SMC
Students Weigh Options |
By Jorge Casuso
October 3 -- Hundreds of
Santa Monica College students flocked
to the grounds around the campus clock
tower Tuesday to chart their futures
after leaving the two-year institution.
As the leading transfer college in the state,
the campus drew recruiters from area universities
and from across the nation -- from Colorado, Georgia
and Florida, as well as from Ivy League Schools
such as Columbia and Cornell.
“They have a very solid academic background
here,” said , an undergraduate
admissions officer from Cornell. “This
is a fascinating student body with
remarkable diversity.
“This is the only (college fair) I’m
coming to,” said Perlmutter, who ran out
of brochures long before the event ended. .
Perlmutter was one of more than 100 recruiters
lured by SMC’s diversity and the promise
of finding transfer students, who unlike high
school seniors, tend to know what they want.
“Transfer students do well because they
have a foundation and tend to be focused,”
said Christine Parra, associate director of admissions
for Loyola Marymount. “They tend to know
what they want.”
“We go after more transfer students now,”
said Frank Colon, an outreach officer for Cal
State at Dominguez Hills. “They get out
a lot quicker. All we have to do is make sure
they complete their major requirements.
“The mindset of a transfer student is completely
different,” Colon said. “They have
their mind set on what they want.”
One of SMC’s draws is a wildly diverse
student body that lures universities looking for
lucrative foreign students, as well as campuses
looking to reflect an increasingly eclectic world.
“A large enrollment of international students
brings more money, which allows you to open up
more sessions,” said Patrice Mulholland,
a recruiter for San Francisco State University,
which has a large number of international students.
“It’s good for classes, especially
political science and international studies,”
Mulholland said. “We always like the adventurous
student.”
One international student lured to the San Francisco
State booth was Haruka Kanzaki, a Japanese native
who has finished her first year at SMC.
“I didn’t expect so many Japanese
people,” Kanzaki said of the student body.
“I see Japanese everywhere.
“I think San Francisco is good,”
she said. “I’ve never been there,
but I think people are really kind.”
If some universities came to Santa Monica to
find students from other countries, many local
schools came to recruit those who want to stay
in the Los Angeles area.
“Every year we have to add another table,”
said Lawanda Bains, who evaluates students for
UCLA. “We don’t push for international
students.”
Daniel Ryan, a sophomore at SMC, hopes to stay
put and get into UCLA.
“It’s my dream, man,” said
Ryan, who wants to study history and become a
writer. “My dad went there, my roommates
go there.
“I’m going to look at other schools,
but I wouldn’t even think about it if I
get into UCLA,” Ryan said.
SMC officials were impressed by Tuesday’s
turnout.
“It’s a great opportunity for the
students to look at their options,” said
SMC Trustee Louise Jaffe. “There are schools
you’ve heard of, and schools you’ve
never heard of.
“It’s one-stop shopping,” Jaffe
said. “It’s one more service
to let people know what opportunities
you have.”
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