<p>I'm currently a freshman at Columbia who just found out that there is no way of staying four years due to money issues. I think I'm going to leave at semester because what is the point of wasting $25,000 more on a semester if my diploma won't be from here. Because I have little financial support from my parents (I moved out on my own during senior year), I'm thinking of moving to CA and living/working for a year and gaining residency, thus enabling myself to afford Berkeley. I'm assuming I would have to reapply. Do I have a good chance of getting in? I feel like because I went to Columiba and because I was previously admitted to Berkeley that I have a decent chance. What do you guys think? I don't want to move out to CA and get nothing in return.</p>
<p>If you attend a california community college, and work to support yourself, and can prove you worked enough to support yourself, you probably can establish california residency. The key will be your grades at community college and columbia, your overall GPA. That will determine if you are admitted or not.</p>
<p>Since you’ve already enrolled at Columbia, I don’t think it will be possible for you to reapply as a freshman. You will need to attend community college and apply as a jr transfer.</p>
<p>Don’t take my word for any of this these are very complicated issues you need to research carefully before making any decisions.</p>
<p>You should try to stay at Columbia. I’m not sure you can get residency status in 2 years, but you can check. Columbia is a great school. And not to offend any Berkeley fans, as I am Berkeley student myself, but you will get better opportunities at Columbia.</p>
<p>There are good opportunities for success at Berkeley for undergrad, but graduate school is the best time to go to Berkeley.</p>
<p>I think there is something stated somewhere that says if your primary purpose in moving was to pursue an education, then that does not count for residency. I know my out of state nephew paid a fortune to attend a CC in CA and was unable to get residency, even tough his (non-custodial) father lived in CA and he was born in CA. BUT, if you move to CA and just work for a year, that might work. If no residency is granted then Cal will be every bit as expensive as Columbia.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s doable if you are financially independent for a year. btw: if you were accepted to Cal as a Frosh, you can apply to transfer as a Soph; (it’s a little known exception, or used to be), otherwise they accept only Jr transfers.</p>
<p>Go to the Berkeley website and read the residency rules, it would be safer to not attend any school, just work for one year- of course that extra income will count for fin aid!</p>
<p>^^disagree with somemom. I don’t know why the UC residency hurdle would be higher (or lower) if working FT and taking classes at a juco vs. just working FT. The controlling aspect is financial indepence and intent to maintain permanent residency, which can be accomplished by earning enough to prove independent living for one+ year. Also note that parental units cannot claim you as a tax deduction for two years prior.</p>
<p>If you take more than 6 units they contend you are in the state for educational purposes and cannot become a resident for tuition purposes, otherwise every one could become a resident in year two if they followed the
other parameters:</p>
<p>This is from the above link, note the last couple of sentences</p>
<p>Who is a California Resident?</p>
<h2>If you are an adult who is not an alien present in the U.S. in a nonimmigrant status which precludes you from establishing domicile in the U.S. (e.g., a B, F, H2, H3, or J visa) and you want to be classified as a resident for tuition purposes, you must have established your continuous presence in California more than one year immediately preceding the residence determination date for the semester during which you propose to attend the University, and you must have given up any previous residence. You must also present objective evidence that you intend to make California your permanent home. Evidence of intent must be dated one year before the term for which you seek resident classification. If these steps are delayed, the one-year durational period will be extended until you have demonstrated both continuous presence and intent for one full year. Physical presence within the state solely for educational purposes does not constitute the establishment of California residence under state law, regardless of the length of your stay. Your residence cannot be derived from your spouse nor, since you are an adult, from your parents. Likewise, a registered domestic partner does not derive residence from the other registered domestic partner.</h2>
<p>Read the SIR form to be sure, I think there was a question regarding # of units, with 6 being the magic number</p>
<p>A friend attending SDSU OOS will be allowed to become a resident in year 2, even as a full time student, so there do seem to be different rules for different public schools; I think the UCs are all more strict than the CSUs & CCs</p>
<p>Yup, that is true. But the simple fact is that few kids are financially self-supporting while a UC undergrad. It would require, at a minimum, $45k in annual income to pay OOS tuition, fees, and living expenses – great work if you can get it at age 18. Thus, they cannot fulfill the biggest requirement of all, regardless of units taken or where taken.</p>
<p>Great point BB; my DDs friend attending SDSU did earn enough in her HS years to pay for her tuition and living w/o loans; she will be working in SD, too. So at a cheaper school it is possible, I was not thinking about the OOS $20k extra at UCs</p>