With the start of their final year of high school, Calabasas seniors have embarked down the long and tedious, yet rewarding, path of the college admissions process. Through a series of interviews and questionnaires, various schools deemed very popular amongst the student body. 

Extremely common among the Calabasas seniors were in-state schools such as UCSB, UCLA, UCSD, UC Berkeley, and Chapman University. According to several seniors, their desire to apply to California colleges stemmed from a wide variety of reasons, with location and finances playing a major factor in their decisions.

“I am mostly applying all in-state with a few exceptions so I can be relatively close to home, and the tuition is a lot more expensive for out-of-state colleges,” said CHS senior Brianna Sarfati.

On the other hand, a lot of students are also applying to out-of-state schools such as University of Miami, Indiana University, Bloomington, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Arizona, and University of Colorado, Boulder. Students revealed that these specific schools offered strong courses tailored to their future jobs and aspirations.

“I am interested in a lot of [the out-of-state] schools because they have really great programs for the major I am applying to,” said CHS senior Austin Bender. Bender highlighted the strong programs such as Indiana Kelley School of Business and the Miami Herbet Business School.

While applying to colleges, students are not only looking to further their academic experience, but also pick a college that fits their personality and social desires. Social life, sporting events, climate, and the overall atmosphere of the school are prominent when expressing interest in a college.

“My academics are very important to me, but Greek Life, division one sports, and weather are also really important factors when applying to schools,” said Calabasas senior Adam Schwartz.

With each student having different paths with their final college decision, students take this opportunity after high school to mature and grow both mentally and educationally. The four years of hardwork and determination throughout one’s highschool experience leading up to this crucial decision will have served as a stepping stone into the future of success.