I have helped apply for Cal States, only eight of them are from the residential program,” Ms. Duke said.
The counselors in the college office are currently trying to reach out to more residential students, so they can receive advice on their applications as well.
“We have been summoning students from the residential program ourselves and have been focusing on that,” Ms. Duke said. “We are trying to be more encouraging and we hope that we’re welcoming.”
Ms. Duke explained that some students from the residential program feel as if colleges do not want students like them.
“Students feel that they don’t belong in college or that they won’t get accepted,” Ms. Duke said. “We would very much like to change that mindset because these colleges want our kids.”
