San Francisco is the fourth largest city in California and the 13th largest in the United States, with a population of 776,733. Its original inhabitants, indigenous people dating back 10,000 years, were the Ohlone Indians. European exploration and discovery of the area began as early as 1542, but the San Francisco Bay area was not settled until 1770 when a group of Spanish explorers led by Gaspar de Portolà discovered it and claimed it for Spain. In 1846 as the Mexican-American war took place, the United States took possession of the area, then called Yerba Buena. It was renamed San Francisco by an ordinance from Magistrate Washington A. Bartlett. On April 15th, 1850, it was incorporated as a city.

Surrounded by water on three sides, San Francisco's weather is significantly influenced by Pacific Ocean’s cool currents. Cool, foggy summers and reasonably warm winters with temperatures ranging between 40°F and 70°F characterize the city. Mild weather year-round and a remarkable panoramic view, make San Francisco a popular tourist destination as well as a picturesque city in which to reside. Idyllic weather combined with San Francisco’s numerous parks and beaches, including Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach, support outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, jogging, and volleyball for active individuals.

San Francisco offers a variety of attractions for those who enjoy nightlife, dining out, and cultural activities. The nightlife in San Francisco is concentrated in the North Beach, the Mission District, the Marina, the Castro, and South of Market areas. Music and drinks can be enjoyed at fine establishments such as The Suede Lounge and Nightclub and the Azul Lounge. When dining is on the agenda, restaurants like the Crab House at Pier 39 and the Acme Chophouse provide delectable menus that are sure to please discriminating palates. Fine arts from around the world are exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and everyone can enjoy the sights and sounds of exotic animals at the San Francisco Zoo. For sports fans, San Francisco is home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and MLB’s San Francisco Giants.

Due to its role during the California Gold Rush in the 1800’s, San Francisco was and still is the financial epicenter on the west coast of the U.S. Many national and international financial firms have regional headquarters in San Francisco including Bank of the West, Wells Fargo, and Charles Schwab. Major production facilities for the U.S. Mint as well as the 12th district of the U.S. Federal Reserve have home bases in the city. Although the city is a west coast hub of financial entities, the economy in San Francisco has evolved in recent years. Nearby IT companies such as Sun Microsystems and Macromedia were leaders in the Internet and dot-com boom during the 1990’s. In addition, San Francisco has several other business sectors including gaming, high technology, bioscience, healthcare, and due to ideal weather, the city has a booming hospitality and tourism industry.

Private Universities/Colleges

Public Universities/Colleges

Technical/Professional Schools

For a student, choosing the school and program that’s right for them can be a difficult task. Students in San Francisco will find a variety of programs offered at different schools. Examples of some programs offered are as follows:

Accounting, American Studies, Anthropology, Apparel Design and Merchandising, Art, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biology, Black Studies, Botany, Broadcasting, Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Child Development, Cinematography, Civil Engineering, Clinical Science, Computer Engineering and Science, Criminal Justice, Dance, Dietetics, Ecology, Economics, Electronic Commerce Systems, Environmental Studies, Family Sciences, Financial Services, Geography, Geology, Health Education, History, Hospitality Management, Industrial Arts, Interior Design, International Business, Journalism, Kinesiology, Labor Studies, Management, Marine Biology, Marketing, Math, Meteorology, Music, Nursing, and Oceanography.

With these and so many more choices available, how can a student select the area of study that is right?

“Self-identify,” says Indiana Quadra, Department Chair of the Career Development and Placement Center at the City College of San Francisco. “Look into assessing your own interests, strengths, values, and skills,” she comments. “After you come up with something that matches with your interests and skills, focus on the occupation itself and explore the career. Then you can figure out what your major would be.”

While looking at interests, skills, strengths, and values is a starting point for this process, a student may still be unsure. In this case, most schools do offer students assistance through counseling and career development. Quadra comments, “Part of the career development model is to help students make sure they know what they are pursuing and what is right for them. We help students look at both short and long term goals.”

Another angle for a student to research would be the economic demands of the region. “San Francisco is an ‘idea’ kind of city,” says Dennis Conaghan, Executive Director for the San Francisco Center for Economic Development. “It’s very white collar, with people in professional jobs.”

“The biggest industry in San Francisco is hospitality. We have 14 companies dedicated to the gaming industry,” says Conaghan. But the city is not limited to hospitality. Conaghan states that Research and Bioscience are booming as well. “There are 85,000 people in the Bay area working in Bioscience today,” he states. “Healthcare is huge, and we have a lot of high technology companies as well, but the largest employer is the city itself; government jobs.”

Private Universities

• University of San Francisco - $13,340 per semester

Public Universities

• University of California – San Francisco - $ 12,245 annually, full time resident; $ 34,573 annually, full time non-resident

Technical/Professional

• The Art Institute of California – San Francisco - $ 45,136 (based on a two-year Associate of Applied Arts Degree)

The examples listed are base tuition costs and do not include other costs such as book fees, lab fees, housing fees, meal plans and other miscellaneous fees that schools may apply. Students are advised to research these additional costs as well.

Grants are a second option. Not needing repaid, these are awarded based on students’ financial needs. Grants may be from the school itself or from the local or federal governments. In addition to grants are private, state, and Federal loans. Beginning six months after a student has finished studies, these need to be repaid. A few examples of such loans would be the Perkins loan, the Federal Plus loan, and the Federal Stafford loan. Approximately 10 million students apply for loans yearly, and 9 million will receive them.

Lastly are scholarships. Not needing to be repaid, some are national scholarships available to just about anyone. However, other scholarships have criteria and guidelines that limit the award to specific people. These criteria may be based on a student’s age, gender, ethnicity, area of residence, and area of study.

A few examples of scholarships accessible to students in San Francisco are as follows:

• The San Francisco Foundation Scholarships - Murphy and Cadogan Fine Arts Fellowships (2,500 for students in graduate academic fine arts); The Switzer Environmental Fellowships ($13,000 for graduate students pursuing a career in environmental protection)
• The 826 Valencia Scholarships - The Young Author’s Scholarship (For high school graduates who live in the Bay area and will be attending a 2 or 4-year school); The Nathan Jillson Memorial Scholarship ($10,000 for graduating seniors that live in the Bay area and will be attending a 2 or 4-year school)
• Financial Leadership Scholarships - $5,000 to $10,000 for high school graduates pursuing a career in finance or financial services at an institution in the Bay area counties
• LEAGUE Foundation Scholarships - For graduating high school seniors of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender orientation
• California Labor Federation Annual Scholarship Program - For graduating high school seniors that are California residents who will be attending a university or technical school
• ASIS - Bay Area Chapter Scholarships - $500 for graduating high school seniors who will be attending an accredited college, university, or community college
• Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco Scholarships - 50% to 100% of tuition for students who want to take a language course in Italy
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship - Up to $5,000 for students studying abroad

Some internships are paid, while others are unpaid. Some even give college credits, but all internships will give a student the experience they must have. They may take place in any number of settings including non-profit, corporate, and government environments. Ultimately, internships will give a student the competitive edge that they must have to be successful in the modern job market.

Several companies in the San Francisco area offer internships for students in variety of fields. Microsoft, at their Bay Area Research Center, provides an excellent opportunity for internships. Taking place during the summer months, the company covers a majority of the interns’ expenses and offers a salary as well. Interns are given the same responsibilities as a full-time employee while working on full-scale research projects involving Scalable Servers and Media Presence. For more information, please visit Microsoft Research.

An excellent example of this system at work takes place at the City College of San Francisco, where career and information fairs are a routine exercise to keep opportunities fresh for students.

“We have a holiday job fair in the fall season and then one large career and information fair in the spring,” says Indiana Quadra. “At job fairs, part-time and full-time employment opportunities as well as internship opportunities are presented to students. On-campus recruitment is an ongoing process here that’s initiated by employers.”

At CCSF’s career and information fair, it’s a slightly different scenario. “We help the students with career preparation and development,” Quadra continues. “We have workshops to prepare students for the job search. They cover developing and writing resumes, interview techniques used by employers, and so on.”