Help Me Choose Please!

College Search & Selection
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Hi all! I am a senior in high school. I was lucky enough to be accepted into many wonderful schools and am now tasked with deciding between them. I’m having a lot of trouble deciding between them, so I was hoping you all could help! I apologize in advance for the longwinded post, but I want to make sure I include the full picture for each school. My major is Business Admin/Econ depending on what is offered at the school, but I would ideally like to double major in Polysci. All costs are measured in cost billed not COA. Cost is very important & I know low debt is necessary for non-stem majors. Please let me know which of these schools you think would be best for me based on the information provided and why.

School #1: Berkeley
-Major: Business Admin (admitted to L&S)
-Pros: Obviously, this is the most prestigious school on my list, especially for my intended major. I would like to be in NorCal, but won’t be able to visit until April 16th. I find the politically charged atmosphere of the campus very alluring.

  • Cons: I am extremely worried about the competitiveness of Berkeley. I know Haas admissions are ridiculous and it can get really cut throat. I’m not a super competitive person and I am afraid I would be unhappy in this environment and wouldn’t be able to compete academically. I have heard many students that hate the atmosphere at Berkeley and are unhappy there. The other con is that I’ve heard the area around Berkeley is very rough.
  • Cost: $12,971 year one including $3,200 work study. $5500 of that would have to be taken out in loans.

School #2: Riverside
-Major: Pre-Business
-Pros: Regents scholarship, easy to get into business program, cheap travel as it is close to home, & less competitive in general, SoCal. I have visited and did like the campus but school was not in session so I did not get to see student body.
-Cons: I hate the Inland Empire. Terrible smog (asthma). Not prestigious/well known for business (or anything else really)
-Cost: Strong point. $6,300 first year. No work study, wouldn’t need loans. Renewable $10k/year regents scholarship.

School #3: Santa Barbara
-Major: Pre-Economics in honors college
-Pros: Although I haven’t toured the school yet, I love the SB area (will tour April 17th). I’ve heard their economics program is difficult but top notch. Known for being laid back and not cut throat at all. Honors college perks. SoCal = low transportation costs.
-Cons: Notorious party school reputation is a bit daunting. Although I can’t say I won’t party at all, I’m far far far from the type of person that likes to hardcore party all the time.
-Cost: 11,700 first year including $2500 ws. $5,500 would need to be taken out in loans.

School #4: Temple
-Major: Business Administration in honors college
-Pros- Lots of school spirit, fantastic scholarship, I’ve heard the business school is good. Relatives in PA if I can’t afford to come home during breaks/need help/need storage. Philly sounds like a cool city. Fly in four program. Honors perks.
-Cons: Not in CA= high transportation costs + warmer clothes needed. Party school? MAY NOT HAVE TIME TO TOUR.
-Cost: Strong Point! Presidential scholarship that covers full tuition and fees for four years. $10,500 first year but will likely go down when not living on campus in subsequent years. No work study but would likely have to get a job.

School #5: CSUF
-Major: Business Administration in Business Honors program
-Pros: Surprisingly great program for a CSU. Honors perks. Could keep my current job that I love (possible chances for advancement here). Campus is ok but very familiar feeling.
-Cons: Would have to commute (MAJOR MAJOR CON FOR ME. I really don’t want to stay at home), Half of my high school and my brother goes there- I know it sounds silly but I want my own school.
-Cost: ~7k yearly. Business honors program includes $500 soph year, $1k junior year, $1.5K senior year. Would likely graduate with no debt what so ever.

School #6: Davis
-Major: Economics
-Pros: I had the opportunity to stay with some friends who are freshmen there in their dorms for a few days this week. I fell in LOVE with the school. This was college tour #8 for me, and all of the schools were starting to look the same. I didn’t think I would get that emotional connection with any school as I never had a dream school, but the minute I stepped on campus I felt so at home. I’ve been home for about 24 hours now and I miss Davis so so so much. I thought I was going to cry when I had to leave. I could see myself being very happy here. Every single student I spoke with was incredibly nice and not one person had anything negative to say about the school. It seems like a very collaborative environment. I sat in on a few classes (although unfortunately none for my major) and found them all interesting.
-Cons: Location. I always thought I wanted to be in a big city and I am worried about internship opportunities as Davis is sort of in the middle of nowhere although it isn’t too far from Sacramento. It is very highly regarded for the Ag program, but not so much for my intended major.

  • Cost: Very worried here. $6,000 first year with no work study. BUT, this includes a $14k scholarship from the college of L&S that is for freshman year only. I did speak to the FA counselor when I was there who said academic years are processed independently so it was unlikely they would replace that $14k with all loans next year, but it is a huge worry of mine.

Input? Thank you all for reading my long post and helping!

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Any Input?

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How adventurous do you feel? What you would save by attending Temple would more than pay for your transportation and new wardrobe items. I grew up in IA and went to college in PA near Philly, and then grad school in upstate NY. I spent lots of holidays with extended family in PA and MD, and with college friend’s families in NJ. It was far, but it all worked out. I’m still super close with my aunt from MD. She’s like a second mom.

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@happymomof1
Going out of state is a con for me. I think I’d like he adventure for four years, but I want to work in Cali and Temple is not well known here. As far as cost, I don’t know. The UCs are unpredictable year to year because FA versus based on funding. I do like that my money at temple is guaranteed constant and that I won’t have to worry about tuition going up.

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If I were you, I would choose either Davis or Berkeley. Good luck and congrats on your acceptances!!

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@Salutation
Why? Thanks! This is the narrowed down list already lol.

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Bump for opinions

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I’d choose between Davis, Santa Barbara, and Temple.
Can the Davis admission team put you in touch with your award’s previous recipients, to see what happened after their first year ? Somehow, I can’t believe a UC would let a scholarship student out to dry after their first year.

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@MYOS1634
Could you elaborate on SB?

I’m not sure but I might ask. I did try to find someone who had received it while I was there but none of the students I spoke to knew they gave out departmental scholarships so I don’t think they are very common.

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Don’t ask random students. Ask admissions and the department 's secretary (each).

Ucsb: excellent honors college and excellent economics. Your only con, the party rep, is easily circumvented by requesting a ‘Wellness/substance free’ dorm . It doesn’t mean you can’t party, just that the loud/raging partying will take place elsewhere and you’re to go as long as you don’t bring illegal substances back to your room.

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Also, another question: how close to May 1st is it “safe” to get before SIR-ing somewhere. Will dorms still be available most places up to May 1st?

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@MYOS1634
Thank you, I’ll call them.

I have heard great things about Sb’s Econ dept. I didn’t know that type of dorm existed, maybe I’ll go for that. I’m exicited to visit SB soon.

Thanks for the advice

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Added bonus: because Wellness/Substance free students aren’t likely to trash their rooms/corridors in a drunken fit, they tend to have really nice dorms. Such as…
http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/residences/santa-catalina
Those are all the LLCs
http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/residence-halls/living-learning-communities

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@MYOS1634
Thanks, that makes me a bit less apprehensive. I’m wondering if the honors dorms may have a similar effect though as I’d think those students would be less prone to overboard partying by nature.

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Sounds like you love Davis, so I would say Davis. My personal choice would be Berkley. If you want a big party experience, and a good education, I would do UCSB.

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That’s true too about the Honors Dorms, indeed. :slight_smile:

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@Cooper02
I do love Davis, but that’s a big part of my dilemma. My parents and teachers are all pushing me towards Berkeley because it’s objectively the best school for my major and I half feel like I’d be crazy not to choose it. I don’t know if prestige is better than fit.

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Fit always trumps prestige. You need to go where you feel is best for you, not where your teachers will be proud and happy to tell everyone you got into :D. Ultimately, if the fit is good, it helps you do well, and get over the rough patches all college students experience.
Visit, spend a day at each campus, sit in a Freshman English class and a class in your chosen major, talk with students about their experience, eat in the cafeteria (not just for the food but to see whether students are social, friendly…), read the campus paper to see what issues concern the students and if they can handle them with respect and a certain sophistication, etc.

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You’re going to do best at where you like it best. UC Davis is a great school. Follow your heart, I’d choose Davis if I were you.

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@MYOS1634
Thank you so much for all of your advice! That’s mainly the reason I am leaning towards Davis at the moment. I might be biased because I did have the opportunity to stay there for a few days and see it from a students perspective, but it feels like home. Everyone was beyond friendly, the student body was very diverse, and the campus seemed social but not like a party school. I miss being there already. Also, there was a small protest against the chancellor going on when I was there, so it was nice to see that the students have some interest in activism:) I do worry about the cost.

That being said, I haven’t visited SB or B yet, so maybe I will like them as well. I also may visit Riverside again when in session to see what it is like, but I didn’t feel nearly as connected to the school as I did Davis when I visited the first time.

I’m releaved that all of my schools don’t have a big price difference because I feel like that gives me more leeway to choose based on preference rather than cost. I would be taking out federal loans only for SB and B if I went; should I factor that heavily into my decision?