<p>It’s entirely possible to graduate UCLA in three years, and hence use all of the money in your college fund without taking out student loans, or very minimally if you need to (and probably none if you do work study.) </p>
<p>It’s pretty common for UCLA students to do this and UCLA is more than willing to work with students to accomplish this. The mimimum amount of units per quarter is 12, but i overheard a student talk about taking 30 in a quarter, and actor James Franco famously took 60 in one quarter. So again, it’s not uncommon. Given that you have the money saved up, you have to think long and hard about what decision you want to make.</p>
<p>I will say once again that Claremont McKenna is an excellent college, and is among the most elite LACs. But a small liberal arts college isn’t for everyone, so try to figure out if UCLA is a better fit for you, and more importantly, if its worth the 100k or more (although you could finish in three years, it’s very possible that you’ll finish in four years, and if that happens you’d have to take on loans for the final year.)</p>
<p>I have a feeling that if i were in your position, i’d still go with CMC, but i can’t be certain.</p>