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Foothill First Means Unlimited University Transfer Choices Later

Smart Choice

Students choose to attend Foothill for a variety of reasons, including quality instruction, solid preparation for university transfer, comprehensive support services, affordable fees and convenient location.

A growing number of high school seniors are choosing to attend Foothill College. Many of these are high-achieving students who were recruited by prestigious four-year universities but have chosen to attend Foothill instead.

Betsy Butterick, 18, (at right) who was named recipient of the 2001 Saint Francis High School Woman of the Year Award for outstanding grades and leadership, turned down acceptance to Penn State and Santa Clara University to start her freshman year at Foothill College.

“I chose Foothill for a number of reasons,” Butterick says. “I’m looking to complete general education classes, participate in the intensive Honors Institute and play guard for the Women’s Basketball Team so I can make my university transfer application stand out. I don’t know what I want to major in, so I’m looking to Foothill to help me develop some educational goals and career plans. I do know that since age 11, I’ve wanted to play women’s basketball at Stanford. My goal is to use my Foothill experience as a stepping stone for transferring to Stanford.

“Money is also a very real issue for my decision to attend Foothill,” Butterick says. “I have a twin brother, so sending two kids to college at the same time is a financial issue for our parents. And if I’m going to pay for my college education, I want to it to be the college of my choice. That means Foothill now and Stanford next.”

Coincidentally, 2001 Saint Francis High School Man of the Year Award recipient Rich La Rue, 18, (at left) will also be a Foothill freshman this quarter as a speech communication major.

“Foothill was my first choice,” says La Rue. “It’s just smarter to come here first. The school has a great reputation and the instruction will be the same quality as any university for those first two years. I guess the real question is why wouldn’t you come to Foothill?

“My goal at Foothill is to complete my general education courses, save my parents a lot of money and transfer to USC Film School.”

In another example of smart high school grads making the choice to attend Foothill College for the first two years of their college education, more than 80 students—nearly one-third of the Los Altos High School Class of 2001—have declared that they will begin their college experience at Foothill College this fall.

“Foothill College is the college of choice for many high school graduates who were academically ranked at the top of their senior class because of our reputation for high-quality teaching, small class size, and emphasis on attention to individual students,” says Foothill College President Bernadine Chuck Fong. “Foothill freshmen quickly discover that they receive the best undergraduate education from faculty who are experts in their fields, and whose sole responsibility is to teach. Our students transfer to universities such as Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Santa Clara, San Jose State, and many other top public and private schools.”

“Foothill is a great option for kids and we've been working really hard in our district to present it as an excellent choice,” said Rich Fischer, superintendent of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. “For those students who are unable to meet the high cost of four years of university study or may not feel ready to enter the university, Foothill is an excellent choice.”


Get More Out of Online Courses

New Course

If you’re thinking about taking an online class or enrolling in an online degree program, Foothill now offers you an Internet course designed to maximize your online learning experience.

The one-unit CNSL 90: Effective Online Learning class includes study and discussion of self-assessment of personal characteristics needed for effective online learning, tips for critical analysis of online programs, career planning and time management for the online student, online interaction, academic support, counseling support, online study skills, online group learning, and the use of the various online tools and resources. For registration instructions, access www.foothillcollege.org.