Shay B. California

College Acceptance

UC acceptance rates have declined steadily for Californians and federal regulations are needed.

Dear Future President,

A few years ago my brother experienced the applying and acceptance process of college and I will be experiencing this in the upcoming year as well. UC (University of California) acceptance rates have become drastically competitive and unbalanced for California residents.

My parents have paid taxes for 29 years, with significant numbers in the past 18 years, that have supported and kept the Universities of California afloat. The problem is that my brother, with a good GPA and a strong SAT score, was rejected by nearly all prominent California Universities and Cal States. Based on recent information released, it has become clear that out-of-state and international students have received acceptance letters over my brother. Take University of Santa Cruz for instance: I have three alumni and two former employees in my family. Even with their status and his good scores, my brother was rejected from the school. They favored international and out-of-state students.

All of these out-of-state and international students are being widely accepted in California for one main reason: money. Universities, even with the high taxes being paid to fund them, are massively underfunded. Students who aren’t residents of California pay much higher rates to attend the school and because of this, universities are accepting them over Californians. The federal and local governments are cheating us residents out of colleges we deserve to attend.

This may seem like a minor issue, only affecting families and their legacies, but it is much larger, affecting California as a whole. Being a person of power now, you can help us Californians by mandating the acceptance rates of out-of-state and international students for each University. With regulations, college acceptance will become much more balanced and available for residents who work hard during high school for the prominent schools they deserve. It is becoming obvious that we will require Federal assistance in this matter. That is where you, the President, play a role.

Sincerely,

Shay Buehring

Newbury Park High School

English 11IB period 2A

High school English IB course

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