High school is a stepping stone from adolescence to gradual freedom and then pseudo-adulthood. College is really the beginning of a discovery towards finding who we are. A major emphasis is put on what college we eventually end up in and the tedious tasks we have to perform and endure in the process to qualify: from taking SAT preparation classes and its four-hour long practice tests, to doing community service all day long. Some academically inclined students have their college choice set even before they start attending high school.

“I want to go to a good college, like University of California, Berkeley,” voices almost every student’s idealistic goal.

A student’s whole life is on the line once they get their final letter from the college they’ve desired to go to all their life. For some whose dreams and ambitions were fulfilled with that one acceptance letter, their futures have just started to solidify and their goals become more attainable. In some unfortunate cases, well-qualified students receive a rejection letter. UC colleges such as Davis over admitted students in the previous year, and therefore, have to under admit this year.

“A lot of students were very disappointed that they didn’t get into Davis,” said senior class counselor, Connie Chan. “[Davis] accepted too many students last year, [so] the acceptance rate went from 68% last year, down to 58% this year.”

Due to this problem beyond any student’s power, many deserving students are rejected. However, though there are alternatives, this still affects students greatly.

There are many standards set involved in the process of admissions. For UC’s, many things are put into consideration. Among them is the personal statement, academics are also paid considerable amount of attention, extracurricular activities, awards, and the SAT or ACT score. Among the UC’s, Davis, is the most popular choice among students in Abraham Lincoln High School.

“Davis is always a top choice for Lincoln students. I think the reason for that is Davis is very close to San Francisco, yet not too close so when you don’t want to come home over the weekend, you don’t have to. But if you need to come home it would be a short drive,” Chan said.

Not all college news this year is bad news. Admission rates increased for Lincoln students for California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo.

“So many people got into [Cal Poly], it’s a really tough school to get accepted into. I’m very proud of my class this year,” Chan said.

Tricks in the system don’t exist in getting admitted into a UC, contrary to popular belief. One extremely common mistake includes putting down “undecided” for major choices with the belief that it would better your chances of getting admitted. College admissions are highly unpredictable and every year is different.

“I would just suggest students to apply the normal way, a good way, an honest way, and that always goes very far. You have to be honest very with yourself and with the school, and in that way you also feel good about yourself,” Chan advised.