Cal State University San Marcos hosts open house for prospective students
SAN MARCOS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- As prospective students eagerly awaiting their admissions decisions, new opportunities await them at California State University San Marcos.
The Discover CSUSM event this weekend offers students a chance to tour the campus and learn about admissions, with some on-the-spot admissions decisions being made. Many of them are hoping to be the first in their families to attend college.
"I never thought I’d go to a four-year university, so honestly it’s a little nerve-wrecking as well because it’s something new," said Julissa Garcia Ramirez, a prospective student.
"I thought maybe I couldn’t get into a four-year college," said Fatima Gomez, another prospective student.
"One special part is we’re going to do some on the spot admissions," said Ed Mills, chief enrollment officer at Cal State San Marcos.
Julissa Garcia Ramirez expressed the challenges of being a first-generation college student. "It’s been a little difficult being first gen. I feel you have to go through all the challenges and overcome them on your own," she said.
"That can help ease the stress, knowing that my family has my back and they believe in me," said Fatima Gomez.
Emireth Escobedo added, "I don’t really come from a lot of wealth, so it’s important to be to get the education necessary to be successful later in life."
The event comes at a time when college enrollment for recent high school graduates fell to 62.8% in 2024, one of the lowest rates in recent years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
More than half of never-enrolled adults cite the cost of higher education as a very important reason for not attending college, according to a Gallup Analytics report.
Ed Mills assured that CSUSM will work with students to explain funding options, especially in light of potential funding delays due to the government shutdown.
Despite national trends, CSUSM has seen an increase in registrations, with over 1,100 students already signed up, more than at this time last year.
As these prospective students await their admissions results, they remain hopeful about the opportunities that attending Discover CSUSM could bring.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.
