"The early bird gets the worm" is never more appropriate than when it refers to applying for college. Especially today, with budget-challenged public entities reducing enrollment, including the University of California and California State University systems.

In 2009, the UC system admitted 72.5 percent of California resident freshmen applicants (34,296), the lowest rate in 10 years. (UCLA is the most competitive, admitting only 21.4 percent of California freshmen applicants - of about 55,000 applications received per year - according to UC documents.)

The UC's 2009 application rate was 6.5 percent down from 36,683 applications submitted in fall 2008, according to information posted on UC's Office of the President Web page. The reduction aligned with UC's President Mark G. Yudof recommendation of an incoming freshman class reduction by 2,300, approved in January by the institution's board of regents.

"UC has been overenrolled by 11,000 undergraduates," Ricardo Vazquez, UC director of admissions and ethnic media communications, told The Tidings. "And the university has not received any state government funding for two years."

According to information posted on its Web site, UC has a shortfall of $450 million and thus it has raised student's fees by 9.3 percent, which will generate approximately $152 million, of which $54.2 million will be used to provide financial aid to undergraduate and graduate students.

Private colleges and universities, traditionally more selective and less susceptible to the economic turbulence that affects its public counterparts, are currently more stable vis a vis admission rates. "This is a selective institution, so we do not have a waiting list as do public universities," said Yvonne Berumen, director of admissions at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles.

Yet regardless of where high school students are intending to pursue their education, it is imperative that they begin the application process sooner than later, say those connected with the admission process --- especially in these increasingly competitive times.

An early start
And for most students, the acquaintance process with colleges and universities starts at an early age. Elementary students, especially those in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, get exposed to college and university education through career fairs, campus tours or different programs created to encourage them and their parents to pursue higher education.

But this community effort is worthless if students do not apply themselves and start their academic preparedness early on, with their parents' and school authorities' support.

If, by their senior year, the students have not accrued enough advanced academic and extra-curricular credits, they will have a hard time finding a higher education institution that will accept them.

In fact, they should have an idea by their junior year of a career they want to pursue and a list of universities they would like to attend in order to plan accordingly. That means regular contact with their high school counselors whose job is to offer advice. Parents as well as students are encouraged to take advantage of these advisors' knowledge of the educational system to learn about academic requirements, specific careers and how to seek and obtain financial aid.

That is exactly what 17-year-old Arcylizet Iniguez did. The recent honors graduate from all-girls St. Matthias High School in Downey plans to major in biochemistry as a first step toward fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a surgeon.

But Arcylizet began that process in her freshman year at St. Matthias. A school counselor told her she needed to participate in extracurricular activities and perform "with excellence" in class in order to get accepted in the UC system.

She got involved in drama, developing her acting and leadership skills through 11th grade, which led to a position as classroom representative in the student body during her junior year and as the secretary of the student council in her senior year.

She did 65 hours of community service plus 72 hours of church service. Taking regular, honors and advanced placement classes, she graduated with a 4.0 grade point average --- and in May she received an acceptance letter from UCLA.

As one of 15 students among St. Matthias' class of 2009 who received acceptance letters to UC campuses, Arcylizet is the first in her family to go to a higher education institution in the United States. She is a role model for youngest sister Arelybell, 12, who is already a top student.

Her proud Mexican immigrant parents --- a real estate agent and a stay-at-home mom with a degree in tourism management from a Mexican college --- participated in the application process. They visited UC campuses with Arcylizet from the time she was in elementary school. Later on she attended open houses at UCLA, UC Riverside and UC San Diego, went to college fairs, and asked questions of the many university students she met along the road.

This fall, Arcylizet will move to UCLA's dorms. It will be the first time in her life she will live away from her parents, who are happy that she was accepted at an institution close to home in Los Angeles County.

Support and inspiration
Arcylizet's classmate Natalie Herrera has the same determination, despite being raised in a lower-income environment. Not pursuing a higher education degree is not an option for her parents. Two of Natalie's siblings already attend college.

Her parents sacrificed their earnings to co-pay her tuition after she was granted aid from the Catholic Education Foundation.

"I told her (Natalie) that she had to go to school regardless of cold weather, hot weather or even when she felt sleepy," said her mother Patricia.

Natalie followed her parents' and counselor's advice to a T. She took a variety of AP classes, succeeded in sports and spent long hours of community service, mostly supporting special education children. With all that, the "road was paved," Patricia said. "I tell my children they have to leave a footprint on Earth helping others, and for that they need to be prepared."

Natalie is still undecided about her major. "Maybe linguistics or law," she said. "I would like to become a senator to help undocumented immigrants." She will decide eventually, but for now she has been accepted at UCLA.

The family does not have a computer at home, so submitting applications to universities "was tough," Natalie said.

She sought a waiver because of her family's low-income status --- her father works with a seafood delivery merchandiser and her mother works at a flower shop --- and to write the required essays she had to share computers with others at a public library near her home. It took her more than one week to finish.

Arcylizet and Natalie are both sources of inspiration to Margaret Meland, St. Matthias' principal, who was the first one in her family to go to college, and has a master's degree in music from the University of Southern California.

"These women," says Meland, "are the future of our church service, ministry and leadership."