Why Go?

Admission Requirements

Caveats

Questions To Ask Self

Finding Information

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Private Schools Overview

California Private Schools

There are over 70 different private & independent colleges and universities in California. Each one varies in what they offer, their teaching philosophy, their prestige, and their tuition. Since these schools are not centralized under one organization--each school also has their own set of requirements for application and their own rubrics for admissions. However, private colleges and universities offer the standard 4-year undergraduate program, and many have graduate programs too. At a private or independent school, you can expect to obtain a B.A., B.S., M.S., M.A., PhD, J.D., and M.D.

Private and independent colleges are funded through their own endowments or financial establishment, and thus have their own admission requirements, preferences, and financial expenses. They often also have their own regulations that are independent from state and federal regulations.

Some schools, like Stanford and USC, are more popular and recognized--thus having a much more narrow admissions rate (5% for Stanford and 16% for USC). However, less well known privates offer just as a robust of an college experience and have a much broader acceptance rate (36.7% for Occidental College). Average enrollment in a private university is much smaller compared to UCs and CSUs, around 10,600 on average (some smaller and some more depending on the campus).

The estimated cost of attending a traditional private university is around 53,000 (including room and board).

Out of State Private Schools

Each private college and university will have its own website full of information and resources. Use your favorite search engine to find them, or ask your College/Career Center staff for help. Other resources for private colleges:

commonapp.org – more than 900 private colleges and universities use the Common App in their admissions process
https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/ - More than 150 private and public schools on the Coalition App

Why Go?

All students must decide between attending a public college or a private university, and some find that the benefits of private university studies far outweigh the advantages of attending a public school. While public colleges are often more affordable, students who attend private colleges often find that those schools offer more benefits in the way of the classes they take, the professors they study under and even the friends they make.

Private institutions often offer smaller class sizes. When you attend a major public college, lecture halls may be filled with hundreds of other students with one professor leading the entire group. Private colleges may have 20 or fewer students for every professor on campus, and you may even take classes with just a handful of other students. This allows for students to get more one-on-one support and to build relationships with academic supervisors and peers.

Private universities also offer more networking opportunities and higher financial aid packages. Networking plays a key factor in your future success. While public colleges offer networking opportunities for students, you’ll often find hundreds of other students attending those events and competing against you for those coveted spots. You generally have a better chance to finding a job or landing an internship at a networking event on a private college.

While the cost of attending a private university is higher than the cost of attending a public university, private colleges often have more financial aid available. Private colleges may also pay students more for working on campus and have more scholarships, grants and other financial aid programs than public colleges do.

At the end of the day, while public colleges are generally more affordable for students, those programs may lack some of the opportunities that private colleges have.

Pulled from "What Are The Benefits Of Going To a Private University?"

Admission Requirements

Each school has their own admissions requirements and preferences. However, like other competitive campuses, they will mostly base their admissions on the following factors:

GPA
Transcript
SAT or ACT Test Scores (some privates are still test-required vs. test optional)
Extra-curriculars
Points of excellence or achievement (awards, notable academic projects, jobs, internships, etc.)

NEEDED COMPONENTS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL APPLICATION:

Test Scores (varies from campus to campus)
Transcript
Letters of Rec (generally two)
Applications filled out either on the Common App portal or their own personal portal
Essays (generally the 1 main Common App essay and a myriad of extra supplemental essays.)

To find out more about the admission requirements (what is needed for you to be eligible to apply), check out the websites of each college.

To find out more about admission trends (what makes a student competitive enough to be admitted), check out these websites of tips and helpful information.

Caveats

Homogeneous Population

If you are looking for a more diverse student body that recruits kids from all walks of life, you aren’t likely to find it at a private college. If you are interested in a particular university, check it out first. It’s definitely a good idea to get a feel for what type of students they attract and their current student body is a good indicator.

Demanding Schedule

The heavy workload makes it difficult to balance extracurricular activities, a job, and a social life at a private college. It’s a good idea to identify your priorities before setting out to attend a school that cost $30 thousand a year. Your parents will appreciate your consideration and you will avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Cost of Tuition

Tuition is high, even for a good education. If money is no object, go private. If finances are a primary concern, consider all of your alternatives before committing yourself to a decade of debt.

Transferring Credits

Private universities each have different crediting methods. If the university that you choose doesn’t work for you, it may be difficult to transfer and retain all the credits you have earned.

Pulled from "The Pros and Cons of Private Colleges"

Questions To Ask Self

Since private colleges vary a great deal, here are some questions that you may want to ask yourself concerning private college characteristics:

• Is the location of the college important?

• Do you want to stay in California or travel?

• Should the campus be in a large city or in a rural surrounding?

• Do you want a “coed” student body or a women’s or men’s college?

• Are there special majors?

• Does the college have a facility to find summer jobs or internships in your career area? • What kind of financial aid is available to help pay the college costs?

• Is the college highly competitive or available to most applicants?

Finding Information

Gathering Information about Private Colleges

• Log on to Naviance to help you in your college search.

• Each year many college representatives visit FUHSD high schools to talk with interested students. The College/Career Center organizes these visits and announces the time and sign-up procedure to students. This is a valuable way to find out information about colleges. Consult your high school’s website in the fall for dates of college visits. Visit your College/Career Center and listen to the announcements to keep up with changes and additions throughout the semester.

• College fairs in the area have representatives from many private colleges in attendance. Fremont Union High School District’s College Fair is in the fall.

• As much as possible, visit campuses that are of interest to you. You will gain valuable information about the “feel” of the school that is hard to get any other way.

• Visit colleges’ websites.

• Talk with your Guidance Counselor and College/Career Center Advisor about the kind of school you are looking for. They may know of a school you’ve never heard of that turns out to be perfect for you!

• Visit the College/Career Center and make use of the many books, pamphlets, and computer resources available to you.

• Read Reddit and other personal testimonial websites to learn about what life is really like at that campus.

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