Choose UC Merced or CSU Fullerton??

Admitted to these but rejected by all others. Which should commit to for 4 year? p.s. not transfering to new college. Thanks.

Cost of each? Debt needed at each, if any?

Major intended and admitted to at each?

Post-graduation goals?

Other factors that you may consider in choice of college?

please help

Computer science at each. Getting a job and make good friends.

We’re not talking Cal or MIT vs one of these here, so the choice of school is not going to make a difference in getting a job. What you do at the one you attend (good grades, internships, etc) will.

As for making friends, the 2 schools are very different in environment. Just about everyone lives on-campus or near Merced. Fullerton is a commuter school, one article in the school paper saying

Read also https://dailytitan.com/2017/09/commuting-difficult-worthwhile-csuf-students-driving-commuter/

It is easier to make & maintain friends when they live in your dorm or a short walk away. However mere residence is not a panacea; someone who had trouble making friends in HS is likely to run into the same difficulties even if they attend a college where most kids live nearby.

Another difference worth considering are the differences in the major. Fullerton has a straight CS degree, the one at Merced is called “Computer Science and Engineering” and has a bit of an engineering tilt. With a quick glance at their requirements it does seem there may be more math & science courses required at Merced, but they seem to offer similar CS classes to Fullerton so maybe in the end you can learn just as much CS. You should spend some time figuring out a sample 4-year plan at each college and then decide if the differences matter.

Their common data sets (section F) indicate that 30% of CSUFullerton and 88% of UCMerced frosh live in the dorms, so CSUFullerton is much more heavily commuter.

Would you be a residential student at both, or would you be a commuter from where you currently live to either?

They are both credible for all of the degrees they offer. It is probably easier to get internships at big companies if you are in the LA megaplex but, you can relocate for the summer if the right internship comes around.

Since it sounds like you are looking for the classic ‘freshman experience’, I’d lean to Merced - where the cost of living probably more than offsets the retail tuition difference.

Maybe some day, the techs will build companies in eastern California because of the influence of UC Merced’s CS programs and help vitalize that part of the state. You could be a part of something big.

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cool, thanks.

legends

very very good answer, amen

UC Merced is in farm country, Fullerton is in LA County. Do you have transportation? Merced is kind of isolated so you really need to visit. Fullerton is in LA County lots of access to shops and activities.

I am confused as of which school have better job prospects? Please help, amen.

But awesome answers on the socializing aspect, excellente.

but uc merced has extremely low admission stats tho

UC Merced Freshman profile 2019 vs. CSUF 2019 Freshman profile. Think again that UCM’s admission stats are low.

UC MERECED::::
2019 UC capped weighted GPA averages along with 25th-75th percentile range:
UCM: 3.73 (3.45-4.00)

2019 Data:
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT totals:
UCM: 1020-1290

25th - 75th percentiles for ACT composite + language arts
UCM: 18-26

CSUF::::
Average CSU GPA: 3.68
Average SAT: 1127
Average ACT: 22

Thank so much, amen.

CSUF is in OC, but it’s almost LA County. And I said UCM is in eastern CA, but it’s actually in the Central Valley. East of Merced is apparently a lot of woodlands – it looks like very nice wide-open country. That’ll be good for study, outside of the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

You watch though, the techs will open up sites in the CV because of cheaper land, which will help reduce costs of operations, and these will hopefully be passed on to the consumer. All these will hopefully lead to a vitalization of the area, with techsters employed by the companies settling in the area.

You’ll be a part of UCM’s 15th incoming class, and in college to human years, just in its infancy. I think that would be fun, and I bet they would roll out the red carpet for you.

But don’t let me influence you in any way, lol.

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Thanks, now I can see the decision quite, amen.

@twittiebird3892, CS is strong in job placement and acquisition. Why are you concerned about that? Are you a citizen? That would be your only hurdle if you’re not a citizen.

Companies aren’t really sponsoring non-citizens. But if you are a citizen then you shouldn’t have a problem finding a job, regardless of where you go to school.

I also said that Fullerton, was in LA County, which was an error, but for me Orange County and LA County blend together. It shouldn’t take two hours to get from Fullerton to downtown LA unless you’re in heavy traffic.

But I am from San Diego County and there’s a big difference between all the counties.