I heard back from Cal Poly about a month ago that I was admitted, which is great. They offered me a Frost Scholarship which pays for about 75% of tuition each year. I also have undergraduate research opportunities my freshman year. Yesterday, however, I got into UCLA–my dream school. The problem is the cost. The University has not come out with its financial aid package, but I assume I will be paying about $15,000 more than Cal Poly, were I to attend UCLA.
Would you guys be able to help me out a little? Would it be worth it to go to UCLA, or would Cal Poly be a better choice? To put it in perspective, I come from a single-parent household, who has a net income of <$90,000. My parent went to UCLA though–they would love for me to go. I just don’t know if I would be throwing away TOO good of an opportunity, were I to attend UCLA.
For clarification, I plan to major in Biochemistry. By “plan,” i mean PLAN. This could change, which is why I am apprehensive about Cal Poly. For UCLA, however, I “plan” on attending medical school. With the cost of attendance at UCLA, and the lack of opportunity when compared to Cal Poly, I feel as though I’m caught in the middle with my decision.
For Medical school, it does not matter where you attend for undergrad. What you want is a school where you have a high chance of getting a competitive GPA, high MCAT scores and exposure to Research/Medically related EC’s. Save your money for Medical school and go to Cal Poly, you have been given a great opportunity so take advantage.
First, congratulations! Two great options. You should feel proud of yourself.
You’re smart to know you might change your mind about medical school. So the options you should explore revolve around academic options besides pre-med: types of majors, internships, research, breadth of offerings. Another is campus vibe: there’s an obvious difference between the two! (Though to my mind both are amazingly beautiful/interesting.)
Search this forum – there have been many threads comparing UCs vs. Cal States and Cal Poly in particular. You might also want to PM @ucbalumnus who has done a lot of research on this.
I can tell you one thing: the general rule of thumb is to AVOID DEBT. Even if you only borrow about $5K-$6K per year (the max you can as a student, without a co-signer) that’s still 20K-24K of debt. And that’s a whole lot of money to be paying back month after month, year after year. NOT having debt = freedom. For both you and your parents. So, in that regard there is absolutely no doubt Cal Poly is the way to go.
Now, let’s take a look at opportunities. At Cal Poly you’re a scholarship recipient. (Already looks good on your resume: yes, prospective employers/grad schools will note this.) You already have research opportunities. You’re already ahead of thousands of other freshmen, both at Cal Poly and UCLA.
I understand the pull of the dream school, however. As you wait to hear from UCLA, do as much research about Cal Poly as possible, so you can fully compare the two. If possible, see if you can visit the campus and talk to someone in the biochemistry department. Talk to them not just about research, but Cal Poly’s connections in industry/business and the kinds of opportunities past students enjoyed at Cal Poly. Then try to do the same at UCLA. (Hard, with school responsibilities and the fact that faculties at both schools might be swamped as the semester/quarter winds down. But the way your request is met/not met might be a good indication of what life for an undergrad is at both institutions.)
Good luck. You’ve worked hard, and are now seeing the results.
Thanks for the help! I’ve already visited both schools, but that was about a year ago. I am planning on visited again during mid-April.
In terms of costs, I agree. I feel like I am drawn to UCLA just due to the fact that I got in. That’s why I feel like I’m not giving Cal Poly enough credit.
In terms of Med School, I’m concerned also with achieving a high GPA. While any school will be competitive, I feel as though UCLA would work against me. I am very determined though, which is why I feel that I could thrive at a school such as UCLA.
And this is why college decisions are so difficult.
Congrats!! I also just got in to UCLA and it’s a huge achievement.
I just wanted to add that UCLA does offer several opportunities for undergraduate research as well (big part of why I’ve chosen to go there despite my fear that I will have to work harder for a competitive GPA for med school), so wherever you choose to go, you should be able to find opportunities to research! If you really like Cal Poly just as much as UCLA, there is no reason not to go there as you will save cost and be taking advantage of an awesome opportunity.
It really comes down to cost and which school you feel better about. Good luck with your choice!
What is the complaint many students have about publics? They feel like a number, they don’t feel like they’re getting to know their profs or getting much guidance. And its true. At UCLA you want guidance, go stand in the line for Window 2 in Murphy Hall to make an appt. Your 1st 2 years expect to be steered to an undergrad peer counselor or grad student working on a counseling degree and practicing on current students. I’m not kidding, either; see http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/counseling/counselors.html And finding research opportunities is also on your shoulders.
According to the Frost scholarship letter Cal Poly has posted http://admissions.calpoly.edu/welcometocalpoly/scholarship/frostscholar40_2015.html you’re going to get a faculty mentor and it sounds like placement in research labs. You might want to contact them to find out exactly what they offer in the program, but it does sound like they’re offering you a lot more than the typical anonymous undergrad at UCLA gets.
Now here’s where it gets tricky. When you start college it seems like every 5th kid you meet mutters something about being “premed”. Interest drops off quickly. I have no way to predict if premed is really right for you, or if a biochem degree is what you’ll really want. So in a sense going to Cal Poly is a bet that this is the right course for you, or, if not, that you’ll be satisfied with the Cal Poly alternatives when you could have been at UCLA.
Thanks guys! This has all been really helpful. I’m obviously keeping an open mind about things… Still applying for plenty of scholarships just in case. The real challenge will be if I am accepted into the University Honors Program at Cal Poly. In that case, I feel as though I am passing up TOO much of an opportunity if I were to attend UCLA.
Still, there is a certain sense of satisfaction in attending your dream school. And as stated above, UCLA has several undergraduate research opportunities; these are far less, however, than I would be receiving as a Frost Scholar. Nonetheless, I’m still weighing my choices.
@Archiopterex: $40,000 is large amount of money. There are people who have $40k of debt and are still paying it off 10+ years later in their life. In other perspectives, is your love for UCLA really worth the price of almost two brand new cars?
Additionally, that $40,000 will go a long way in paying for the rest of your education AFTER you finish your undergraduate education.
Congratulations for getting into 2 very good schools! I wonder what your stats could be Just in case you have not yet seen this, you will find a Wealth of information here https://careers.calpoly.edu/search.php . I would say that this site is a eye opener for me & not just about Cal Poly. All the Best - in your decision making.
Just in case you have not yet seen this, you will find a Wealth of information here