<p>Even if everything goes exactly as you hope, it will probably take you 2 years to establish residency. At Cal-Berkeley, for instance, you have to be a permanent resident for one full year on May 1st prior to enrollment year. So if you move to California today, the earliest you could be a resident - even if everything goes perfectly - is Fall 2015.</p>
<p>Some things for you to think about. If you go to California against your parents wishes, get a job, set up residency and get accepted to Berkeley, will your parents help you out financially? Will they say you’re an adult now - handle it yourself? How will you feel having to ask them for financial help 2 years after being on your own? What strings might they attach to any money given? Will you be able to abide by those rules?</p>
<p>If everyone thing goes as planned after the first year, I will start out at a community college and earn gen ed credits there then transfer to a UC school, in order to keep costs low. I am not certain, but I believe my parents would help me finically if I needed it for my time at a UC school. My parents worries are directed more toward what kind of lifestyle I will be living for the first year I am there. </p>
<p>BobWallace: Do you know if community colleges operate the same way? And after two years of community college, would that be considered 2 years of residency, or would it become invalidated because of going to college? </p>
<p>My sister’s friend established residency in a year…she is now at Cal Poly. Did they just mandate that one must live in Cali for two years to establish residency?</p>
<p>Edit: Do you mean the earliest I could start at Berkeley is Fall 2015? Rather than be a CA resident?</p>
<p>I also talked to a teacher today, one who is regarded as one of the most intelligent teachers in the school and he was pro Cali. He strongly stated not to force things, and keep working both Penn State and Cali. He also said if my parents are super against it to go to Penn State, and try and get internships over the summer there. Basically he advised me to keep pushing it, and see how my parents react. He then went on to explain how he went to college for a year and flunked out. He took a year off and worked, then went back to college, this time Penn State, and graduated with a 3.8. It seems to me that a common occurrence among very intelligent folk is flunking out… I think that the societal clock on when to go to college influences teenagers so much, that many go when they are not prepared and properly matured. You can get away with only using your natural intelligence in high school, but it is much harder to do so in college. What is the big deal in starting a year, or even 3 years late. If you use those 3 years effectively, I see no argument in why starting 3 years later could be detrimental. Of course one must have the self discipline to use those years wisely. I trust myself to do so.</p>
<p>Just an opinion my teacher instilled into me.</p>
<p>Physical Presence: You must be physically present in California for more than one year (366 days) immediately prior to the residence determination date of the term for which classification as a resident is requested.</p>
<p>Intent: You must establish your intent to make California your home one year prior to the residence determination date of the term for which classification as a resident is requested.</p>
<p>If you are physically present in California solely for educational purposes, you will not be eligible for resident classification regardless of the length of your stay in California. The physical presence requirement (above) will be extended until you can demonstrate a concurrence of both physical presence and intent for one full year.</p>
<p>Financial Independence: If you will not reach age 24 by December 31 of the year in which classification as a resident is requested, and are not dependent upon a California resident parent (biological or legally adoptive only) for tuition purposes, you will be required to satisfy the Universitys self-sufficiency requirement.</p>
<p>It should be noted that this requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates who do not have a parent domiciled in California to qualify for classification as a resident at a University of California campus.</p>
<p>Okay after re-reading this, it seems evident that they frown upon what I am trying to do. I take it going to CC is classified as educational purposes which gives them the ability to extend the number of years I must be present in Cali to whatever they please, until I turn 24. Although, when applying to UC, what information would they see that would waive red flags? When applying to Penn State all I remember it asking was something along the lines of “are you a pa resident?”</p>
<p>Community colleges are usually more liberal - for example many only require a year and a day prior to the first day of classes, rather than the May 1st cutoff Cal uses. You will have to check with any particular school that interests you, as they vary by school.</p>
<p>College is hard, and a big adjustment for many. If you aren’t psyched to go to college, then I think a gap year or going to work is not necessarily a bad idea. You just have to go into it with realistic expectations.</p>
<p>Gotcha.</p>
<p>If you are physically present in California solely for educational purposes, you will not be eligible for resident classification regardless of the length of your stay in California. The physical presence requirement (above) will be extended until you can demonstrate a concurrence of both physical presence and intent for one full year.</p>
<p>Financial Independence: If you will not reach age 24 by December 31 of the year in which classification as a resident is requested, and are not dependent upon a California resident parent (biological or legally adoptive only) for tuition purposes, you will be required to satisfy the University’s self-sufficiency requirement.</p>
<p>^that part scares me a little. Would one year of work void me from, “If you are physically present in California solely for educational purposes, you will not be eligible for resident classification regardless of the length of your stay in California.”</p>
<p>It should be noted that this requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates who do not have a parent domiciled in California to qualify for classification as a resident at a University of California campus.</p>
<p>and then this ^ I am sure they will ask for parents address and when they see they are in PA, red flags will go up, right?</p>
<p>I believe I read that in order to establish residency, you must also (if under age 24) be able to prove that you have not been claimed as a dependent on your parent’s tax return for the preceding two years. Looks like schools can ask to see your parents’ tax records.</p>
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<p>If they did this, though, then you couldn’t meet the self-sufficiency requirement for resident tuition.</p>
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<p>…or even beyond. Even if you’re older than 24, if you’re going to California for educational purposes, then you’re not a Californian for tuition purposes. The clock for becoming a Californian for purposes of tuition runs only while you’re working and not going to school.</p>
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<p>They’d see the transcript from San Diego City College or Pasadena City College, or some other California community college.</p>
<p>They also check your driver’s license and other records to see if they are in state or out of state.</p>
<p>If you have a job and pay taxes, you are not there “solely” for school. That language means you can’t go live with Aunt Margaret and lounge on the beach for a year, still actually supported by out-of-state parents, and expect residency. You need to sever all financial and legal ties to your old state and show your intent to live in California regardless of college. Job, driver’s license, taxes, lease, bank account, everything in CA and nothing in PA, living on your own, not dependent on your parents in any way.</p>
<p>Even if you do all this and become a resident, you will have a very, very hard time coming up with money to pay for an expensive school like a UC. CA is very expensive. Working your way through CC would be an impressive achievement, and CC is cheap if you are in-state. The in-state COA at UC is about $33,000/year. If you do all the stuff to be an “independent”, employed CA resident, you still won’t be independent for Financial Aid purposes until you are 24.</p>
<p>It would make a lot more sense to strike out on your own close to home, where you have a support network and state residency. But maybe it doesn’t sound quite as exciting.</p>
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But those things are trivial. It’s not hard to get a new driver’s license. </p>
<p>And California is very clear about the fact that merely having a California license and registering to vote in California and even paying California income tax will not, by themselves, constitute proof of California residency for purposes of tuition.</p>
<p>(x-posted with Bob, above, who raises an excellent point about financial aid)</p>
<p>Yes was totally unaware that I would not be able to receive financial aid. Penn State is more expensive than UC, although I would receive aid. </p>
<p>4 years at Penn State; 32,000 x 4 (if i dont live at home) = 128,000</p>
<p>2 years at CA CC, 2 years at UC = 10,000 x 2 + 33,000 x 2 = 86,000</p>
<p>CC college was an estimate</p>
<p>Total cost much cheaper in CA. Penn State is very expensive and with the law suits from the scandal, I can only see tuition rising.</p>
<p>As to gaining residency. Am I naive to believe that obtaining CA drivers license, voting, paying income tax, for a full year (while not in school) would not be enough to gain residency for CC, then after two years of that gain residency for UC? I would also be living completely on my own.</p>
<p>And are you positive one is not independently eligible for finical aid until 24? </p>
<p>Edit: Just read that it is nearly impossible to get aid under 24. My parents income is not that high though, and my Mom plans to quit her well paying job in the next few years. So as long as my parents FASFA doesn’t interfere with In-State tuition, I believe I would still receive reasonable aid. </p>
<p>Edit: Would staying on my parents dental and health insurance disqualify me from residency? If so…then yea, id be screwed haha</p>
<p>To qualify for residency, and thereby in-state tuition, you must be completely emancipated from your parents or over the age of 24. Call a UC school, ask to speak to someone in the registrars office and propose your hypothetical situation. </p>
<p>However, I would strongly consider getting a job and attending a community college in PA. PA is a humongous state, so there is ample space to escape. Also, you would be saving yourself–and your parents, for that matter–lots of money by studying at a community college for 2 years and then attending a four-your school of your choice–even one out of state. </p>
<p>Moreover, it seems like your issue is not location, but a lack of motivation. You speak generally about proving yourself academically in the right situation. What makes California different? What makes you think that you’re mature enough to thrive there if you cannot buckle down and focus while you’re here?</p>
<p>ross: Figure that $9000 gone really soon:
in Pacific Beach (San Diego) for a 3bd/1bath=$2400 per month (plus 1st and last months) rent is $7200 just to move in, without utilities and some are without parking. LA and the bay area is really expensive. LA is freeway town. Need cars! Bay area has lots of bridges. </p>
<p>Maybe people think it’s really easy to live here but they don’t look at the full cost of living. If you apply for FA, and you are under 24, you will be paying full fees as an OOS student because it will be based on your parents income. </p>
<p>California’s university system is out of money. They can figure out who is trying to snow them.</p>
<p>Just throwing this idea out for you OP, but have you ever been evaluated for attention issues? A “wicked smart” parent who hasn’t successfully launched in life (by your description) and inability to read books much past the first chapter unless you are fascinated by the subject matter are possible indicators for reading/learning/attention issues. Your guidance counselor should be able to point you to some screening tools and help you find information about learning to best compensate for differences between the way your brain works and the ways other people’s brains work.</p>
<p>Sorry, but I think the “let’s go to California and be different” idea is wishful thinking. If you couldn’t “buckle down” in Penn, why would it be different in Cal? Are you thinking that your parents are the problem? Are travel pals same folks who distracted you in HS? Nothing about “going to California” resonates with new-found maturity, sorry.</p>
<p>A sign of newly embraced maturity would be to stay in Penn, go to Penn State, and sincerely accept your adult responsibilities: do well in school, decide on a career path, develop mature social skills, find a supportive circle of friends, etc. The daily reinforcement of following those goals will teach you more life-lessons than a daliance in California (home of high unemployment, high COL, etc).</p>
<p>I don’t think that’s the only possible sign of maturity, though. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a person’s saying, “I really don’t have the right temperament for college right now. I am going to go to work for a while.” But I’ll concede that I have yet to find much maturity in the California part of the plan. I don’t think I’ve really hidden my skepticism about California in this thread at all.</p>
<p>If the OP really isn’t ready to take advantage of a college education now, it doesn’t make sense for him to go to Penn State ir anywhere else, IMO. But he needs a viable alternative to college: work or vocational training or something.</p>
<p>I must say, I too wonder whether you might have ADD, Ross.</p>
<p>Happymomof1: Yes I actually am diagnosed with a learning disability. I am not sure what it is, but I did take many classes elementary and middle school because of it. I got very annoyed and frustrated with these “special classes” and in high school, took classes the same as everyone else. I don’t think it is ADD, and I refuse to take any prescription drugs if it is. The pharmaceutical business is corrupt and manipulative in my opinion. </p>
<p>And I agree with both of the two above posters, going to California is not needed in order to mature, it is just something I wan’t to do. I would also not live in San Diego or LA to start. I was thinking nearer to Sacramento. I gathered some info on 3 bed room apartments and they are running around 850-1200. Very realistic in my opinion, if leaving with a comfortable financial base. </p>
<p>The part I am struggle more with understanding is how hard it would be to “manipulate” (not really sure thats the right word. More show interests in living in CA) the UC system in order to get in-state tuition. Is that realistic? or would it be very hard to do. Also assume I am fully financially independent.</p>
<p>I am actually inclined to agree that a lot of the pharmaceutical industry is greedy and somewhat dishonest. But that doesn’t mean medicine doesn’t work. I think you’re full of presumption to think you know better at 18 than people who’ve studied the science and worked in the field, often for decades.</p>
<p>And, honestly, what we’ve been trying over and over to tell you is that gaming the higher-education system in California (or any state) will be much harder than you think, if it is possible at all. It wasn’t always this way, but it has been for years. Especially in California, which is filled with academically talented Californians and chronically on the brink of financial collapse. </p>
<p>The UC system welcomes students from outside California, but only the ones who pay full price. When I was your age or a little younger, it was easy to move to Calif. and get resident tuition for most of the time you were a student. But those days are over. It’s a political necessity. The population of legitimate Californians has been growing fast, and the State is basically dead flat broke. They cannot afford to be lenient with a Pennsylvanian who wants to game the system.</p>
<p>Okay so how does this sound. Work until the end of summer, get a good sum of money and then travel around. Obviously have a plan, but I don’t have one yet. Wherever I end up, get a job, pay bills, be independent. Then after I mature, come back to Pennsylvania, and either go through the Penn State system, or CC for 2 years. Then I can sort of compromise with my parents, yet still test out real life on my own. I would not be taking off to party… I just want to mature more before I go to college, but I defiantly want to go somewhere out west and see what that culture is like.</p>