Application Anxiety: University Club helps groups of students with road to college

Zac Estrada Rosales
News Editor
Ask a senior about college right now and there’s a strong possibility they will rip your head off. November is crunch time for applicants to get the myriad of forms turned in for various universities across the country, especially the public UCs and CSUs in this state.
For students who have parents who have not attended a college or have other socioeconomic disadvantages, the University Club is there to help.
Started by head counselor Susan Snyder in 2005, selected juniors and seniors are invited to meetings and involved in programs that help them through the process of selecting their schools and later applying to them.
“I was at UCSD in the summer of 2005 taking courses in college counseling and saw how few minorities were attending universities versus how many are here in California,” said Ms. Snyder. “I was appalled. I checked out our numbers (at SBHS) and it was the same huge gap.” She said that was what compelled her to find out which kids would most likely need help on their road to higher education.
To be in the University Club, Snyder uses the school’s Aeries system to find juniors and seniors with a 2.5 GPA, who are on the way to completing their A-G requirements to graduate high school, are either on the free or reduced lunch program, are first generation college students, or in underrepresented populations.
Mildred Quintanilla, a senior in University Club, said it has kept her on track to graduation and college. “I have a lot of friends in University Club and I can talk to them about classes and college plans,” she said. “(It) makes it enjoyable to join.”
Admission to the club is by invitation only, but Ms. Snyder said any student who feels they should be part of the club can speak to her about joining. Teachers and counselors also sometimes recommend students for the club.
University Club does not operate like student-run clubs on campus. There are no set meeting dates during the week or month. Members are instead encouraged to meet with Ms. Snyder whenever they need to or are called to assemble on a certain date in a certain room.
Additionally, Ms. Snyder calls them out of class to meet. “I meet them in the computer lab to help them with signing up for tests, doing college apps, college searches, and applying for financial aid,” she said. “We also have study sessions and meetings from time to time in room 306. We do some field trips to colleges and college fairs.”
Snyder said University Club uses resources on campus such as the Career Center and others such as Cal-SOAP and Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation.
“Being in University Club gives students more opportunities,” said Quintanilla. “I’m very glad I am a part of University Club.”