Rejected in California
If you’ve been accepted by “reach” colleges, but waitlisted by your “safeties,” you’re not alone. Strong students (GPA 3.9 and SAT 1400+) are being rejected by UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and UC San Diego. Top students are being waitlisted, when they would normally be accepted. Why?
Last year, UCs received more deposits to enroll than expected, which put them in a precarious situation. UC Irvine actually revoked about 500 acceptances because they didn’t have space to accommodate their incoming class. But amidst public criticism, they reversed their revocation and allowed most of the 500 students to attend that year. To ensure that none of the UCs faced the same situation this year, many UCs, especially the middle-range campuses, are offering waitlist positions instead of acceptances. On May 1st after they receive all official deposits, they’ll admit students off the wait list.
With the cost of private college tuition soaring ($40,000-65,000/year), many California families are opting for the less expensive public college tuition ($18,000-30,000/year). Just be prepared as you receive letters from the California public universities in the next few weeks; your “target” or “safety” colleges may offer disappointing news.
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