As a college counselor in beautiful Charleston, SC, many of our high school student clients want to get away for a college adventure – but they hesitate to leave the beauty and gorgeous weather that they have grown up accustom to enjoying in the Southeast. As a result, most of the SC students looking to leave the state for their college years largely end up all applying to the same colleges in the Southeast. College admission is already difficult, and everyone applying to the same school doesn’t help matters.
Here is a look at some numbers.
Over the past few years, the ACT has grown to be more preferable than the SAT. But as of just a few years ago, college bound seniors were largely taking the SAT and sending their scores to colleges that were of interest to them. We can track where those SAT scores were sent to get an estimate of the number of students applying to colleges outside of the state. Within Charleston County public schools, in 2015, high school seniors sent their SAT scores to these colleges outside of SC:
Top 10 Out of State Colleges that Charleston County public school seniors sent their SAT scores in 2015 and number of scores sent:
1. UNC Chapel Hill – 70
2. University of GA – 64
3. Appalachian State – 55
4. Duke University – 55
5. University of AL – 55
6. Georgia Tech – 55
7. Auburn University – 53
8. NC State – 40
9. Vanderbilt – 36
10. NYU - 35
With the exception of NYU, do you see a pattern? You can call it close to home. Or maybe it’s similar weather? We estimate that as a rule of thumb, you can probably double this number for private school students and multiple by four to account for the other major school districts in South Carolina to get an estimate of the number of students applying to these colleges from out of state. The College Sage estimates a range of applications from SC seniors applying to these out of state schools is thus about 300-600 students. At many of the state universities where regulations dictate out of state percentages, acceptance ratios can be as low as Ivy League schools. At others like Duke and Vanderbilt, selectivity also makes competition tough!
So the College Sage had an idea. Where else can students get the same strong academics and glorious weather with a little less acceptance competition? With that in mind, the College Sage set out on a whirlwind tour through Southern California. Here’s what we found!
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a private college with 5,700 undergraduate students on the Alcala Park campus gleaming with Spanish Renaissance architecture that Princeton Review, Newsweek and Travel & Leisure have all called “one of the most beautiful in the world” up on a mesa with a view of Mission Bay and San Diego. It is truly a breath-taking campus! Opened in the early 1950s as a women’s college, it would merge and grow throughout the 1990s with the help of philanthropists Joan Kroc (aka McDonald’s fortune), Jenny Craig (aka weight loss fortune), and Donald Shiley (think heart valves). Today the University of San Diego educates over 8,000 male and female students per year including graduate programs in business, law, nursing, theology, engineering, leadership studies, and peace studies.
Driving the academics and culture at USD is the college’s mission to become “an engaged, contemporary Catholic university where innovative changemakers confront humanity’s urgent challenges.” Students come from a broad range of backgrounds. With 37% minority students, 9% international students and all 50 states represented, USD provides a diverse residential community. About 95% of freshmen and 46% of undergraduates live on campus. USD offers Division 1 athletics and a Greek life community. Business and engineering are both strengths of this mid-sized Southern California seaside paradise.
University of California, San Diego
Once deemed by Travel & Leisure as one of the ugliest campuses, this eclectic top research university sits on 1,150 acres in ritzy La Jolla California. One campus of the UC universities, UC San Diego houses six colleges within one. Each college has its own “theme” but each college teaches all majors. By segmenting the students into smaller colleges, the goal is to have a more personal residential campus experience for its 28,000 undergraduates. With two iconic buildings shared by all students, the Price Center student hub sees 30,000 students per day walk through its doors while the Geisel Library, named for Dr. Seuss, centers the campus.
UC San Diego admits about 34% of applicants with typical accepted students having above a 4.0 GPA and a range of 26-31 ACT scores – it is the third most difficult UC college to be accepted at after Berkeley and UCLA. The largest number of students major in the social sciences while its science, computer science and engineering programs have global reputations. It’s not surprising that the university ranks highly in its acceptance rate to medical schools and the percentage of graduates who go on to earn a Ph.D. Approximately 23% of students are from outside California, although a large portion of non-California students are foreign. Go Tritons!
UCLA
Slightly larger than UC San Diego, UCLA is home to over 30,000 undergraduates also split across six colleges. As the College Sage biked across the vast campus, we found it to be an overall favorite both in its campus architecture and its location near Beverly Hills. UCLA has a low 16% acceptance rate, but that rate varies by college. The college of letters and science accepts about 20% of applicants versus the very competitive colleges for the study of art and architecture, theater/film/television, and nursing. UCLA receives more applications than any other university in the country and approximately 20,000 out of state applications each year, of which they typically accept about 22%. The range of ACT scores is 28-34 for out of state accepted students. The UC schools recalculate GPA based on their core courses requirements – so be sure to contact the College Sage for course selection guidance if you are interested in the California public universities. Attending UCLA from out-of–state does not come cheap. Total costs including housing exceed $60,000 per year, almost double the in-state total costs.
UCLA is a longstanding rival to both nearby USC and UC Berkeley to the north. UCLA is known for its intense academic environment. But there are plenty of on and off campus opportunities to offset the academic work. 15% of students are involved in Greek life, top name speakers and entertainers frequent the campus, and there are always music and theater presentations on offer. UCLA also has a substantial number of NCAA championship sports teams. John Wooden led UCLA to a reputation as a basketball powerhouse. There is on-campus housing for all freshmen and about one-third of undergraduate students. UCLA remains one of the most prestigious universities in the nation.
University of Southern California (the other USC)
What do Shinzo Abe, John Wayne and Neil Armstrong all have in common? You got it – they are all graduates of the oldest private research university in California. UCLA’s crosstown rival USC has 19,000 undergraduates on its University Park campus. Like UCLA, the acceptance rate is 16% with ACT scores in the 30-34 range. Total costs to attend last year topped $72,000 per year – the most expensive the College Sage has ever noted – but they do give significant merit scholarships to attract strong candidates. Surprisingly, for such a large university, admission interviews are available and approximately 20% of students interview. Almost 40% of first year students intend to major within the school of arts and sciences while another 20% hope to pursue a major in business and a further 20% focused on the arts.
Drawing about 37% of its students from out of state, USC is another very diverse campus in California. That diversity and the range of programs and social activity options available from a large research university, make USC an ideal college experience for those independent enough to take on a big university scene in a big city. Sports ranks high on the activity list for students with USC ranking as the third highest school in national championships of all NCAA universities. Go Trojans!
The Claremont Schools – Featuring Claremont McKenna
Sitting 30 miles east of Los Angeles, The Claremont Colleges are a seven college consortium modeled after Oxford University where approximately 7,000 students choose from 2,200 courses and a variety of joint co-curricular activities. Each college has a distinct mission. The Claremont Colleges have an interesting history. Beginning with Pomona College in the late 1880s, the university would go on to add a new college in virtually every decade through the 1990’s. Scripps, the only female-only college, was added during the mid-1920s to address the increasing demand for women’s rights. Claremont McKenna was added in 1946 to educate the returning service men and women in all things economics. Harvey Mudd, one of the elite computer science centers, was added in 1955 to address the burgeoning technology and machinery advancements of its day. Then came Pitzer College in 1963 to focus on increasing global sustainability issues. Each college has a fun way in landscape, architecture, course offerings and traditions to demonstrate its own academic theme.
The College Sage visited Claremont McKenna on this visit. Leadership is at the heart of the Claremont McKenna student. With an acceptance rate below 10%, it’s a fight for one of the 1,333 freshman slots. On last review, Claremont McKenna had one student from SC! But if you’re lucky enough to be granted entry, Claremont McKenna students have a few unique opportunities unlikely to be experienced on any other campus. Every evening, Monday through Thursday, students are offered an opportunity to hear a prominent speaker over dinner. Sign the College Sage up! And if that isn’t enough, the 11 Research Institutes and Centers at the College allow Claremont McKenna students the opportunity for incredible opportunities for undergraduate research. If you’re looking for insight, research and an intimate college experience in a delightful climate, look to Claremont McKenna!
Pepperdine University
From Claremont 30 miles east of LA, Pepperdine can be found 30 miles northwest of LA in Malibu. Known for its history of drawing conservative faculty from more liberal neighboring universities, Pepperdine strives to deliver on the mission that guided George Pepperdine’s founding of the college back in the 1930’s. Mr. Pepperdine voiced his twofold objective for the college that bore his name, "First, we want to provide first-class, fully accredited academic training in the liberal arts ... Secondly, we are especially dedicated to a greater goal—that of building in the student a Christ-like life, a love for the church, and a passion for the souls of mankind." Conservatism gave way to Christianity in 2016 when the university allowed the student group Crossroads to become its first LGBT-friendly student organization. And students on campus tell us that while linked with the Church of Christ, the university is more and more accepting of different faiths and beliefs. But students will need to meet its three religion course requirements and 14 per semester convocation meetings.
The incredibly picturesque campus in Malibu was built in the 1970s and feels slightly outdated, albeit for the new upper class housing currently being built on the hill. But the views of the Pacific Ocean are spectacular! While it can be difficult to concentrate on the work at hand, the communications and business departments are the strengths on the academic side. Biology, computer science and sports medicine are other areas of strength. Students must live “on-campus” for their freshman and sophomore year, but sophomore year is generally spent at one of Pepperdine’s handful of global campuses. The school boasts one of the largest percentage of study abroad participation as a result of this structure. Upperclassmen will soon benefit from increased on campus housing as Malibu costs have proved challenging for students in recent years. If you’re looking for a conservative campus environment, gorgeous views and study abroad, Pepperdine may be for you!
Loyola Marymount University
We saw no shortage of beautiful campuses on our Southern California road trip, and Loyola Marymount did not disappoint. Located minutes from LAX in Marina del Rey, LMU is a private, Catholic university known for its strength in the film/television area. Other strengths are its communications studies, marketing, psychology, political science and entrepreneurship programs. About half of students live on campus. You do get a commuter vibe to the campus, but it felt lively with student activity and the community was friendly, diverse and engaging. With an acceptance rate of about 50%, the school does offer significant merit scholarship opportunities.
Loyola Marymount offers a well-rounded college experience including Greek life, intramural sports, study abroad options and significant internship opportunities. The sports scene involves many Division 1 athletic teams and a strong and fun rivalry with Pepperdine. With nearly 6,000 undergraduates, Loyola Marymount offers a well-balanced mid-sized college experience.
For more information on Southern California college options, contact The College Sage at thecollegesage@gmail.com.
