Facing state budget cuts, an economy in recession and family financial struggles, high school seniors that make up the class of 2009 have found many additional challenges this year in the transition process from high school to college.

Typically, seniors apply to multiple colleges with the hope of being accepted to their first-choice - and even second- and third-choice - campus with accompanying offers of financial aid, scholarships and incentives. This year things have been different. Openings have been fewer and the money for college tougher to obtain.

For the more than 1,000 Catholic high school graduates in the San Gabriel Region, the application process brought a combination of joy and - for some - disappointment. Yet nearly one hundred percent of the graduates in the region will be attending college this fall.

"This school year has been a challenging one for Mission seniors," says Chris Landinguin, faculty member at San Gabriel Mission High School. "With the state budget crisis, many colleges, especially the Cal State and UC systems, cut spots and fewer girls were able to get into their first choice college."

"Given the economy around the country and particularly in California, it was difficult to predict its impact on the college admission process," says Lori Holtrust, director of college counseling at Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena. Many Mayfield graduates will be attending private colleges this fall.

Both the University of California and California State University systems lowered the number of freshmen they accepted this year, resulting in substantial increases in applications to out of state and private colleges. Fewer openings meant tougher competition for applicants in every case and students found they needed good strategies for the application process. College counselors worked tirelessly with students and encouraged them to be hopeful yet realistic.

"Our seniors seemed determined to be flexible and to examine all college possibilities in order to position themselves for a great number of acceptances while preparing for the inevitable denial response," says Eileen Garabedian, college counselor for Alverno High School in Sierra Madre. "The University of California and California State University systems were especially popular this year, and because these two systems are quite articulate about what is necessary for acceptance, few surprises were experienced by seniors --- except for some good ones!"

The importance of going to college is a focus at all of the region's Catholic high schools, so much so that in the 2007-2008 school year Bishop Mora Salesian High School - which had both a college and remedial track - began a transformation of its curriculum to become college preparatory across the board.

"We focused our attention on getting our students to college," explains Samuel Robles, principal of the East L.A. school. He says no student was left out of the college application process. "As part of their grade for English class, all seniors have been required to complete the application process for a Cal State University. Many students have found that the process is not as challenging as they may have believed and they have gone on to apply to other universities as well. Students who otherwise would not have applied to colleges are receiving acceptance letters."

Salesian seniors appreciated the support they received from their teachers and academic counselors in the college application process. Some, including graduating senior Gustavo D. Tiffer, were the first in their family to apply to college.

"I found it was somewhat difficult only because nobody in my family had ever done it before," Tiffer explains, "but I got into almost every college of my choice. I was also concerned with the status of Cal grants and was not sure I would even get one, so I was trying to plan out how I could pay for college."

Economic struggles
Competition for freshman spaces wasn't necessarily the toughest challenge graduating seniors faced in getting accepted to a college. For many, financing their college education provided the biggest challenge. Catholic high school counselors agreed that competition for spaces and paying for college together made a significant difference in the final decisions of both the colleges and students.

Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary college counselor Mari Anne Chan says that she informed the senior class of the changes in admissions due to the California budget and the recession, and encouraged them to apply to schools they may not have considered, including out-of-state colleges.

"Still, there were many students who were denied admission to a few public universities that I believe would have been accepted last year," she says. "Private universities received a larger number of applicants and thus many students who would have been accepted there in the past were denied admission."

One student, Chan says, applied and was accepted to New York University, her first choice. "However, her parents do not have the money to meet the cost of a NYU education. The financial aid package offered to her was not one that her parents felt they could work with."

Financial need is a factor in many admission decisions, and will likely continue to shut out many deserving students as public funding for education declines, says Janine Bonn, Guidance Department Chair at Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra.

How to pay for college once a student is accepted is often the deciding factor for where a student actually attends freshman year. Alverno graduating senior Gail Gutierrez says the economy had a huge impact on where she applied for college and which college she finally chose.

"Some of the Catholic and independent schools I applied to offered me scholarship and financial aid, but it was not nearly enough to make the schools affordable for my mom," she explains. "I applied all over the country, hoping that some of the schools in the east would have bigger endowments and offer me enough aid to be affordable, but that didn't happen." Gutierrez eventually decided to attend UC San Diego in the fall, and says she is happy with her decision.

Lack of funding for a four year college has caused some graduating seniors to change their focus and begin their college education at community colleges, says Monica Carreon, director of Counseling at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead.

"Many of our students who were accepted to four year colleges have opted to attend community colleges for financial reasons," Carreon says. "Some parents lost jobs, some families have lost homes."

The college application process itself was a financial drain for some students. Landinguin of San Gabriel Mission High relates how Julie Taing, who ranked number one in her graduating class, struggled to pay for her college applications. She applied for as many scholarships as possible to attend UCLA in the fall and maintained her drive to succeed despite the lack of financial support from home.

Determination and commitment
Through all of this, many students have emerged from the college application process even more determined and committed. They say their Catholic high school education has equipped them with skills and attitudes that will help them meet whatever challenge lies ahead.

Like Felipe Ortiz, a graduating senior from Don Bosco Tech, the oldest of three children in his family, who has been working part-time as a restaurant cook while being active in school sports and maintaining a GPA near 3.8. Ortiz will attend Cal State Los Angeles this fall intending to major in Business Management.

"It's been challenging," Ortiz says of his experience in a Catholic high school. "You really learn responsibility, especially in those classes where you're handling heavy machines and equipment, and there is an element of danger. It really gives you a good perspective on how your actions can affect others."

Ortiz, who is also a confirmation team leader at his parish, St. Matthias in Huntington Park, offers to other youth this advice on the college application process and to everything important in his life:

"Look at both sides in all situations you encounter, and look at all the possibilities. Oftentimes, there's not just only one option available to you, so don't give up."