<p>My son applied for ED at Pitzer but now I felt regretted since he might be able to get into a UC but not UCLA or Berkeley. What do you think? Is Pitzer better than UC Santa Barbara or Irvine? Is it better than UC Riverside or Merced? Thanks a lot. We did apply for financial aid</p>
<p>It’s really hard to compare a school like Pitzer with a UC. They’re so different in focus and approach that it’s virtually impossible to say which is “better.” The factors that make one more attractive than another to any given student are very personal and subjective.</p>
<p>Agree with Kluge–you are comparing apples to oranges and asking us which one is better. Taking Pitzer vs. UC Irvine: 1,000 undergrads vs. 22,000 undergrads; 22% acceptance rate vs. 49% acceptance rate; SAT mid score ranges in the high 500s to high 600s vs. ranges in the high 500s to low 600s. Pitzer seems to be more “selective.”</p>
<p>Some factors may made a difference to you: Pitzer is 62% female, whereas UCI is 55% female. UCI is 97% California students; Pitzer is 45% CA students. </p>
<p>But if you want to be an engineering major, you’re better off at UCI.</p>
<p>The ONLY thing these two (Pitzer & UCI) have in common is that they are both suburban campuses. Other than that, the difference is like night and day. Whether it is “better” depends on the student. For someone who really dreams of a LAC, Pitzer could be “better” than Cal or Stanford, for that matter.</p>
<p>just not sure myself. Now I feel better. Hope he can get in.</p>