My relationship with my father in my teens (and often afterwards!) was often in struggle. He wanted me to do something and I wouldn't it. Or vice versa. But I embraced this idea big time.
UCSC, University of California, Santa Cruz, was a new liberal arts campus developed as part of the University of California. Small individual campuses clustered together to give the feel of private colleges. Pass/fail curriculum and a tremendous emphasis on creativity and classical learning. Located on a beautiful hillside overlooking Monterey Bay.
My father loved it. Every time we went to Aptos (small beach town between Santa Cruz and Monterey) we would go look at it as it was built. "Wouldn't you love to come here?" my father would ask. For once, I completely agreed with it. I really wanted to go to college there. At that time, the admissions to the new school were extremely selective. Students turned down Ivy League schools to attend, tough competition. But I had good greats and really good SAT scores. I had a chance.
Now, I would see those SAT scores as money; scholarship fodder. My family believed that all children should go away to four year colleges. The liberal arts view. My father decreed that I could go anywhere I wanted as long as it was part of the University of California. He would consider a private college or a college farther away if there was some special reason. At the time, I thought this was entirely reasonable. Besides, lots of choices in the UC system. It did not occur to me then, as it does now, that attending a residential 4 year college was a very expensive, often prohibitive proposition. Things were different the, I believe my quarterly tuition at University of California in 1970 was $229.50. I just figured I was going and that it would be paid for and that was that. Never gave it a second thought. Nearly 40 years ago.
The applications would be sent out on a certain day (November 1?). Stiff competition. Priority given somewhat to first applications received. At that time, it never occurred to anyone to prepare for the SAT nor to work on the essay or personal statement in advance. Application came and I was prepared to turn it around in 24 hours. So I dropped everything, collected the information, worked and reworked the essay and we sent it back Certified Mail the next day. Or some extra extra special post office way. I believe I had to wait until February. I remember my mother coming to the school waving the envelope from UCSC. I got in!
At the time, I thought that campus was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The sun dappled rich green redwood forest. The open rolling fields with grazing cattle. The panoramic views of Monterey Bay. The beautiful new colleges. The brilliant sunsets Gorgeous, I could not believe that I would be living there.
In many ways, I still believe it; the most beautiful place in the world.
Picture of me from 1967, the campus had just opened. I'm 14 or 15 and I already have it in my mind that I would attend UCSC. Was ever that gangly looking, I certainly wasn't tall; hair ribbon in place. View from Stevenson College towards a hazy view of the ocean. Also a contemporary picture taken just below Stevenson used without permission from City on a Hill Press
No comments:
Post a Comment