After countless hours of counseling, essay writing and college research, the UHS Senior Class of 2023 submitted their enrollment deposits to the colleges they will call home for the next four years of their educational careers on May 1.

This year’s application cycle proved to be one of the most challenging yet with more than 7,000,000 applicants applying to four-year universities across America. Within the University of California system, 145,000 freshmen applicants applied to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for only 8,400 available spots. UCLA commit Kashish Sachdeva recounted her reaction to receiving her acceptance letter.

“It was something I’ve been wanting for over so many years so I was very happy initially but I also had a ‘now what?’ moment,” Sachdeva said. “What’s the next goal and what more can I achieve?”

Over fifty other UHS seniors will be joining Sachdeva at a University of California school next fall. Others have decided to pursue the next chapter of their education outside of California. One such senior is Minh Trinh, who is planning to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology this fall.

“I had many great offers from California universities but I chose to go out of state because I think that would help me develop my ability to find educational and job opportunities in the desired career field I am interested in,” Trinh said.

Many seniors, however, are still waiting on their final acceptance from their dream college. Senior Nora Wilson is currently on the waiting list for her dream school, Reed College, in Portland, Oregon. 

“It’s kind of nerve wracking because you know that this semester matters a lot even though you see everyone around you slacking off and you know you don’t have that luxury,” Wilson said. “So you watch from afar because it’s kind of weird to see these people that tried so hard before slowly giving up since they already have settled into their desired college.”

For many seniors this year, their next educational destination is right here in Irvine, at Irvine Valley College (IVC). Senior Sarina Afsharmand explained her decision to commit to Irvine Valley College.

“I did not want to move because I wanted to be close [to] my family,” Afsharmand said. “IVC also provides great opportunities and gives me time to earn more experience.” 

As the Class of 2023’s high school chapter comes to a close, many seniors will miss the friendships and lifelong lessons that were learned in and out of the classroom at UHS. While remembering the bittersweet experiences of high school, many are excited to make more memories in the next chapter of their life.