My son got accepted to four of six schools. Two of the accepted schoolsUCSC and SJSU) are places he really doesn’t want to go(“safety Schools”). He’s pretty disappointed to have been rejected by the two that said no(SDSU and UCSB). That leaves him with two schools to choose from that he’s not too excited about-Chico and Sonoma. How do we get him excited about choosing and ultimately going away? We’ve talked about community college and then transferring but he’s pretty adamant about not being “stuck at home for 2 years”. Any suggestions? Is transferring as a sophomore even an option in the UC or CSU system?
Generally, you can’t transfer to a UC or CSU as a sophomore. Try to get him thinking about the doors open to him rather than the closed ones. He can’t go to UCSB or SDSU as a freshman next year because there isn’t a seat for him. Accept that and move on - he is in an enviable situation in that he has several very good options and parents willing to help him. If he doesn’t want to get ‘stuck’ at home, he has a choice to make.
Not that it helps but, a safety school is supposed to be somewhere you wouldn’t mind attending…
I’d encourage you and him to tour all 4, pick 2 favorites and spend all day at the admitted student day.
Go the admitted student days with an open mind. Most schools do a pretty good job ‘setting the hook’ at those events. I’ve been to Chico’s 'Choose Chico and Sonoma’s ‘Seawolf Decision Day’ with my son. Both were very good representations of what the school offers and did a good job psyching my kid up about the possibilities. In fact, he had a tough time choosing between the two. He wound up at Chico where he is thrilled to be a Jr Business Major and on-track to graduate in 4 years.
Depending on your son’s interests and qualification, Chico has an honors program that could also really resonate with him.
UCSC and SJSU are also good schools and worth a look.
Tour those schools! I agree w/ NCalRent, tour all 4 if you’re able. It’s one thing to look at a brochure and read about schools online, but kids get a certain feel about a place when visiting.
SBCC has a great program for kids who want to transfer to UCSB. Know a few kids who have done it and loved it. The programs are very close and very integrated. The kids almost feel like a part of the UCSB community.