<p>i can definitely see food being the deciding factor here. no, really. maybe just because i just got out of work and WHERES MY DINNER.</p>
<p>Hey everyone. Like many of you, I'm trying to choose between Cal and UCLA. I was awarded $4,000 from the UCLA Alumni Scholarship and am moving on to the district finals (and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for state). Then today I received an e-mail from Cal saying I am an alumni scholarship semifinalist.</p>
<p>I've been comparing the two scholarships, and from what I can tell, although they offer virtually identical cash awards, the UCLA Alumni Scholars Club has much more to offer than does Berkeleys. For example, at Berkeley, the primary bonus is that you get 20% off in the student store. But at UCLA, you get priority registration, priority housing (a REALLY nice perk), honors counseling, free copying and printing, and other stuff, similar to what Berkeley offers its regent scholars. I'm not putting down Berkeley, and this isn't necessarily a basis for choosing one school over the other. Just something to consider.</p>
<p>Question: one of you mentioned that in order to go to state finals for the ucla scholarship, you must submit your SIR before the 10th. What's that about? I haven't heard that...</p>
<p>nobelguy, that was me i think?</p>
<p>i think i'm getting regionals and state mixed up, but basically when my interviewer called i think i sounded unenthusiastic (mostly, i was tired because i spent 14 straight hours at school doing volunteer work) about the scholarship. she said something like, we really need people enthusiastic about going to ucla, you cant have doubts about going to ucla if you want to do well at the higher level comps where competition is intense. and she asked if i was sure i wanted to go to la and i said about 90% sure and she told me to call her and ucla admissions back as soon as i was absolutely sure one way or the other so that she can move me onto the next round or not, and she gave me the final date of april 10th. so i dont think they need to final final SIR, but they're assuming that if you choose to move on, you're going to stick with la because otherwise you just wasted their time and that position that could have gone to somebody definitely going to la?</p>
<p>april 1st, still not sure at all.</p>
<p>I got the thing too.</p>
<p>wow, fakeplants. In my interview, I told them I was 90% sure but considering some Ivy Leagues, and they still gave me the scholarship and I'm advancing to the next round. That surprises me that they'd get mad about that. </p>
<p>That woman sounds awful. She shouldn't be pressuring you to make a decision until you've had a chance to weigh all of your options. On the UCLA website, it says that state finals is "one of the best recruitment events" that students have ever been through. If everyone there had decided to go there for sure, why would it be a recruitment event? </p>
<p>The Alumni Scholarship is nice, but I really wouldn't let it pressure into making a decision you could potentially regret.</p>
<p>Straight from CAL Alumni Website: </p>
<p>The Alumni Scholarship
$1000-$2500; renewable; entering freshmen and junior transfers; merit-based with consideration of leadership activities </p>
<p>vs.</p>
<p>Straight from UCLA ALumni Website</p>
<p>Benefits for Alumni Scholars
MONETARY
Scholarships - $2,000 for Community College Transfer Scholarship; $4,000 for Arts and Out of State Scholarship; $4,000 - $12,000 for Freshman and Dr. Bunche scholarship. These scholarships are paid over two years for transfer students and over four years for freshmen based on completion of 30 hours of service annually to the UCLA Alumni Association and UCLA.</p>
<p>Self-Help Grant up to $5,000 for the first year to all entering students with proven financial need*</p>
<p>Wasserman Grants up to $5,000 for the second, third and fourth years available only to Alumni Scholars with proven financial need*</p>