Accepted to UCSB: Is it worth going ?

Hello,
I am a fall 2017 transfer student for UCSB under pre-communications.
I was wondering if it is worth going to UCSB in the long run? Originally I had planned to go to a Cal State and planned to graduate ASAP without any debts but since I was offered admissions for UCSB that has been in the back of my head lately. I do qualify for blue and gold for UCSB because of low-income so my tuition is basically covered. but the living expenses is a lot more expensive to me if I were to move to UCSB than if I were to move to a Cal State.

I guess the main point I was to get from here is I do plan on going to grad school later on but definitely not after I get my BA because I want to start working right away after I graduate but since UC’s have this ‘prestigious’ background would that help me in the future instead of a Cal State?

I know communication’s isn’t a ‘qualified’ major for most of you guys but I really love learning communications and I have a passion for it. & UCSB teaches exactly what I wanted to learn which is human communications.

Any advice would be appreciated! thank you.

Tough call. In general, the best student from CSU will outperform the average student from UC in my experience. Yet a UC degree can open doors that might be closed otherwise. If tuition is covered and you love UCSB, give it strong consideration. Many would trade places with you in a heartbeat! Best of luck.

@PadreDeTres Thank you for your information! I have decided to go to SB unless I get more opportunities at other UCs that I have applied to (Still waiting on LA,SD, and Davis) but my only concern is that I will only get partial certification for the IGETC because I haven’t finished my foreign languages (since I was already on planning to attend a CSU). Do you know if this is going to ruin my admissions?

UC schools aren’t going to open many doors simply by virtue of having attended one. You’ll need to put in the effort to look for internships and relevant experience (clubs, leadership positions, etc) while a student.

I plan on participating in multiple clubs/organizations and look for internships as soon as when I transfer but I was wondering if the difference between doing that in CSU and in a UC would have a difference? in the long run. Like what are the Pros and Cons between the two.

IMHO there are too many variables for anyone to give you a reliable answer a priori. Who shows up to interview on campus and what positions are they filling? If you send out a resume does it happen to cross the desk of an alum that gives it an extra look? Do some of your college friends have connections that lead to a summer job for you because it turns out you match what the family friend is looking for? And so on…

That said, it isn’t just a toin coss either. You can do some investigating to make a more informed decision. Look and see who comes to the colleges you are considering for job fairs and to interview. Talk to the career center when you visit each campus (you are going to visit, right?) Get a sense of how helpful they are to a random kid thru the door. See what they can tell you; how many kids found internships thru the career center last year, and do they know how many found slots on their own. Talk to the Comm dept undergrad advisor (might have to set up an appt before your visit). See what the dept does to help out, what they know about kids in the program the past few years in terms of jobs and grad school. Look up the head of a club or two you’d be interested in (maybe the “Eager Comm Undergrads” or whatever). Send an email to the club president saying what day you’ll be on campus and asking if they have 15 minutes to meet for coffee.

Do this (and more that occurs to you) and you’ll have a better sense of the right decision for you.

Thank you for your advice! @mikemac