The state legislative decision to favor local student admission to California State Universities is ultimately a positive change to the application process for incoming freshman and transfer students.

Before this notion was approved, it was not uncommon for students who met the qualifications of their respective schools to be turned away due to overcrowding and impacted majors.

Now with this decision, local students, or “place-bound students,” are able to have a fair chance of getting into a school closer to their residency.

Students may have multiple reasons for wanting to attend universities locally rather than go out of state, such as financial struggles, family responsibilities, and commuting problems to name a few.

This notion eliminates some of the issues that may arise in the application and transfer process that many students face every semester.

El Camino houses hundreds of transfer students every year, so a decision as groundbreaking as this can cause students to apply locally without the fear of being rejected.

While the decision is a constructive one, it has its flaws. Place-bound admission can enable students to remain in their comfort zones instead of seeking out other options.

For many students, college is a time of exploration and discovery. With this action in place, some students may be encouraged to remain at home and not explore their options and surroundings because they are more confident in receiving an easy admittance to local universities.

Though change is not the most comfortable option, it is sometimes necessary for a person to grow.

Overall, the decision to allow place-bound students a better chance at being admitted to their local schools is worthwhile to bring change to the way that students experience the application and admittance process.

We hope that this is not the end to bettering the CSU system.